The RSC presented 17 awards to eminent Canadian scholars, artists and scientists in recognition of their outstanding contributions to knowledge and impact in Canada and around the world.

The Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize was also awarded to 24 law students who demonstrate exceptional potential to advance equity and social justice in Canada.

Adele Perry 鈥� J.B. Tyrrell Historical Medal

Perry received her MA (鈥�92) and PhD (鈥�98) from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. She is the recipient of this medal, awarded for outstanding work contributing to the history of Canada.

A leading historian, Perry has helped reshape understandings of colonialism in Canada. She serves as Distinguished Professor of history and women鈥檚 and gender studies at the University of Manitoba and directs the Centre for Human Rights Research.

For more than 20 years, her work has focused on bringing together extensive archival research with feminist and decolonial perspectives to explore how history can contribute to a more equitable society.

Christina Rajkumar 鈥� Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize

Rajkumar earned her JD (鈥�26) from 91亚色鈥檚 . She is the recipient of this award, presented annually to one graduating student from each Canadian law school who is most likely to influence equity and social justice in Canada or globally.

Her commitment to social justice is reflected in a range of roles, including advocating for individuals facing social assistance and health-related issues through Parkdale Community Legal Services, examining mental health cases at CAMH and supporting youth-focused legal education programs with Law in Action Within Schools and the Ontario Justice Education Network.

Rajkumar is now articling with the Ministry of the Attorney General's Justice Centres initiative.

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The pair are part of a writing and editing team to receive the 2026 Thomas D. Clark Medallion for 鈥� an award presented annually for books that enrich understanding of Kentucky's history, culture and people 鈥� for .

Co-edited by Wilburn Hayden Jr., professor emeritus and senior scholar in 91亚色's School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the anthology brings together scholars, writers and artists in an interdisciplinary exploration of Black life in Appalachia.

The project builds on decades of scholarship examining race, identity and community and is a successor to the landmark 1985 collection Blacks in Appalachia, which helped bring national attention to the socioeconomic, cultural and political experiences of Black Appalachians.

"Our anthology is designed for the general public with an academic bent featuring chapters, essays and photos by four editors as well as additional 25 contributors," he says. "There are folks today that hold to the notion that Appalachia is a region of white people only. This collection documents the real-world Appalachian history and contemporary times of the existence of Black people within the region."

The award highlights the book鈥檚 contribution to broadening public understanding of the region鈥檚 diverse history and populations 鈥� often portrayed through a narrow lens. Drawing on scholarship, photography, personal narratives and creative work, the collection documents the experiences of Black Appalachians while exploring themes of identity, migration, discrimination, memory and community.

Wilburn Hayden Jr.鈥檚 chapter "Appalachian African American: Black Identity" traces the historical development of Black identity within Appalachia and examines the social and cultural connections that have shaped Black communities in the region.

"The essential element to the Black Appalachian identity binds Black people to the region and secures our position as one of the many unique populations in Appalachia," he explains.

In addition to its interdisciplinary approach, the book also became an opportunity for intergenerational collaboration. Among the contributors is Donovan Hayden, son of Wiburn Hayden Jr. and recent 91亚色 master鈥檚 graduate in theatre and performance studies.

His chapter is an essay that recreates a conversation between three authors reflecting on their memories of the Black southern food chitlins (chitterlings). He blends his sociology and playwriting background to highlight how the authors use this unique food to explore race, poverty and growing up in the Appalachia.

According to Wilburn Hayden Jr., the chapter emerged organically from conversations among contributors. His son鈥檚 essay, he notes, 鈥渨as developed on his own from an email thread with the other co-authors. I was surprised when the other co-authors decided to include it.鈥�

For Donovan Hayden, the essay offered an opportunity to recognize the work of his father and other authors.

"I thought it was important to reflect back the people who worked so hard on this project. The three men have dedicated their lives to telling Black Appalachian stories. It felt only right to include this quirky and unfiltered exchange as another story in that history," he says.

The recognition from the Thomas D. Clark Foundation, say father and son, underscores the significance of that work and its contribution to ongoing discussions about race, place, culture and belonging.

