WWF-Canada named 91亚色 as one of seven Canadian post-secondary institutions recognized for translating environmental commitments into conservation initiatives, learning opportunities and community action.

During the 2025-26 academic year, 91亚色's Office of Sustainability, Facilities Services, Biodiversity Working Group, faculty, student organizations and community partners worked collaboratively to advance initiatives spanning ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable food systems and environmental leadership.

91亚色 is transforming its campuses into places where environmental action is not only studied but put into practice, says Nicole Arsenault, director, Office of Sustainability. Students, staff, faculty and community members participated in biodiversity monitoring, pollinator garden stewardship, sustainable food programming at the Maloca Garden and Earth Month activities.

Those efforts translated into hands-on sustainability learning and measurable action across 91亚色鈥檚 campuses, including the planting of close to 400 trees and campus cleanups that collected 36 bags of litter.

鈥淥ur campuses are important places for both learning and biodiversity,鈥� says Arsenault. 鈥淓arning the Living Campus certification for a third consecutive year reflects 91亚色鈥檚 ongoing approach to sustainability as something we put into practice across our campuses."

WWF-Canada highlighted 91亚色鈥檚 biodiversity work, including the planting of native vegetation to restore an area of Glendon Campus affected by a water main break.

The University鈥檚 wider habitat enhancement work included naturalization, invasive species management, biodiversity monitoring and stewardship of campus green spaces.

As well, students and staff recorded more than 200 species observations during two inventories of plants, wildlife and other biodiversity on campus.

The Sheila Colla Pollinator Garden 鈥� a memorial garden celebrating the late 91亚色 Professor Sheila Colla 鈥� provides another example of biodiversity in action, bringing together research, remembrance, community participation and conservation to create habitat for pollinators at 91亚色.

Through these initiatives, Arsenault says 91亚色 community members developed knowledge and skills related to ecological restoration, waste reduction, biodiversity conservation and sustainable food systems.

鈥淏y bringing together students, faculty, staff and community partners, we鈥檙e creating opportunities for hands-on learning while restoring habitat, supporting biodiversity and advancing the goals of 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy 2030," she says.

The work advances priorities identified in 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy 2030, Sustainability Policy, University Academic Plan and Well-being Strategy, as well as its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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The five-year , funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), brought together more than 61 Inuit youth researchers, Elders, cultural advisors, musicians, artists and voice actors to co-create a psycho-educational video game grounded in Inuit knowledge and culture.

Led by Professor Yvonne Bohr at 91亚色's , the initiative was developed in partnership with communities across Nunavut and was guided by Inuit youth for everything from the game's story and artwork to its music, voice acting and wellness content.

Inspired by Inuit Qaggiq, a traditional Inuit gathering space for learning and community renewal, the game combines Western therapeutic strategies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), a set values based on Inuit philosophy, Elder teachings and other tactics shared by Inuit youth.

During the game, players follow a young protagonist named Alaasua through seven quests exploring wellness topics identified as important to Inuit youth, including interpersonal conflict, substance use and relationship loss. 

Between October 2025 and July 2026, 276 Inuit youth from 37 communities across Canada tested the game and provided feedback through surveys, interviews and evaluation workshops. 

Bohr says the findings suggest the game is both safe and beneficial for participating youth. The research team found improvements in participants' confidence and ability to manage difficult emotions, challenge negative thoughts and use coping strategies such as seeking support from others. 

For many involved, the impact extended beyond gameplay. Inuit youth who co-created the game gained experience in research, leadership and mental health advocacy, while sharing Inuit culture and advancing traditional IQ principles.

"We have learned that young people in Nunavut have a great passion for supporting mental wellness in their communities," says Bohr. "While youth leaders and Elders are eager to evaluate Western mental health interventions for youth, Inuit knowledge about healing must be front and centre in those interventions. Ideally, any mental health intervention should be developed by youth themselves with the support of their communities."

The game鈥檚 success is attracting attention. Earlier this month, Virtual Qaggiq was featured by CBC News for its innovative approach to supporting Inuit youth mental health through culturally relevant digital spaces. 

"What excites me most about the Virtual Qaggiq project is the promise the game has shown as a culturally grounded mental health resource for Inuit youth," says project coordinator and 91亚色 research assistant Yogita Singh. "Seeing Inuit youth on the team grow from project council members into research assistants and emerging leaders in mental health and research has been incredibly inspiring." 

