If you鈥檙e working in 3D film or aerospace engineering, what impact do the latest developments in brain and vision research have on your industry鈥檚 practices? What if you鈥檙e drafting government policy on air quality control and need expertise in how the latest atmospheric chemistry and physics findings translate into plans and policy?

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at 91亚色 have new options to pursue the research and applied dimensions of these and other questions, thanks to $3.3 million in funding from the (NSERC).

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The funding, provided through NSERC鈥檚 $29.6聽million investment over six years in the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Grants program, will support two new training programs in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, each valued at $1.65 million over the period.

Students and fellows enrolled in each program will gain experience in basic and applied research, along with the practical and professional skills needed to successfully transition to research careers in the academic, industry or government sectors.

Professor Hugh Wilson in the Faculty of Science & Engineering鈥檚 Department of Biology will lead the Vision Science and Applications program. Based in the internationally-recognized (CVR), the program focuses on vision-based information technologies that require optimal information displays to ensure accurate human interpretation of data are playing an increasingly important role in many economic sectors.

Key applications include:

• 3D digital media (e.g., 3D film, geographical databases, autocad systems)
• Aerospace (e.g., cockpit technologies, search-and-rescue)
• Face and scene analysis technologies (e.g., facial biometrics)
• Visual health and assessment technologies (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), perimetry)

The Vision Science and Applications team includes 25 researchers at seven international universities and 10 partner organizations, including , the and . At 91亚色, a total of 10 professors affiliated with CVR will lend their expertise to the project. The program will enrol four students in its first year and 16 students in each successive year.

Professors and in the Faculty of Science & Engineering鈥檚 Department of Chemistry will lead the Training Program for Integrating Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics from Earth to Space (IACPES) program. Jointly based in 91亚色鈥檚 (CAC) and the Centre for Research in Earth & Space Science (CRESS), the program鈥檚 interdisciplinary focus will give students an integrated understanding of atmospheric chemistry and physics from earth into space.

Key applications include:

• measuring and modelling atmospheric change
• examining air quality and health issues
• monitoring changes in the arctic atmosphere
• detecting sources of greenhouse gases
• measuring Earth鈥檚 changing atmosphere from space
• exploring and understanding other planets鈥� atmospheres
• developing the policy implications of atmospheric science

The IACPES team includes 11 applicants at six universities and 23 collaborators at 10 partner organizations, including , the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the (NOAA) in Boulder, Colo., several industries and two premier research institutes in Germany.聽The program will create 21 places for undergraduate students, master鈥檚 students, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in its first year, with over 200 places created over the successive five years.

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鈥淏y securing two of only 18 projects awarded to universities across Canada, 91亚色 builds on its strong track record in leading large-scale, interdisciplinary collaborative research projects,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥�The programs will provide our innovative research centres 鈥� CVR, CRESS and CAC聽鈥� with a competitive advantage in attracting excellent graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who wish to pursue careers in the applications of vision science or atmospheric chemistry and physics. NSERC鈥檚 CREATE program strengthens the role of universities in training the highly-qualified people needed in today鈥檚 scientific knowledge economy.鈥�

鈥淣SERC鈥檚 CREATE Program helps graduating students become highly sought-after professional researchers in the natural sciences and engineering, both in Canada and abroad,鈥� said Suzanne聽Fortier, president of NSERC. 鈥淭he program not only helps improve the skill set of Canada鈥檚 next-generation of research talent, but it also helps to support their retention in the workforce.鈥�

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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A 91亚色 study, published recently in the journal , used fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to track brain activity when study participants looked at an image of a facial expression with a word superimposed on it. Study participants processed the words faster than the facial expressions. However, when the word did not match the image 鈥� for example, when the word 鈥渟ad鈥� was superimposed on an image of someone smiling 鈭� participants reacted less quickly to a request to read the word.

鈥淭he emotion in the word doesn鈥檛 match the emotion in the facial expression, which creates a conflict,鈥� said psychology Professor Joseph DeSouza in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health. 鈥淥ur study showed 鈭� for the first time 鈭� an increase in signal from the left inferior frontal cortex when the study participant was confronted by this conflict between the word and the image and asked to respond to directions that went against their automatic instincts.鈥�

Previous research on the prefrontal cortex has found this region to be implicated in higher order cognitive functions, including long-term planning, response suppression and response selection. This experiment, conducted by graduate student Shima Ovaysikia under DeSouza鈥檚 supervision, allowed researchers to study inhibitory mechanisms for much more complex stimuli than have been studied in the past.