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The new members bring diverse expertise spanning business, technology, law, health and student leadership.

Helen Brennagh, non-academic staff, has been appointed to a one-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. She serves as manager, learning technology services, University Information Technology, and has worked at 91亚色 for over 15 years.

Andy Chan has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is a partner at Miller Thomson and Chair of the firm鈥檚 International Business Group, where he practices corporate law with a focus on acquisitions, investments and contested transactions. He has been recognized in various capacities, including by Lexpert and Best Lawyer, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is a 91亚色 alum (JD 鈥�00).

Michael Eubanks has been appointed to a four-year term from April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is executive vice-president and chief information officer of goeasy Ltd., bringing more than 30 years of experience across the retail, financial services and technology sectors. He is a 91亚色 alum (BA '93).

Lucy Iacovelli has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. She is the Canadian managing partner, tax and chief administrative officer at KPMG Law LLP, bringing more than 30 years of experience in insurance tax planning, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and tax dispute resolution. She is a 91亚色 alum (BAS 鈥�90).

Peter Marrone has been appointed to a four-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030. He is chairman and CEO of Allied Gold Corporation and previously served as executive chairman of Yamana Gold Inc., which he founded in 2003. He brings more than 35 years of experience in mining, business and capital markets. He is a 91亚色 alum (LLB 鈥�84).

Arvin Moradi, an undergraduate student, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. He is a fourth-year student in the Honours Kinesiology & Health Science program in the Faculty of Health and currently serves on the 91亚色 Senate. He advocates for affordability, student well-being and campus safety.

Alicia Pinter, non-academic staff, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. She is executive assistant in the Office of the Vice-President, Division of Equity, People & Culture, and has worked at 91亚色 for 20 years. She is co-founder and inaugural president of the 91亚色 Black Staff Network.

Peter Tsasis, Senate member, has been appointed to a two-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. He is a professor of management in the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. His research focuses on health care systems and organizational change.

鈥�91亚色 is fortunate to welcome such a talented and diverse group of leaders to the Board of Governors,鈥� says Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps. 鈥淚 am grateful to each of them for their willingness to serve and for their commitment to supporting 91亚色鈥檚 mission and community.鈥�

Together, the new members bring a breadth of knowledge, experience and perspectives that will support the Board of Governors in its oversight of the University and its ongoing commitment to advancing 91亚色鈥檚 priorities.

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This fall, 91亚色 U welcomes new full-time, permanent faculty members in the , the Faculty of Education, the , the , the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Markham Campus and the Faculty of Science. 

In this issue:

AMPD scholars offer diverse expertise across arts, media, dance

New faculty members bring expertise to 91亚色's Faculty of Education

Faculty of Health welcomes leaders in psychology, nursing

Lassonde School of Engineering welcomes machine learning innovator

Faculty joining LA&PS bring scholarship on diverse disciplines

New Makham Campus faculty enhance sport management teaching, learning

Inclusive, student-centred learning focus of new Faculty of Science prof

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This fall, five full-time, permanent scholars join the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

鈥淚 am delighted鈥痶o welcome our newest colleagues to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies," says Kate McPherson, interim dean. "Your expertise, creativity and dedication will strengthen our teaching, research and service, enriching the experiences of our students and the broader community. We look forward to the contributions you will make and to the new perspectives you will bring as we continue advancing our shared mission together.鈥�

Autumn Asher BlackDeer

BlackDeer is is an Indigiqueer anti-colonial scholar-activist from the Southern Cheyenne Nation (Tsistsistas).

Joining 91亚色 Univerasity as an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at 91亚色, their scholarship illuminates the impact of structural violence on Indigenous communities across Turtle Island.

BlackDeer centres Indigenous voices throughout her research by using quantitative approaches and big data as tools for responsible storytelling. They are deeply committed to uplifting Indigenous sovereignty and furthering collective liberation.

Eric Bronson

Bronson specializes in enchantment studies and the philosophy of literature and popular culture.