The research team is working with the Nunavut Department of Education to explore making Virtual Qaggiq available to youth through schools and afterschool programs across the territory. The team is also considering future initiatives that build on the project's community-led model to address other priorities identified by Inuit youth. 

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Shital Desai, an associate professor at the , has been appointed to the Standards Council of Canada's mirror committee for the International Electrotechnical Commission Systems Committee on Active Assisted Living (IEC/SyC AAL).

Through the appointment, Desai will contribute community-engaged research insights and subject matter expertise to Canada鈥檚 participation in the development of international standards for accessible assistive technologies.

The committee supports the development of standards for technologies, products and services that promote independent living, accessibility and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities, including older adults, people with disabilities and people living with dementia.

As a member, Desai will review standards documents, provide subject-matter expertise and help develop consensus based Canadian positions on international standards initiatives.

"This appointment is an opportunity for me to bring 91亚色's expertise and commitment to inclusive innovation into international standards development," says Desai.

"I look forward to collaborating with experts from Canada and around the world to help shape technologies and systems that are accessible, responsible and responsive to people's needs."

The appointment reflects Desai's longstanding research in accessible interaction design, inclusive and assistive technologies, aging and dementia, as well as participatory approaches that engage older adults and people with disabilities in the design process. Her participation on the committee will also create opportunities to bring emerging international standards into both her research and teaching.

She plans to incorporate insights from the committee's work into course content and experiential learning opportunities, giving students exposure to the standards and requirements that shape technologies from design through implementation. Desai says students will also be encouraged to explore how accessibility-focused innovations can be translated into socially responsible and commercially viable solutions that address community needs.   

"This role will allow me to introduce students to standards-informed design and show them how international standards influence the development, evaluation and adoption of accessible and assistive technologies," says Desai.

Beyond student learning, Desai sees the appointment as an opportunity to extend the global reach of her community-engaged research by helping to ensure accessibility and lived experience remain central considerations in standards development.

"Older adults, people with disabilities and people living with dementia often encounter usability and adoption barriers when technologies do not reflect their needs, abilities and everyday contexts," she says.

"When their perspectives and lived experiences inform standards, and standards subsequently guide the design and development process, technologies and services are more likely to be accessible, useful, interoperable and adopted in practice."

Desai hopes to help ensure that diverse perspectives are reflected in global standards development while demonstrating 91亚色's leadership in inclusive innovation.

"Ultimately, I hope this work contributes to technologies and services that support independence, participation and quality of life in Canada and around the world."

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The tool's lead authors Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair at 91亚色, and Katrin Kohl, co-chair of the UNESCO Chair, worked alongside Isabel Toman and Hilligje van鈥檛 Land of the International Association of Universities to develop 鈥�.鈥�

The publication explores how educational institutions can embed sustainability throughout operations, decision-making and learning environments.

"This goes much further than most institutions do today," says Kohl. "In most cases, organizations pursue only individual sustainability projects or isolated activities."

The resource's whole-institution recommendations connect areas including curriculum and learning, governance, operations, professional development and community engagement. It outlines 14 interconnected areas organizations across the world can use to assess and strengthen their sustainability efforts, from leadership and research to partnerships, communications and student services.

Examples highlighted in the guide include a Kenyan primary school that began as an effort to reduce waste and volved into a broader project involving students, educators, school leaders and community members. The initiative transformed a kitchen-waste problem into a school-wide project ties daily operations with teaching and learning.

Designed for educators, administrators and leaders, the resource helps identify priorities, plan action and monitor progress. It encourages institutions to consider practical questions, such as what sustainability means in different contexts, who will lead implementation and how success will be measured. The guide includes activities to help users set goals, map existing strengths and build systems for ongoing reflection and improvement.

Hopkins, Kohl and their collaborators used an action-research approach, bringing together educators, researchers and institutional leaders to test and refine the tool in real-world learning settings.

The resource builds on two previous guidance tools developed through UNESCO's Transforming Futures initiative that focus on pedagogies and competencies, and on assessing learning in ESD. Thee three resource development projects involved 41 educational organizations in 10 countries, including UNESCO Chairs, higher education institutions and members of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network.

"The launch of this new tool is an important milestone, but the real value of guidance comes through its use," says Hopkins. "The next step is for institutions to adapt the tools to their own contexts, learn from implementation and continue strengthening how ESD becomes part of everyday institutional practice.鈥�

Kohl adds, "When UNESCO publishes documents like this, they have the potential to become a standard document for most curricula at school and higher education level. This is the hope."

All three UNESCO guidance tools are available free of charge through the organization's initiative.

