Research Awards Archives - Faculty of Science /science/tag/research-awards/ 91亚色 Science is a hub of research and teaching excellence. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:20:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Summer Undergraduate Research Conference 2026 /science/research/undergraduate-research/summer-undergraduate-research-conference-2026/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:42:13 +0000 /science/?page_id=43828 NSERC USRA Program Website 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Conference Booklet - 2026 Booklet COMING SOON 2026 Conference Schedule The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色, is an annual showcase of research excellence where undergraduate students present their summer research projects and compete for awards recognizing outstanding achievement. […]

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2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Conference Booklet - 2026 Booklet COMING SOON

2026 Conference Schedule

The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色, is an annual showcase of research excellence where undergraduate students present their summer research projects and compete for awards recognizing outstanding achievement. The event highlights student recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs), as well the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards (ENURAs), the Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships, the 91亚色 Science Scholar Awards (YSSAs), the Helen Freedhoff First Year Award, the Professor Diethard Bohme Undergraduate Research Award and the Professor John Goodings Undergraduate Research Award.

Presentations span a wide range of scientific disciplines, enabling students to communicate their research findings through oral and poster presentations, network with faculty and receive feedback from their academic community.

FSc invites undergraduate research award recipients to showcase their discoveries and celebrate their research achievements at this year's conference that will be held on:

Tuesday August 18, 2026

in the Life Sciences Building (LSB) Lobby

To register and submit your abstract, please complete the form below no later than Tuesday July 21 by 4:00 p.m.

Decisions on whether you have been given an oral or poster presentation will be communicated by Tuesday July 28.

NOTE: If you want to retain and edit your registration/abstract, be sure to click the 'Save and edit later' button after submitting your Registration and Abstract Submission form. If you miss it, you will not be able to change anything you submitted, even if you refresh the page. For further information, see "Instructions for Submitting Registration and Abstract Form"

NSERC USRAs

16

weeks of funding

20

NSERC USRAs available for FSc students

2

Additional NSERC USRAs available for self-identified Black FSc students

$9,856

in total value - $6,000 paid by NSERC, $3,856 paid by FSc supervisor

ENURAs

16

weeks of funding

12

ENURAs available for FSc students

$9,856

in total value - $6,000 paid by Earle Nestmann, $3,856 paid by FSc supervisor

Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships

16

weeks of funding

2

scholarships available for FSc International students

$12,000

in total value - $6,000 paid by Ace Acumen Heights, $6,000 paid by FSc supervisor

Information Sessions and Resources

The FSc USRA Summer 2026 Info Session and Q&A was hosted by FSc Research Services and held on zoom on Wednesday January 28, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

View 2026 Info Session Slides | (Zoom sign-in required)

Award Information

Please note, all applicants will follow the same procedure. Students must identify at least one and up to a maximum of 2 supervisors willing to support their application. The supervisor(s) must explicitly agree to this support. This applies in the case of both supervisor of first choice and supervisor of second choice.

IMPORTANT: Application is a 2 step process. It consists of obtaining and filling out NSERC forms via NSERC's online portal and then saving and uploading a copy of these forms and other required documents to the To be clear, accessing the NSERC portal is done only to allow you to access the forms. You must NOT submit your filled out Form 202 on the NSERC Portal. At this stage, the FSc Machform and the FSc Machform only constitutes submission. If you are chosen to receive an award, you will be contacted with further instructions and then asked to submit materials on the NSERC portal as appropriate at a later date.

The following application materials are required and need to be completed by the student and their first choice supervisor:

STUDENTS

  • Fill out  
  • Forward Reference Number to first choice supervisor only
  • In a separate document, provide a one page Research Interest Statement describing your research interests, academic background (lab or course-related) and skills being brought to the project, knowledge and benefits that you hope to gain from the USRA experience and how the training environment aligns with your career goals and academic interests.
  • 91亚色 students do not need to upload their transcripts at this time. If your application is succesful in the competition, you will be contacted with instructions.
  • DO NOT press "submit" on the NSERC portal. Simply save a copy of PART I of Form 202 to your computer and upload the filled out version to the FSc Machform when you are ready to apply.

SUPERVISORS

  • Each supervisor can host up to a maximum of 2 students in Summer 2026
  • Fill out
  • Use the Reference Number forwarded from student. 
  • Describe a proposal that is unique to the student. This proposal must match the mandate of the funding agency (NSERC) (max. 1800 characters).
  • Provide a description of student鈥檚 role (max. 500 characters).
  • As per the guidelines, the quality of the training environment will be used to assess the application. Please include a brief training plan, either in the research proposal or student鈥檚 role section, that describes the proposed training including the type and extent of supervision and mentorship, the activities the student will participate in, the skills and other outcomes they will gain. Note that the inclusion of EDI considerations in research design makes research more ethically sound, rigorous and useful. Describe how these aspects will be addressed in research design if applicable.  
  • Indicate within the quality of the training and mentorship details that you have sufficient funds to support your portion of the student鈥檚 stipend and their consumable costs. For the USRAs and ENURAs, this year the supervisor鈥檚 contribution is $3856 per student over the 16 weeks. If a student is selected from another university to hold their award at 91亚色, the supervisor will be responsible for paying 4% vacation pay and 10% for benefits in addition to the $3856.
  • NOTE: For the Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships only, the supervisor's contribution is $6000. Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarship student applicants must be from 91亚色 and must be international students enrolled in an FSc program. Supervisors must consider if they are willing to provide support at this level. If this is not possible, supervisors must inform student applicants they will not be accepting Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarship applicants.
  • The research subject code must be chosen from this .
  • DO NOT press "submit" on the NSERC portal. Simply save a copy of PART II of Form 202 to your computer and send it to the student applicant so they can upload the filled out version to the FSc Machform when they are ready to apply.

IMPORTANT: Once all documents above (obtained through the NSERC online system) are complete, an electronic copy of the same must be submitted to the . The forms will be used by your Department to review and rank applications internally.

In order to apply, you must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. NOTE: International students cannot hold NSERC USRAs but CAN hold ENURAs or Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarhips.
  • You are registered (at the time you apply) in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program at an eligible university.
  • You have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a cumulative average of at least 鈥淏鈥. 
  • At the start of the award, you have completed the requirements for your first year of university study (two academic terms).

You are not eligible if:

  • You have previously received a total of three NSERC USRAs.
  • You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN).
Program LaunchJanuary 16, 2026
Information and Q&A SessionJanuary 28, 2026
Application Deadline for StudentsFebruary 16, 2026
Award AnnouncementEnd of March - Early April 2026
Award DurationApril 27, 2026 to August 14, 2026
Research ConferenceTBD (August 13 or 14, 2026)
ValueNSERC USRAs and ENURAs: $9,856 ($6,000 from NSERC + $3,856 from your supervisor)
Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships: $12,000 ($6,000 from Ace Acumen Heights + $6,000 from your supervisor)
Duration4 months (must be a consecutive 16-week period of full-time employment at 35h/week )

In Science, each department prepares their student rankings based on:

  • 60% Academic Excellence
    • Academic Record (transcript)
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Duration of Studies (year of study)
    • Course Load
  • 30% Research Potential (Research Interest Statement provided by student)
    • Why is the student interested in applying for the USRA?
    • How will this award support their future career goals?
    • What relevant research related experience will support this award, if applicable?
  • 10% Quality of Training and Mentorship (Training and Mentorship Plan provided by supervisor using Form 202)
    • What mentoring and training plans are in place to ensure the success and enhanced learning of the student?

It is essential that departments ensure that students are qualified to apply for the awards. The departments must disclose the names of faculty members that ranked the applications. Faculty members that have agreed to supervise a student should not be on the departmental ranking committee. There is a maximum of two students per supervisor.

In addition:

  • Each department ranks the USRA applications they receive.
  • Due to increased tri-agency (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR) support for under-represented groups, there will be 2 NSERC USRA awards, above the institutional limit, geared for Black student researchers. Self-identified Black student applicants in the Faculty of Science will be adjudicated by the Faculty of Science Research and Awards Committee.
  • Indigenous applicants (self identified) who meet eligibility requirements will be recommended for an award.

PLEASE NOTE: All documentation must be submitted by students internally by February 16, 2026 for adjudication by each Department using the .

Projects

In progress; 2026 projects will be added on an incoming basis.

PLEASE NOTE: These are just some of the projects that are available. It is recommended that as a student, you be proactive in reaching out directly supervisors that you are interested in working with as soon as possible to see if they are accepting USRA students. In order to apply, you must have agreed with a potential supervisor on a proposed project.

Project Title: Conserved regulation of divergent plant metabolic defenses

Supervisor: Nik Kovinich

Lab Website:

Contact Info: kovinich@yorku.ca

Project Description: Plants biosynthesize defense metabolites (i.e. phytoalexins) in response to pathogen attack. These metabolites, are diverse in chemical structure and biosynthetic origin among plant species and include the phenylalanine-derived glyceollins from soybean, the phenylpropanoid-derived stilbenes from grapevine, and the tyrosine-derived camalexins from the model plant Arabidopsis. All of these phytoalexins have unconventional anticancer activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. Plants are the most economical source of many phytoalexins but biosynthesize them only transiently and in low amounts, limiting their commercial accessibility.

Despite that phytoalexins are biosynthesized from diverse biosynthetic pathways in different plant lineages, we have discovered that their biosynthesis is regulated by a conserved group of transcription factors. Now we aim to understand the mechanism, first by testing whether the conserved transcription factors directly bind and regulate the cis-acting elements of lineage-specific phytoalexin biosynthetic genes.

We currently have funding from an NSERC Discovery Grant for this USRA position.

Student Responsibilities: The student's role will be to identify gene targets of the transcription factors by conducting promoter-luciferase reporter assays and by assisting with chromatin-immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR).

Desired Background/Skills: The student will learn how to present scientific information through mentoring and by participating in weekly lab meetings. (S)he will receive one-on-one lab training from NSERC PGS-D student Ivan Monsalvo and from the Principle Investigator.

Project Title: Characterizing hormonal regulators and their signaling cascades in insect excretory organs

Supervisor: Jean-Paul Paluzzi

Lab Website:

Contact Info: paluzzi@yorku.ca

Project Description: Neuropeptides and their receptors play a central role in the regulation of most physiological processes in animals. Research in my laboratory is mainly focused on investigating the function of neuropeptides and their receptors in insects. To understand the role and importance of distinct neuropeptide systems, we combine in vitro, in vivo and heterologous high-throughput techniques. Recent evidence of successful implementation of these methods includes our studies on CAPA peptides, which we found activate their cognate receptor forming an essential anti-diuretic regulatory system in mosquitoes (Sajadi et al., 2018 J. Exp. Biol; Sajadi et al., 2020 Sci. Reports). Our latest advances in this area link anti-diuretic hormone control of the renal organs to inhibition of the V-type ATPase (known also as the proton pump), which drives secondary active transport along with osmotically obliged water (Sajadi et al., 2023 PNAS). This current project expands upon related hormones and their signaling cascades using a model organism, namely the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. With the powerful genetic tools available, this study in the fly will examine the signaling cascade linking hormonal control of the renal organs. Specifically, given that most diuretic and anti-diuretic hormones signal via G protein-coupled receptors, we will use reverse genetics to identify downstream targets including a soluble guanylate cyclase (the enzyme responsible to increasing cGMP levels) and protein kinase G (kinase dependent upon cGMP) that are both critical for inhibition of the renal organs. This NSERC USRA project will include molecular, genetic, behavioural and physiological investigations of the above-mentioned and other regulators of the excretory system in insects.

Student Responsibilities: Student will help characterize key components involved in anti-diuretic hormone control of the insect renal organs. Student will rear insects for research by maintaining fly stocks, setting up crosses for experiments including reverse genetic screens, conduct physiological and behavioural bioassays to validate the role of critical enzymes and signaling molecules in control of the insect excretory system. Finally, student will collect and analyze data and present results during weekly meetings.

Desired Background/Skills: Currently enrolled in or previously completed animal physiology, genetics and molecular biology (or equivalent) courses with grades of >80% is preferred. Students with previous laboratory experience (practicum, RAY or other opportunity) is a bonus.

Project Title: Protein Motions in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disease

Supervisor: Derek Wilson

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: dkwilson@yorku.ca

Project Description:

Our lab uses home-build devices combined with cutting edge bioanalytical mass spectrometry platforms to study the rapid - and sometimes dangerous - motions undergo as they carry out their biological roles (or go rogue and cause disease) in the cell. Our undergraduate projects will have you working with Tau protein - one of the two proteins that misfolds and clumps together in Alzheimer's disease - studying how phosphorylation by different enzymes causes it to shift it's 'conformational bias' from the 'safe' form you have in your brain right now to the 'dangerous' form that starts 'clumping' and neurodegeneration.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will: Learn to express and purify Tau protein; Learn to characterize Tau using 'native' mass spectrometry; Learn to conduct millisecond H/D exchange experiments to explore Tau conformational dynamics; Learn to phosphorylate Tau; Present their work at group meetings and conferences; Write up any novel / impactful findings!

Desired Background/Skills:

You'll need: To be an independent learner/thinker, ready to (eventually) work independently in the lab and read relevant background papers on your own; To be able to work as part of a team; To be ready to make the best of the opportunities working on a real-world, high level research project affords you! Some skills in biochemistry lab would be nice, but the ability to learn hands-on skills quickly and effectively is more important than pre-existing knowledge! Some knowledge of molecular-level biochemistry / structural biology would be nice, but the ability to quickly and holistically learn the biological background is more important!

Project Title: Characterizing intramolecular interactions in molecules of astrochemical or atmospheric interest

Supervisor: Jennifer van Wijngaarden

Lab Website: /vanwijng/

Contact Info: vanwijng@yorku.ca

Number of positions: 1

Project Description:

The conformer geometries and relative energy ordering of ethers and thioethers changes depending on the identity of the chalcogen bridge atom (O versus S) and the nature of the organic side chains. These geometric preferences reveal a great deal about the underlying intramolecular interactions that stabilize the molecular shapes. Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy is an excellent tool for probing mixtures of conformers as the molecules are probed in a solvent-free environment allowing bond lengths and angles to be extracted with great precision. In particular, this project will build on recent progress the group has made in studying such compounds to now explore the role of chalcogen atom in directing the positioning of amine or epoxide groups. This project will involve the measurement and analysis of the rotational spectra of these compounds and their minor isotopologues using two state-of-the-art spectrometers at 91亚色. The experimental results will be complemented with a computational study involving molecular dynamics and quantum chemical calculations to identify potential stable forms and their relative energies. The goal of the analysis is to derive accurate experimental geometries for each observed conformer and to use the computed electronic structure to rationalize the underlying reasons for stability. This project will extend our current knowledge of the forces that govern the potential energy landscape of organic ether and thioethers.

Student responsibilities:

The student will learn to use computational tools from Compute Canada to predict conformer structures and energies as well as their corresponding patterns of rotational transitions before using custom spectrometers to collect the experimental spectrum for comparison. Once the spectrum is collected (over several weeks), it will be fit and analyzed. Through this project, the student will be trained to use modern spectrometers (vacuum system, gas mixtures, electronics) and software and will gain an in-depth understanding of the underlying theory of rotational spectroscopy and its connection to molecular geometry.

Desired background/skills:

To get the most of this experience, the student should have successfully completed a course in quantum mechanics such as CHEM3010 or the PHYS equivalent.

Project Title: Efficiency of Bonus-Malus-System for Experience Rating

Supervisor: Jingyi Cao

Contact Info: jingyic@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Bonus-Malus System (BMS) is a mechanism used by insurance companies to adjust premiums based on an insured individual's claim history. Policyholders incur surcharges (maluses) if they file one or more claims, while they receive discounts (bonuses) if they remain claim-free.
This project evaluates the efficiency of the BMS from two perspectives:

  1. Adaptation to Risk Profile Changes 鈥 Examining whether the BMS fairly adjusts premiums in proportion to the actual risk each policyholder represents. The student will assess fairness using Loimaranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency.
  2. Optimal Policyholder Retention 鈥 Addressing the ex-ante moral hazard in rating systems, where policyholders may strategically decide whether to report small claims to avoid future premium increases. Recent studies by Cao, Li, Young, and Zou (2023, 2024) have analyzed optimal reporting strategies for both full and deductible insurance. The student will apply the classical Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level and explore potential extensions of these reporting strategies.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Review the provided readings to gain an understanding of the modelling of the BMS.
  2. Apply the Loimoranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency calculations to analyze a given BMS.
  3. Conduct a literature review on the phenomenon of bonus hunger and reporting strategy, exploring both empirical evidence and theoretical framework.
  4. Implement the Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level.
  5. Investigate extensions of BMS that incorporate claim sizes.

Desired Background/Skills: Students should have completed MATH 2030, 2131, 2280. Preference will be given to students that have also completed MATH 4280 and MATH 4430.

Project Title: Social Homophily, Behavioural Dynamics, and Infectious Disease Transmission

Supervisor: Seyed Moghadas

Lab Website: /science/research/abm-lab/

Contact Info: moghadas@yorku.ca

Number of positions: 1 to 2

Project Description: Human behaviour plays a critical role in shaping the spread of communicable diseases. Beyond biological factors, patterns of social interaction such as who interacts with whom, and how individuals influence one another鈥檚 beliefs can substantially alter epidemic outcomes. This project focuses on the role of homophily (i.e., the tendency of individuals to preferentially interact with others who share similar attitudes or behaviours, and how such social clustering affects disease transmission and control. The student(s) will work on a mathematical and computational modelling project that extends classical epidemic models to incorporate attitude-driven contact patterns and behavioural change. The population is divided into groups based on vaccination attitudes, and disease transmission occurs through physical contacts structured by homophily. In addition, the model allows for attitude change through social influence, including both physical interactions and virtual exposure (e.g., social media). The project will explore how these interacting processes can lead to non-intuitive outcomes, such as large outbreaks occurring despite high overall vaccination coverage, or abrupt shifts in epidemic risk driven by social polarization. The student will contribute to developing and analyzing a system of differential equation models, implementing simulations and fitting to social data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and exploring how epidemic outcomes depend on key parameters such as the strength of homophily, contact rates, and persuasion probabilities. Emphasis will be placed on understanding mechanisms, not just producing simulations: why certain social structures amplify risk, how clustering redistributes infections across groups, and when simplifying assumptions (such as random mixing) break down. Expected outcomes include: (i) A working computational implementation of a homophily-based epidemic model; (ii) Quantitative results showing how social structure affects outbreak size and infection risk; (iii) Visualizations suitable for academic presentations and reports; (iv) A short written summary of findings, potentially contributing to a future manuscript or Summer Undergraduate Research Conference presentation. The project provides training at the interface of mathematics, data science, and public health, and is well suited for students interested in applied mathematics, epidemiology, computational modelling, or complex systems.

Student responsibilities: The undergraduate student(s) will work within a collaborative environment at the ABM-Lab to support ongoing research on behavioural and social drivers of infectious disease transmission. Specific responsibilities will include: (i) Learning and understanding compartmental epidemic models (e.g., SIR-type models) and their extensions to include behavioural and social processes; (ii) Assisting in the formulation and interpretation of models that incorporate homophily and attitude change; (iii) Implementing and modifying simulation code (e.g., using MATLAB, Julia, or Python) to explore model behaviour under different parameter settings; (iv) Fitting data and running numerical experiments to assess the impact of social clustering, vaccination attitudes, and behavioural feedback on epidemic outcomes; (v) Producing clear figures and plots that summarize simulation results and illustrate key mechanisms; (vi) Participating in regular weekly meetings at the ABM-Lab to discuss progress, challenges, and interpretation of results; and (vii) Maintaining organized code, documentation, and notes to ensure reproducibility. The student(s) will be encouraged to think critically about modelling assumptions, ask questions about interpretation, and contribute ideas for extensions or alternative scenarios. Depending on progress and interest, the student(s) may also assist with drafting short summaries of results or preparing materials for journal publications. The emphasis throughout will be on skill development, conceptual understanding, and exposure to real-world research problems.

Desired background/skills: Applicants should be undergraduate students enrolled in FSc programs (e.g., Applied, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science) having strong interest in mathematical modelling or computational approaches to real-world problems. Desired background and skills include: (i) knowledge of differential equations or dynamical systems; (ii) Some experience with programming (e.g., MATLAB, Julia, Python, R, or similar); (iii) Comfort working with equations, simulations, and data analysis/visualization; and (iv) Willingness to learn new concepts in epidemiology and social dynamics. Prior experience with epidemic models, network theory, or agent-based modelling is an asset but not required. Strong analytical thinking, curiosity, and the ability to work independently with guidance are more important than specific technical expertise.

