Research Matters Archives | Research & Innovation

91��ɫ professor and postdoc present big data research at Parliament Hill

muellerm — Tue, 31 May 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Faculty of Science mathematics Professor Jianhong Wu and Postdoctoral Fellow Yawen Xu were invited to participate in the Research Matters Parliament Hill Pop-Up Research Park, which took place May 18.

Professor Jianhong Wu explains his research to visitors attending the Research Matters event in Ottawa

Wu and Xu presented research from a collaborative project led by several scientists at 91��ɫ. In addition to Wu and Xu, the project involves Professors Aijun An in the Lassonde School of Engineering, Paul Ritvo in the Faculty of Health, and Peter Tsasis in the Faculties of Health and Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. The research was conducted in collaboration with Manifold Data Mining Inc. and several hospitals.

The project explores the Canadian Community Health Survey to identify statistically significant variables that influence the classification of an individual’s current health status and sentiment. The team will use these variables to build predictive models for informing behaviour changes that can lead to management of chronic diseases, improved wellness and quality of life. The project aims to advance both population and individualized healthcare in Canada.

“The purpose of the Pop-Up Research Park, organized by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), was to provide MPs, political staff, and senior government officials an opportunity to engage with Ontario university research teams and learn more about how their research is impacting Ontarians,” said Celia Haig Brown, associate vice-president research at 91��ɫ. “It was a great opportunity to showcase 91��ɫ’s leading role in working with industrial and hospital partners to mine big health data to inform healthy living.”

“COU provided a good platform to demonstrate the important role of data science in the integration of information and knowledge gained through research funded by the tri-councils to inform policy and action,” said Wu. “I was excited to be a part of sharing data scientists’ perspectives and progress at the Hill.”

Wu is the Canada Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics (Tier 1) and the director of the Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Xu is a postdoctoral fellow in statistics jointly supervised An, Wu, and Zhen Mei at Manifold Data Mining Inc. She is funded by an NSERC Collaborative Research Development grant and by BRAIN.

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Join the Research Matters Virtual Scavenger Hunt

muellerm — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ is joining 21 other Ontario Universities in the Research Matters Virtual Scavenger Hunt, aimed at helping Ontarians learn more about the impact of University research.

Beginning Feb. 17, Research Matters is launching a , a two week, province-wide contest that takes the public on a journey to learn about Ontario university research that impacts their daily lives.

For the last two weeks of February, students, staff and faculty can answer daily clues and be entered in a draw to win daily prizes. There will be 21 clues in all – one from each of Ontario’s 21 universities.

Ontario university students, with a valid student ID from an Ontario University, who complete the scavenger hunt, will be eligible to win one of five cash grand prizes of $500 each. New this year, Ontario K-12 classrooms that complete the hunt will be eligible to win one of five pizza lunches with a researcher.

The Scavenger Hunt is part of a collaborative project called Research Matters, hosted by the Council of Ontario Universities. The project, a multi-platform endeavour in its third year, is designed to give Ontarians unprecedented access to the wealth of ideas and innovations happening at Ontario universities.

The contest is open to all Ontarians. Members of the general public who answer all 21 clues correctly will be able to unlock a secret message that they can then submit to be entered for a draw of 21 grand prizes of gift bags filled with Research Matters merchandise.

“The Research Matters Virtual Scavenger Hunt is a fun contest that enables Ontarians to learn more about the impact of university research and the many important contributions of Ontario’s leading university researchers,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation.

To participate, register at or visit the website for contest details.

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Is there a robot in your future? Find out at Research Matters event April 9

muellerm — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 08:00:00 +0000

Michael Jenkin

91��ɫ is taking part in , a campaign hosted by the Council of Ontario Universities a collaboration among Ontario’s 21 universities, which finds new ways to tell stories about how research is changing lives.

As part of the initiative, Professor Michael Jenkin in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science in the Lassonde School of Engineering, will be participating in a panel presentation held at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection gallery located at 10365 Islington Avenue in Vaughan on April 9. Jenkin will discuss “Is there a robot in your future?”

The event is free to the public and will be held from 6:30 to 9pm.

Research Matters brings together Ontario university researchers to discuss why their research matters to Ontarians on how they live, work, and play. Five researchers will present and there will be a Q & A period for participants to ask questions. Below is a list of the researchers and the questions they will be answering at this event:

Michael Jenkin from 91��ɫ - Is there a robot in your future?
Irene Gammel from Ryerson University - What is missing from Canada’s culture?
Emma Master from University of Toronto - Can plant materials replace plastic?
Pierre Côté from UOIT - What can be done about a pain in the neck?
Kathleen Martin Ginis from McMaster University - How can Canadians with physical disabilities live more active, healthy lives?

“Members of the 91��ɫ community and the general public are welcome to attend and learn more about the important research taking place in Universities across Ontario,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president Research & Innovation.

This event is moderated by CBC radio host Piya Chattopadhyay.