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When Grothaus first set out during her PhD studies to make invisible air pollution visible, she envisioned wearable technology that could help people understand the pollutants they encounter while walking, cycling or commuting through their communities.

In 2025, that vision was realized in part through an experimental smart garment featuring illuminated lungs that respond to black carbon pollution, a combustion-related pollutant linked to vehicle traffic, aircraft emissions and wildfires. Using a laboratory-validated black-carbon sensor, the garment was an early proof-of-concept within a broader research project that has now evolved into a fully fledged program.

鈥淭he earlier prototype demonstrated that a wearable could sense pollution and translate it into a visual response,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淏ut it was an expressive garment rather than something a person would comfortably wear throughout an ordinary day.鈥�

That distinction prompted a significant redesign of the technology and a rethinking of the project as a whole.

As part of a broader initiative called We Are Air Aware, Grothaus set out to create a practical air quality monitor that people could easily wear or carry throughout their daily routines. The result is AirWear, a pocket-sized device that measures particulate pollution and records location-linked environmental data during everyday activities.

The project investigates particulate matter and black carbon, a harmful combustion-related component that is one of the largest contributors to global warming after carbon dioxide. The project, which also considers health risks for black carbon, aims to make pollution exposure and its potential sources perceptible at the scale people encounter them, such as beside traffic, at an intersection or while waiting for transit.

Working with collaborators through 91亚色鈥檚 Connected Minds program and Professor Shital Desai鈥檚 Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) Lab, Grothaus redesigned AirWear for everyday use. Nearly every element was reconsidered, including its electronics, enclosure, attachment system, screen interface, location logging and data storage.

The monitor can be clipped to clothing or a bag, carried as a keyring or worn as a pendant. It displays particulate readings through a simplified interface designed to be understood at a glance.

鈥淲e wanted AirWear to be lightweight, discreet, understandable at a glance and adaptable to different bodies and preferences,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淭he aim was not simply to make the electronics as small as possible. It was to create a device that could function as part of everyday life and as part of a participatory research system.鈥�

While AirWear has become the project鈥檚 everyday monitoring tool, its artistic roots continue through AtmoSpheres 鈥� a series of wearable artworks that raise awareness about air pollution through public performances and exhibitions. We Are Air Aware also includes MyAirWear.ca, where anonymized, location-linked measurements will contribute to community air quality maps.

Together, the three components explore how sensing, visualization, art and community knowledge can make localized particulate air pollution more understandable and ultimately support practical responses.

Perhaps the project鈥檚 biggest evolution, however, has been the growing role of community members.

In July 2026, Grothaus and her team held six co-design workshops: three at 91亚色 through Desai鈥檚 SaTS Lab and three with Bathurst Quay residents recruited through the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association. Desai鈥檚 expertise helped strengthen the project鈥檚 inclusive co-design methods, workshop structure, ethics process and attention to how different participants experience technology.

Rather than asking participants to test and approve a nearly finished device, the team invited them to help shape AirWear before key design decisions had been finalized. Residents invented possible forms, attachment methods and display ideas while reflecting on their experiences with air quality and wearable technology. The team analyzed comments, sketches, clay prototypes, rankings and dot-voting, and is now translating that feedback into the next round of fabrication.

One result was a pale-blue, cloud-shaped enclosure inspired by participants鈥� preferences for a form that felt approachable, recognizable and positively connected to air. Participants also favoured simple colour-based indicators, flexible carrying options and a design that balanced useful information with comfort and privacy.

鈥淭he residents made clear that a technically elegant wearable can still fail if it does not respect how people manage comfort, attention, privacy and social interaction,鈥� says Grothaus.

The workshops also produced a useful surprise. Some participants wanted a visible device that could spark conversations about air pollution; others preferred a small, concealable form that would allow them to decide when to discuss it. The responses challenged an underlying assumption that visibility is not always desirable, even in a project devoted to making pollution visible.

Those insights will shape the project鈥檚 next stage, a two-week wear study planned for later this year. Support from Connected Minds, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's (SSHRC) Explore Grant and a Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research Seed Grant has helped make that phase possible by funding community participation, technical development and preparations for deployment.

Participants will use AirWear during their ordinary routines rather than along prescribed research routes. Grothaus is interested in the pollution people encounter while walking, cycling, commuting, waiting for transit, running errands, exercising outdoors and spending time near places they regularly use.

The devices will record particulate measurements with time and location information, while participants provide feedback about comfort, usability and whether the information affects their awareness or decisions. Public map layers will aggregate measurements and suppress patterns that could identify individuals.

