For decades, bird flu, a virus that affects avian species鈥� respiratory and digestive systems, has been treated as a problem related to poultry farms and migratory birds, says Moyles. In recent years, however, it has spread beyond those boundaries, appearing in mammals, infecting dairy cattle and, in some cases, humans.

That shift requires better understanding of how the virus is evolving and circulating. 鈥淎vian influenza needs to be monitored carefully, as its ability to adapt and move between species raises concerns about its outbreak potential,鈥� says Moyles, who teaches in the Faculty of Science's Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

As with other infectious diseases, researchers rely on mathematical models to explore how bird flu might spread in situations that are difficult 鈥� or impossible 鈥� to observe directly, including rare spillover events where the virus jumps from one species to another.

These frameworks help decision-makers estimate how quickly a virus spreads, which species are most at risk and how effective control measures might be. Their accuracy can directly shape how outbreaks are monitored and managed. While bird flu is not currently transferring easily between people, its growing ability to infect a wider range of animals has raised concerns that it could increase risk for humans.

Moyles and his collaborators, however, noted that as bird flu was identified in new species, including dairy cattle in 2024, there had been little review on whether existing models capture emerging risks.

鈥淭his prompted us to perform a modern systematic review of mathematical modelling literature related to avian influenza to identify gaps,鈥� says Moyles about the work now published in .

The research team examined 30 peer鈥憆eviewed studies published between 2023 and mid鈥�2025 on how bird flu spreads to assess whether current approaches reflect how the virus behaves today. The work was grounded in a 鈥淥ne Health鈥� perspective, which looks at connections between human, animal and environmental health.

What they found is most frameworks rely on a single, dominant approach. Nearly 90 per cent of the studies used compartmental models, which group populations into simple categories 鈥� for example, those who can catch the virus, those who are infected and those who have recovered. These models are relatively straightforward to work with and are often used to estimate whether an outbreak is likely to grow or fade.

The problem, researchers say, is many of these models are still based on earlier assumptions about how bird flu spreads, when infections were largely confined to wild birds and poultry. Since 2023, the virus has presented widely in birds, been detected in dozens of mammal species and, notably, has affected dairy cattle. Human infections remain rare, but are increasingly linked to contact with livestock. Despite this shift, most models overlook livestock almost entirely, limiting how well they capture bird flu transmission data and related emerging risks.

Studies using agent-based models, which simulate how individual animals or farms interact, and network models, which map how connections like trade or movement spread disease, was far less common. While these approaches can better capture real-world complexity, such as how poultry movements or farm networks influence transmission, they also require more detailed data and computing power.

The review also found broader gaps in how these models are built and tested. Many rely on assumptions or data from older studies, rather than being grounded in current outbreaks. Important features of the virus 鈥� such as how long it incubates, how immunity works or how it persists in the environment 鈥� are often simplified. Perhaps most striking, notes Moyles, is that very few models are tested against real-world data. Only two of the 30 studies compared predictions with actual outbreaks, raising questions about how reliable the methods for predicting virus behaviour is.

Models that leave out livestock, oversimplify immunity or fail to incorporate real evidence may give a false sense of certainty, especially when used to guide policy in fast鈥憁oving outbreaks where the virus behaves differently than in the past.

鈥淎 lack of understanding of the multi-host transmission and spillover of avian influenza creates gaps in surveillance capabilities,鈥� says Moyles.

To address this, the researchers recommend a shift toward more biologically grounded and data-driven modelling by accounting for livestock, incorporating data on how immunity works, including antibody responses and testing model predictions against real-world outbreaks. They also suggest using multiple approaches together, rather than relying on a single forecast, and call for better surveillance data and greater transparency in how models are built and reported.

鈥淲e hope that this review will motivate more One Health mathematical modelling studies and the collection and use of data that support them. This will improve the ability to design meaningful intervention strategies,鈥� says Moyles. 鈥淚n the long term, the goal is to develop models that better capture spillover risk, including early warning signs of the virus emerging in new species and its potential to cause outbreaks.鈥�

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The program highlights contributions that position 91亚色 as an instutition for research excellence and transformative innovations. 

Research contributed by more than 60 faculty members reflect the breadth of the University's research strengths, spanning sustainability, law, AI, chemistry and the social sciences.

"I am exceedingly proud to be part of an institution that contains the kind of excellence we are celebrating," says Lisa Philipps, interim president and vice-chancellor. "91亚色 is an institution that offers educational experiences to our students that are informed by this deep research, scholarly and creative excellence; and a place where we also make it part of our mission to reach outside the metaphorical walls of the University to share and collaborate with communities, industry, policy-makers, the media and the wider public."

The recipients demonstrate the purposeful research that is fundamental to real-world change, says Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation

The annual awards program serves as an opportunity to recognize the excellence, creativity and ingenuity of 91亚色' research community.