Project Title: Euclidean Ramsey Theory

Supervisor: Mohamed Omar

Contact Info: omarmo@yorku.ca

Project Description: Euclidean Ramsey Theory is a branch of extremal combinatorics that asks extremal questions about forced geometric configurations in prescribed point sets in Euclidean spaces. This project aims to use state-of-the-art techniques in extremal combinatorics, particularly the slice-rank and partition-rank polynomial methods, to improve state-of-the-art bounds in the area.

Student Responsibilities: 

  • A thorough literature review of recent techniques using slice-rank and partition-rank methods in Euclidean Ramsey Theory;
  • Using software to test the viability of these methods on various problems in the research field;
  • A thorough journal documenting the research process, written in latex
  • A draft of an article with all findings from the summer

Desired Background/Skills: Student should have taken Algebra I and Algebra II. At least one of Graph Theory or Combinatorics is recommended.

Project Title: Precision Metrology with Homebuilt Laser Systems

Supervisor: Ananthraman Kumarakrishnan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: akumar@yorku.ca

Project Description:

My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto- locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention.
Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include:

  1. Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision
  2. Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers
  3. Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes
  4. Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales

Student Responsibilities:

Development of individual research projects, assistance to graduate students

Desired Background/Skills:

Aptitude for experimental physics, willingness to take on challenging problems, hands on skills, computer interfacing.

Project Title: Analysis of exceptional quasar outflows

Supervisor: Patrick Hall

Lab Website:  phall@yorku.ca

Contact Info: /phall/HOME/astro.html

Project Description:

Quasars are disks of matter around supermassive black holes in galaxy cores which host inflows through the disk and outflows above and below the disk. My research group has access to a large database of spectroscopy and photometry of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have found quasars with exceptional emission and absorption properties related to outflows of matter from the quasars. We are modelling those properties to compare to the predictions of models of disks and their outflows. The specific quasar(s) to be studied in the project will be determined during the application project.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will learn about quasars through textbooks and lectures both online and in person. The student will work with Prof. Hall and his group on scientific programming for astronomy data analysis using python, MATLAB, etc., and is expected to contribute significantly to analyzing spectra and photometry and to writing up scientific results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Desired Background/Skills:

High marks in all courses, especially in astronomy courses and in computational courses involving python (at minimum EECS 1541 or equivalent, and preferably PHYS 2030 or equivalent).

Project Title: Biophotonics measurements and modulation of living system

Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca

Project Description: How do we manipulate bioluminescence? Pyrocystis fusiformis is bioluminescent alga found in coastal waters. The species is known for emitting a beautiful blue light when mechanically disturbed by its water environment and predators. This bioluminescence is produced by a chemical reaction involving luciferin-luciferase catalysis within scintillon organelles in the cell鈥檚 cytoplasm. This reaction is triggered by mechanical stress on the cell, however, the complete signaling mechanism is not well understood. What if we can control these organism鈥檚 bioluminescence behaviour with light stimulus? Thus, the goal of this project is to study the time-resolved bioluminescence behavior under different stimulator conditions with our novel fast an ultra-sensitive home-built photon-counting device. Ultimately, we aim to incorporate molecular optical photoswitches to photonically biomodulate the photosynthetic and bioluminescent behaviour of these fascinating single cell organisms.

Student Responsibilities: In this highly trans-disciplinary project, conducted collaboration with Chemistry and Physics collaborators, the biophysicist will learn development of biophotonics single photon counting setup to measure bioluminescence kinetics. The student will prepare and integrate optical photo-switching chromophores (azobenzenes) into the dinoflagellates and conduct biomodulation experiments with pump-probe spectroscopy, determining the energetic and kinetic properties.

Desired Background/Skills: The received training will be in biophysics, physics, photonics, and molecular time-domain spectroscopy instrumentation in a highly interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, computational scientists, and opto-electronic engineers. The student is expected to present at group meetings throughout the project for training and development of scientific communication skills. Students will be supported by the supervisor through weekly meetings.

Project Title: Studying Fast Radio Bursts with CHIME

Supervisor: Paul Scholz

Contact Info: pscholz@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a revolutionary radio telescope, located in British Columbia. In its first five years of operation, CHIME has discovered hundreds of new Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and this discovery rate is expected to keep course if not further increase. FRBs are millisecond-long pulses of radio waves from far outside of our Galaxy of unknown origin. CHIME has brought about a new landscape in the FRB field; for the first time we are able to study FRB as a population. There are several potential projects using CHIME/FRB data including software and signal processing pipelines, data analysis and visualization. The student will have opportunities to develop skills in radio signal processing, Python programming, statistics, simulations, and machine learning.

Student Responsibilities: The student will work with Prof. Scholz and the wider CHIME/FRB team analyzing CHIME/FRB data and helping to develop/improve CHIME/FRB software pipelines using Python. Students will work in a collaborative and vibrant research environment through interactions with CHIME/FRB members at several other institutions. The student will give presentations and share results with the team.

Desired Background/Skills: Interest in astrophysics. Experience with programming, particularly in Python.

Project Title: Production of new dark forces at particle accelerators

Supervisor: Sean Tulin

Contact Info: stulin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Dark matter constitutes the most abundant form of matter in the Universe, shaping the evolution of cosmic structures through its gravitational influence. However, its fundamental nature remains elusive, as it cannot be explained within the current framework of fundamental physics. A key open question is whether dark matter interacts solely via gravity or if it experiences additional fundamental forces, analogous to electromagnetism and the nuclear interactions of ordinary matter. If dark matter possesses new fundamental forces, dark force bosons may be discovered in particle accelerator facilities, opening a window toward exploring dark matter physics in the laboratory.

Student Responsibilities: This research will employ theoretical modeling, data analysis, and numerical simulations to predict experimental signatures of novel dark force bosons. Student tasks will include: (1) learning particle physics models of dark matter and dark forces, (2) performing numerical fits to experimental data to determine key inputs needed to calculate the dark force production rate, and (3) performing numerical Monte Carlo simulations to model experimental signatures and detection rates for new physics signals at accelerator facilities.

Desired Background/Skills: Completion of PHYS 2030 or equivalent familiarity in Python.

Project Title: Studying Neutrino Interactions

Supervisor: Deborah Harris

Contact Info: deborahh@yorku.ca

Lab Web Site: /professor/deborahharris/

Number of positions: 1

Project Description: This job will involve analysis of data that was recorded by the MINERvA detector which operated at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. The MINERvA experiment is designed to study the interactions of neutrinos in a variety of different nuclei in order to understand those interactions and how the nuclear environment modifies the particles that emerge from those interactions. This understanding is critical for neutrino experiments like DUNE and T2K, which measure the probability of neutrinos changing from one kind to another over time. Those measurements require experiments to simulate how neutrino energy is translated into energy that can be measured in a detector, since "time" for a particle changes depending on that particle's energy (known as "time dilation" in special relativity).

Student responsibilities: Part of the work will involve developing new analysis code to extract measurements of the probability that neutrinos interact as a function of the momentum of the outgoing particles from the interaction. Since neutrinos are neutral they leave no trace in the detector until they interact with a nucleus (or electron) in the detector to create or boost charged particles which then leave signals as they cross different detector elements. Another part of this job involves contributing to the efforts of the collaboration to run simulations of the experiment which allow uncertainties on the measurements to be evaluated. Those simulations are often more CPU time-consuming than analyzing data because the experiment relies on simulations that are many times the statistics of the data samples. The job will also involve preparing or improving documentation on how to use the collaboration's computing infrasturcture, and possibly documentation for undergraduates on how the MINERvA detector and associated neutrino beamline works.

Desired background/skills: The successful applicant will be able to program in C++, Python, and ROOT (or be willing to develop their skills with online tutorials), and will be able to work effectively in a linux environment. The job will involve using the software infrastructure that is being written by the collaboration, and contributing to that infrastructure. The successful applicant will be able to work independently, and to present their results clearly at occasional meetings with the MINERvA and DUNE Collaborations. Since many presentations will have to be through zoom, the successful applicant will also have access to reasonably good internet to allow effective communication through online platforms (mostly by being on the 91亚色 campus but some amount of remote work is also an option depending on the independence and coding skill of the successful applicant).

Contacts by Department

Nicole NivillacUndergraduate Program Directorupdbiol@yorku.ca
 Derek JacksonUndergraduate Program Directorchemupd@yorku.ca

Ada Sze Sze ChanAssociate Professorssachan@yorku.ca

Patrick HallUndergraduate Program Directorphasupd@yorku.ca

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]]> NSERC USRA, ENURA & Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships 鈥 Summer 2026 /science/research/nserc-usras-enuras-summer-2026/ Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:52:46 +0000 /science/?page_id=41359 NSERC USRA Program Website 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Conference Booklet The Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色 is inviting undergraduate students to apply for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) for Summer 2026. NSERC USRAs are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for […]

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2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Conference Booklet

The Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色 is inviting undergraduate students to apply for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) for Summer 2026.

NSERC USRAs are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in the Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) disciplines. They are also meant to encourage you to undertake graduate studies in these fields by providing research work experience that complements your studies in an academic setting. For Summer 2026, FSc has been allotted 20 NSERC USRAs + 2 NSERC USRAS for self-identified Black students.

In addition to the NSERC USRAs, FSc will be providing 12 awards known as the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards (ENURAs). These have been made possible in part through a generous donation from FSc Alumnus, Earle Nestmann and FSc.

Note that for the first time this year, FSc will also be offering 2 Undergraduate Research Awards for International students only. These are sponsored jointly through a contribution from co-educational institution, Ace Acumen Heights and an FSc supervisor. These are called the Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships. To apply for these scholarships, you must be an FSc International student who has obtained the agreement of their prospective supervisor indicating that the supervisor is able and willing to make the required matching $6,000 contribution. Applicants must note on the FSc Machform that they are specifically applying for the Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarship with the expressed agreement and permission of their prospective supervisor.

NSERC and FSc encourage qualified Indigenous and Black students to apply for all of the above summer research awards.

NSERC USRAs

16

weeks of funding

20

NSERC USRAs available for FSc students

2

Additional NSERC USRAs available for self-identified Black FSc students

$9,856

in total value - $6,000 paid by NSERC, $3,856 paid by FSc supervisor

ENURAs

16

weeks of funding

12

ENURAs available for FSc students

$9,856

in total value - $6,000 paid by Earle Nestmann, $3,856 paid by FSc supervisor

Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships

16

weeks of funding

2

scholarships available for FSc International students

$12,000

in total value - $6,000 paid by Ace Acumen Heights, $6,000 paid by FSc supervisor

Information Sessions and Resources

The FSc USRA Summer 2026 Info Session and Q&A was hosted by FSc Research Services and held on zoom on Wednesday January 28, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

View 2026 Info Session Slides | (Zoom sign-in required)

Award Information

Please note, all applicants will follow the same procedure. Students must identify at least one and up to a maximum of 2 supervisors willing to support their application. The supervisor(s) must explicitly agree to this support. This applies in the case of both supervisor of first choice and supervisor of second choice.

IMPORTANT: Application is a 2 step process. It consists of obtaining and filling out NSERC forms via NSERC's online portal and then saving and uploading a copy of these forms and other required documents to the To be clear, accessing the NSERC portal is done only to allow you to access the forms. You must NOT submit your filled out Form 202 on the NSERC Portal. At this stage, the FSc Machform and the FSc Machform only constitutes submission. If you are chosen to receive an award, you will be contacted with further instructions and then asked to submit materials on the NSERC portal as appropriate at a later date.

The following application materials are required and need to be completed by the student and their first choice supervisor:

STUDENTS

  • Fill out  
  • Forward Reference Number to first choice supervisor only
  • In a separate document, provide a one page Research Interest Statement describing your research interests, academic background (lab or course-related) and skills being brought to the project, knowledge and benefits that you hope to gain from the USRA experience and how the training environment aligns with your career goals and academic interests.
  • 91亚色 students do not need to upload their transcripts at this time. If your application is succesful in the competition, you will be contacted with instructions.
  • DO NOT press "submit" on the NSERC portal. Simply save a copy of PART I of Form 202 to your computer and upload the filled out version to the FSc Machform when you are ready to apply.

SUPERVISORS

  • Each supervisor can host up to a maximum of 2 students in Summer 2026
  • Fill out
  • Use the Reference Number forwarded from student. 
  • Describe a proposal that is unique to the student. This proposal must match the mandate of the funding agency (NSERC) (max. 1800 characters).
  • Provide a description of student鈥檚 role (max. 500 characters).
  • As per the guidelines, the quality of the training environment will be used to assess the application. Please include a brief training plan, either in the research proposal or student鈥檚 role section, that describes the proposed training including the type and extent of supervision and mentorship, the activities the student will participate in, the skills and other outcomes they will gain. Note that the inclusion of EDI considerations in research design makes research more ethically sound, rigorous and useful. Describe how these aspects will be addressed in research design if applicable.  
  • Indicate within the quality of the training and mentorship details that you have sufficient funds to support your portion of the student鈥檚 stipend and their consumable costs. For the USRAs and ENURAs, this year the supervisor鈥檚 contribution is $3856 per student over the 16 weeks. If a student is selected from another university to hold their award at 91亚色, the supervisor will be responsible for paying 4% vacation pay and 10% for benefits in addition to the $3856.
  • NOTE: For the Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships only, the supervisor's contribution is $6000. Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarship student applicants must be from 91亚色 and must be international students enrolled in an FSc program. Supervisors must consider if they are willing to provide support at this level. If this is not possible, supervisors must inform student applicants they will not be accepting Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarship applicants.
  • The research subject code must be chosen from this .
  • DO NOT press "submit" on the NSERC portal. Simply save a copy of PART II of Form 202 to your computer and send it to the student applicant so they can upload the filled out version to the FSc Machform when they are ready to apply.

IMPORTANT: Once all documents above (obtained through the NSERC online system) are complete, an electronic copy of the same must be submitted to the . The forms will be used by your Department to review and rank applications internally.

In order to apply, you must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. NOTE: International students cannot hold NSERC USRAs but CAN hold ENURAs or Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarhips.
  • You are registered (at the time you apply) in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program at an eligible university.
  • You have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a cumulative average of at least 鈥淏鈥. 
  • At the start of the award, you have completed the requirements for your first year of university study (two academic terms).

You are not eligible if:

  • You have previously received a total of three NSERC USRAs.
  • You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN).
Program LaunchJanuary 16, 2026
Information and Q&A SessionJanuary 28, 2026
Application Deadline for StudentsFebruary 16, 2026
Award AnnouncementEnd of March - Early April 2026
Award DurationApril 27, 2026 to August 14, 2026
Research ConferenceTBD (August 13 or 14, 2026)
ValueNSERC USRAs and ENURAs: $9,856 ($6,000 from NSERC + $3,856 from your supervisor)
Ace Acumen Heights Research Scholarships: $12,000 ($6,000 from Ace Acumen Heights + $6,000 from your supervisor)
Duration4 months (must be a consecutive 16-week period of full-time employment at 35h/week )

In Science, each department prepares their student rankings based on:

  • 60% Academic Excellence
    • Academic Record (transcript)
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Duration of Studies (year of study)
    • Course Load
  • 30% Research Potential (Research Interest Statement provided by student)
    • Why is the student interested in applying for the USRA?
    • How will this award support their future career goals?
    • What relevant research related experience will support this award, if applicable?
  • 10% Quality of Training and Mentorship (Training and Mentorship Plan provided by supervisor using Form 202)
    • What mentoring and training plans are in place to ensure the success and enhanced learning of the student?

It is essential that departments ensure that students are qualified to apply for the awards. The departments must disclose the names of faculty members that ranked the applications. Faculty members that have agreed to supervise a student should not be on the departmental ranking committee. There is a maximum of two students per supervisor.

In addition:

  • Each department ranks the USRA applications they receive.
  • Due to increased tri-agency (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR) support for under-represented groups, there will be 2 NSERC USRA awards, above the institutional limit, geared for Black student researchers. Self-identified Black student applicants in the Faculty of Science will be adjudicated by the Faculty of Science Research and Awards Committee.
  • Indigenous applicants (self identified) who meet eligibility requirements will be recommended for an award.

PLEASE NOTE: All documentation must be submitted by students internally by February 16, 2026 for adjudication by each Department using the .

Projects

In progress; 2026 projects will be added on an incoming basis.

PLEASE NOTE: These are just some of the projects that are available. It is recommended that as a student, you be proactive in reaching out directly supervisors that you are interested in working with as soon as possible to see if they are accepting USRA students. In order to apply, you must have agreed with a potential supervisor on a proposed project.

Project Title: Conserved regulation of divergent plant metabolic defenses

Supervisor: Nik Kovinich

Lab Website:

Contact Info: kovinich@yorku.ca

Project Description: Plants biosynthesize defense metabolites (i.e. phytoalexins) in response to pathogen attack. These metabolites, are diverse in chemical structure and biosynthetic origin among plant species and include the phenylalanine-derived glyceollins from soybean, the phenylpropanoid-derived stilbenes from grapevine, and the tyrosine-derived camalexins from the model plant Arabidopsis. All of these phytoalexins have unconventional anticancer activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. Plants are the most economical source of many phytoalexins but biosynthesize them only transiently and in low amounts, limiting their commercial accessibility.

Despite that phytoalexins are biosynthesized from diverse biosynthetic pathways in different plant lineages, we have discovered that their biosynthesis is regulated by a conserved group of transcription factors. Now we aim to understand the mechanism, first by testing whether the conserved transcription factors directly bind and regulate the cis-acting elements of lineage-specific phytoalexin biosynthetic genes.

We currently have funding from an NSERC Discovery Grant for this USRA position.

Student Responsibilities: The student's role will be to identify gene targets of the transcription factors by conducting promoter-luciferase reporter assays and by assisting with chromatin-immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR).

Desired Background/Skills: The student will learn how to present scientific information through mentoring and by participating in weekly lab meetings. (S)he will receive one-on-one lab training from NSERC PGS-D student Ivan Monsalvo and from the Principle Investigator.

Project Title: Characterizing hormonal regulators and their signaling cascades in insect excretory organs

Supervisor: Jean-Paul Paluzzi

Lab Website:

Contact Info: paluzzi@yorku.ca

Project Description: Neuropeptides and their receptors play a central role in the regulation of most physiological processes in animals. Research in my laboratory is mainly focused on investigating the function of neuropeptides and their receptors in insects. To understand the role and importance of distinct neuropeptide systems, we combine in vitro, in vivo and heterologous high-throughput techniques. Recent evidence of successful implementation of these methods includes our studies on CAPA peptides, which we found activate their cognate receptor forming an essential anti-diuretic regulatory system in mosquitoes (Sajadi et al., 2018 J. Exp. Biol; Sajadi et al., 2020 Sci. Reports). Our latest advances in this area link anti-diuretic hormone control of the renal organs to inhibition of the V-type ATPase (known also as the proton pump), which drives secondary active transport along with osmotically obliged water (Sajadi et al., 2023 PNAS). This current project expands upon related hormones and their signaling cascades using a model organism, namely the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. With the powerful genetic tools available, this study in the fly will examine the signaling cascade linking hormonal control of the renal organs. Specifically, given that most diuretic and anti-diuretic hormones signal via G protein-coupled receptors, we will use reverse genetics to identify downstream targets including a soluble guanylate cyclase (the enzyme responsible to increasing cGMP levels) and protein kinase G (kinase dependent upon cGMP) that are both critical for inhibition of the renal organs. This NSERC USRA project will include molecular, genetic, behavioural and physiological investigations of the above-mentioned and other regulators of the excretory system in insects.

Student Responsibilities: Student will help characterize key components involved in anti-diuretic hormone control of the insect renal organs. Student will rear insects for research by maintaining fly stocks, setting up crosses for experiments including reverse genetic screens, conduct physiological and behavioural bioassays to validate the role of critical enzymes and signaling molecules in control of the insect excretory system. Finally, student will collect and analyze data and present results during weekly meetings.

Desired Background/Skills: Currently enrolled in or previously completed animal physiology, genetics and molecular biology (or equivalent) courses with grades of >80% is preferred. Students with previous laboratory experience (practicum, RAY or other opportunity) is a bonus.