The inferior frontal cortex is located near the front left temple. People who have problems with inhibition, including stroke or schizophrenia patients, may have damage to this inferior frontal cortex zone, says DeSouza. As a result, when they see something that is inconsistent 鈥� such as the image of a smiling face with the word 鈥渟ad鈥� across it 鈥� they would be expected to take more time to react, because the part of their brains needed to process it has been damaged or destroyed.

The research, conducted by 91亚色鈥檚 with the use of fMRI technology at Queen鈥檚 University, was partially funded by the Faculty of Health at 91亚色, the and the program. Future fMRI research at 91亚色 will be conducted in a state-of-the-art neuroimaging laboratory at 91亚色鈥檚 new Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which opened in September.

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She accepted the Institute of Aging at the annual conference of the Canadian Association on Gerontology in Montreal. The prize, which augments major scholarship聽funding she has already received,聽included the money, an invitation to the conference and, best of all, a chance to adjudicate research posters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 perfect timing for me,鈥� says the first-year doctoral student in the Faculty of Health's School of Kinesiology & Health Science. 鈥淚鈥檒l be able to see what鈥檚 going on in my field. Winning this award has been very motivating."

Hawkins started work this fall developing and evaluating a clinical assessment tool to measure visuomotor integration (hand-eye coordination) that could lead to early detection of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. For this, CIHR is funding her research to the tune of $35,000 a year 鈥� $30,000 in salary plus $5,000 research allowance 鈥� for each of the next three years. It鈥檚 the biggest scholarship Hawkins has ever received.

Left: Kara Hawkins

Sit down with Hawkins at her corner desk in the office she shares with other graduate students and you鈥檒l notice only one image taped to the wall next to her computer. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my brain,鈥� says the 27-year-old of the vertical MRI scan taken this fall in 91亚色鈥檚 new Neuroimaging Laboratory, located in the Sherman Health Science Research Centre.

The brain. Hawkins became fascinated with it early in her undergraduate years.聽"You can't understand behaviour without understanding the brain. That's what interested me most."聽She started studying psychology then branched into kinesiology. It was a natural detour. 鈥淚鈥檓 an athlete,鈥� says the former varsity goalie who now plays forward for the Aurora Panthers and for the Ice-O-Topes, an intramural team at 91亚色. 鈥淚 wanted to learn how the brain controls movement.鈥�

After graduating in 2006, she jumped at an offer to work as a neuropsychology assistant at Baycrest, a centre specializing in geriatric research and care. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in clinical applications,鈥� says Hawkins. Baycrest sparked an interest in aging and two years later she returned to 91亚色 to pursue聽a master鈥檚 degree and neuroscience graduate diploma, delving deeper into the neurophysiology of complex motor control. She won three scholarships to do it and graduated last spring.

Now a doctoral student, she鈥檚 back in a clinical setting. At 91亚色 Central Hospital, she is collaborating with the geriatric physician to diagnose aging patients who show signs of mental deterioration. Currently, doctors use language, cognition, memory and attention tests to score patients鈥� mental status out of 30. It鈥檚 an imprecise science, and Hawkins has developed and is testing a new measurement tool that could be more precise.

The tool looks like a laptop. There are two touch-sensitive screens, one vertical and the other horizontal (where the keyboard would normally be). The patient is instructed to reach for a target that appears on the vertical screen, at first directly with her hand and then more indirectly using the horizontal touch screen to聽manipulate a cursor. The test is not educationally or language biased, and Hawkins can determine which part of the brain the patient is using and the level of dysfunction based by the accuracy and speed of the response.

The brain is a complex network of communicating parts. When someone has dementia, the lines of communication deteriorate and misfire. Hawkins鈥� test aims to detect the breakdown in the visual-motor and cognitive-motor communication lines. 鈥淭hese touch-screen tracking tests tap into that.鈥�

Hawkins is currently trying to recruit 60 to 90 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and the same number who are aging normally. Over the next three years, she鈥檒l test her diagnostic tool. She is particularly interested in finding out if it can detect early and more subtle stages of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. Interested participants may contact her at karah@yorku.ca.

The earlier we can catch signs of mental deterioration, the more time there will be for intervention that could delay the onset, says Hawkins. Earlier and more precise diagnosis could lead to better education and better care for patients, she says.

Hawkins, now a member of the , is doing her research under the supervision of 聽Prof. Lauren Sergio, an expert in hand-eye coordination and director of 91亚色鈥檚 Sensorimotor Neuroscience Laboratory. When she鈥檚 finished her PhD, she hopes to continue exploring diseases associated with聽aging.