He has published books on world religions and the ragtime era in the U.S., along with five books in the Philosophy and Popular Culture series, currently with Wiley-Blackwell. His latest book,鈥�Severance and Philosophy, is due out in 2027.

Bronson has published several articles in journals like鈥�Philosophy and Literature,鈥疢辞蝉补颈肠 补苍诲鈥�Steinbeck Review. During the summer, Bronson pursues creative opportunities like writing and editing an award-winning feature length film and serving as a 鈥渟oul trainer鈥� on CBC鈥檚鈥�Sounds Like Canada.鈥疶his summer Bronson performed his first solo play, The Last Hornblower, in the Hamilton Fringe Festival. 

Scott Martin

Martin joins the Department of Anthropology as an assistant professor. He has been actively involved in Ontario Archaeology since 1993. His interests include field and lab methods, archaeological collections management, collections-based research, archaeobotanicals, lithics and ceramics as well as the spread of horticulture into and across the Lower Great Lakes Region.   

A second broad study area is the archaeology of Ireland and Great Britain, including final foragers and first farmers. In Ontario, Martin鈥檚 recent collaborative work with a collective of colleagues has been associated with Neutral (Attawandaron) archaeology, foodways research and experimental archaeology. He has been seeking to draw attention to the fact that Indigenous people continue to be underrepresented in Ontario Archaeology and in the authorship of their own histories and archaeologies. 

Daniel Sailofsky

Sailofsky is an assistant professor of sport management at 91亚色's Markham Campus. For a full profile, see the New Faces 2026 story for Markham Campus.听

Vinurshan Selvaratnam

Selvaratnam is an assistant professor of sport management at 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Campus. For a full profile, see the New Faces 2026 story for Markham Campus.听

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The 2026 class includes two new fellows in the Academy of Arts and Humanities and one new member of the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. 

Elected as fellows are Laura Levin, professor in the , and Deanne Williams, professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Gillian Parekh, associate professor in the Faculty of Education and Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education, has been elected to the RSC College.

The fellowship recognizes distinguished career achievement and contributions to research, scholarship and creative activity, while the College recognizes emerging and mid-career leaders whose work is advancing knowledge and addressing complex challenges.  

The three scholars were recognized for contributions spanning performance studies, literary history and educational equity.

Laura Levin

Levin is a leading figure in performance studies whose work examines how artistic practice can foster dialogue across communities, disciplines and borders. Through scholarship, creative collaboration and institutional leadership, she has helped advance research-creation as an important mode of knowledge production in Canada. 

Her work explores the relationship between performance, technology and public life, with particular attention to contemporary social and environmental challenges. By building transnational networks that bring together artists, researchers and community partners, Levin has contributed to new approaches to collaborative and public-facing research. 

鈥淏eing elected to the RSC is an honour, but it is especially moving because this recognition reflects the creative work of so many people. My research has always been made in collaboration with people who push and inspire me 鈥� with brilliant artists, scholars, students, project coordinators and arts producers, research officers (grant doulas) and supportive family members,鈥� says Levin. 鈥淲hat is being recognized here is something we have made together. I see this opportunity as a chance to make that often-invisible ecology of collaboration and labour visible, and to celebrate the extraordinary people within it.鈥� 

Deanne Williams

Williams is recognized internationally for her contributions to early theatre studies and literary history. Her research has opened new avenues of inquiry into the roles of girls and young women in medieval and Renaissance culture, challenging long-held assumptions about who participated in and shaped theatrical life during the period. 

By bringing overlooked voices and experiences into scholarly discussions, Williams has influenced contemporary understandings of Shakespearean drama and helped establish new directions for research at the intersection of theatre studies, literary studies and childhood studies, as well as the emerging field of girls鈥� studies. 

鈥淚 am honoured to receive this recognition from the Royal Society of Canada. I have dedicated much of my career to contradicting the idea that girls were of no importance in the Renaissance and to demonstrating their power and presence in Shakespeare's theatrical world and dramatic imagination,鈥� says Williams. 鈥淚 share this recognition with the feminist scholars who have recovered the achievements of girls and women across history and salute the advocates for the rights and welfare of girls across the globe today. I am delighted that this honour highlights 91亚色's achievements in performance and the arts and congratulate my fellow inductees." 