Project Title: Protein Motions in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disease

Supervisor: Derek Wilson

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: dkwilson@yorku.ca

Project Description:

Our lab uses home-build devices combined with cutting edge bioanalytical mass spectrometry platforms to study the rapid - and sometimes dangerous - motions undergo as they carry out their biological roles (or go rogue and cause disease) in the cell. Our undergraduate projects will have you working with Tau protein - one of the two proteins that misfolds and clumps together in Alzheimer's disease - studying how phosphorylation by different enzymes causes it to shift it's 'conformational bias' from the 'safe' form you have in your brain right now to the 'dangerous' form that starts 'clumping' and neurodegeneration.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will: Learn to express and purify Tau protein; Learn to characterize Tau using 'native' mass spectrometry; Learn to conduct millisecond H/D exchange experiments to explore Tau conformational dynamics; Learn to phosphorylate Tau; Present their work at group meetings and conferences; Write up any novel / impactful findings!

Desired Background/Skills:

You'll need: To be an independent learner/thinker, ready to (eventually) work independently in the lab and read relevant background papers on your own; To be able to work as part of a team; To be ready to make the best of the opportunities working on a real-world, high level research project affords you! Some skills in biochemistry lab would be nice, but the ability to learn hands-on skills quickly and effectively is more important than pre-existing knowledge! Some knowledge of molecular-level biochemistry / structural biology would be nice, but the ability to quickly and holistically learn the biological background is more important!

Project Title: Characterizing intramolecular interactions in molecules of astrochemical or atmospheric interest

Supervisor: Jennifer van Wijngaarden

Lab Website: /vanwijng/

Contact Info: vanwijng@yorku.ca

Number of positions: 1

Project Description:

The conformer geometries and relative energy ordering of ethers and thioethers changes depending on the identity of the chalcogen bridge atom (O versus S) and the nature of the organic side chains. These geometric preferences reveal a great deal about the underlying intramolecular interactions that stabilize the molecular shapes. Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy is an excellent tool for probing mixtures of conformers as the molecules are probed in a solvent-free environment allowing bond lengths and angles to be extracted with great precision. In particular, this project will build on recent progress the group has made in studying such compounds to now explore the role of chalcogen atom in directing the positioning of amine or epoxide groups. This project will involve the measurement and analysis of the rotational spectra of these compounds and their minor isotopologues using two state-of-the-art spectrometers at 91亚色. The experimental results will be complemented with a computational study involving molecular dynamics and quantum chemical calculations to identify potential stable forms and their relative energies. The goal of the analysis is to derive accurate experimental geometries for each observed conformer and to use the computed electronic structure to rationalize the underlying reasons for stability. This project will extend our current knowledge of the forces that govern the potential energy landscape of organic ether and thioethers.

Student responsibilities:

The student will learn to use computational tools from Compute Canada to predict conformer structures and energies as well as their corresponding patterns of rotational transitions before using custom spectrometers to collect the experimental spectrum for comparison. Once the spectrum is collected (over several weeks), it will be fit and analyzed. Through this project, the student will be trained to use modern spectrometers (vacuum system, gas mixtures, electronics) and software and will gain an in-depth understanding of the underlying theory of rotational spectroscopy and its connection to molecular geometry.

Desired background/skills:

To get the most of this experience, the student should have successfully completed a course in quantum mechanics such as CHEM3010 or the PHYS equivalent.

Project Title: Efficiency of Bonus-Malus-System for Experience Rating

Supervisor: Jingyi Cao

Contact Info: jingyic@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Bonus-Malus System (BMS) is a mechanism used by insurance companies to adjust premiums based on an insured individual's claim history. Policyholders incur surcharges (maluses) if they file one or more claims, while they receive discounts (bonuses) if they remain claim-free.
This project evaluates the efficiency of the BMS from two perspectives:

  1. Adaptation to Risk Profile Changes 鈥 Examining whether the BMS fairly adjusts premiums in proportion to the actual risk each policyholder represents. The student will assess fairness using Loimaranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency.
  2. Optimal Policyholder Retention 鈥 Addressing the ex-ante moral hazard in rating systems, where policyholders may strategically decide whether to report small claims to avoid future premium increases. Recent studies by Cao, Li, Young, and Zou (2023, 2024) have analyzed optimal reporting strategies for both full and deductible insurance. The student will apply the classical Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level and explore potential extensions of these reporting strategies.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Review the provided readings to gain an understanding of the modelling of the BMS.
  2. Apply the Loimoranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency calculations to analyze a given BMS.
  3. Conduct a literature review on the phenomenon of bonus hunger and reporting strategy, exploring both empirical evidence and theoretical framework.
  4. Implement the Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level.
  5. Investigate extensions of BMS that incorporate claim sizes.

Desired Background/Skills: Students should have completed MATH 2030, 2131, 2280. Preference will be given to students that have also completed MATH 4280 and MATH 4430.

Project Title: Social Homophily, Behavioural Dynamics, and Infectious Disease Transmission

Supervisor: Seyed Moghadas

Lab Website: /science/research/abm-lab/

Contact Info: moghadas@yorku.ca

Number of positions: 1 to 2

Project Description: Human behaviour plays a critical role in shaping the spread of communicable diseases. Beyond biological factors, patterns of social interaction such as who interacts with whom, and how individuals influence one another鈥檚 beliefs can substantially alter epidemic outcomes. This project focuses on the role of homophily (i.e., the tendency of individuals to preferentially interact with others who share similar attitudes or behaviours, and how such social clustering affects disease transmission and control. The student(s) will work on a mathematical and computational modelling project that extends classical epidemic models to incorporate attitude-driven contact patterns and behavioural change. The population is divided into groups based on vaccination attitudes, and disease transmission occurs through physical contacts structured by homophily. In addition, the model allows for attitude change through social influence, including both physical interactions and virtual exposure (e.g., social media). The project will explore how these interacting processes can lead to non-intuitive outcomes, such as large outbreaks occurring despite high overall vaccination coverage, or abrupt shifts in epidemic risk driven by social polarization. The student will contribute to developing and analyzing a system of differential equation models, implementing simulations and fitting to social data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and exploring how epidemic outcomes depend on key parameters such as the strength of homophily, contact rates, and persuasion probabilities. Emphasis will be placed on understanding mechanisms, not just producing simulations: why certain social structures amplify risk, how clustering redistributes infections across groups, and when simplifying assumptions (such as random mixing) break down. Expected outcomes include: (i) A working computational implementation of a homophily-based epidemic model; (ii) Quantitative results showing how social structure affects outbreak size and infection risk; (iii) Visualizations suitable for academic presentations and reports; (iv) A short written summary of findings, potentially contributing to a future manuscript or Summer Undergraduate Research Conference presentation. The project provides training at the interface of mathematics, data science, and public health, and is well suited for students interested in applied mathematics, epidemiology, computational modelling, or complex systems.

Student responsibilities: The undergraduate student(s) will work within a collaborative environment at the ABM-Lab to support ongoing research on behavioural and social drivers of infectious disease transmission. Specific responsibilities will include: (i) Learning and understanding compartmental epidemic models (e.g., SIR-type models) and their extensions to include behavioural and social processes; (ii) Assisting in the formulation and interpretation of models that incorporate homophily and attitude change; (iii) Implementing and modifying simulation code (e.g., using MATLAB, Julia, or Python) to explore model behaviour under different parameter settings; (iv) Fitting data and running numerical experiments to assess the impact of social clustering, vaccination attitudes, and behavioural feedback on epidemic outcomes; (v) Producing clear figures and plots that summarize simulation results and illustrate key mechanisms; (vi) Participating in regular weekly meetings at the ABM-Lab to discuss progress, challenges, and interpretation of results; and (vii) Maintaining organized code, documentation, and notes to ensure reproducibility. The student(s) will be encouraged to think critically about modelling assumptions, ask questions about interpretation, and contribute ideas for extensions or alternative scenarios. Depending on progress and interest, the student(s) may also assist with drafting short summaries of results or preparing materials for journal publications. The emphasis throughout will be on skill development, conceptual understanding, and exposure to real-world research problems.

Desired background/skills: Applicants should be undergraduate students enrolled in FSc programs (e.g., Applied, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science) having strong interest in mathematical modelling or computational approaches to real-world problems. Desired background and skills include: (i) knowledge of differential equations or dynamical systems; (ii) Some experience with programming (e.g., MATLAB, Julia, Python, R, or similar); (iii) Comfort working with equations, simulations, and data analysis/visualization; and (iv) Willingness to learn new concepts in epidemiology and social dynamics. Prior experience with epidemic models, network theory, or agent-based modelling is an asset but not required. Strong analytical thinking, curiosity, and the ability to work independently with guidance are more important than specific technical expertise.

Project Title: Euclidean Ramsey Theory

Supervisor: Mohamed Omar

Contact Info: omarmo@yorku.ca

Project Description: Euclidean Ramsey Theory is a branch of extremal combinatorics that asks extremal questions about forced geometric configurations in prescribed point sets in Euclidean spaces. This project aims to use state-of-the-art techniques in extremal combinatorics, particularly the slice-rank and partition-rank polynomial methods, to improve state-of-the-art bounds in the area.

Student Responsibilities:听

  • A thorough literature review of recent techniques using slice-rank and partition-rank methods in Euclidean Ramsey Theory;
  • Using software to test the viability of these methods on various problems in the research field;
  • A thorough journal documenting the research process, written in latex
  • A draft of an article with all findings from the summer

Desired Background/Skills: Student should have taken Algebra I and Algebra II. At least one of Graph Theory or Combinatorics is recommended.

Project Title: Precision Metrology with Homebuilt Laser Systems

Supervisor: Ananthraman Kumarakrishnan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: akumar@yorku.ca

Project Description:

My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto- locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention.
Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include:

  1. Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision
  2. Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers
  3. Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes
  4. Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales

Student Responsibilities:

Development of individual research projects, assistance to graduate students

Desired Background/Skills:

Aptitude for experimental physics, willingness to take on challenging problems, hands on skills, computer interfacing.

Project Title: Analysis of exceptional quasar outflows

Supervisor: Patrick Hall

Lab Website:  phall@yorku.ca

Contact Info: /phall/HOME/astro.html

Project Description:

Quasars are disks of matter around supermassive black holes in galaxy cores which host inflows through the disk and outflows above and below the disk. My research group has access to a large database of spectroscopy and photometry of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have found quasars with exceptional emission and absorption properties related to outflows of matter from the quasars. We are modelling those properties to compare to the predictions of models of disks and their outflows. The specific quasar(s) to be studied in the project will be determined during the application project.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will learn about quasars through textbooks and lectures both online and in person. The student will work with Prof. Hall and his group on scientific programming for astronomy data analysis using python, MATLAB, etc., and is expected to contribute significantly to analyzing spectra and photometry and to writing up scientific results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Desired Background/Skills:

High marks in all courses, especially in astronomy courses and in computational courses involving python (at minimum EECS 1541 or equivalent, and preferably PHYS 2030 or equivalent).

Project Title: Biophotonics measurements and modulation of living system

Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca

Project Description: How do we manipulate bioluminescence? Pyrocystis fusiformis is bioluminescent alga found in coastal waters. The species is known for emitting a beautiful blue light when mechanically disturbed by its water environment and predators. This bioluminescence is produced by a chemical reaction involving luciferin-luciferase catalysis within scintillon organelles in the cell鈥檚 cytoplasm. This reaction is triggered by mechanical stress on the cell, however, the complete signaling mechanism is not well understood. What if we can control these organism鈥檚 bioluminescence behaviour with light stimulus? Thus, the goal of this project is to study the time-resolved bioluminescence behavior under different stimulator conditions with our novel fast an ultra-sensitive home-built photon-counting device. Ultimately, we aim to incorporate molecular optical photoswitches to photonically biomodulate the photosynthetic and bioluminescent behaviour of these fascinating single cell organisms.

Student Responsibilities: In this highly trans-disciplinary project, conducted collaboration with Chemistry and Physics collaborators, the biophysicist will learn development of biophotonics single photon counting setup to measure bioluminescence kinetics. The student will prepare and integrate optical photo-switching chromophores (azobenzenes) into the dinoflagellates and conduct biomodulation experiments with pump-probe spectroscopy, determining the energetic and kinetic properties.

Desired Background/Skills: The received training will be in biophysics, physics, photonics, and molecular time-domain spectroscopy instrumentation in a highly interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, computational scientists, and opto-electronic engineers. The student is expected to present at group meetings throughout the project for training and development of scientific communication skills. Students will be supported by the supervisor through weekly meetings.

Project Title: Studying Fast Radio Bursts with CHIME

Supervisor: Paul Scholz

Contact Info: pscholz@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a revolutionary radio telescope, located in British Columbia. In its first five years of operation, CHIME has discovered hundreds of new Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and this discovery rate is expected to keep course if not further increase. FRBs are millisecond-long pulses of radio waves from far outside of our Galaxy of unknown origin. CHIME has brought about a new landscape in the FRB field; for the first time we are able to study FRB as a population. There are several potential projects using CHIME/FRB data including software and signal processing pipelines, data analysis and visualization. The student will have opportunities to develop skills in radio signal processing, Python programming, statistics, simulations, and machine learning.

Student Responsibilities: The student will work with Prof. Scholz and the wider CHIME/FRB team analyzing CHIME/FRB data and helping to develop/improve CHIME/FRB software pipelines using Python. Students will work in a collaborative and vibrant research environment through interactions with CHIME/FRB members at several other institutions. The student will give presentations and share results with the team.

Desired Background/Skills: Interest in astrophysics. Experience with programming, particularly in Python.

Project Title: Production of new dark forces at particle accelerators

Supervisor: Sean Tulin

Contact Info: stulin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Dark matter constitutes the most abundant form of matter in the Universe, shaping the evolution of cosmic structures through its gravitational influence. However, its fundamental nature remains elusive, as it cannot be explained within the current framework of fundamental physics. A key open question is whether dark matter interacts solely via gravity or if it experiences additional fundamental forces, analogous to electromagnetism and the nuclear interactions of ordinary matter. If dark matter possesses new fundamental forces, dark force bosons may be discovered in particle accelerator facilities, opening a window toward exploring dark matter physics in the laboratory.

Student Responsibilities: This research will employ theoretical modeling, data analysis, and numerical simulations to predict experimental signatures of novel dark force bosons. Student tasks will include: (1) learning particle physics models of dark matter and dark forces, (2) performing numerical fits to experimental data to determine key inputs needed to calculate the dark force production rate, and (3) performing numerical Monte Carlo simulations to model experimental signatures and detection rates for new physics signals at accelerator facilities.

Desired Background/Skills: Completion of PHYS 2030 or equivalent familiarity in Python.

Project Title: Studying Neutrino Interactions

Supervisor: Deborah Harris

Contact Info: deborahh@yorku.ca

Lab Web Site: /professor/deborahharris/

Number of positions: 1

Project Description: This job will involve analysis of data that was recorded by the MINERvA detector which operated at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. The MINERvA experiment is designed to study the interactions of neutrinos in a variety of different nuclei in order to understand those interactions and how the nuclear environment modifies the particles that emerge from those interactions. This understanding is critical for neutrino experiments like DUNE and T2K, which measure the probability of neutrinos changing from one kind to another over time. Those measurements require experiments to simulate how neutrino energy is translated into energy that can be measured in a detector, since "time" for a particle changes depending on that particle's energy (known as "time dilation" in special relativity).

Student responsibilities: Part of the work will involve developing new analysis code to extract measurements of the probability that neutrinos interact as a function of the momentum of the outgoing particles from the interaction. Since neutrinos are neutral they leave no trace in the detector until they interact with a nucleus (or electron) in the detector to create or boost charged particles which then leave signals as they cross different detector elements. Another part of this job involves contributing to the efforts of the collaboration to run simulations of the experiment which allow uncertainties on the measurements to be evaluated. Those simulations are often more CPU time-consuming than analyzing data because the experiment relies on simulations that are many times the statistics of the data samples. The job will also involve preparing or improving documentation on how to use the collaboration's computing infrasturcture, and possibly documentation for undergraduates on how the MINERvA detector and associated neutrino beamline works.

Desired background/skills: The successful applicant will be able to program in C++, Python, and ROOT (or be willing to develop their skills with online tutorials), and will be able to work effectively in a linux environment. The job will involve using the software infrastructure that is being written by the collaboration, and contributing to that infrastructure. The successful applicant will be able to work independently, and to present their results clearly at occasional meetings with the MINERvA and DUNE Collaborations. Since many presentations will have to be through zoom, the successful applicant will also have access to reasonably good internet to allow effective communication through online platforms (mostly by being on the 91亚色 campus but some amount of remote work is also an option depending on the independence and coding skill of the successful applicant).

Contacts by Department

Nicole NivillacUndergraduate Program Directorupdbiol@yorku.ca
 Derek JacksonUndergraduate Program Directorchemupd@yorku.ca

Ada Sze Sze ChanAssociate Professorssachan@yorku.ca

Patrick HallUndergraduate Program Directorphasupd@yorku.ca

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]]> Faculty of Science celebrates top students, announces recipients of leadership, teaching and research awards /science/2025/02/24/faculty-of-science-celebrates-top-students-announces-recipients-of-leadership-teaching-and-research-awards/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:24:46 +0000 /science/?p=37129 The Faculty of Science honoured its top students and announced the recipients of its Excellence Awards at its annual Honours & Awards Celebration on February 11. The Excellence in Educational Leadership Awards, Excellence in Teaching Awards, and Excellence in Research Awards were announced at the event, which was emceed by Gerald Audette, associate dean, Faculty […]

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]]> The Faculty of Science honoured its top students and announced the recipients of its Excellence Awards at its annual Honours & Awards Celebration on February 11.

The Excellence in Educational Leadership Awards, Excellence in Teaching Awards, and Excellence in Research Awards were announced at the event, which was emceed by Gerald Audette, associate dean, Faculty Affairs, and included welcome remarks by Rui Wang, dean of the Faculty of Science and a keynote speech by Scott Tanner, winner of a 2024 91亚色 U Alumni Award.

More than 300 students were also invited and honoured at the event for the awards and scholarships they received in 2023-2024.

Professor Derek Jackson and Vice-President of Equity, People & Culture Laina Bay-Cheng on stage with a group of student award recipients.

The recipients of this year鈥檚 Faculty of Science Excellence Awards are:

Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (Faculty category)

  • Professor Tamara Kelly, Department of Biology

Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (Graduate category)

  • MSc student Milong Wang, Faculty of Health

Excellence in Teaching Award (Junior Tenure Stream Faculty category)

  • Assistant Professor Jade Atallah, Department of Biology
  • Associate Professor Robin Marushia, Department of Science, Technology and Society

Excellence in Teaching Award (Senior Tenure Stream Faculty category)

  • Associate Professor Hovig Kouyoumdjian, Department of Chemistry
  • Associate Professor Nicole Nivillac, Department of Biology

Excellence in Teaching Award (Contract Faculty category)

  • Contract Faculty Angela Cope, Department of Science, Technology and Society

Richard Jarrell Award of Excellence for Teaching Assistants

  • PhD student Britney Picinic, Department of Biology
  • PhD student Emily Anacleto, Department of Chemistry

Early Career Research Award

  • Associate Professor Trevor VandenBoer, Department of Chemistry

Established Research Award

  • Distinguished Research Professor Sergey Krylov, Department of Chemistry
  • Professor Wendy Taylor, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Associate Dean Mike Scheid, Professor Wendy Taylor (recipient of an Established Research Award), and Associate Vice-President Research Jennifer Steeves.

Read the full story in YFile.

For more details about the awards and a full list of recipients honoured at the event, view the ceremony program booklet.

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]]> Summer Undergraduate听Research Conference 2025 /science/research/nserc-usras-summer-2025/ Thu, 09 Jan 2025 21:04:51 +0000 /science/?page_id=36664 NSERC USRA Program Website 2025 Conference Booklet 2025 Conference Schedule The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Faculty of Science at 91亚色, is an annual showcase of research excellence where undergraduate students present their summer research projects and compete for awards recognizing outstanding achievement. The event highlights student recipients of the Natural Sciences […]

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]]>

2025 Conference Booklet

2025 Conference Schedule

The Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Faculty of Science at 91亚色, is an annual showcase of research excellence where undergraduate students present their summer research projects and compete for awards recognizing outstanding achievement. The event highlights student recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs), as well as 91亚色 Science Summer Awards (YSSAs) and other prizes supported by individual donor contributions.