Researchers hope the resulting data will reveal short-lived peaks or recurring exposure hotspots that regional air quality reports or fixed monitors may not capture at the scale of an individual journey. The longer-term goal is to create evidence that communities and decision-makers can use to consider targeted responses involving transit operations, traffic management, idling or street design.

In many ways, those conversations helped shape the project鈥檚 current direction.

鈥淧articipants did not treat AirWear only as a measuring instrument,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淭hey considered what it would feel like to carry, what conversations it might create, what information should come back to them and how individual readings could add up to something useful for the neighbourhood.鈥�

鈥淢aking pollution visible remains central to the project, but visibility is not an endpoint,鈥� she adds. 鈥淟ocalized information creates the possibility of connecting a reading to a place, time and activity.鈥�

Through AirWear, MyAirWear.ca and AtmoSpheres, Grothaus hopes to explore how sensing, visualization, art and community knowledge can make localized particulate air pollution more understandable and support practical responses to it.

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For technology leader Adrian Lee-Kwen, that belief is at the heart of a $1-million gift to the 91亚色 Markham Campus that will give students new opportunities to explore creativity, experiment with technology and bring their ideas to life.

The gift and the opening of the newly named Adrian Lee-Kwen Makerspace, located in the Markham Campus Library, were celebrated at an event on Aug. 21.

The Makerspace provides equitable access to space, equipment and resources for students to learn through making and creation. Featuring digital fabrication tools, 3D printers and prototyping equipment, this dynamic space gives students the tools to experiment with new technologies, develop new skills and discover new interests.

The Makerspace reflects the role of universities as places of discovery and learning as technology continues to transform how people study, work and interact, says Lisa Philipps, 91亚色鈥檚 interim president and vice-chancellor. 鈥淲hile Adrian is deeply engaged with technology, his focus has always been on people: developing their potential and preparing them to take on the challenges ahead. His generous support and mentorship of students at 91亚色 reflects the depth of his commitment to developing the next generation of innovators.鈥�

For Lee-Kwen, the significance of accessible spaces for creative pursuits is deeply personal. During the celebratory event, he shared that while in high school, he made an investment that seemed to others to be unusual at the time: he bought his first computer. That computer, he recalled cost more than the run-down car he was driving. While his math teacher was skeptical about this investment 鈥� as personal home computers were rare at the time 鈥� his history teacher cheered on the decision. That first computer would become an early step in a much longer journey.

As an early adopter of technology, this investment led to a lifelong interest in technology and computer science. Today Lee-Kwen is the senior vice-president of AI research and development for Workforce Engagement Management at Genesys, where he leads a global team of more than 350 engineers.

He sees the Makerspace as an environment he wishes had been available to him when he was a student: a place to explore curiosity and access modern equipment and technology.

鈥淲hat makes Adrian鈥檚 gift especially meaningful here is his connection to 91亚色 Region,鈥� says Dan Palermo, deputy provost, Markham Campus. 鈥淪tudents can see someone from their own community who followed their curiosity and went on to build a global career in technology.鈥�

As an extension of Lee-Kwen鈥檚 commitment, he will serve as the inaugural Innovation Partner with the Markham Campus Library. In this role, he will share his experience and expertise directly with students through mentorship, complementing his investment in the Makerspace.

For Markham Campus students Sasha Tarassova and Jesse Tsang, what makes the Makerspace distinct is its openness. 鈥淭he Makerspace鈥檚 greatest draw is its accessibility in all aspects: physically, financially and in the philosophy and culture that it cultivates,鈥� says Tarassova.

鈥淚n today鈥檚 highly digital world, the Makerspace is an important bridge between the digital and the physical, to see first-hand the impacts of what we create,鈥� Tsang adds.

This connection between technology, creativity and real-world application is at the core of the Markham Campus, a made-in-Canada model of higher education. The campus is connected to industry, energized by experimentation and built to inspire innovators, makers and entrepreneurs in one of the country鈥檚 fastest growing and most diverse communities.

Michael Ma, MP for Markham-Unionville and a long-standing champion of the Markham Campus, reflected on its potential to develop the workforce for jobs of the future. During the celebratory event, he said he hopes the impact of the Makerspace will help educate but also help foster a culture of innovation that encourages young people to build their careers and lives in Markham.

Lee-Kwen鈥檚 philanthropy and mentorship support student access to new opportunities to explore technology, creativity and innovation at the Markham Campus.