Gillian Parekh

Parekh's research focuses on how education systems create opportunities and barriers for students, particularly those identified with disabilities. Drawing on large-scale studies and partnerships with education and community organizations, she examines patterns of access, participation and student achievement. 

Her scholarship has contributed to important conversations about inclusion, educational policy and systemic equity, helping educators and decision-makers understand how institutional structures and special education practices influence student experiences and outcomes.

"I am thrilled to be recognized by the Royal Society of Canada ... and this exciting opportunity to collaborate within and across disciplines and imagine together new ways of producing knowledge and innovation," says Parekh. "My career began as a teacher in special education where my questions as to how we come to understand disability and the criteria schools use to organize students along disparate trajectories set me on a path of critical systems-based research. Along this journey, I鈥檝e had the privilege of working with students, educators, administrators and researchers across Canada, each committed to transforming education systems to better enable students鈥� access to equitable academic outcomes. In this work, my role is not only to help systems identify barriers, but also be part of the collective effort in developing strategies that enhance the schooling experiences of students and families. I鈥檓 honoured by this recognition and so grateful to everyone who supported the nomination process."

The 2026 fellows and RSC members will be formally inducted during the Royal Society of Canada's Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Ottawa on Nov. 13. 

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Since its launch in 2003, the Canada鈥檚 Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards have recognized women whose accomplishments have left a lasting mark on their professions and communities. This year's 91亚色-affiliated honourees include leaders in AI, transportation, construction law, governance and health care.

Below are this year鈥檚 recipients and the categories for which they were recognized.

AI and Technology

This category recognizes women whose work moves technology beyond theory, influencing real-world outcomes through product development, platform strategy, data systems, automation and enterprise technology adoption.

Lisa Marie Chen (MBA 鈥�11) leads the product team behind IBM watsonx BI, shaping how generative AI is changing the way organizations understand and work with data. A graduate of the , Chen has built a career in product development, design, entrepreneurship and higher education. In addition to her role at IBM, she teaches strategy at Schulich and previously founded Canada鈥檚 first Asian Canadian lifestyle magazine. Her work brings together technology, design and human-centred problem solving. 聽

A technology executive and board director, Irene Zaguskin (BA 鈥�09) serves as PwC Americas鈥� co-chief information officer as well as PwC Canada鈥檚 chief information and transformation officer, chief data and analytics officer, and partner. The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) alum has led digital transformation, technology innovation and business reinvention across the professional services, retail, telecommunications and energy sectors.

Amex Emerging Leaders

This category recognizes women between the ages of 30 and 40 who have been identified for successive leadership positions and demonstrate a passion for learning and innovation.

Saloni Shah (BAS 鈥�07) is an infrastructure advisory lead and principal consultant at the design and engineering firm HDR, where she helps clients plan and deliver complex infrastructure and transportation projects. A graduate of LA&PS and a chartered professional accountant, Shah has held roles in transportation strategy, infrastructure planning and market analysis. She also supports community-based non-profit organizations through pro bono consulting, serves on HDR鈥檚 Inclusion and Diversity Committee and is treasurer of WTS Toronto, an organization that advances women working in transportation.

Board of Directors

This category recognizes women who bring transformative vision and leadership to the highest levels of governance.

With more than two decades of board experience, Corinne Boone (MES 鈥�94) has developed expertise in governance strategy, climate finance, as well as energy and mining. The Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change alum serves as board Chair of Canada Growth Fund, independent director and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) committee Chair at mineral company Los Andes Copper, and is a director of the energy non-profit EfficiencyOne. Boone also contributes to governance education as a lead ESG lecturer with Corporate Directors International and has mentored aspiring directors through Women Get on Boards.

Entrepreneurs

This category recognizes women who own and operate thriving businesses.

Trained as an anthropologist, Johanna Faigelman (MA 鈥�00) founded HumanBranding in 2006 and has since expanded the behavioural insights consultancy to Toronto and New Jersey. The LA&PS alum developed a methodology that helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology and consumer companies better understand the cultural and emotional factors influencing behaviour. Faigelman was named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Ontario program and was part of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America class of 2025.