Presentations span a wide range of scientific disciplines, enabling students to communicate their research findings through oral and poster presentations, network with faculty, and receive feedback from their academic community.

Information Sessions and Resources

The FSc USRA Summer 2025 Info Session and Q&A was held on Wednesday February 5.

View 2025 Info Session Slides | (Zoom sign-in required)

Award Information

Please note, all applicants will follow the same procedure. Students must identify a supervisor who is willing to support their application.

The following application materials are required:

STUDENTS

  • Fill out  
  • Forward Reference Number to supervisor 
  • In a separate document, provide a one page Research Interest Statement describing your research interests, academic background (lab or course-related) and skills being brought to the project, knowledge and benefits that you hope to gain from the USRA experience and how the training environment aligns with your career goals and academic interests.
  • 91亚色 students do not need to upload their transcripts at this time. If your application is succesful in the competition, you will be contacted with instructions.

SUPERVISORS

  • Each supervisor can only host one student in Summer 2025
  • Fill out
  • Use the Reference Number forwarded from student. 
  • Describe a proposal that is unique to the student. This proposal must match the mandate of the funding agency (NSERC) (max. 1800 characters).
  • Provide a description of student鈥檚 role (max. 500 characters).
  • As per the guidelines, the quality of the training environment will be used to assess the application. Please include a brief training plan, either in the research proposal or student鈥檚 role section, that describes the proposed training including the type and extent of supervision and mentorship, the activities the student will participate in, the skills and other outcomes they will gain. Note that the inclusion of EDI considerations in research design makes research more ethically sound, rigorous and useful. Describe how these aspects will be addressed in research design if applicable.  
  • Indicate within the quality of the training and mentorship details that you have sufficient funds to support your portion of the student鈥檚 stipend and their consumable costs. This year the supervisor鈥檚 contribution is $3632 per student over the 16 weeks. If a student is selected from another university to hold their award at 91亚色, the supervisor will be responsible for paying 4% vacation pay and 10% for benefits in addition to the $3632.
  • The research subject code must be chosen from this .

IMPORTANT: Once all documents above (obtained through the NSERC online system) are complete, an electronic copy of the same must be submitted to the . The forms will be used by your Department to review and rank applications internally.

In order to apply, you must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  • You are registered (at the time you apply) in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program at an eligible university.
  • You have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a cumulative average of at least 鈥淏鈥. 
  • At the start of the award, you have completed the requirements for your first year of university study (two academic terms).

You are not eligible if:

  • You have previously received a total of three NSERC USRAs.
  • You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN).
Program LaunchJanuary 20, 2025
Information and Q&A SessionFebruary 5, 2025, 1:00 鈥 2:30 PM via
Application Deadline for StudentsFebruary 24, 2025
Award AnnouncementEarly April 2025
Award DurationApril 28, 2025 to August 15, 2025
Research ConferenceTBD (August 14 or 15, 2025)
Value$9,632 ($6,000 from NSERC + $3,632 from your supervisor)
Duration4 months (must be a consecutive 16-week period of full-time employment at 35h/week )

In Science, each department prepares their student rankings based on:

  • 60% Academic Excellence
    • Academic Record (transcript)
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Duration of Studies (year of study)
    • Course Load
  • 30% Research Potential (Research Interest Statement provided by student)
    • Why is the student interested in applying for the USRA?
    • How will this award support their future career goals?
    • What relevant research related experience will support this award, if applicable?
  • 10% Quality of Training and Mentorship (Training and Mentorship Plan provided by supervisor using Form 202)
    • What mentoring and training plans are in place to ensure the success and enhanced learning of the student?

It is essential that departments ensure that students are qualified to apply for the awards. The departments must disclose the names of faculty members that ranked the applications. Faculty members that have agreed to supervise a student should not be on the departmental ranking committee. There is a maximum of one student per supervisor.

In addition:

  • Each department ranks the USRA applications they receive.
  • Due to increased tri-agency (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR) support for under-represented groups, there will be several awards, above the institutional limit, geared for Black student researchers. Self-identified Black student applicants in the Faculty of Science will be adjudicated by the Faculty of Science Research and Awards Committee.
  • Indigenous applicants (self identified) who meet eligibility requirements will be recommended for an award.

PLEASE NOTE: All documentation must be submitted by students internally by February 24, 2025 for adjudication by each Department using the .

16

weeks of funding

21

NSERC USRAs available for FSc students

$9,632

in total value

3

NSERC USRAs available for self-identified Black FSc students

Projects

In progress; 2025 projects will be added on an incoming basis.

PLEASE NOTE: These are just some of the projects that are available. It is recommended that as a student, you be proactive in reaching out directly supervisors that you are interested in working with as soon as possible to see if they are accepting USRA students. In order to apply, you must have agreed with a potential supervisor on a proposed project.

Project Title: Conserved regulation of divergent plant metabolic defenses

Supervisor: Nik Kovinich

Lab Website:

Contact Info: kovinich@yorku.ca

Project Description: Plants biosynthesize defense metabolites (i.e. phytoalexins) in response to pathogen attack. These metabolites, are diverse in chemical structure and biosynthetic origin among plant species and include the phenylalanine-derived glyceollins from soybean, the phenylpropanoid-derived stilbenes from grapevine, and the tyrosine-derived camalexins from the model plant Arabidopsis. All of these phytoalexins have unconventional anticancer activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. Plants are the most economical source of many phytoalexins but biosynthesize them only transiently and in low amounts, limiting their commercial accessibility.

Despite that phytoalexins are biosynthesized from diverse biosynthetic pathways in different plant lineages, we have discovered that their biosynthesis is regulated by a conserved group of transcription factors. Now we aim to understand the mechanism, first by testing whether the conserved transcription factors directly bind and regulate the cis-acting elements of lineage-specific phytoalexin biosynthetic genes.

We currently have funding from an NSERC Discovery Grant for this USRA position.

Student Responsibilities: The student's role will be to identify gene targets of the transcription factors by conducting promoter-luciferase reporter assays and by assisting with chromatin-immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR).

Desired Background/Skills: The student will learn how to present scientific information through mentoring and by participating in weekly lab meetings. (S)he will receive one-on-one lab training from NSERC PGS-D student Ivan Monsalvo and from the Principle Investigator.

Project Title: Urban Butterflies

Supervisor: Eryn McFarlane

Lab Website: /science/profiles/faculty/eryn-mcfarlane/

Contact Info: emcfar@yorku.ca

Project Description: Hybridization among naturally separate taxa is increasing owing to human impacts. However, there is substantial variation among outcomes at range overlaps; the two species can remain distinct, there can be a mix of rare hybrids and parental populations, or a complete breakdown of reproductive isolation. The variation in possible outcomes in replicate hybrid zones of even the same two species is not well understood. We predict that hybridization should increase with human influences, however this has rarely been tested. One possible solution is to use replicate hybrid zones to understand environmental influence on rates of hybridization, while accounting for stochastic processes.

Clouded sulphur and orange sulphur butterflies are sympatric and hybridize throughout most of the US and Canada. Colias species have high, variable rates of hybridization, are very common, and appear to vary in rates of hybridization according to the environment, this genus is an excellent system to ask how human influences affect rates of hybridization. In 2024, after sampling across parks and university campuses in Toronto, we found that the distribution of Colias colour variation is related to each the distance from roads and the number of pedestrians at a given site. We will be continuing this work this summer by 1) sampling more Colias in Toronto and 2) extracting DNA from the 2024 and 2025 Colias samples to determine how colour and urbanization related to hybridization rates.

Student Responsibilities: The USRA student will do: butterfly catching in Toronto Parks, environmental surveys in Toronto Parks, data entry of butterfly and environmental data, DNA extraction of butterflies, library prep for sequencing. Additionally, they will do informal community outreach (we get asked about butterflies often while out catching them!), as well as be an active participate in the StatsGen lab (attending and presenting at lab meetings, etc).

Desired Background/Skills: Interest in urban ecology and/or statistical genetics. Field work experience would be an asset. Lab work experience would be an asset.

Project Title: Characterizing hormonal regulators and their signaling cascades in insect excretory organs

Supervisor: Jean-Paul Paluzzi

Lab Website:

Contact Info: paluzzi@yorku.ca

Project Description: Neuropeptides and their receptors play a central role in the regulation of most physiological processes in animals. Research in my laboratory is mainly focused on investigating the function of neuropeptides and their receptors in insects. To understand the role and importance of distinct neuropeptide systems, we combine in vitro, in vivo and heterologous high-throughput techniques. Recent evidence of successful implementation of these methods includes our studies on CAPA peptides, which we found activate their cognate receptor forming an essential anti-diuretic regulatory system in mosquitoes (Sajadi et al., 2018 J. Exp. Biol; Sajadi et al., 2020 Sci. Reports). Our latest advances in this area link anti-diuretic hormone control of the renal organs to inhibition of the V-type ATPase (known also as the proton pump), which drives secondary active transport along with osmotically obliged water (Sajadi et al., 2023 PNAS). This current project expands upon related hormones and their signaling cascades using a model organism, namely the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. With the powerful genetic tools available, this study in the fly will examine the signaling cascade linking hormonal control of the renal organs. Specifically, given that most diuretic and anti-diuretic hormones signal via G protein-coupled receptors, we will use reverse genetics to identify downstream targets including a soluble guanylate cyclase (the enzyme responsible to increasing cGMP levels) and protein kinase G (kinase dependent upon cGMP) that are both critical for inhibition of the renal organs. This NSERC USRA project will include molecular, genetic, behavioural and physiological investigations of the above-mentioned and other regulators of the excretory system in insects.

Student Responsibilities: Student will help characterize key components involved in anti-diuretic hormone control of the insect renal organs. Student will rear insects for research by maintaining fly stocks, setting up crosses for experiments including reverse genetic screens, conduct physiological and behavioural bioassays to validate the role of critical enzymes and signaling molecules in control of the insect excretory system. Finally, student will collect and analyze data and present results during weekly meetings.

Desired Background/Skills: Currently enrolled in or previously completed animal physiology, genetics and molecular biology (or equivalent) courses with grades of >80% is preferred. Students with previous laboratory experience (practicum, RAY or other opportunity) is a bonus.

Project Title: DNA-conjugated nanoparticle sensors

Supervisor: Jennifer Chen

Lab Website: /science/lab/jchen/

Contact Info: jilchen@yorku.ca

Project Description:

We are interested in developing optical sensing systems for studying cellular processes, and for high-throughput screening of drug candidates, proteins and other compounds of security, biomedical and environmental importance. The chip-based sensing platforms are based on biofunctionalized plasmonic nanostructures monitored via darkfield microscopy. Our ongoing work explores protein-binding aptamers as the linkers for the nanoparticles to derive the response; major goals are to map the molecular distribution of proteins and to detect potential therapeutic small molecules that bind to the protein. Methods to enhance the detection signal, such as through amplification of the nucleic acid or proteins are investigated, concurrent with nanoparticle sensor development that focuses on identifying the factors that affect the binding efficiency (e.g. surface density of DNA, nucleic acid sequence design) and sensing merits (e.g. detection limit, sensitivity, selectivity).

Student Responsibilities:

The research spans from analytical, materials and physical chemistry to biochemistry. The student will characterize the optical properties of nanoparticles assemblies and investigate the kinetics and equilibrium properties of analyte binding. Optical techniques such as fluorescence, UV-vis and darkfield scattering-based microscopy will be employed. The student may also apply biochemical techniques such as gel-electrophoresis and biomolecular purification/isolation.

Desired Background/Skills:

Completed minimum first-year chemistry courses and ideally second-year chemistry lab (e.g. Chem 2080), or relevant 2nd-year or higher biology labs.

Students need to be motivated, committed and responsible. A successful candidate should be able to work/learn independently as well as in the team-environment.

Project Title: Protein Motions in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disease

Supervisor: Derek Wilson

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: dkwilson@yorku.ca

Project Description:

Our lab uses home-build devices combined with cutting edge bioanalytical mass spectrometry platforms to study the rapid - and sometimes dangerous - motions undergo as they carry out their biological roles (or go rogue and cause disease) in the cell. Our undergraduate projects will have you working with Tau protein - one of the two proteins that misfolds and clumps together in Alzheimer's disease - studying how phosphorylation by different enzymes causes it to shift it's 'conformational bias' from the 'safe' form you have in your brain right now to the 'dangerous' form that starts 'clumping' and neurodegeneration.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will: Learn to express and purify Tau protein; Learn to characterize Tau using 'native' mass spectrometry; Learn to conduct millisecond H/D exchange experiments to explore Tau conformational dynamics; Learn to phosphorylate Tau; Present their work at group meetings and conferences; Write up any novel / impactful findings!

Desired Background/Skills:

You'll need: To be an independent learner/thinker, ready to (eventually) work independently in the lab and read relevant background papers on your own; To be able to work as part of a team; To be ready to make the best of the opportunities working on a real-world, high level research project affords you! Some skills in biochemistry lab would be nice, but the ability to learn hands-on skills quickly and effectively is more important than pre-existing knowledge! Some knowledge of molecular-level biochemistry / structural biology would be nice, but the ability to quickly and holistically learn the biological background is more important!

Project Title: Efficiency of Bonus-Malus-System for Experience Rating

Supervisor: Jingyi Cao

Contact Info: jingyic@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Bonus-Malus System (BMS) is a mechanism used by insurance companies to adjust premiums based on an insured individual's claim history. Policyholders incur surcharges (maluses) if they file one or more claims, while they receive discounts (bonuses) if they remain claim-free.
This project evaluates the efficiency of the BMS from two perspectives:

  1. Adaptation to Risk Profile Changes 鈥 Examining whether the BMS fairly adjusts premiums in proportion to the actual risk each policyholder represents. The student will assess fairness using Loimaranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency.
  2. Optimal Policyholder Retention 鈥 Addressing the ex-ante moral hazard in rating systems, where policyholders may strategically decide whether to report small claims to avoid future premium increases. Recent studies by Cao, Li, Young, and Zou (2023, 2024) have analyzed optimal reporting strategies for both full and deductible insurance. The student will apply the classical Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level and explore potential extensions of these reporting strategies.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Review the provided readings to gain an understanding of the modelling of the BMS.
  2. Apply the Loimoranta efficiency and De Pril efficiency calculations to analyze a given BMS.
  3. Conduct a literature review on the phenomenon of bonus hunger and reporting strategy, exploring both empirical evidence and theoretical framework.
  4. Implement the Lemaire algorithm to determine the optimal retention level.
  5. Investigate extensions of BMS that incorporate claim sizes.

Desired Background/Skills: Students should have completed MATH 2030, 2131, 2280. Preference will be given to students that have also completed MATH 4280 and MATH 4430.

Project Title: Dynamic Effects of Gestational Weight Gain and Maternal Health on Infant Birth Weight

Supervisor: Tianyu Guan

Lab Website:

Contact Info: tguan@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project investigates the relationship between gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and other maternal characteristics with newborn birth weight. Our objective is to understand the dynamic effects of gestational weight gain on birth weight and how maternal health and nutrition before and during pregnancy influence neonatal outcomes. We will use functional data analysis (FDA) models for prediction. We aim to develop guidelines that promote optimal pregnancy health and reduce the risks associated with low or high birth weights. In addition, we plan to create an R or Python package to make the analytical tools accessible to users beyond the statistics community.

Student Responsibilities: The selected undergraduate student will assist in data management, analysis and software package development. They will prepare data for statistical analysis, conduct literature reviews to support the project, assist in developing and applying statistical models, and contribute to the interpretation of results. They will also develop an R or Python package tailored for this statistical application. Moreover, the student will have the opportunity to co-author publications, present findings at conferences, and gain invaluable research experience.

Desired Background/Skills: The ideal candidate should have a background in statistics and data science with a strong research interest. Proficiency in statistical software such as R or Python is desirable, as is experience with data management and analysis. The student should demonstrate excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively. Prior research experience in data analysis will be considered as an advantage.

Project Title: Permutations with a given X-Descent Set

Supervisor: Mohamed Omar

Lab Website:

Contact Info: omarmo@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project will have students investigate permutations in a symmetric group that have restricted pattern and behaviour. The purpose is to generalize similar work on what is classically known as the descent set of a permutation. This project will hinge on recent work of the supervisor. The project is a combination of combinatorics and abstract algebra.

Student Responsibilities: Students will be exploring permutation patterns using constructs from abstract algebra. They will be required to explore mathematically through computation and theoretical means. They will also be required to write results as they go along. Students will be asked to present material as well, and attend regular meetings.

Desired Background/Skills: Math 3021 (Abstract Algebra I) required; Math 4160 (Combinatorial Mathematics) suggested.

Project Title: Outputs of Low-Dimensional Quantum Channels

Supervisor: Paul Skoufranis

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: pskoufra@yorku.ca

Project Description: In upcoming work, it will be shown when there exists a quantum channel between two non-commuting n-tuples of quantum states via inequalities involving multi-valued non-commutative functions. The goal of this project is to analyze and simplify said inequalities in low-dimensional matrix algebras.

Student Responsibilities: Students will read mathematical literature, attempt to solve problems, present on their studies and progress, and meet with the professor regularly.

Desired Background/Skills: Students should have completed at least MATH 2001 and MATH 2022. Preference will be given to students that have also completed MATH 3001. In addition, MATH 4011 and 4012 would help a lot and MATH 2030, 3021, 3022, and 4021 would help some.

Project Title: Within-Host Modeling of Multi-Strain Parasite Dynamics Under Immune Response

Supervisor: Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima

Lab Website: /professor/waw/research-interests/

Contact Info: wassefaw@yorku.ca

Project Description: Understanding the interaction between parasites and the host immune system is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. The spatial distribution of parasites and immune components within tissues plays a crucial role in immune evasion, strain competition, and infection persistence. This project integrates mathematical modeling, biological insights, and data-driven modeling to study understanding of the within-host dynamics of multiple parasite strains and strain-specific immune responses using both ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs) modeling approaches.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Review related literature.
  • Develop a deterministic ODE model capturing the temporal evolution of parasite load, immune response activation, and pathogen-immune interactions. Extend such a model to capture multiple parasite strains and immune responses targeting distinct antigens.
  • Perform Stability and Bifurcation Analysis (ODE Model): Identify conditions leading to chronic infection, parasite clearance, or immune escape; strain dominance, coexistence, or clearance.
  • Use numerical simulations to explore the dynamics and immune evasio.

Desired Background/Skills:

  • Have taken courses MATH2270/71 (ODEs).
  • Have taken modeling course or dynamical systems course, but, it is not a MUST.
  • Experience with basics on Python or R-studio or MATLAB is a plus.

Project Title: Dark Photon Production at Fixed Target Experiments

Supervisor: Nikita Blinov

Lab Website:

Contact Info: nblinov@yorku.ca

Project Description: High energy proton collisions with a fixed target can be used to search for new particles. In order to interpret these experiments theoretical models are needed for the production of such hypothesized particles. In this project the student will develop a phenomenological model for the creation of a "dark photon" (one example of a hypothetical particle) in meson decays that result from proton-target collisions. The student will then compare this mechanism to other proposed production channels in this same model.

Student Responsibilities: The student will:

  • Prepare a final report describing findings
  • Qualitatively understand processes that can occur in proton-target collisions, and how they can result in the production of novel particles
  • Develop a working knowledge of Monte Carlo tools used to simulate proton collisions
  • Implement a custom Monte Carlo simulation to model meson decays into dark photons
  • Meet regularly with the supervisor to discuss findings and ensure progress

Desired Background/Skills: The student will primarily develop skills in the phenomenology of particle interactions in the Standard Model and beyond; they will also develop their programming/numerical methods abilities and scientific communication skills.

Project Title: Fluid Dynamics Simulation of the young Earth鈥檚 Moon interior

Supervisor: Charles-脡douard 叠辞耻办补谤茅

Contact Info: boukare@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Earth鈥檚 Moon, due to its relatively small size, cooled rapidly and can almost be considered a geologically inactive rocky body compared to the Earth, which continues to exhibit intense internal activity. This activity is expressed on the Earth鈥檚 surface through processes such as plate tectonics and magnetic field generation. However, the Moon鈥檚 current state of relative inactivity is beneficial for planetary scientists studying the early evolution of rocky bodies. The Moon鈥檚 structure and composition have preserved a record of the dynamic processes that occurred during the first billion years of its evolution. As such, it provides invaluable constraints on the early evolution of rocky bodies and how these early processes may influence their long-term development.