By Martha Tancock, YFile contributing writer

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Lead author and PhD candidate Joshua Granek and colleagues concluded that the reorganization of the brain鈥檚 cortical network, which聽they discovered in the young men with significant video game-playing experience, gave them an advantage not only in playing video games but also in performing other complex visuomotor tasks.

The authors wrote that other studies have suggested that individuals skilled in video game-playing have a more efficient brain network for controlling movement that includes the prefrontal, premotor, primary sensorimotor and parietal cortices.

Senior investigator Lauren Sergio, a professor in 91亚色鈥檚 School of Kinesiology and Health Science in the Faculty of Health, told the press that using high-resolution brain imaging, they were able to measure which brain areas were active at given times during the experiment. And, she said, rather than just looking at brain activity, they also 鈥渢ested how the skills learned from video game experience can transfer over to new tasks鈥�.

A key result was finding that during the increasingly difficult tasks, the less experienced video game players relied mostly on the parietal cortex (the brain area typically involved in hand-eye coordination), while the brain scans of the experienced gamers showed more activity in the prefrontal cortex at the front of the brain.

The study was also covered in on Sept. 27, on Sept. 26., Sept. 27 and on Sept. 26.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The project brings scientists who study the brain and vision, virtual reality and robots together under one roof 鈥� that of a former hockey arena. The former 91亚色 Ice Arena, built in 1968 and known by many as the Ice Palace, was transformed into a sophisticated centre for interdisciplinary collaboration.

鈥淲e are extremely thankful to Honey and Barry Sherman for their generosity,鈥� said Mamdouh Shoukri, 91亚色 president & vice-chancellor. 鈥淭his unique new facility will strengthen our University鈥檚 research capacity and enhance collaboration between researchers in the health, science and engineering fields.鈥�

The centre鈥檚 highlight is a neuro-imaging laboratory with the latest functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, which is critically important for research at 91亚色 and future partnerships.

鈥淲e are particularly delighted we can support research in the health sciences because this is an increasingly important area for research innovation,鈥� Dr. Sherman said. 鈥淭his facility and the work that will be undertaken will help strengthen Ontario鈥檚 global position in research and innovation.鈥�

Summaries of the building's laboratories and research projects are available on the Sherman Health Science Research Centre page. The building on September 14 and houses 13 laboratories for researchers from the Centre for Vision Research and the Faculty of Health's School of Kinesiology.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin

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The Keele campus building's transformation from a聽hockey rink into an innovative new health science research centre was made possible聽by a $5-million leadership gift from聽91亚色 Foundation board member Honey Sherman and her husband Dr. Barry Sherman, the chairman and CEO of Apotex Inc., the largest pharmaceutical company in Canada.

鈥淲e are extremely thankful to Honey and Barry Sherman for their generosity,鈥� said Mamdouh Shoukri, president聽& vice-chancellor of 91亚色. 鈥淭his unique new facility will strengthen our university鈥檚 research capacity, and enhance collaboration between researchers in the health, science and engineering fields.鈥�

Conceived as a hub of vision and neuroscience excellence, the new聽Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which officially opened last night, brings together researchers in 91亚色's top-ranked with those in kinesiology and psychology.

Above: The new Sherman Health Science Research Centre at 91亚色

"The Sherman family gift is strategically important. It provides state-of-the-art infrastructure to keep our vision science and health science researchers at the top of their game," says Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation (VPRI) at 91亚色. "We will break new ground at 91亚色 as we increase the intensity of research being carried out in the new facilities, recruit top faculty and graduate students, and undertake research that will lead to new discoveries that impact areas such as health diagnoses and treatments, and safety in space travel."

To change the hockey聽arena, which was built in 1968,聽into聽a highly sophisticated research centre, staff in 91亚色鈥檚 Campus Services & Business Operations聽incorporated green building design and construction elements and worked closely with researchers and professional staff in the Office of the VPRI, , , and the Toronto-based NXL Architects.

The building was gutted and the external shell retained. Salvaged materials from the internal demolition were reused throughout the structure to add design interest.

Right: The interior of the Sherman Health Science Research Centre

Anchoring the new facility is a functional magnetic resonance imager (fMRI), notes , director of CVR. "The new fMRI provides researchers with a critical infrastructure for neuroscience for neuroscience research. It provides the opportunity to see, in real time and in-depth, how the brain functions when undertaking various tasks in both normal and clinical recovery states. The addition of the new fMRI to the facility positions the University as a centre for health sciences as our research partners will also be able to access the facilities while collaborating with 91亚色 researchers."