CN Executive Leaders

This category recognizes women who exemplify strong leadership while building confidence and championing others.

As executive vice-president and chief legal and governance officer at TELUS, Andrea Wood (LLB 鈥�85) oversees the company鈥檚 legal, regulatory and privacy functions and serves as corporate secretary to its board of directors. The alum also serves on the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art, is vice-Chair of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation鈥檚 GTA Community Board and is a member of the Canadian Lawyer Editorial Board. Wood has been recognized by Chambers Canada as a General Counsel Influencer and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Law Awards.

Erica Zarkovich (LLM 鈥�15) leads LifeLabs鈥� commercial and strategic partnerships across Canada鈥檚 health care sector as the company鈥檚 chief market and partnerships officer. A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, she works to improve growth, innovation and improved access to health care through collaborations that connect patients, providers and partners across the system. Zarkovich is particularly committed to advancing health equity in remote, rural and Indigenous communities.

Professionals

This category recognizes women who are professionals in practice and play a leadership role within their organizations.

At Metrolinx, Lena Azzou (BA 鈥�05) oversees enterprise strategy and transformation, operational excellence, enterprise project management and enterprise risk management. The LA&PS graduate is a certified change management and strategy implementation practitioner who has held senior leadership positions including chief of staff and Chair of the Metrolinx Women鈥檚 Network. She has also served as vice-Chair of the Women鈥檚 Centre of 91亚色 Region and contributes to her community as a mentor, volunteer and advocate for women and families.

Andrea Lee, who teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School, is managing partner of Glaholt Bowles LLP and a certified specialist in construction law. Trained in both architecture and law, she advises owners, contractors, design professionals and insurers on complex infrastructure and construction matters. Lee is a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers and has co-authored leading construction law texts. Her work has earned recognition from Lexpert, Chambers, Benchmark Litigation and Best Lawyers.

For the full list of this year鈥檚 winners, visit the .

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For decades, researchers have known that children gradually learn that different people can hold different beliefs and that beliefs can change when new information becomes available. Studies have also shown that children recognize that some people are more certain of their views than others and some forms of evidence are more convincing than others.

What had remained largely unexplored was whether children understand how these ideas fit together. Can they recognize that the strength of a person's belief affects how willing that person may be to change it?

"A key idea in theories of rationality is that beliefs can come in different degrees of strength, and that that strength shapes how easily beliefs ought to be updated. If you鈥檙e really sure of something, it will take a lot more evidence to convince you to change your mind, compared to something you鈥檙e not very confident in," says Soter. "No work had looked at when and whether children become sensitive to that feature of belief."

The question is important because belief revision plays a central role in everyday social life. By understanding when children begin to recognize that some beliefs are harder to change than others, researchers can gain a better picture of how children's social reasoning develops and how they learn about persuasion, disagreement and evidence. It may also help explain how children decide whether it is worth trying to change someone's mind and how they come to judge others as open-minded, stubborn or receptive to new information.

"If we want to understand the development of children鈥檚 theories of what makes someone a rational agent, this is an important piece of that landscape," says Soter.听

, Soter and collaborators at the University of Wisconsin and Duke University conducted two studies involving 199 children between the ages of four and eight.

In the first study, children were introduced to pairs of characters who shared the same belief but differed in how strongly they held it. One character believed something "a lot" and was very sure about it, while another believed the same thing only "a little" and was less certain. Researchers asked children whether each character could change their belief, how easy or difficult that would be and how such a change might happen.

In the second study, characters were presented with evidence that contradicted their beliefs. Children were asked whether the characters would keep their original view or change their minds after hearing new information and how strong their updated belief would be.

The results revealed a clear developmental pattern. Children generally understood that both weak and strong beliefs could change. Researchers were impressed by how early this understanding emerged. "We thought we might not see a sensitivity to belief strength until around age six, but we saw evidence for it emerging reliably by age five," says Soter.