The proposed research aims to shed new light on the early dynamics of the Earth鈥檚 Moon. It is part of a larger project exploring the potential link between the Moon鈥檚 early dynamics and its current surface state, which may harbor economically valuable resources.

The student will lead a campaign of fluid dynamics simulations using state-of-the-art geodynamic models developed in Professor 叠辞耻办补谤茅鈥檚 research group. These simulations will be conducted on the Niagara supercomputer of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Through this project, the student will have the opportunity to improve and acquire new skills in planetary science, programming, high-performance computing, fluid mechanic, geology, and chemistry. Particular emphasis will be placed on enhancing communication skills through oral presentations.

Student Responsibilities: Student鈥檚 role and responsibilities include:

  • Present your result once a month in internal group meetings.
  • Familiarize yourself with the broad context of the research: mantle convection, planetary sciences, computational fluid dynamics.
  • Familiarize yourself with access to the Supercomputers of Digital research Alliance Canada: bash scripting, workload manager system (SLURM) and SSH access.
  • Familiarize yourself with the input file of the code. The parameters that will be explored in the simulations campaign are located in this file.
  • Run a first batch of simulations, download the results, and produce human-readable plots.
  • Discuss the results with the supervisor and identify the next simulations that should be run, i.e., the parameters that must be explored in a systematic fashion.

Desired Background/Skills: Intellectual curiosity, motivation, and a strong interest in one of the following disciplines are crucial: programming, high-performance computing, and planetary sciences.

Project Title: Precision Metrology with Homebuilt Laser Systems

Supervisor: Ananthraman Kumarakrishnan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: akumar@yorku.ca

Project Description:

My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto- locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention.
Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include:

  1. Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision
  2. Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers
  3. Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes
  4. Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales

Student Responsibilities:

Development of individual research projects, assistance to graduate students

Desired Background/Skills:

Aptitude for experimental physics, willingness to take on challenging problems, hands on skills, computer interfacing.

Project Title: Analysis of exceptional quasar outflows

Supervisor: Patrick Hall

Lab Website:  phall@yorku.ca

Contact Info: /phall/HOME/astro.html

Project Description:

Quasars are disks of matter around supermassive black holes in galaxy cores which host inflows through the disk and outflows above and below the disk. My research group has access to a large database of spectroscopy and photometry of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have found quasars with exceptional emission and absorption properties related to outflows of matter from the quasars. We are modelling those properties to compare to the predictions of models of disks and their outflows. The specific quasar(s) to be studied in the project will be determined during the application project.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will learn about quasars through textbooks and lectures both online and in person. The student will work with Prof. Hall and his group on scientific programming for astronomy data analysis using python, MATLAB, etc., and is expected to contribute significantly to analyzing spectra and photometry and to writing up scientific results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Desired Background/Skills:

High marks in all courses, especially in astronomy courses and in computational courses involving python (at minimum EECS 1541 or equivalent, and preferably PHYS 2030 or equivalent).

Project Title: Neutrino Interaction Studies with MINERvA Data for DUNE

Supervisor: Deborah Harris

Contact Info: deborahh@yorku.ca

Project Description: This job will involve analysis of data that was recorded by the MINERvA detector which operated at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. The MINERvA experiment is designed to study the interactions of neutrinos in a variety of different nuclei in order to understand those interactions and how the nuclear environment modifies the particles that emerge from those interactions. This understanding is critical for neutrino experiments like DUNE and T2K, which measure the probability of neutrinos changing from one kind to another over time. Those measurements require experiments to simulate how neutrino energy is translated into energy that can be measured in a detector, since "time" for a particle changes depending on that particle's energy (known as "time dilation" in special relativity).

Student Responsibilities: Part of the work will involve developing new analysis code to extract measurements of the probability that neutrinos interact as a function of the momentum of the outgoing particles from the interaction. Since neutrinos are neutral they leave no trace in the detector until they interact with a nucleus (or electron) in the detector to create or boost charged particles which then leave signals as they cross different detector elements. Another part of this job involves contributing to the efforts of the collaboration to run simulations of the experiment which allow uncertainties on the measurements to be evaluated. Those simulations are often more CPU time-consuming than analyzing data because the experiment relies on simulations that are many times the statistics of the data samples. The job will also involve preparing or improving documentation on how to use the collaboration's computing infrasturcture, and possibly documentation for undergraduates on how the MINERvA detector and associated neutrino beamline works.

Desired Background/Skills: The successful applicant will be able to program in C++, Python, and ROOT (or be willing to develop their skills with online tutorials), and will be able to work effectively in a linux environment. The job will involve using the software infrastructure that is being written by the collaboration, and contributing to that infrastructure. The successful applicant will be able to work independently, and to present their results clearly at occasional meetings with the MINERvA and DUNE Collaborations. Since many presentations will have to be through zoom, the successful applicant will also have access to reasonably good internet to allow effective communication through online platforms (mostly by being on the 91亚色 campus but some amount of remote work is also an option depending on the independence and coding skill of the successful applicant).

Project Title: Electric dipole moment of the electron

Supervisor: Eric Hessels

Contact Info: hessels@yorku.ca

Project Description: We are beginning a new project to measure the electric dipole moment of the electron. The measurement uses a new technique which we refer to as EDM cubed (Electric Dipole Measurements using Molecules in a Matrix). The EDM cubed method has the potential to improve the measurement accuracy of the electric dipole moment of the electron by several orders of magnitude. The Standard Model (SM) predicts a very small value for the electron electric dipole moment. Extensions to the SM are needed to deal with the SM's failure to predict both the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe and the presence of Dark Matter. These extensions also predict a much larger value for the electron electric dipole moment, and therefore the EDM cubed measurements will provide direct tests for the theories of antimatter and Dark Matter. Because of the extreme accuracy of the EDM cubed measurements, they will be sensitive to physics at energies higher than that which can be probed at the CERN large hadron collider. The measurement will use barium monofluoride molecules embedded in a solid argon matrix. The first steps of this research will be to assemble the vacuum system and cryogenic system needed to freeze argon. An ion beam will produce the barium monofluoride positive ions, and this beam will be resonantly neutralized by grazing collisions with a single-crystal tungsten surface. The resulting neutral molecules will be combined with a flow of argon to embed it into the argon solid. Exciting these molecules with green light will lead to fluorescence which will be analysed with a grating monochromator to assess the shifts caused by the matrix.

Student Responsibilities: This research involves modelling, design, building, testing, data collection and analysis. The experiment involves vacuum equipment, lasers, optics, microwave equipment and test and measurement equipment. The student will work with a team that includes three undergraduate students, four graduate students, one postdoctoral fellow and the P.I. to embed BaF molecules into an Ar matrix and to study the spectrum of these molecules.

Desired Background/Skills: Physics Undergraduate Courses and Laboratories.

Project Title: Biophotonics measurements and modulation of living system

Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca

Project Description: How do we manipulate bioluminescence? Pyrocystis fusiformis is bioluminescent alga found in coastal waters. The species is known for emitting a beautiful blue light when mechanically disturbed by its water environment and predators. This bioluminescence is produced by a chemical reaction involving luciferin-luciferase catalysis within scintillon organelles in the cell鈥檚 cytoplasm. This reaction is triggered by mechanical stress on the cell, however, the complete signaling mechanism is not well understood. What if we can control these organism鈥檚 bioluminescence behaviour with light stimulus? Thus, the goal of this project is to study the time-resolved bioluminescence behavior under different stimulator conditions with our novel fast an ultra-sensitive home-built photon-counting device. Ultimately, we aim to incorporate molecular optical photoswitches to photonically biomodulate the photosynthetic and bioluminescent behaviour of these fascinating single cell organisms.

Student Responsibilities: In this highly trans-disciplinary project, conducted collaboration with Chemistry and Physics collaborators, the biophysicist will learn development of biophotonics single photon counting setup to measure bioluminescence kinetics. The student will prepare and integrate optical photo-switching chromophores (azobenzenes) into the dinoflagellates and conduct biomodulation experiments with pump-probe spectroscopy, determining the energetic and kinetic properties.

Desired Background/Skills: The received training will be in biophysics, physics, photonics, and molecular time-domain spectroscopy instrumentation in a highly interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, computational scientists, and opto-electronic engineers. The student is expected to present at group meetings throughout the project for training and development of scientific communication skills. Students will be supported by the supervisor through weekly meetings.

Project Title: Studying Fast Radio Bursts with CHIME

Supervisor: Paul Scholz

Contact Info: pscholz@yorku.ca

Project Description: The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a revolutionary radio telescope, located in British Columbia. In its first five years of operation, CHIME has discovered hundreds of new Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and this discovery rate is expected to keep course if not further increase. FRBs are millisecond-long pulses of radio waves from far outside of our Galaxy of unknown origin. CHIME has brought about a new landscape in the FRB field; for the first time we are able to study FRB as a population. There are several potential projects using CHIME/FRB data including software and signal processing pipelines, data analysis and visualization. The student will have opportunities to develop skills in radio signal processing, Python programming, statistics, simulations, and machine learning.

Student Responsibilities: The student will work with Prof. Scholz and the wider CHIME/FRB team analyzing CHIME/FRB data and helping to develop/improve CHIME/FRB software pipelines using Python. Students will work in a collaborative and vibrant research environment through interactions with CHIME/FRB members at several other institutions. The student will give presentations and share results with the team.

Desired Background/Skills: Interest in astrophysics. Experience with programming, particularly in Python.

Project Title: Experimental Particle Physics Search with the ATLAS Experiment

Supervisor: Wendy Taylor

Lab Website:

Contact Info: taylorw@yorku.ca

Project Description: The student will perform experimental particle physics research as a member of the international ATLAS Experiment, which operates at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland. As a member of the 91亚色 ATLAS group, the student will support the search for a hypothetical particle known as the magnetic monopoles. This will primarily involve computational studies of simulated or real data.

Student Responsibilities: The student will be provided with prepared n-tuples containing kinematic properties of simulated and possibly real proton-proton collision data. Magnetic monopole particles will be represented in the simulated data samples. The student will perform the computational studies within the Linux operating system. The student will develop Python code to interface with the particle physics analysis tool, ROOT, to make graphs from the n-tuples. The student will develop and optimize algorithms for preferentially selecting magnetic monopoles. The student will evaluate the performance of the search algorithm and investigate any unexpected behaviour or results.

Desired Background/Skills:

  • Successful completion of third-year physics courses PHYS 3020, 3040 and 3220.
  • Computational experience and Python programming skills, including successful completion of EECS 1541 or equivalent and PHYS 2030.
  • Some experience with Mac OS or Linux would be an asset.
  • Some knowledge of particle physics would be an asset.

Project Title: Dissipational dark matter and the origin of supermassive black holes

Supervisor: Sean Tulin

Contact Info: stulin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Dark matter constitutes the most abundant form of matter in the Universe, shaping the evolution of cosmic structures through its gravitational influence. However, its fundamental nature remains elusive, as it cannot be explained within the current framework of fundamental physics. A key open question is whether dark matter interacts solely via gravity or if it experiences additional fundamental forces, analogous to electromagnetism and the nuclear interactions of ordinary matter. This research will employ computational simulations to investigate the potential role of such forces in shaping cosmic structure. Specifically, it will model dissipative dark matter interactions that could lead to the formation of compact objects, including black holes, in the early Universe. These mechanisms may provide a viable explanation for the enigmatic origins of supermassive black holes observed at the centers of galaxies.

Student Responsibilities: The student will collaborate with an international research team to conduct analytical and computational work, contributing to novel dark matter simulations incorporating dissipative interactions. Their tasks will include: (1) applying quantum mechanical partial wave scattering theory to calculate rates for both dissipative and elastic dark matter collisions, (2) integrating these scattering results into an existing Python-based gravothermal fluid dynamics code for dark matter simulations, and (3) executing large-scale simulations on the Canadian supercomputer cluster Niagara. Additionally, the student will review relevant scientific literature, gaining both a broad understanding of dark matter physics and a deeper insight into dissipative dark matter interactions.

Desired Background/Skills: Completion of PHYS 2030 or equivalent familiarity in Python.

Contacts by Department

Nicole NivillacUndergraduate Program Directorupdbiol@yorku.ca
 Derek JacksonUndergraduate Program Directorchemupd@yorku.ca

Ada Sze Sze ChanAssociate Professorssachan@yorku.ca

Matthew GeorgeUndergraduate Program Directorphasupd@yorku.ca

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]]> NSERC/CIHR USRAs & ENURAs 鈥 Summer 2024 /science/research/usra-summer-2024/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:08:53 +0000 /science/?page_id=30514 Program Website 2022-2023 Summer USRA Conference Booklet The Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色 is inviting undergraduate students to apply for the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) for Summer 2024. USRAs are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in the Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) disciplines. […]

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2022-2023 Summer USRA Conference Booklet

The Faculty of Science (FSc) at 91亚色 is inviting undergraduate students to apply for the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) for Summer 2024.

USRAs are meant to nurture your interest and fully develop your potential for a research career in the Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE) disciplines. They are also meant to encourage you to undertake graduate studies in these fields by providing research work experience that complements your studies in an academic setting.

In addition to the USRAs, FSc will be providing 12 awards made possible in part through a generous donation from FSc Alumnus, Earle Nestmann and the Faculty of Science. These are known as the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards (ENURAs).

Note that for the 2024 summer term only, FSc will also be offering 1 CIHR USRA. According to Tri-council guidelines, applications for the CIHR USRA are open exclusively to student researchers who self-identify as Black.

NSERC, CIHR, and FSc encourage qualified Indigenous and Black students to apply for all of the above summer research awards.

$9,268

in total value

16

weeks of funding

44

available FSc projects

31

USRAs + ENURAs available for FSc students

Information Sessions and Resources

The FSc USRA & ENURA Summer 2024 Info Session and Q&A was hosted on February 6, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. The slides and recording are available at the links below.

View 2024 Info Session Slides

(zoom sign-in required)

Award Information

Value$9,268 ($6,000 from NSERC + $3,268 from your supervisor)
Duration4 months (must be a consecutive 16-week period of full-time employment at 35h/week )
Program LaunchJanuary 29, 2024
Information and Q&A SessionFebruary 6, 2024
Application Deadline for StudentsFebruary 29, 2024
Award AnnouncementEarly- to Mid- April 2024
Award DurationApril 29, 2024 to August 16, 2024

In order to apply, you must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  • You are registered (at the time you apply) in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program at an eligible university.
  • You have obtained, over the previous year(s) of study, a cumulative average of at least 鈥淏鈥.听
  • At the start of the award, you have completed the requirements for your first year of university study (two academic terms).

You are not eligible if:

  • You have previously received a total of three NSERC USRAs.
  • You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN).

Please note, all applicants will follow the same procedure. There is only one application for the NSERC/ CIHR USRAs and ENURAs. Students must identify a supervisor who is willing to support their application (browse projects below).

The following application materials are required:

FOR STUDENTS

Transcripts

  • 91亚色 students 鈥 at this stage, you do not need to upload your transcript. Transcripts will be provided by departmental Administrative Assistants (home faculty). If your application is successful in the competition, you will be contacted with instructions.
  • Non-91亚色 students 鈥 official transcripts are required. Consult your registrar鈥檚 office for details on how to obtain them.

Research Interest Statement

  • One page research interest statement, provided by the student.
    • Other than being 1 page, maximum, the research interest statement has no set format. It is suggested that you indicate why you want to do research in the chosen area,听 briefly summarize your academic background and explain the skillsets and knowledge you hope to develop by completing the selected project.听听 You can also briefly discuss how this experience will align with and assist in achievement of your ultimate career goals.听

Form 202

  • Must be completed using .
  • Part I: completed by the student.
    • A 鈥楻eference Number鈥 will be generated when you begin filling out Part I 鈥 this number must be forwarded to your supervisor.

FOR SUPERVISORS

  • Part II, Form 202: filled out by the supervisor.
  • Please include a brief Training Plan.
  • Supervisors must indicate within the Training Plan that they have sufficient funds to support their portion of the student鈥檚 stipend and their consumable costs. This year the supervisor鈥檚 contribution is $3268 per student over the 16 weeks. If a student is selected from another university to hold their award at 91亚色, the supervisor will be responsible for paying 4% vacation pay and 10% for benefits in addition to the $3268.
  • Maximum number of students per supervisor is 2.

IMPORTANT: Once all documents above (obtained through the NSERC online system) are complete, an electronic copy of the same must be submitted to the . The forms will be used by your Department to review and rank applications internally. See further details under Decision Process.

Browse Projects

Supervisor: Steven Connor

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: saconnor@yorku.ca

Project Title: Exploring the synaptic basis of brain disorders

Number of Positions: 2

Project Description:

We study how communication zones between neurons (known as synapses) change in response to experience, and how this process is altered in autistic neural circuits. Using a combination of electrophysiology, molecular biology and transgenics we study these processes in rodent models.

Student Responsibilities:

Perform electrophysiological recordings in mouse brain slices. May also include generating wester blots of synaptic proteins and behavioral assays for learning, memory and forgetting in mice.

Desired Background/Skills:

None required but some bench skills or rodent handling would be helpful.

Supervisor: Dasantila Golemi-Kotra

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: dgkotra@yorku.ca

Project Title: Evolution of an D-amino esterase to a beta-lactamase

Number of Positions: 1

Project Description:

FmtA is a novel D-amino esterase of Staphylococcus aureus. Its function is to remove the D-alanine from the teichoic acid cell wall component. The structure of FmtA resembles that of penicillin-binding proteins and beta-lactamases. The latter enzymes are proteins that evolved from penicillin-binding proteins. Our hypothesis is that FmtA given the right stress condition could evolve into a beta-lactamase. If proven correct, the research will provide evidence of the structural factors that are required for a D-amino esterase and a beta-lactamase.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will be plating bacterial species that carry a plasmid that expresses FmtA in the presence of low concentration of beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin. Bacterial colonies that are resistant to penicillin will be isolated, and used to extract the plasmid. The plasmid with be submitted for DNA sequences in order to identify the amino acids changes in the fmtA gene that contribute to penicillin resistance.

Desired Background/Skills:

Eager to work in a research lab.

Supervisor: Nik Kovinich

Lab Website:

Contact Info: kovinich@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Molecular Regulation of Cannabinoid Biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa

Project Description:

Cannabis sativa produces more than 120 cannabinoids, most of which are produced in minor amounts and have not been tested for pharmaceutical activities. By contrast some strains of Cannabis produce up to 35% of their flower dry weight as trans-螖鈦-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Despite there potential economical value and medicinal importance, the genetic regulation of cannabinoid biosynthesis remains almost completely uncharacterized, including that of THC. This USDA-NIFA-funded project focuses to understand the gene networks that regulate cannabinoid biosynthesis in cannabis.

Student Responsibilities:

The student's responsibilities will be to clone the transcription factor and cis-acting DNA regions of biosynthesis genes and to conduct yeast one-hybrid and promoter-luciferase reporter assays to test for protein-DNA interactions.

Desired Background/Skills:

General molecular biology or genetics laboratory experience is preferred. Experience with yeast one-hybrid, promoter-luciferase reporter assays, and gene cloning would be an asset.

Supervisor: Nik Kovinich

Lab Website:

Contact Info: kovinich@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Conserved regulation of divergent plant metabolic defenses

Project Description:

Plants biosynthesize defense metabolites (i.e. phytoalexins) in response to pathogen attack. These metabolites, are diverse in chemical structure and biosynthetic origin among plant species and include the phenylalanine-derived glyceollins from soybean, the phenylpropanoid-derived stilbenes from grapevine, and the tyrosine-derived camalexins from the model plant Arabidopsis. All of these phytoalexins have unconventional anticancer activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. While plants remain the most economical source of many phytoalexins, plants only biosynthesize them transiently and in low amounts, which severely limits their accessibility for commercial use.

Student Responsibilities:

The student's responsibilities will be to identify gene targets of transcription factors by conducting high-throughput yeast one-hybrid and promoter-luciferase reporter assays. (S)he will also characterize the consensus sequences of cis-acting elements by mutagenesis.

Desired Background/Skills:

General molecular biology or genetics laboratory experience is preferred. Experience with yeast one-hybrid, promoter-luciferase reporter assays, and mutagenesis would be an asset.