Jenkin is a professor of computer science and engineering, and a member of the Centre for Vision Research at 91��ɫ. Working in the fields of visually guided autonomous robots and virtual reality, he has published more than 150 research papers including co-authoring Computational Principles of Mobile Robotics with Gregory Dudek and a series of co-edited books on human and machine vision with Laurence Harris.

To indicate your attendance, RSVP to organizers.

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91��ɫ prof featured in COU's new Research Matters campaign

fmaquito — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Through a new province-wide campaign, Ontario university researchers are reaching out to explain the value and benefits of university research.
The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) launched to showcase new stories and ideas emerging from the research underway at Ontario's universities. The campaign, which features a website and blog, speaks to daily issues and reflects the full diversity of university research. It will continue through 2012-2013, with public events held around the province to allow the public to engage directly with researchers. Ontario's Minister of Economic Development & Innovation Brad Duguid announced the launch of the campaign at the Ontario Centres of Excellence Discovery Conference last week.

Among the researchers featured in the campaign is 91��ɫ humanities Professor Andrea Davis. The campaign profiles the work Davis is doing to alleviate the causes of youth violence. Through her research, Davis is working with community partners to help black youth in Canada and Jamaica challenge physical and systemic violence and find new paths toward social and civic engagement. Her work helps young people form new social identities through participation in the arts, social history and literature. to view the profile.

"This campaign provides a unique opportunity for researchers across the province to share the wide range of research they do,” says Davis. “The project my team and I are leading is certainly only one of many amazing research projects at 91��ɫ, but it resonates specifically with Ontarians because it addresses immediate questions about youth violence. There is no doubt that the stakes are high, and the potential for change and transformation is enormous."

“The work of thousands of university researchers in Ontario affects industry, government and community life in a multitude of ways,” says Alastair Summerlee, chair of COU and president of the University of Guelph. “Those stories about how researchers help people build stronger communities, get more out of work and leisure time, and achieve a better quality of life deserve to be told.”

“This campaign will connect more Ontarians directly with researchers and their ideas,” says Bonnie Patterson, COU president and CEO. “Ontarians can rightly take pride in the fascinating and highly diverse research underway here.”

“The Research Matters campaign is highlighting the important contributions that University research makes to the lives of Ontarians through the voices of many of Ontario’s leading university researchers,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation. “91��ɫ is most pleased that Professor Andrea Davis and her important research is being highlighted in this initiative. Andrea’s research is making a positive difference in the lives of individuals, locally and abroad. Her project identifies youth violence prevention strategies and facilitates opportunities for youth to engage more constructively in their communities.”

Ontario university research is the common thread that ties these and hundreds of other stories together. Visit the COU's website, follow the campaign on Twitter at , or join the community on .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Panel explores impact of internment of Japanese Canadians

fmaquito — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Canada may be renowned for its tolerance, multiculturalism and respect, and pride itself on its Charter of Rights and Freedom, but during the Second World War this country forced citizens of Japanese and Italian heritage out of their homes and into internment camps. It was a dark moment in the nation's history.

On Wednesday, David Tsubouchi joins a panel discussion about the internment of Japanese and Italian Canadians in Canada during the Second World War.

Left: David Tsubouchi

The discussion kicks off this academic year’s Research Matters series, a monthly showcase of research in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

“Our first panel of the year provides us with some important reflections on Canadian internment, government redress policies and ways to move forward,” says Barbara Crow, LA&PS associate dean, research.

The two-hour panel starts at 2pm in 280N 91��ɫ Lanes.

Panelists will talk about their families’ experience, government redress, balancing state security and civil liberties, and the impact of the internment on 21st century Canada.

Tsubouchi (BA '72, LLB '75) is a member of 91��ɫ’s Board of Governors and a former Ontario cabinet minister. In his presentation, Bachan's Story, he will tell what happened to his mother. She was one of 22,000 Japanese Canadians – including women, children and older people – whose property was confiscated by the government and who were interned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942.

Social science Professor Livy Visano will talk about otherness and refugee experience in The Refuge of Dislocation and the Conscience of Critique. Unlike immigrants, refugees are compelled by survival rather than choice. Displaced refugees face the horrendous shock of abandonment by one’s own country and people, and are haunted by rather than nostalgic about their past.

History Professor Roberto Perin will ask what Canada can learn from the Second World War internments. In his talk, Wartime Internment and Government Redress: Are We Learning from Past Mistakes?, he will look at the consequences of government policy toward “enemy aliens” – Japanese, Germans, Italians and communists – during the war, and ask: Was the right balance found between the imperatives of state security and the civil liberties of vulnerable individuals and groups? Given the War Measures Act and the war on terrorism since Sept. 11, 2001, achieving a balance between state security and civil liberties remains a current concern today.

The panel will be moderated by Merle Jacobs, chair of Equity Studies.

Research Matters is open to all. RSVP to rirons@yorku.ca or 416-736-2100 ext. 33584.

For upcoming talks in the series, visit the Research Matters webpage.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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