At that age children increasingly judged strongly held beliefs as harder to change and less likely to be revised than weakly held beliefs.

They also found that when presented with the same contradictory evidence, children predicted that characters with weaker beliefs would be more likely to change their minds, while those with stronger beliefs would be more likely to stick with their original view.

Another notable finding came from the children's explanations. When asked how someone might come to change a belief, most pointed to evidence, such as observing something firsthand or hearing new information from others. Very few suggested that people simply decide to think differently for no reason.

The findings add to researchers' understanding of how young minds make sense of the people around them. The study suggests that even at a young age, children are beginning to grasp a fundamental aspect of social life: not all beliefs are held equally strongly, and not all minds are equally easy to change.

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For a decade, Gulseren, who teaches human resource management in 91亚色's School of Administrative Studies, has researched chronic pain in the workplace. During that time, one issue kept surfacing.

鈥淪ubstance dependence is far more common among employees than most people realize,鈥� says Gulseren. 鈥淥pioids kept coming up as an important and often overlooked part of that picture.鈥�

The impacts of opioid dependence can be significant for both workers and organizations, she says. For personnel, it can contribute to anxiety, reduced concentration and chronic health challenges. For employers, it can mean increased absenteeism and presenteeism, reduced productivity, higher turnover and rising disability and health care costs.

Despite the effect dependence can have on workers and companies, Gulseren and frequent collaborator Zhanna Lyubykh, an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University, have found many employers remain unprepared to respond.

鈥淢any organizations still lack effective and practical strategies for addressing opioid-related challenges at work,鈥� says Gulseren. 鈥淭hey often don鈥檛 know how to approach it.鈥�

That gap led to a paper, , which aims to provide organizations with a clearer understanding of what contributes to opioid use in the workplace and what employers can do to address it.

In order to do so, the researchers reviewed a broad body of literature on opioid use disorder, workplace injuries, job stress, culture, drug-testing policies and recovery programs. They also examined evidence on accommodations and other measures designed to help employees manage substance-use challenges and return to work successfully.

Across the literature they reviewed, several themes emerged. According to Gulseren, one of the most notable findings was that employment setting conditions themselves can contribute to opioid dependence.

A common assumption is that opioid use disorder is primarily a personal issue rooted in an individual's own circumstances.

鈥淥ur research points to something different: conditions like poor ergonomics, high stress, pressure to return to work too soon after an injury or heavy physical demands with little control over one's work can push employees toward dependence,鈥� says Gulseren.

Across the literature, another theme emerged: workplace responses can be just as important as workplace conditions. When organizations addressed opioid use through measures such as drug testing or strict disciplinary policies, the evidence suggested those approaches often fell short.

Punitive measures such as drug testing and strict disciplinary approaches were often found to have limited success. Some studies reviewed by Gulseren even identified links between punitive policies and higher rates of opioid use. She and Lyubykh found such approaches can increase employee distress, create perceptions of unfairness, discourage people from seeking help and encourage workers to conceal substance-use problems.

Instead, the researchers found strategies focused on reducing stigma, providing accommodations and helping staff through treatment and recovery were often associated with better outcomes.

Across the studies they reviewed, these approaches were linked to lower rates of substance use, safer workplaces, greater willingness among employees to seek help, improved retention and more successful recovery and return-to-work outcomes.

For Gulseren, the review was about more than identifying insights from existing research. It was also an opportunity to explore practical ways organizations could better assist personnel.

鈥淚t was important to us that the work translate into applicable, practical recommendations that people in HR and management roles could actually put into practice,鈥� says Gulseren.

The published paper offers recommendations split into two categories: prevention and response.

On the prevention side, it encourages employers to focus on reducing workplace injuries, improving ergonomics, lowering job-related stress, creating psychologically safer spaces and ensuring employees have adequate opportunities for rest and recovery.

For those already struggling with opioid dependence, they recommend non-judgmental conversations, reducing stigma, recognizing signs of distress, providing appropriate accommodations and facilitating treatment and recovery. The researchers also emphasize the importance of structured return-to-work plans and ongoing support after treatment.