Housed in the former arena's locker-rooms, the fMRI resides in a specially reconstructed and reinforced facility. The equipment's powerful magnet requires that the room be shielded to protect individuals with pacemakers and other sensitive electronic equipment. The floors in the fMRI room are reinforced with rebar and specialized construction techniques to ensure that vibration and noise are kept to a minimum. Change rooms were reconfigured to be fully wheelchair accessible.

The centre's first floor houses research rooms containing specialized laboratories and equipment used by CVR researchers. As well, researchers from the School of Kinesiology & Health Science can now work in expanded movement analysis laboratories that feature raised聽floors with moveable steel reinforced plates and rigging. Robotic cameras move around test subjects in the space allowing researchers to obtain an unprecedented view of how the body moves.

Green features and repurposed material

The聽concrete ice pad was removed, broken up and used around the perimeter of the building to create a man-made alvar to assist with drainage and storm water management, and to add landscape interest.聽The alvar is used for testing robots designed in the on the first floor, and as聽part of the recreational patio.

Hardwood from the arena鈥檚 ceiling was refinished and used in the internal staircases leading from the first floor to a newly created second floor suite of offices and research laboratories.聽The arena's dark, cavernous space聽was converted into a light and airy place for researchers through the addition of large windows and skylights.聽The windows illuminate the building鈥檚 indoor street of offices and allow natural light to flood into the second floor. This in turn reduces the need for 24/7 artificial lighting and the sunlight helps heat the space during the winter months. Additional energy-efficient light fixtures were added to the area to light it for evening use.

Left: The spiral stairs lead to a catwalk to facilitate the movement of important research equipment

Radiant heating incorporated into the low maintenance, polished concrete flooring offers an energy-efficient way to maintain the building鈥檚 internal temperature in the winter and cools the space during the summer months.

Other sustainable features include the use of internal paints that are low in volatile organic compounds, which聽limits off-gassing of fumes and preserves the building鈥檚 internal air quality. Carpet tiles, manufactured using processes that require very little water, make use of recycled materials and,聽in the case of damage or spills, only the affected tiles are removed, which again preserves the internal air quality.

"The Sherman building is a great example of when vision and programming fuse to create a unique working environment," says Patrick Saavedra, manager of planning & architectural design. "In this case the adaptive reuse of the facility is an exemplary way to be sustainable by not constructing a new building while at the same time re-energizing and giving new life to an older building; not to mention our carbon foot print got smaller as a result".

A collaborative effort, the extraordinary design and function of the Sherman Health Science Research Centre is聽the result of extensive consultations with the scientists and researchers in vision research, kinesiology and psychology.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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91亚色 is currently seeking an MRI technologist to work in the Neuroimaging Laboratory, located in the which officially opens this fall. The position will manage the laboratory's day-to-day operations and assist in the practical aspects of MRI scanning.

More details, including salary, deadlines and how to apply, are available in the job posting.

Please note that only resumes submitted through the described process will be considered.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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Schneider's appointment was announced by Walter Tholen, interim dean of 91亚色's Faculty of Science & Engineering.

With a PhD in brain and cognitive science from the University of Rochester, Scheider brings to 91亚色 a solid background in science and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He has previously been involved in development of MRI centres at Princeton University, the University of Rochester and the University of Missouri.聽Schneider has also designed and taught MRI courses that include a laboratory component where graduate students learn to operate a fMRI scanner as well as design experiments and analyze the resulting data. He expects to offer this course at 91亚色 shortly.

Right:聽Keith Schneider

A pioneer聽of聽fMRI studies of human brainstem visual structures, Schneider's聽 has been with the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the superior colliculus, both which receive direct input from the retina via the optic nerve, has shown that both structures are involved in visual selective attention.

Schneider has also shown that the phenomenon of binocular rivalry occurs in human LGN, proving that previous theories of rivalry as a high-level cognitive phenomenon are incorrect. Rivalry occurs when each of the eyes views an entirely different stimulus (e.g. horizontal lines in the left eye & vertical lines in the right eye). The brain cannot combine these stimuli into a coherent picture of the world, so it defaults to an oscillation in which the subject perceives first one set of lines and then the other.

Schneider鈥檚 current聽work focuses on two major topics: tests of the M-cell theory of dyslexia, and development of enhanced fMRI data analysis algorithms. He is also working on new techniques to provide super-resolution during conventional fMRI scanning. During scanning, a subject鈥檚 head moves a small amount and this is unavoidable. This movement was previously regarded as an unfortunate source of noise. Schneider realized that these small movements can be used to provide subtly different perspective views of the brain and actually enhances resolution. Once development is completed, scientists will be among the first in the world to put super-resolution to work in studying major visual structures in the brain.

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