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Silicon has been the foundation of modern electronics for decades, powering everything from computers to smartphones. Around the turn of the century, however, Baumgartner says researchers discovered that carbon-based materials, including some plastics, could be engineered to conduct electricity.

The finding led to a class of materials known as organic semiconductors, which are lightweight, flexible and potentially less expensive to manufacture than conventional electronic materials.

Despite their promise, and existing use in OLED displays in televisions and phones, they still lag behind silicon in many applications because they do not move electricity as efficiently. Scientists are working to overcome that limitation, including by refining a process known as doping, which involves introducing small amounts of another material to enable electricity to move more efficiently through a semiconductor.

While doping is widely used in traditional silicon-based electronics, researchers are still working to understand exactly how it functions in organic materials and how it can be made more effective. Improving that process could enhance the performance of carbon-based semiconductors and expand their use in future electronic devices.

鈥淒oping is one of the few levers to enhance the electronic performance of semiconductors,鈥� says Baumgartner. 鈥淒iscovering new ways of doping is critical to further drive this technology into our daily lives.鈥�

For Baumgartner, Caputo and their collaborators, one of the biggest unanswered questions involved dopants known as Lewis acids. Researchers have known these materials can significantly boost the performance of organic semiconductors. One Lewis acid in particular, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF), has repeatedly delivered better results than existing theories would predict, making it one of the field's enduring puzzles.

鈥淭here have been considerable inconsistencies in the literature,鈥� says Baumgartner. 鈥淭he parameters point to a different, yet unknown, mechanism for the doping with Lewis acids that we set out to unravel.鈥�

In work in Nature Materials, Baumgartner and Caputo brought their chemistry expertise to a collaboration with researchers from Concordia University and the institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) specializing in device physics. Together, the interdisciplinary and inter-university team investigated why certain Lewis-acid dopants appeared to perform better than existing theories could explain.

鈥淲e have approached the work as a truly integrated team allowing us to leverage each of the different disciplinary pillars of the project to the fullest extent,鈥� says Caputo.

Researchers wanted to know why BCF performs so well and whether an overlooked process might be at work. They proposed and tested a new method called degradation-assisted doping, which suggests that the very process scientists typically try to avoid, a dopant breaking down, might help the material conduct electricity more effectively.

To investigate that possibility, the team combined laboratory experiments with theoretical modelling and computer simulations. By tracking what happened during the doping process and comparing the results against existing theories, they looked for evidence of the missing mechanism they suspected was at work.

Conventional wisdom suggests dopants should remain as stable as possible while they do their job. Instead, the researchers found evidence that the partial breakdown of the molecule can help the process continue. In effect, the breakdown removes a roadblock that would otherwise limit how much electrical charge can move through the material.

The discovery explains why BCF has consistently outperformed expectations and provides support for a new method the researchers call degradation-assisted doping. Beyond solving an ongoing puzzle, the finding provides a framework for developing future dopants. The team has already identified additional candidate materials for future study and believes the approach could guide the design of more effective organic electronic materials.

鈥淲ith this initial project, we have only scratched the surface of what is possible,鈥� says Baumgartner. 鈥淲hat sets organic semiconductors apart from traditional silicon-based systems is their inherent flexibility in molecular design using chemical synthesis. In essence, we can play molecular Lego庐 with suitable building blocks and assemble an almost infinite number of different semiconductor materials.鈥�

That flexibility creates opportunities to develop new semiconductors and tailor-made dopants that take advantage of the newly identified mechanism. Over time, those advances could improve the performance of organic electronics and expand their use in technologies where lightweight, flexible materials offer advantages over conventional electronics.

鈥淪ince our work established a comprehensive understanding of the doping mechanism with Lewis acids, this has now opened the door to considerably expanding this strategy to different types of organic semiconductors and Lewis acids,鈥� says Caputo. 鈥淲e hope that our biggest impact will be stimulating the design and development of more powerful organic electronics with semiconductors whose performance is significantly enhanced by Lewis-acid doping.鈥�

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The projects highlight the breadth of undergraduate research taking place at Lassonde, where students are contributing to solutions for challenges in health care, energy systems and future space missions through hands-on research experiences.

More than 70 students participated in summer research projects supported through the Lassonde Undergraduate Research Awards (LURA) and the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada鈥檚 Undergraduate Student Research Awards.

The programs provide opportunities for students to pursue full-time research alongside faculty members. Outcomes of these research initiatives were presented during Lassonde鈥檚 annual Undergraduate Summer Research Conference, which celebrates creativity, innovation and academic excellence.