The recommendations, Gulseren says, are intended to give organizations the tools and understanding they need to better respond to staff needs while improving outcomes for companies as a whole.

鈥淲e hope it gives managers concrete, evidence-based tools both preventive (how to minimize the likelihood of opioid-related harm in the first place) and reactive (how to support employees through opioid use disorder and recovery when it does occur) ways,鈥� says Gulseren.

For her, that work is especially important because conversations about opioid use in the workplace are often oversimplified.

鈥淥pioids can be a necessary part of chronic pain management for many employees, so this isn't a simple 鈥榦pioids are bad鈥� story,鈥� says Gulseren. 鈥淥rganizations need better ways to manage and respond to this reality. We hope our work encourages organizations to move away from punitive responses and toward more supportive approaches.鈥�

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Yet, according to a by 91亚色 Associate Professor Kevin Lande, one of the mind's most familiar experiences remains a scientific mystery.

In a paper published in Psychological Review, Lande and co-author E.J. Green of Johns Hopkins University ask: "What role does mental imagery play in the mind?" They challenge a growing view that imagery is critical to much of perception and cognition.

Some contemporary theories propose that mental imagery is an ingredient of everything from memory and decision-making to perception. One argument, notes Lande, suggests what people perceive is often shaped by mental imagery.

For example, when part of an object is obscured from view, the brain automatically fills in the missing details 鈥� a process that a growing number of philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists suggest is a form of mental imagery rather than direct perception.

"If most of our visual experiences involve some amount of 'filling in,' then much of what we seem to see is, in fact, imaged," says Lande.

However, as the concept of mental imagery is expanded to include a wider range of neural processes, Lande says it becomes more challenging to define a theory on mental imagery. The authors argue there is very little that connects ordinary experiences of mental imagery to the processes involved in filling in missing details.

鈥淢any want to say that visual imagery, for example, is just perceptual processing that does not depend directly on the light that hits the eye,鈥� Lande says. 鈥淚f that鈥檚 right, then it turns out that all sorts of things seem to require imagery. But when you look at the scientific research on these different processes, you find that they all function very differently.鈥�

To count 鈥渇illing in" as imagery, Lande says, one must adopt a really thin conception of imagery 鈥� which doesn鈥檛 help with making new predictions and explanations.

The study also draws on recent research on people with aphantasia 鈥� a condition in which people report little or no conscious mental imagery 鈥� which shows they often perform as well as people who experience vivid mental imagery. This evidence, notes Lande, challenges assumptions about the role imagery plays in everyday thinking and cognition.

For example, a person can navigate Toronto by vividly imagining a map in their head. But, they can also move across the city by following habits, remembering directions or using a feeling of familiarity without ever forming a clear mental picture. If this task can be achieved with roughly equal success and speed with or without mental imagery, researchers may struggle to understand the role it plays in cognition.

Lande and Green suggest that imagery is not a critical component of perception, but argue there is a deeper issue: science lacks a clear account of what exactly imagery is.

"As researchers attribute an ever-growing range of mental activities to imagery, the concept risks becoming too broad to explain anything clearly,鈥� says Lande, a philosopher at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. 鈥淚f we define mental imagery so as to encompass a diverse range of experiences and cognitive processes, researchers may find it increasingly difficult to test theories about its role in the mind.

"However, if we try to tie our theory of imagery more close to our familiar conscious experiences, the puzzle of aphantasia suggest that it plays very little role in perception and cognition."

The study highlights the value of interdisciplinary approaches to studying the mind. Drawing on philosophy, psychology and cognitive science, the authors contend that questioning basic assumptions can lead to new insights into how the mind works.

Lande, who is a Connected Minds 91亚色 Research Chair in Philosophy of Representation, says the work is closely aligned with 91亚色鈥檚 Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program, and the $318-million Connected Minds research initiative led by 91亚色 and Queen鈥檚 universities which focuses on bridging intelligence, technology and society. He is also affiliated with 91亚色's Centre for Vision Research and the Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience.

The paper concludes that researchers may need to rethink the concept of mental imagery to get a "better picture" of how perception, memory and cognition interact.

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