Supervisor: Terrance Kubiseski

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: tkubises@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Characterization of Transcription Factors Interactions in the Oxidative Stress Response

Project Description:

Intracellular oxygen radicals (or reactive oxygen species) are becoming recognized as signaling molecules, yet their levels much be tightly regulated as too much can damage DNA, proteins and lipids, and have been implicated in many age-related disease's such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and cancer. Protein signaling pathways in cells become activated to limit the damage from reactive oxygen species by generating anti-oxidant proteins that remove and limit the exposure of an organism to long-term damage. We propose to use biochemistry to look at the regulation of expression of anti-oxidant proteins. The student will carry out a biochemical analysis of the C. elegans transcription factors and mediators involved in the oxidative stress response.

Student Responsibilities:

The methodologies represent a cutting-edge approach in using the power of in vitro protein expression combined with modern genetic approaches. Specifically, the student will be involved in using molecular biology, protein chemistry, tissue culture, co-immunoprecipitation and all the ancillary techniques associated with these disciplines. The impact of the program should encourage the preparation of a high-quality publication, for which the student will be actively involved.

Desired Background/Skills:

Basic molecular biology experience such as those taught in BIOL2070 (Research Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology).

Supervisor: Raymond Kwong

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: rwmkwong@yorku.ca  

Project Title: Understanding the risk of exposure to bisphenol compounds in aquatic animals

Number of Positions: 1

Project Description:

As a 鈥渟afer鈥 alternative of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS) is now widely used in many consumer products, such as plastics and linings of beverage and food containers. BPS has become ubiquitous in the environment, including surface water, sediment, and sludge. Importantly, emerging evidence has suggested that BPS is an endocrine disrupting chemical, interfering with the reproductive and neuroendocrine systems in animals. In this study, we aim to determine the risk of exposure and the long-term effects of BPS on Daphnia magna. Specifically, we will investigate i) the life-history response to BPS exposure, and ii) the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of BPS.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will evaluate the neurophysiological performance of Daphnia magna during chronic exposure to BPS. The student will gain hands-on experience and learn various analytical methods. The student will perform data collection, statistical analysis, and present the work at our lab meetings. Finally, the student is expected to write a report after the research.

Desired Background/Skills:

Basic wet lab bench skills and completion of WHMIS II training.

Supervisor: Patricia Lakin-Thomas

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: plakin@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Role of the TOR pathway in circadian rhythmicity

Project Description: The goal of our research is to describe the molecular mechanisms that produce circadian (24-hour) rhythmicity in eukaryotes. Circadian clocks are found in almost all eukaryotic cells, and play important roles in human health, but the mechanisms are not yet completely described. We use the fungus N. crassa as a model organism, using the superb genetic and biochemical tools that are available to identify new clock-associated genes and their functions. We have found that rhythmicity depends on proteins that are components of the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) pathway, which is a nutrition-sensing pathway that activates growth in all eukaryotes. We have developed an assay for TOR activity using immunoblotting (Westerns) to quantitate the phosphorylation of a downstream target of TOR, S6 ribosomal protein. Using this method, we have discovered that TOR activity is rhythmic. This raises the exciting possibility that rhythmic TOR may play a role in the circadian system. We will investigate the effects of clock-gene mutations and nutritional conditions on TOR activity (assayed by Westerns) and rhythmicity (assayed by fungal spore formation).

Student Responsibilities: Experiments will be designed in consultation with the PI. The NSERC student will carry out all aspects of the experiments from culturing the fungus to immunoblotting for S6, as well as fungal growth assays for clock function. The student will work independently on their individual experiments once they have mastered the techniques under close supervision but will work in parallel with other students carrying out the same techniques but answering different questions.

Desired Background/Skills: Biology major (Bio, Biomed, Biotech, Biochem, BioPhys). Some lab experience in courses (ideally some of 2070, 3140, 3150, 4290) or in a research lab.

Supervisor: Jean-Paul Paluzzi

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: paluzzi@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Investigation of novel endocrine regulators of the excretory system in a human disease-vector mosquito

Project Description:

Neuropeptides and their receptors play a central role in the regulation of most physiological processes in animals. Research in my laboratory studies the function of neuropeptides and their receptors in insects. To understand the role and importance of distinct neuropeptide systems, we initially deorphanize and functionally validate the activity of neuropeptidergic ligands on their prospective receptors, which we accomplish by combining in vitro, in vivo and heterologous high-throughput techniques. Recent evidence of successful implementation of these methods includes our studies on CAPA peptides, which we found activate their cognate receptor forming an essential anti-diuretic regulatory system (Sajadi et al., 2018 J. Exp. Biol; Sajadi et al., 2020 Sci. Reports). This NSERC USRA project will include molecular, genetic and physiological investigations of additional regulators of the excretory system in insects. The student for this USRA project will be trained by the lead investigator and senior graduate students in the Paluzzi research group with many of the techniques routinely utilized in the lab, including state-of-the-art genetic, molecular and physiology-based methodologies.

Student Responsibilities:

Student will help characterize and molecularly screen mutagenized mosquitoes created using CRISPR-Cas9 and also examine expression profiles in the mosquito (A. aegypti) to reveal target organs of this endocrine signaling system, including the peptidergic ligand and cognate receptor. This will include RT-qPCR as well as fluorescence-based in situ hybridization, providing insight into organ, tissue and cell-specific expression of these transcripts. After cell-specific expression is established, student may use electrophysiology or other bioassay to examine activity of this endocrine system on solute transport across the gut epithelium.

Desired Background/Skills:

No specific bench skills required. The ideal candidate should have an advanced understanding of molecular and physiology related-research. Solid course performances in these areas along with previous lab experience (eg. Research at 91亚色 or research practicum) provides strong evidence in support of these requirements.

Supervisor: Sandra Rehan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: sanrehan@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Wild bee urban ecology

Project Description:

The Rehan lab is establishing critical data to inform sustainable pollinator protection. This work is part of a long-term collaboration with the City of Toronto, David Suzuki Foundation and World Wildlife Federation aimed to conserve wild bees in cities. This project seeks to answer questions on the role of urbanization on wild bee survival and the habitat conditions and plant resources necessary for bee health.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will learn field collection of wild bees, science communication with government and non-government partners, and data management skills when working with museum specimens. They will learn skills in statistics and data visualization to determine the relative roles of urban land use and floral resource availability on bee survival and fitness in wild populations.

Desired Background/Skills:

Undergrad courses in ecology, evolution or related topics in biodiversity conservation. A driver's licence and ability to conduct field research in Toronto. Attention to detail and an interest in wild bee biodiversity and conservation.

Supervisor: Sandra Rehan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: sanrehan@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Behavioural Ecology of Wild Bees

Project Description:

Prolonged maternal care results in developmental changes in offspring such that offspring without care are more aggressive and avoidant than offspring that experience care. Genetic data reveal that the absence of maternal care results in differential gene expression and epigenetic patterns centred on neurodevelopment and metabolic pathways responsible for fear and anxiety responses. This project is pioneering the use of novel genomic methods to understand maternal care during early childhood development using in nest observations of small carpenter bees.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will learn field collection of wild bees, video observation of nest behaviour, and lab molecular bench work to dissect brain tissue and extract RNA for sequencing. They will develop skills in bioinformatics to determine the relative roles of social environment and development on bee behaviour and gene expression. This project seeks to answer questions on the role of maternal care for brood survival and the gene regulatory networks underpinning bee health. The long-term goal of this research is to determine the interplay between behaviour and genetics, and to use this information to find avenues for improved health outcomes.

Desired Background/Skills:

Courses in ecology and evolution or animal behaviour and psychology. An interest in behavioural ecology and maternal care. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. No former lab experience is required but any former experience is an asset. Skills in team work, organization, dependability and reliable work ethic are required.

Supervisor: Ryan Schott

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: schott@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Molecular Evolution of Visual Genes in Frogs and Salamanders

Project Description:

Vertebrate visual systems adapt to different light environments through many different mechanisms including optical changes to the eye and neurological changes that can affect how light signals are processed and interpreted. At the molecular level, spectral sensitivity can evolve through changes to the light-sensitive molecules of the eye (visual pigments) through gene loss and duplication, differential and co-expression, and sequence evolution. Amphibians provide an excellent system for studies of visual evolution and adaptation due to the convergent evolution of similar activity patterns, lifestyles, and behaviours that are likely to influence the evolution of visual function, but are understudied relative to other vertebrates. Our group has recently assembled large datasets of visual genes from frogs that are revealing interesting patterns of visual evolution in relation to ecology, but similar resources in salamanders do not yet exist. We will sequence and assemble the first eye transcriptomes in salamanders focusing on an initial set of 4-6 species that inhabit distinct light environments. We will use these to extract visual genes to produce datasets for future studies. We will also conduct preliminary analyses of the visual pigment genes (opsins) including comparison of gene complements among species, inferences of gene duplications and losses, and an analysis of variation at sites known to affect spectral sensitivity. Additionally, analyses of existing gene dataset from frogs, and comparisons between frog and salamanders will be made. These datasets will form the foundation for future studies of visual evolution across amphibians that will provide a broad evolutionary context within which to test for convergent and novel visual adaptations in response to parallel selective pressures imposed by similar ecologies and behaviours that have evolved repeatedly across amphibians.

Student Responsibilities:

There are several possible projects that can be tailored to student interests. Responsibilities include: extracting RNA from salamander eyes, constructing Illumina sequencing libraries and preparing them for sequencing, checking RNA and library quality, bioinformatics analyses of transcriptome and genome data, phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses of visual genes from frogs and salamanders. The students will also have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing projects on frog visual evolution to gain experience with other methods and manuscript writing.

Desired Background/Skills:

Students should have a strong academic record and taken several relevant Biology courses. No prior lab experience is required.

Supervisor: Yi Sheng

Contact Info: yisheng@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: The role of Ubiquitin in epigenetic regulation

Project Description:

My laboratory studies the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in the regulation of DNA damage repair signaling. HUWE1 (HECT, UBA, WWE domain containing 1) is a HECT-domain E3 ligase that is involved in ubiquitin mediated degradation and signaling in a variety of cellular processes including apoptosis, DNA replication, and recently shown to be involved in DNA damage repair. PARP1 (poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1), is a key protein involved in sensing and initiating DNA damage signaling through catalyzing the attachment of poly-ADP ribose polymers (PAR chains) to its substrate proteins. Recently, we found that HUWE1 regulated the protein stability of PARP1. However, the role of HUWE1 and its interaction with PARP1 in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway has not been well understood.

Student Responsibilities:

The USRA student will help to characterize the molecular mechanism of the HUWE1 and PARP1 interaction using co-immunoprepicipation and western blot. As HUWE1 contains a WWE1 domain, which is a putative Poly- (ADP-ribose) recognition domain, we hypothesize that that HUWE1 regulates PARP1 through the association of the WWE domain and Poly- (ADP-ribose). To achieve this goal, Greta will further characterize the molecular mechanism of the WWE1 domain dependent interaction of HUWE1 and PARP1. The outcome of this study will provide a new mechanistic insight into the signaling network of cellular DNA damage response through HUWE1 and PARP1.

Desired Background/Skills:

Complete molecular biology courses; demonstrate good critical thinking and data analysis skills. Previous lab work experience is an asset.

Supervisor: Gerald Audette

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: audette@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Structure-Function Studies of Bacterial Proteins involved in Virulence and Evolution

Project Description:

The gram negative bacteria Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis are the causative agents of Q fever and tularaemia, respectively. Infection by either organism results in high mortality rates, especially in immuno-compromised individuals, and there are very limited options for detection of both C. burnetii and F. tularensis. Recent evidence shows that both bacteria have functional type II secretion system (T2SS) and type IV pilus (T4P), and that functional T4P affect virulence. Sequence analysis indicates that proteins cbu0156 and ftn0389 are the major pilins of C. burnetii and F. tularensis, respectively; several other proteins, including cbu0155, cbu1891, ftn0116, and ftn1137 have been identified as T2SS effector proteins. However, little is understood of these proteins at the structural level, how they affect virulence, or how they can be used for detection of C. burnetii or F. tularensis infection. The aim of this research is (1) the structural and biophysical analysis of Coxiella and Francisella pilins and T2SS-mediated effector proteins, and (2) coupling structural and functional data to provide a clearer understanding of these proteins within the infective cycle of C. burnetti and F. tularensis. These studies will provide detailed structural information into the pilins and multiple T2SS effector proteins, leading to novel therapeutics, and provide a framework for the development of protein-specific biosensors for C. burnetii and F. tularensis.

Student Responsibilities:

The student's research will focus on the expression and purification of a recombinant protein from C. burnetti, and initial characterization of the protein using liquid chromatography, dynamic light scattering and other biophysical methods. These studies will lead towards the crystallization of the protein and bioinformatics comparison to similar proteins in the Protein Data Bank.

Desired Background/Skills:

Molecular biology/biochemistry lab experience (such as Biol 2070, Chem 2050 etc.). And an enthusiastic attitude!

Supervisor: Thomas Baumgartner

Lab Website:  /science/research/tbaumgar/

Contact Info: tbaumgar@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Sustainable Organomain Group Materials

Project Description:

Organic materials are an important class of compounds for sustainable energy applications. They exhibit  semiconducting properties that allow for diverse applications in organic electronic devices such as Light  Emitting Diodes(OLED), Field Effect Transistors (OFET), Photovoltaic Cells (OPVs), Batteries, and Sensors.  Our group and others have recently established phosphole-based pi-conjugated systems as an intriguing  new class of electronic materials with a variety of unique and versatile properties in terms of reactivity,  stability, and tunability of their optoelectronic properties.   

Student

Responsibilities:

Undergraduateresearch projects deal with the synthesis and characterization of new, electronically active  molecular,  organophosphorus based  building  blocks  and  materials.  Students  will  be  trained  in  appropriate laboratory techniques to provide an exposure to a broad range of topics and skills in materials chemistry and next-generation sustainable energy solutions. The research involves hands-on handling of  air- and moisture sensitive compounds using Schlenk techniques, as well as the determination of the  photophysical   properties of the product materials by various optical spectroscopies (UV-vis,  Fluorescence), as well as their electrochemical properties by cyclic voltammetry. Furtherstate-of-the-art characterization techniques will include multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Elemental  Analysis, and X-ray Crystallography.

DesiredBackground/Skills:

Organic chemistry at an intermediate level; Inorganic chemistry at an intermediate level; Basic spectroscopy knowledge; Experience with organic and/or organometallic synthesis

Supervisor: Jennifer Chen

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: jilchen@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title:  Portable darkfield microscopy system

Project Description:

We are interested in developing optical sensing systems as bioanalytical tools and point-of-care diagnostics. In one area of research, we have developed biofunctionalized plasmonic nanostructures on substrates as optical sensors, where light scattering signal from each nanostructure is captured via darkfield microscopy. Conventionally, the imaging is performed using a research-grade microscope. This project involves making a low-cost, portable darkfield microscope using smartphone camera and consumer-grade optics and components to enable the translation of the sensing platform. It complements our principal research in developing nanomaterials for a range of applications (these projects in chemistry are presented in Chemistry department's undergraduate research opportunity orientation).

Student Responsibilities:

Design and build an adapter for performing darkfield microscopy; this may include searching for suitable components, CAD drawing and 3D printing. Carry out experiments to optimize the geometry and optical performance of the portable system, in comparison with the research microscope. Attend group meetings, carry out lab maintenance tasks and summarize findings as a report or presentation.

Desired Background/Skills:

Biophysics, optics, electronics. Ability to take initiatives and learn new areas (some work may be more related to engineering). Be able to work in a team (most group members are chemists).

Supervisor: Bill Kim

Lab Website: /professor/ybillkim/

Contact Info: bkim271@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Rewriting the genome Using CRISPR

Project Description:

The genome encodes the instruction manual for the cell. Researchers can now manipulate the DNA sequences of the genome at will using the Nobel-prize-winning genome editing method called CRISPR. Despite this progress, we still lack the ability to rewrite the genome at will. New genome editing methods that can manipulate any genomic sequence in any location within the genome are needed to realize the full potential of genome editing for biomedical and therapeutic applications. This project explores the use of reverse transcriptase to rewrite the genome using an RNA template, in conjunction with various CRISPR proteins. We will apply protein and RNA engineering to design candidate genome writers, test them in living systems, and assess their efficiency using state-of-the-art experimental techniques. Achieving our goal has the potential to transform the way biochemistry is conducted as well as tackle currently intractable genetic diseases in patients.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Designing genome editing proteins
  • Cloning plasmids (PCR, bacterial transformations, gel electrophoresis)
  • Testing genome editing activity in cell systems (transfections)
  • Analyzing genome editing activity using cellular assays (fluorescence, DNA sequencing)
  • Reading the literature
  • Presenting their progress at group meetings and writing reports听听

Desired Background/Skills:

Molecular biology/biochemistry lab experience (such as BIOL 2070, CHEM 2050, etc.)

Supervisor: Sergey Krylov

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: skrylov@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project title: Selection of drug candidates from DNA-encoded libraries by capillary electrophoresis

Project Description:

This research project deals with Ideal-Filter Capillary Electrophoresis (IFCE). IFCE is a novel and highly-enabling technology for screening DNA-encoded molecular libraries (DELs) for drug leads. IFCE is ten million times more efficient that typical surface-based screening techniques! The development of IFCE into a practical drug-development technology is a focus of a NSERC SPG-P grant awarded to me and my collaborator, Dr. Hili. A central part to this project is a sub-project on adopting IFCE to real DELs (the proof-of-principle work was done with DEL-mimicking libraries). In essence, the electrophoretic behavior of a DEL (provided by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which is an industrial partner on the project) will be tested under IFCE conditions and the non-binder background will be measured. IFCE-based screening of the DEL for binders to Carbonic Anhydrase, a protein known to be druggable, will be then carried. Further, DNA tags on the collected binders will be sequenced at the GSK site. Finally, the sequences will be analyzed and the results will be compared with those of GSK鈥檚 conventional surface-based screening. The expected output is a set of performance parameters of IFCE in DEL screening. The work will also serve as a proof-of-principle for IFCE applicability to DELs. The results are expected to be published.

Student Responsibilities:

Conduct experiment, perform lab duties, read the literature, write reports

Desired Background/Skills:

It is preferable the the student(s) will have taken General Chemistry, General Physics, Analytical Chemistry, and Calculus by the time he/she joins the project

Supervisor: Gino Lavoie

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: glavoie@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Synthesis and use of guanidine-based catalytic systems for the preparation of  biodegradable polymers.

Project Description:

At the heart of most chemical transformations is the use of catalysts to mediate reactions under mild conditions. Over the past decades, improvements have been made to catalysis thanks to well-defined transition metal complexes. Polymerization is one of those transformations that makes use of catalysts. Polymers have played a significant role in today's society, with applications in medical devices, electronics, sporting goods, construction and transportation, to name a few. With approximately 400 millions metric tonnes of polymers produced worldwide per year, it is critical that catalysts with better performance be developed.  Our group has thus been developing new modular bidentate ligands, focusing on highly versatile guanidine donors. These allow us to easily tune their electronic and steric contributions to the catalytic system. The performance of the resulting complexes in the polymerization of lactide and olefins is then explored. A typical research project for undergraduate students involve the synthesis of small organic molecules (ligands) and transition metal complexes, and testing of these complexes in polymerization.  Researchers in the Lavoie group gain valuable hands-on experience in (i) the synthesis of both inorganic and organic compounds, including working under oxygen and moisture-free conditions, (ii) their characterization by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, (iii) the assessment of catalysts performance in polymerizations, and (iv) the use of computational chemistry to gain further insight and develop structure鈥揳ctivity relationships. Students work in state-of-the-art facilities touching on all four classical divisions of chemistry (inorganic, organic, analytical and physical chemistry) while developing skills transferable to their future research endeavours.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Synthesis organic and inorganic compounds.
  • Characterize all compounds by 1H NMR spectroscopy.
  • Test the activity of transition metal complexes for the polymerization of olefins and lactide.
  • Document all experimental procedures in a laboratory notebook.
  • Participate in group meetings.
  • Write interim reports and a final report.
  • Have good housekeeping skills.
  • Abide by the safety rules.

Desired Background/Skills:

Organic and inorganic chemistry at an intermediate (3000) level, including some laboratory synthetic skills (ideally with CHEM 3000 and 3001 completed); basic 1H NMR spectroscopy knowledge.