Projects spanned topics such as wastewater monitoring, satellite technologies and trustworthy AI.

鈥淭he research demonstrates the important role undergraduate students can play in advancing discovery while gaining experience that prepares them to become the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers,鈥� says Suprakash Datta, associate dean academic and students at Lassonde.

Among the projects recognized by judges was the first-place research project by Diego Romero Rincon, an electrical engineering and computer science student. Working in the QUANTIMB Lab, Rincon developed an AI-assisted platform designed to automate the monitoring of brain tumours following radio therapy treatment.

The cloud-based system integrates advanced AI models with MRI imaging analysis tools to help clinicians track tumour changes over time. It is designed to automatically identify and monitor tumours of varying sizes, classify treatment outcomes and generate reports, reducing the time required for assessments while improving consistency in clinical decision-making.

Second place was awarded to mechanical engineering student Simone Ferrara for research focused on improving the measurement of two-phase flows, which play an important role in technologies such as heat pumps and thermosyphons.

Ferrara's project investigated a low-cost, non-intrusive method for estimating void fraction, a key parameter used to predict pressure drop and heat transfer performance. Using near-infrared lasers and photodiode receivers attached externally to a flow channel, the system offers a potential alternative to more complex and expensive measurement techniques, with applications across a range of heat transport systems.

The third-place prize went to Tina Ly, an electrical engineering and computer science student whose research explored advanced manufacturing solutions for space agriculture.

As space agencies plan for longer-duration missions, reliable food production systems are becoming increasingly important. Ly's project examined the feasibility of using commercially accessible 3D-printing technologies to fabricate nutrient-delivery structures for hydroponic plant growth systems. The research demonstrated that customized agricultural components can be manufactured using adapted material systems and standard additive manufacturing processes, supporting future efforts to produce equipment on demand during space missions.

鈥淭hese projects reflect how undergraduate researchers at Lassonde are applying engineering and scientific expertise to address complex challenges with potential impacts across multiple sectors,鈥� says Datta. 鈥淭hrough hands-on research experiences, students are contributing new knowledge, developing practical solutions and building the skills needed to advance solutions to complex challenges today and in the future.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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Razieh (Neda) Salahandish, an assistant professor at the , is developing a wearable biosensor that uses sweat to track physiological changes in real time. The tool aims to redefine preventative health care, supporting earlier detection of health conditions.

The device combines microfluidic systems and AI to analyze biomarkers found in sweat, which Salahandish says contains valuable information about human health. A small patch collects sweat from the skin, analyzes it for disease biomarkers, and sends results to practitioners anytime a patient scans the device with a specific app.聽

"We believe sweat has the potential to become an important source of health data," says Salahandish. "Because it contains valuable biological information, our goal is to use that data to provide health insights in a way that is continuous, accessible and non-invasive." 

Unlike traditional diagnostic methods that often require blood samples or laboratory testing, wearable sweat-sensing technology offers a non-invasive approach to monitoring physiological changes as they occur. 

To advance the technology, Salahandish worked with 91亚色's YSpace and the IP Innovation Clinic to launch WearDOXX, a health technology company focused on developing biotechnology and AI-enabled health care devices. Through WearDOXX, Salahandish and her collaborators are working to translate years of research into commercially viable health technologies. 

The project has attracted support from investors, industry partners and funding agencies as researchers work to bring the technology from the lab to everyday use. In 2025, the initiative received a $300,000 Ontario Centre of Innovation Collaborate 2 Commercialize grant and a $345,000 Mitacs Business Strategy Internship grant. 

The recent $5-million infusion from investors allows the work to move toward clinical validation and support continued technology development, testing and commercialization efforts. 

"The support we've received reflects growing interest in technologies that make health monitoring more accessible and proactive," says Salahandish. "Our focus now is to continue to build the evidence and infrastructure needed for broader adoption."聽

Over the next two years, Salahandish and her team will refine and test the technology, with plans to bring it to market soon after. While no launch date has been set, she is enthusiastic about its potential impact. 

鈥淭his is about giving people control over their health in ways we haven鈥檛 seen before,鈥� she says. 

Salahandish is also earning recognition for her work. She was recently named one of five finalists for the Ontario Centre of Innovation's 2026 Baylis Ontario Life Sciences Innovator Award, with the recipient to be announced in September. She is also the recipient of the 2026 Young Woman Researcher in Biomedical Devices award from the Venus International Women Awards.聽

With files from Deirdre Kelly

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