Supervisor: Sylvie Morin

Lab Website: /science/morinresearchgroup/research/

Contact Info: smorin@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Transition metal oxides as efficient electrocatalysts

Project Description:

Pressing issues such as climate change and the need for alternative energy sources can be addressed through the use of electrochemical technology. It already plays an important role in energy storage and conversion devices such as fuel cells and batteries. Hydrogen gas is viewed as one of the energy carriers of the future as it is environmentally friendly and inexhaustible. However, at present, hydrogen is mainly produced from steam methane reforming and coal gasification, which lead to carbon dioxide emissions. Water electrolysis is an efficient and sustainable way to produce H2. However, the practical application of water electrolysis has been limited due to its high cost. Water splitting involves two half-reactions, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The OER is particularly kinetically sluggish and this causes significant energy loss in the water splitting process. Thus, a lot of efforts have gone into developing materials that can decrease the energy needed to carry out this reaction. We have recently identified that iron-containing copper-cobalt oxide and nickel-cobalt oxide materials display good oxygen production properties. Thus, the goal of this project is to identify and understand what make iron containing copper-cobalt oxide and nickel-cobalt oxide materials so good at producing oxygen gas. We will be using state of the art techniques to achieve this goal and identify the structural, electronic and mechanistic characteristics that make these materials work the way they do. This research would be highly beneficial to our understanding of their mode of operation and will enable their application in new water electrolysis technology, opening the door to practical applications for the production of hydrogen via water electrolysis. Transition metal oxides as efficient electrocatalysts;

Student Responsibilities:

Together with my graduate students you will learn to prepare and characterize transition metal oxide materials using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical techniques.
You will become familiar with electrode kinetics measurements.
You will learn how to analyze the data and present your work in the form of written reports, posters and talks.

Desired Background/Skills:

Successful progress towards an undergraduate degree in Chemistry

Supervisor: William Pietro

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: pietro@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Development of Novel Azomethine Switches

Project Description:

This project involves the synthesis, characterization, and spectroscopic studies of a novel class of molecular switches incorporated into polymeric matricies. The goal of these studies is the potential fabrication of photo-driven molecular machines that convert light signals into mechanical motion. Potential applications are nanomotors, artificial muscle, reversible light-induced solubility, etc.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will be responsible for synthesis, analysis, and preliminary spectroscopic switching studies. The expectation is that the student will perform their work at a publication-quality level. In the course of their work, the student will learn cutting-edge multidisciplinary techniques in materials chemistry and photophysics. The student will be expected to understand these concepts at a fundamental level, and be able to present their research in group meetings and possibly at a national conference.

Desired Background/Skills:

The student must have completed first-year chemistry, two semesters of second-year organic chemistry lecture and laboratory, first-year physics, and calculus.

Supervisor: Trevor VandenBoer

Lab Website: 

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Environmental chemistry of pollutants

Project Description:

Our research team conducts research in Analytical Environmental Chemistry with current  focus on the atmospheric chemistry of reactive nitrogen (indoors and outdoors), deposition  of  per fluorinated  alkyl  substances  (PFAS)  into  remote  regions,  and  atmosphere-surface  chemical  exchange.  We  build  first-of-their-kind  instrumental  and  molecular  (or  material)  sensing platforms to make measurements at the cutting edge of environmental chemistry,  targeting  challenging  environments  and  analytes.  Our  group  bridges  the  three  pillars  of  atmospheric hemistry research: lab experiments, field work and campaigns, and kinetic and  thermodynamic  modeling.  Our  research  is  highly  collaborative,  involving  government,  industry, and academic groups from across Canada and internationally, providing students  broad perspective on employment options and the potential to develop strong networks.

 Desired Background/Skills:

Scientific qualifications and experience we seek from and develop in new scientists in the  group  are:  high  level  analytical  capabilities,  quality  assurance  and  quality  control,  chromatography, mass spectrometry, solid phase extraction, environmental field work, large  data-set analysis, automation, and mass spectrometry.

Supervisor: Jennifer van Wijngaarden

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: vanwijgn@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Properties of organic conformers via rotational spectroscopy

Project Description:

Chemists tend to view a molecule鈥檚 backbone as rigid when thinking about chemical properties and reactivity, but molecules are highly dynamic. The average properties of a compound depend on the underlying energy landscape that governs the relative energies of conformers and the barriers to re-arrange between them. While individual conformers of most compounds cannot be isolated on the benchtop, one can study them using spectroscopy in cold jets where each conformer gives rise to a unique spectral fingerprint. Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy is an excellent tool for this purpose as it allows one to derive accurate bond lengths and angles needed to distinguish between different conformers. Undergraduate research projects involve the measurement and analysis of the FTMW spectrum of novel compounds using state-of-the-art spectrometers. As the test compounds are those whose spectra have never been reported, the first step is to predict the stable conformers using computational chemistry and to simulate the expected patterns of rotational transitions.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will be trained to use modern spectrometers (vacuum system, gas mixtures, electronics) and various computational software routines.

Desired Background/Skills: Undergraduate students from the chemistry and biochemistry programs are best-suited for this research. Priority will be given for students who have taken physical and analytical chemistry courses at the second year level (CHEM 2000, CHEM 2011, CHEM 2080) at a minimum and who plan further studies in the physical and analytical chemistry (CHEM 3010, 3011, 3080) to expand their understanding of instrumentation and theory.

Supervisor: Derek Wilson

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: dkwilson@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Protein Motions in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disease

Project Description:

Our lab uses home-build devices combined with cutting edge bioanalytical mass spectrometry platforms to study the rapid - and sometimes dangerous - motions undergo as they carry out their biological roles (or go rogue and cause disease) in the cell. Our undergraduate projects will have you working with Tau protein - one of the two proteins that misfolds and clumps together in Alzheimer's disease - studying how phosphorylation by different enzymes causes it to shift it's 'conformational bias' from the 'safe' form you have in your brain right now to the 'dangerous' form that starts 'clumping' and neurodegeneration.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will:Learn to express and purify Tau protein; Learn to characterize Tau using 'native' mass spectrometry; Learn to conduct millisecond H/D exchange experiments to explore Tau conformational dynamics; Learn to phosphorylate Tau; Present their work at group meetings and conferences; Write up any novel / impactful findings!

Desired Background/Skills:

You'll need: To be an independent learner/thinker, ready to (eventually) work independently in the lab and read relevant background papers on your own; To be able to work as part of a team; To be ready to make the best of the opportunities working on a real-world, high level research project affords you! Some skills in biochemistry lab would be nice, but the ability to learn hands-on skills quickly and effectively is more important than pre-existing knowledge! Some knowledge of molecular-level biochemistry / structural biology would be nice, but the ability to quickly and holistically learn the biological background is more important!

Supervisor: Cora Young

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: youngcj@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Investigating sources and fate of environmental pollutants

Project Description:

Our group uses and develops new analytical techniques to provide unique insights into unknown  or poorly constrained environmental chemical processes. We focus on problems at the leading  edge of environmental chemistry, including climate change, air quality (indoor and outdoor), and  long-range transport  of  contaminants.  Our  work  involves  laboratory  experiments,  field  measurements, and data analysis. Members of our group have the opportunity to work with state- of-the-science  analytical  tools  (including  optical  techniques,  chromatography,  and  mass  spectrometry),  as  well  as  the  data  generated  by  these  instruments. 

Student Responsibilities:

Undergraduate  researchers  are  tasked  with  their  own  research  question  and  are  paired  with  a  graduate student or postdoctoral researcher. Projects vary based on the interest and level of the  undergraduate researcher.    We believe that the most exciting and impactful research is collaborative. Our group operates using  a team-based approach and strives for positive, respectful, professional, and productive working relationships. We have a diverse team that fosters an open, inclusive, and equitable environment.   

Desired Background/Skills:

Environmental chemistry research involves knowledge of chemical nalaysis, processes, and mechanisms, but also other skills that are not typically learned in a chemistry degree (e.g. coding, soldering), Be prepared to learn new things.

Supervisor: Toby Zeng

Lab Website: /science/profiles/faculty/toby-zeng/

Contact Info: tzeng@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Computational Chemistry: Driving Formalism and Designing Materials

Project Description:

Modern computational chemistry is used extensively to explain and predict phenomena of excited states and  design high performance functional materials. The research in our group is mainly dedicated in two aspects: (1)  designing optoelectronic materials; (2) development of mathematical formalism to explain and predict molecular  spectra. In materials designing, we focus on singlet fission chromophores, which increase the number and lifetime  of excitons in solar cells, and consequently enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency. In formalism  development, we focus on symmetry-related interactions between electrons and nuclear vibrations. The  developed fundamental formalism is of critical importance for accurate explanations and predictions of  photoelectric spectra, and for modeling excited states dynamics in optoelectronic materials.

Student Responsibilities:

Coding formalism and running quantum chemistry calculations. Undergraduate researchers in our group will receive trainings in quantum chemistry calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, using high performance computer clusters, and programming in Fortran, Python, and shell  script languages. Students will also gain in-depth knowledge in theoretical chemistry and applied mathematics.  

Desired Background/Skills:

Mathematical knowledge at CHEM 2000 level is desired for NSERC-USRA and ENURA research projects. Both CHEM  2000 and CHEM 3010 knowledge is desired for CHEM 4000 research projects. Advanced quantum chemistry  knowledge at CHEM 4010 level will further facilitate the completion of CHEM 4000 research projects and prepare  students for graduate studies in the area of theoretical and computational chemistry.

Supervisor: Yuejiao Fu

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: yuejiao@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title:  Two-sample tests based on data depth

Project Description:

Statistical depth, which measures the center-outward rank of a given sample with respect to its underlying distribution, has become a popular and powerful tool in nonparametric inference for big data. In this project, we focus on the homogeneity test that tests whether two multivariate samples come from the same distribution. We will explore depth-based tests for multivariate two-sample problems.

Student Responsibilities:

Conduct literature review, simulation studies and data analysis.

Desired Background/Skills:

Completed 3131 and 3330, strong R programming skills.

Supervisor: Edward Furman

Lab Website: https://edfurman.info.yorku.ca/

Contact Info: efurman@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Risk management in the presence of heavy-tailed crypto-currency risks

Project Description:

Fat tails of returns are a common occurrence in portfolio management. Heavy tails may be caused by frequent price fluctuations, which are often found in such more volatile assets as cryptocurrency. In certain unique yet frequently occurring cases, heavy tails of returns result in infinite variances, limiting our ability to apply appropriate variance-based risk measures such as the vanilla standard deviation and (Tail) Standard Deviation/(Tail) Variance. (More generally, the issue of infinite variances is not a rare phenomenon in the risk management and insurance industry, with many professionals struggling to find a way to measure variability in such cases.) In this project, we will employ the Gini Shortfall risk measure [Furman et al., (2017). Gini-type measures of risk and variability: Gini shortfall, capital allocations, and heavy-tailed risks. Journal of Banking and Finance], as a foundation to new portfolio optimization approach (an alternative to the traditional standard deviation/variance based approach conceptualized by Harry Markovitz) and demonstrate how it can solve many problems currently faced by risk professionals in the context of cryptocurrency risk management.

Student Responsibilities:

Literature review; derivation/proof of some special cases of main results; coding to verify/implement some of the results numerically; present to a group of academicians and risk professionals from the risk management and insurance industry.

Desired Background/Skills: Solid math skills (in particular probability, actuarial science), good coding skills in one of (MATLAB, R, PYTHON).

Supervisor: Hanna Jankowski

Lab Website: /hkj/

Contact Info: hkj@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2


Project Title: Mathematical biology R package

Project Description:

This project will be supervised jointly by Professor Jane Heffernan and Professor Hanna Jankowski.
The goal is to finalize an R package and create a web application using Shiny for certain (mostly pre-built) functions. The R package calculates R0, the basic reproductive ratio, using a variety of methods. The final product will be shared widely with the public health and mathematical biology community.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will be responsible for writing the code to create the R package and learning/writing the Shiny code to make the package accessible online. Proofreading the package and debugging will also be a part of the project.

Desired Background/Skills:

The ideal student will have knowledge of the R computing environment, and wither experience or be willing to learn how to build packages and work with Shiny. Good communications skills and the ability to work independently are key. This project is a great resume builder for those hoping to enter public health or data science.

Supervisor: Kevin McGregor

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: kevinmcg@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Zero-inflated association metrics in microbiome data

Project Description:

Statistical genetics, Bayesian statistics, compositional data, high-dimensional data.

Student Responsibilities:

Data analysis in R, designing an R package, running simulations on Compute Canada.

Desired Background/Skills:

Completed several upper level statistics courses (at least Math 3131 and Math 3330, preferably more), strong R programming skills, independent worker with attention to detail.

Supervisor: Paul Skoufranis

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: pskoufra@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title:  Outputs of Low-Dimensional Quantum Channel

Project Description:

In upcoming work, it will be shown when there exists a quantum channel between two non-commuting n-tuples of quantum states via inequalities involving non-commutative functions. The goal of this project is to analyze and simplify said inequalities in low-dimensional matrix algebra.

Student Responsibilities:

Students will read mathematical literature, attempt to solve problems, present on their studies and progress, and meet with the professor regularly.

Desired Background/Skills:

Students should have completed at least MATH 2001 and MATH 2022. Preference will be given to students that have also completed MATH 3001. In addition, MATH 4011 and 4012 would help a lot and MATH 2030, 3021, 3022, and 4021 would help some.

Supervisor: Mike Zabrocki

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: zabrocki@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title:  Machine learning on cryptographic hash functions

Project Description:

Cryptographic hash functions are functions that are designed to have a deterministic but highly complex relationship between the input and output of the function. If we call the hash function h and the input x, then it is very difficult to predict the value of x from the value of h(x). Machine learning is a technique of data science that is adept at identifying patterns that are difficult to discern using other techniques. I propose to using machine learning techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of some standard cryptographic hash functions.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Learning and researching the machine learning algorithms.
  • Learning and researching the cryptographic hash function algorithms.
  • Programming the models and training them on hash function data.
  • Running the experiments and determining if the machine learning can be used as a tool.

Desired Background/Skills:

  • Python programming.
  • Strong math skills that include knowledge of linear algebra, binary arithmetic and basic understanding of cryptography.
  • Ability to read and learn about machine learning algorithms and techniques.

Supervisor: Kaiqiong Zhao

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: kaiqiong@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Impact of Dispersion on High-Dimensional Variable Selection

Project Description:

We routinely encounter the need for variable selection when faced with a large collection of covariates. One illustration is identifying a subset of genetic variants that influence methylation levels in a specific regulatory region. To address this challenge, we have introduced a new method named sparseSOMNiBUS, tailored for high-dimensional variable selection in the context of multivariate binomial outcomes. However, it remains uncertain how well this method performs when the outcomes exhibit extra-parametric variations, known as dispersion. This summer, our focus will be on understanding the impact of dispersion on variable selection, and formulating potential remedies.

Student Responsibilities:

  • Learn how to implement the proximal gradient descent algorithm for high-dimensional variable selection.
  • Learn how to use the R package 鈥渟parseSOMNiBUS鈥.
  • Develop foundational skills in building an R package.
  • Establish realistic simulation settings that characterize the dispersion feature in proportional-based count data
  • Evaluate the validity of the variable selection method implemented in 鈥渟parseSOMNiBUS鈥 for dispersed data.

Desired Background/Skills:

  • Completed upper-level statistical coursework, including MATH 3131, MATH 3330, and preferably more.
  • Strong R programming skills.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a willingness to learn and adapt.
Project TitlePhotonic Structures for Dark Matter Searches
SupervisorNikita Blinov
Supervisor's emailnblinov@yorku.ca
Supervisor's lab Web Site
DepartmentPhysics & Astronomy
Number of positions1

Project Description
Dark matter (DM) is a key component in our understanding of the universe. Unfortunately, there is no particle within the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics that can serve as DM. As a result, theorists often postulate the existence of additional, yet undiscovered particles that can do the job. Some of these hypotheses involve non-gravitational interactions of DM with SM particles. We will investigate a particular class of models where the DM has very weak interactions with electromagnetism, and as a result can excite electromagnetic fields in the laboratory. The challenge is to maximize the magnitude of these potentially detectable fields. We will investigate DM interactions with photonic devices (micrometer-scale waveguides and resonators that can guide and manipulate light) which have recently been shown to be a promising platform for such searches. Our goal will be to optimize the interaction rate of DM with a photonic detector by varying detector properties (materials, geometry, etc).

Student responsibilities
1) Qualitatively understand the role of dark matter in our understanding of cosmology and structure formation in the universe
2) Develop a working knowledge of simple photonic devices and numerical methods used to study them (as implemented in publicly-available software).
3) Implement and document simulations of photonic structures using publicly-available software (usually written in python) and optimize certain quantities related to the DM-detector interaction rate.
4) Prepare a final report describing findings.

Desired background/skills
- Good working knowledge of electrodynamics at the level of PHYS 3020/4020 (aka Griffiths E&M); experience with quantum mechanics is also helpful
- Experience in Python programming

Supervisor: Charles-脡douard 叠辞耻办补谤茅

Contact Info: boukare@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Visualization of Geodynamic Simulations using ParaView

Project Description:

Computational power now allows running unprecedented fluid dynamics simulations of planetary interiors. Such calculations are performed on High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities on distant clusters. Fluid dynamic simulations produce a large amount of data. Efficient data visualization tools become inevitable to get the most of the simulations.

The project aims to develop a flexible visualizer for the multiphase fluid dynamics code developed in Prof. 叠辞耻办补谤茅's group. The student will code python scripts based on the Paraview software infrastructure (). It will be an ideal opportunity to gain more experience in data visualization and data analysis.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Getting familiar with the format of the raw data produced by the fluid dynamics simulations.
  2. Getting familiar with the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of Paraview.
  3. Learning how to use Paraview in command line using Python.
  4. Writing python scripts to generate various plots and images.
  5. Propose generic Python scripts that could be applied to various projects in our research group with minor tweaks.

Desired Background/Skills:

Strong interest for programming and data visualization. Interest for geophysics and planetary sciences.

Supervisor: Deborah Harris

Lab Website: /science/profiles/faculty/deborah-harris/

Contact Info: deborahh@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Description:

The MINERvA experiment has recorded over million-event samples of neutrino and antineutrino interactions in a fine-grained well-understood detector composed primarily of plastic scintillator augmented by thin passive targets of iron, lead, carbon, and water.  The collaboration is preparing a public release of its data and a simulation of the data, and the Undergraduate Research project will be to exercise the prototype version of this "Data Preservation" product to contribute to an antineutrino cross section measurement.  These cross section measurements are important inputs to long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, which need accurate models of both neutrino and antineutrino interactions to correctly interpret their data and measure oscillation probabilities as a function of neutrino energy.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will exercise a new Data Preservation Package that the MINERvA collaboration is assembling for broad use within the field of particle physics.  The student will work to extract an antineutrino cross section on hydrocarbon scintillator using this package, and may also contribute to data and simulation processing associated with producing this package. 

Desired Background/Skills:

Python, C++, PHYS 4040 or its equivalent.

Supervisor: Eric Hessels

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: hessels@gmail.com

Number of Positions: 2

Project Description:

The student will participate in a major initiative at 91亚色 (EDMcubed, which stands for Electron Dipole Measurement using Molecules in a Matrix) in which the electric dipole moment of the electron will be measured to unprecedented precision. The measurement takes advantage of the large electric field that an electron experiences inside of a polar molecule (BaF in this case), and takes advantage of the large number of these molecules that can be embedded into a cryogenic sample of solid argon. The electron's electric dipole moment is key to understanding the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe.

Student Responsibilities:

The student鈥檚 research will focus around designing, planning and building and optimizing one of the systems needed to make the measurement. Several systems are required, including a cryogenic system, a vacuum system, a molecular ion beam system, a magnetic field system, a radio-frequency system, and an optical detection system. The student will focus on one of these systems, but the choice of which one will be made based on the progress EDMcubed in the intervening months, and in consultation with the student. The student will take away valuable experience in design, building and testing a complex scientific apparatus, as well as being part of a very exciting and high-profile research effort.

Desired Background/Skills:

Successful progress towards an undergraduate degree in physics.

Supervisor: Ananthraman Kumarakrishnan

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: akumar@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Precision Metrology with Homebuilt Laser Systems

Project Description:

My group has developed a new class of low cost, homebuilt, vacuum-sealed, auto- locking laser systems that can be frequency stabilized with respect to atomic, molecular, and temperature tunable solid state frequency markers without human intervention.
Summer research projects will focus on the applications of these laser systems in several exciting experiments that include:

  1. Ultra cold atom sensors that measure gravitational acceleration with high precision
  2. Optical lattices that can realize the most accurate measurement of a diffusion coefficient-a parameter that is required to model the performance of the most sensitive magnetometers
  3. Coherent transient experiments that are capable of realizing the most precise measurements of atomic lifetimes
  4. Free space optical tweezers that trap dielectric particles, and rapidly determine their masses by investigating kinematics on fast time scales

Student Responsibilities:

Development of individual research projects, assistance to graduate students

Desired Background/Skills:

Aptitude for experimental physics, willingness to take on challenging problems, hands on skills, computer interfacing.

Supervisor: Randy Lewis

Lab Website: /lewisr/

Contact Info: randy.lewis@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Theoretical particle physics on quantum computers

Project Description:

The standard model of elementary particle physics is a quantum field theory. Strongly interacting quantum field theories can only be solved by computer simulation. There is a hope that quantum computers will bring new opportunities in this research area. Various possibilities are being explored.

Student Responsibilities:

Practical studies will be performed by writing computer codes and running them on IBM quantum computers. Because today's quantum hardware is noisy, emphasis will be placed on methods of error mitigation.

Desired Background/Skills:

Previous experience with quantum physics and quantum computing. The ability to write programs in Python.

Supervisor: Ozzy Mermut

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: omermut@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Molecular photo-acoustic biomodulation of single cell organisms

Project Description:

How do we manipulate bioluminescent aquatic dinoflagellates to control their light emission? How can we develop an artificial muscle based on a molecular photo-switch? How do we discover and develop molecular-scale diagnostic biomarkers for cancer? Interested in studying biomimicry and sensing in living systems with biophotonics? Our project involves using light-activated molecular switches to perturb and probe biological systems using ultra-sensitive single photon counting optical experiments.

Student Responsibilities:

This project is highly trans-disciplinary and will be conducted in close collaborations with Prof. William Pietro (Chemistry) and Prof. Christopher Barrett (McGill, 91亚色 U Physics). The student is ideally a biophysicist (physicist or chemist), comfortable in learning and developing upon our optical systems. The USRA candidate will prepare optical solutions based on photo-switching chromophores, known as azobenzenes, isolating and integrating the photo-switches into the dinoflagellates, and conduct experiments on biomodulation and investigate pump-probe energetically/kinetics with a new in-house developed photon counting setup. For the more computationally-oriented, the project may involve Density Functional Theory calculations of azobenzene photo-switching energies.

Desired Background/Skills:

The physicist, chemist, or alike, will be comfortable with aqueous and or biological preparations for optical biophysics experiments and be excited to develop/expand upon our optical instrumentation. For computation enthusiasts, the project may be tailored for density functional theory calculations of one of our azobenzene photo-modulation/optical biosensing systems.

Supervisor: Balint Radics

Contact Info: bradics@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Search for Dark Matter and Beyond-Standard-Model physics at CERN

Project Description:

Despite a decade-long search at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and at other frontiers, the nature of Dark Matter remains a puzzle. However, the recently measured deviation between the experimental and theoretical value of the muon anomalous magnetic moment indicates that the muon particle might have non-standard interactions with matter. One interesting possibility recently proposed is that new Beyond-Standard-Model Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) interactions of muons could involve charged lepton flavor violation that manifests at low energy via effective dimension-6 operators. In this project, the unique high-intensity and high-energy muon beam at CERN is used to study the experimental sensitivity of a fixed-target experiment to these proposed effective interactions when high-energy muons undergo scattering on nuclei.

Student Responsibilities:

The student will implement the proposed DIS charged lepton flavor violating signal model and make a simplified event generator to simulate the final state particles of the new interactions in the fixed-target experiment. Then discriminator variables will be introduced to simulate the experimental acceptance and trigger conditions. The student will then produce predictions on the experimental signal features and yield of the hypothetical new muon-nucleon DIS interactions. If there is time, a similar charged lepton flavor violating Dark Matter candidate model will also be studied using the same techniques.

Desired Background/Skills:

Knowledge of special relativity and relativistic kinematics, and some experience in programming in C++ (or Python) and compiling and executing codes on Unix/Linux systems is desired.

Supervisor: Sarah Rugheimer

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: srugheim@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Modeling abiotic oxygen

Project Description:

The nature of the research project is to model the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets in different geological conditions and under different stellar radiation with a goal to understand how terrestrial planets evolve in other star systems to prepare for future observations with JWST and ELT. This project is an interdisciplinary project linking astrophysics, geology, atmospheric chemistry, and biology. The research theme focuses on assessing the habitability of planets along with the detection of biosignatures and potential mechanisms for false positives. The student will be modelling an Earth-sized exoplanet with a lower atmospheric pressure to see if we can trigger false positive mechanisms for oxygen generation. By considering the plausible geological fluxes and redox states of the planet, the student will look at plausible ways of generating gases and their detectability in the atmosphere.

The student will have weekly or bi-weekly meetings with Prof. Rugheimer to learn the coding skills required and training in how to run the models. Prof. Rugheimer also will mentor the student in academic writing and public speaking skills through extra training sessions toward the end of the project. In addition to scientific mentoring, Prof. Rugheimer will also provide general career mentorship to prepare the student for their chosen career path post their undergraduate education.

Student Responsibilities:

The student responsibilities are to keep track of their hours, have a mix of on site working and remote working practices, and show weekly progress by email and/or at group or individual meetings. The student will gain research experience in astrophysics and climate science by modelling the photochemistry and climate of exoplanet atmospheres. The student will gain coding experience in Python and Fortran and experience in using Linux systems. At the conclusion of the project, the student will also gain experience in academic writing and public speaking skills to present their work to the community.

Desired Background/Skills:

Some background in coding and python is required. A familiarity with linux is preferred.

Project TitleStudying Fast Radio Bursts with CHIME
SupervisorPaul Scholz
Supervisor's emailpscholz@yorku.ca
Supervisor's lab Web Site/science/profiles/faculty/paul-scholz/
DepartmentPhysics & Astronomy
Number of positions2

Project Description
The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a revolutionary radio telescope, located in British Columbia. In its first five years of operation, CHIME has discovered hundreds of new Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and this discovery rate is expected to continue. FRBs are millisecond-long pulses of radio waves from far outside of our Galaxy of unknown origin. CHIME has brought about a new landscape in the FRB field; for the first time we are able to study FRBs as a population. There are several potential projects using CHIME/FRB data including software and signal processing pipelines, data analysis and visualization. The student will have opportunities to develop skills in radio signal processing, Python programming, statistics, simulations, and machine learning.

Student responsibilities
The student will work with Prof. Scholz and the wider CHIME/FRB team analyzing CHIME/FRB data and helping to develop/improve CHIME/FRB software pipelines using Python. The student will work in a collaborative and vibrant research environment through interactions with CHIME/FRB members at several other institutions. The student will give presentations and share results with the team.

Desired background/skills
Experience with programming, particularly in Python. Interest in Astrophysics.

Supervisor: Sean Tulin

Lab Website: 

Contact Info: stulin@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 2

Project Title: Dark matter minihalos and miniquasars

Project Description:

Small dark matter structures (minihalos) provided the gravitational seeds for the collapse of gas to form the first stars and black holes in the early universe. This research will study how dark matter's microphysical properties, such as its possible interactions and forces, can impact the structure of minihalos and the formation and growth of early black holes. This research will study dark matter models with strongly dissipative forces that accelerate black hole formation. As the black holes draw in gas, they can potentially produce a hypothetical object known as a miniquasar that can potentially be observed in the distant universe.

Student Responsibilities:

This research is theoretical and computational in nature, with the goal of simulating the dynamics of gas and dark matter collapsing under gravity. Student will assist with developing theoretical ideas related to hydrodynamical equations for gas and dark matter evolution in the early Universe. Student will write, run, and debug Python code for implementing these ideas, based on an existing codebase. Student will work in a collaborative, international, and vibrant team environment and will be expected to contribute to group activities, such as giving presentations and sharing results with the team.

Desired Background/Skills:

Strong knowledge in Python.

Supervisor: William van Wijngaarden

Lab Website: /science/profiles/faculty/william-van-wijngaarden/

Contact Info: wavw@yorku.ca

Number of Positions: 1

Project Title: Studies of How Clouds Affect Radiative Transfer through Earth's Atmosphere

Project Description:

This study will look at how radiation is transferred from the Earth's surface through a cloudy atmosphere to space. The effect of changing greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, has been calculated for the case of a clear sky. Work is underway to extend these calculations to consider scattering by clouds.

Student Responsibilities:

The student would be exposed to extensive programming using MATLAB and gain background in various numerical approximations.

Desired Background/Skills:

A background in computer programming is essential.

If you are a supervisor and would like to add a project, please complete for submission.

Interested?

Contacts by Department

Nicole NivillacUndergraduate Program Directorupdbiol@yorku.ca
 Derek JacksonUndergraduate Program Directorchemupd@yorku.ca

Ada Sze Sze ChanAssociate Professorssachan@yorku.ca

Matthew GeorgeUndergraduate Program Directorphasupd@yorku.ca

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]]> $4M in NSERC grants supports scientific innovation at 91亚色 /science/2023/10/11/4m-in-nserc-grants-supports-scientific-innovation-at-york/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:53:51 +0000 /science/?p=29114 More than 20 faculty members from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science were collectively awarded over $4 million in Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants to continue advancing scientific innovation. Faculty from chemistry, physics, math, biology and other departments were represented among the recipients of grants with either one- or five-year […]

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More than 20 faculty members from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science were collectively awarded over $4 million in Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants to continue advancing scientific innovation.

Faculty from chemistry, physics, math, biology and other departments were represented among the recipients of grants with either one- or five-year terms. The funding will go towards enabling Faculty of Science researchers to independently pursue long-term research programs, innovative research activities, diverse partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations.

This year鈥檚 NSERC Discovery Grant program 鈥 Individual recipients, and their funded research programs, are:

Jingyi Cao, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淪tochastic optimal control problems in insurance risk management.鈥

Patrick Hall, professor and Chair in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, for 鈥淭he Physics of Quasars and Quasar Winds: Spectroscopy from SDSS-V and Beyond.鈥

Ryan Hili, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, for 鈥淓xploring the Chemical Diversity of Nucleic Acids.鈥

Marko Horbatsch, professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, for 鈥淪mall Molecules in External Electric Fields.鈥

Huaxiong Huang, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淢ass Transport in Complex Fluids and Biological Tissues: Modeling and Computation.鈥

Patrick Ingram, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淓xplicit estimates for families in arithmetic dynamics.鈥

Seyed Moghadas, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淐omputational Methods for Complex Infectious Disease Dynamics: Model Validation with Data Assimilation.鈥

Kelly Ramsay, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淩obust Nonparametric Methods for Complex Data.鈥

Emanuel Rosonina, associate professor in the Department of Biology, for 鈥淢echanisms of transcription reinitiation.鈥

Thomas Salisbury, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淎ctuarial finance, random walk in random environment, super Brownian motion.鈥

Rui Wang, dean of the Faculty of Science and professor in the Department of Biology, for 鈥淎 novel mechanism for H2S-induced protein posttranslational modification.鈥

Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淧erturbation Methods in Analysis of Complex Multiscale Models of Ordinary, Partial, Stochastic and Neural Differential Equations Applied to Real-world Problems.鈥

Yuehua Wu, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淪tatistical Modelling and Inference with High-Dimensional, Complex Data.鈥

Mike Zabrocki, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淩epresentation theory of diagram algebras and plethysm.鈥

This year鈥檚 NSERC Research Tools & Instruments recipients, and their funded research programs, are:

Mark Bayfield, professor in the Department of Biology, for 鈥淏iomolecular Infrastructure for Detection of Radioisotopes, Fluorescence, Chemiluminescence.鈥

Jennifer Chen, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, for 鈥淒ynamic Light Scattering Instrumentation for Materials Development.鈥

Sergey Krylov, professor in the Department of Chemistry, for 鈥淎dvancing Instrumental Bioanalytical Methods.鈥

Raymond Kwong, Canada Research Chair and associate professor in the Department of Biology, for 鈥淢icroelectrode array for electrical characterization of neuronal and muscular networks.鈥

This year鈥檚 NSERC Discovery Launch Supplements recipients, and their funded research programs, are:

Jingyi Cao, assistant professor in the the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淪tochastic optimal control problems in insurance risk management.鈥

Kelly Ramsay, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淩obust Nonparametric Methods for Complex Data.鈥

Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for 鈥淧erturbation Methods in Analysis of Complex Multiscale Models of Ordinary, Partial, Stochastic and Neural Differential Equations Applied to Real-world Problems.鈥

This year鈥檚 NSERC Discovery Grants program 鈥 Subatomic Physics, Project recipient, and their funded research program, is:

Deborah Harris, professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, for 鈥淣eutrino Oscillations at T2K: New Avenues to Explore.鈥

This year鈥檚 NSERC Discovery Grants program 鈥 Subatomic Physics, Individual recipient, and their funded research programs, is:

Junwu Huang, adjunct professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, for 鈥淒ark Matter, light particle searches in the lab, astrophysics and cosmology.鈥

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]]> Students receive summer research conference awards /science/2023/08/31/students-receive-summer-research-conference-awards/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:37:20 +0000 /science/?p=28222 At the Faculty of Science鈥檚 annual undergraduate summer research conference, students received awards in recognition of oral and poster presentations they gave on summer projects they worked on. More than 60 students from the Faculties of Science, Health, and Environmental & Urban Change attended the Faculty of Science Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Conference to present […]

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At the Faculty of Science鈥檚 annual undergraduate summer research conference, students received awards in recognition of oral and poster presentations they gave on summer projects they worked on.

More than 60 students from the Faculties of Science, Health, and Environmental & Urban Change attended the Faculty of Science Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Conference to present their projects, reflecting work ranging from bee conservation and biochemical innovations to quantum computing and more.

The conference was an opportunity for recipients of other summer undergraduate research awards (including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, the Dean鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Awards, the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards and the 91亚色 Science Scholars Awards) to share projects they have worked on. Students鈥 presentations were judged by faculty members as well as postdoctoral and graduate students, and the winners for best presentations were announced at the end of the event. Health students were announced in a separate category.

First place winners, from left to right: Hannah Le, Jessica Latimer, Patrick Hewan
First place winners, from left to right: Hannah Le, Jessica Latimer, Patrick Hewan

The following science students received awards for their oral presentations:

  • Hannah Le, a third-year chemistry student, won first place for the project 鈥淰alue-Added Vat Orange 3 Dyes for Functional Materials Development,鈥 supervised by Thomas Baumgartner, professor of chemistry;
  • Chiara Di Scipio, a third-year biology student, won second place for the project 鈥淚nvestigating the signaling cascade of a CAPA neuropeptide in the Malpighian tubules of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster,鈥 supervised by Jean-Paul Paluzzi, professor of biology; and
  • Isaac Kogan, a first-year biology student, won third place for the project 鈥淯sing Machine Learning to Interpret LFIA Results,鈥 supervised by Sergey Krylov, professor of chemistry.

The following science students received awards for their poster presentations:

  • Jessica Latimer, a fourth-year chemistry student, won first place for the project 鈥淧ractical Accuracy Assessment of Equilibrium Dissociation Constants,鈥 supervised by Sergey Krylov, professor of chemistry;
  • Sarah Powell, a fourth-year physics student, won second place for the project 鈥淭heoretical particle physics on quantum computers,鈥 supervised by Randy Lewis, professor of physics and astronomy; and
  • Yash Shrestha, a second-year biology student, won third place for the project 鈥淓xploration of altered synaptic pruning in an autism model mouse,鈥 supervised by Steven Connor, professor of biology.

Within the Faculty of Health, the following students received awards:

  • Patrick Hewan, a psychology student, won best oral presentation for the project 鈥淢icrostructural integrity of the Locus Coeruleus is related to decision-making in older adults,鈥 supervised by Professor Gary Turner; and
  • Mira Bhattacharya, a second-year cognitive science student, won best poster presentation for the project 鈥淣euronal Correlates of Flexible Decision Making,鈥 supervised by Professor Liya Ma.

Read more about the students and their projects in the conference program booklet.

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]]> Faculty of Science Annual Review 2022 /science/2023/05/17/faculty-of-science-annual-review-2022/ Wed, 17 May 2023 14:12:56 +0000 /science/?p=26193 We are proud to share with you the Faculty of Science 2022 Annual Review, 鈥淥ur Community, Our Impact鈥. This publication is a collection of our Faculty's highlights and accomplishments from 2022, showcasing how we are striving to make 91亚色 Science a great place to study, to research, and to be proud community members. In this […]

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]]> We are proud to share with you the Faculty of Science , 鈥淥ur Community, Our Impact鈥.

This publication is a collection of our Faculty's highlights and accomplishments from 2022, showcasing how we are striving to make 91亚色 Science a great place to study, to research, and to be proud community members.

In this report, you will find highlights about our:

  • efforts to embed principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into how we lead, research, and teach;
  • honours and awards recipients, including new members of the Royal Society of Canada and the winners of our Faculty of Science Research and Teaching Awards;
  • research funding totaling $20.6 million, including an incredible $7.25 million grant from the International Development Research Centre of Canada to establish the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network;
  • research and innovations, including vacuuming DNA from air to monitor biodiversity and the creation of a more sensitive rapid antigen test;
  • work to enhance teaching and learning excellence by offering new resources and development opportunities for our instructors, and through pedagogical innovation in our courses.
  • new programming, including a Data Science program and revamped offerings in Science, Technology & Society, including new courses focused on EDI;
  • new international education experience programs and initiatives, such as our 2+2/2+3 Undergraduate International Collaboration Education Program;
  • and more!

We hope you enjoy reading our 2022 Annual Review: .

2022 Annual Review Front Cover

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]]> Protected: NSERC USRA and ENURA 鈥 Summer 2023 /science/research/nserc-usra-enura-summer-2023/ Mon, 27 Jun 2022 15:49:47 +0000 /science/?page_id=16820 There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

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]]> Seyed Moghadas receives President鈥檚 Research Impact Award /science/2022/04/20/seyed-moghadas-receives-presidents-research-impact-award/ Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:32:08 +0000 /science/?p=14787 Congratulations to Professor Seyed Moghadas, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for receiving the President鈥檚 Research Impact Award, announced at the 91亚色 Research Awards Celebration on April 19, 2022. The event recognized the contributions of researchers from all Faculties and schools, and in areas including Indigenous knowledge, Black scholarship, global health, vision science, and space […]

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]]> Congratulations to Professor Seyed Moghadas, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, for receiving the President鈥檚 Research Impact Award, announced at the 91亚色 Research Awards Celebration on April 19, 2022. The event recognized the contributions of researchers from all Faculties and schools, and in areas including Indigenous knowledge, Black scholarship, global health, vision science, and space exploration, among others.

Professor Seyed Moghadas

Seyed Moghadas

Moghadas is a global leader in the use of mathematical and computational models of disease epidemics and vaccination. His research is advancing public health capacity to detect and manage emerging Canadian and global health crises. He has achieved a stellar reputation in his field and is making exceptional contributions to 91亚色鈥檚 research culture and beyond.

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, his expertise has been in high demand and has been instrumental in setting and improving health policies both in Canada and the U.S. Moghadas served in an advisory role to the Public Health Agency of Canada as an expert on modelling approaches and to the Science Advisor of Canada as part of the COVID-19 Modelling Expert Group. He is also a member of the research team established by the Commonwealth Fund, which provides regular updates on the impact of COVID-19 interventions to the U.S. Administration and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past several years, Moghadas has held contracts with, or consulted for, additional national and international agencies: the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, the Manitoba Health Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee, Sanofi Pasteur Canada and Pfizer Global. His findings have influenced both provincial and federal government health policies and have been applied globally by international corporations. Moghadas is the founding director of the Agent-Based Modelling Laboratory at 91亚色 under the auspices of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Through his extensive knowledge of mathematics and biology, and his capacity for innovative thinking, Moghadas has pioneered exciting research paths in disease modelling and has applied his research findings directly to public health issues and policies, which has enhanced 91亚色鈥檚 research reputation. His evidence-based research has been published in tier-one journals of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications, and The Lancet series, among many other high-impact publications.

Read the in yFile.

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