Awards

President鈥檚 Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA)
Christopher Caputo, associate professor in the Faculty of Science, received this award for his contributions to sustainable chemistry and materials science. His research advances the use of Earth鈥慳bundant elements as alternatives to rare and precious metals, addressing key environmental and sustainability challenges while influencing catalytic and materials science.

A Tier II Canada Research Chair and recipient of the John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry, Caputo has secured more than $4 million in research funding. His work has resulted in 21 patents and strong industry engagement, demonstrating the translation of discovery into application.  

The President鈥檚 Emerging Research Leadership Award was also awarded to Emily Kidd White, associate professor at , for her pioneering scholarship at the intersection of law, emotion and constitutional theory. Her work applies the philosophy of emotion to legal analysis, examining the gap between formal legal reasoning and the lived realities of legal practice, particularly in international law. 

Her research has shaped scholarly conversations across disciplines and established her as a thinker of global influence, strengthening 91亚色鈥檚 research profile and academic mission. 

President鈥檚 Research Excellence Award
Presented to Jimmy Huang, professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, this award recognizes his contributions to information retrieval, data mining, AI and natural language processing. A Tier 1 91亚色 Research Chair and founding director of the Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management Research Lab, Huang has played a leading role in shaping the future of AI research, including some of the earliest systematic evaluations of large language models.

Huang has secured more than $7 million in external research funding and his work has influenced practice across industry and health care. His mentorship record includes supervising 16 postdoctoral fellows, 23 doctoral students and 32 master鈥檚 students, many of whom have gone on to academic careers.  

President鈥檚 Research Impact Award
Kerry Kawakami, professor in the , received this award聽for the influence and reach of her scholarship on unconscious bias. Her research has reshaped how systemic inequality is understood across academic,聽legal聽and institutional contexts, extending well beyond the聽post-secondary聽sector.

Kawakami鈥檚 work has informed legal practice and judicial decision鈥憁aking, including professional development programs for the Law Society of Ontario, expert testimony and keynote addresses. Her research has been cited in multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions, demonstrating its impact on public understanding, policy and the pursuit of justice. 

The awards ceremony also highlighted faculty in other categories. 

Book Awards, Literary and Artistic Achievements
Six honourees received this award for their books, creative works and exhibitions that received national or international recognition from peers and leading cultural institutions. 

Major Grants
Recognition for researchers leading significant, externally funded research initiatives that advance knowledge and address complex societal challenges was awarded to seven honourees. 

Other Learned Societies, Fellowships and Awards
91亚色 awarded 12 honourees with this award for their leadership and contributions that have been recognized through election to learned societies, prestigious medals, professional fellowships and national or international honours. 

Outstanding Early Career Awards
Four honourees earned this award to recognize the notable achievements of 91亚色鈥檚 early-career researchers whose work shows strong promise and leadership within their fields. 

Significant Knowledge Mobilization &Impact Awards
For knowledge mobilization and impact outside of academia, 14 honourees were recognized with this award. 

91亚色 Research Chairs, Canada Research Chairs and Distinguished Research Professors
Fifteen honourees were celebrated for these appointments that support research excellence and scholarly leadership at the highest level in their respective fields. 

Royal Society of Canada & Governor General Awards
Two honourees earned this distinction, recognizing faculty who have made remarkable contributions in their research pursuits related to science, humanities and the arts. 

View the slide deck below to see a full list of recipients. 

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The annual Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers list recognizes organizations across Canada that demonstrate a strong culture of environmental awareness, embedding sustainability efforts throughout their institutional DNA.

For 14 consecutive years, adjudicators have selected 91亚色 for its successful and proactive leadership in reducing environmental impact across teaching, research and campus operations.

鈥�91亚色 is proud to be recognized once again as one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers,鈥� says Narin Kishinchandani, vice-president, finance and administration. 鈥淭his continued designation reflects the work taking place across the University and our deep institutional focus on climate action initiatives.鈥�

The reasons 91亚色 was again named one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers this year were: campus projects that have been supported by the鈥疭ustainability Innovation Fund to advance climate action; the Faculty of Science鈥檚 ongoing development of a Sustainable Labs certification program that will ensure eco-friendly practices amongst lab teams; and reduction of infrastructure footprints through solar air heating, green roofs, solar panels, rainwater collection and more.

Adjudicators also highlighted the鈥�Office of Sustainability鈥痑nd Human Resources鈥� sustainability orientation module for employees, the鈥�檚 sustainable campus walking tours and the University鈥檚 support of the鈥�Sustainability Champions Network, a peer mentoring program that fosters environmental action on campus.

These initiatives are part of a broader suite of institutional efforts. Among them is the ongoing commitment to the鈥�Sustainability Strategy 2030: Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose鈥�which includes a focus on reducing direct and indirect emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. That work has supported 91亚色鈥檚 accelerated goal of鈥�achieving net-zero emissions by 2040鈥�� a full decade ahead of its original target.

Across its campuses, 91亚色 also continues to lead in environmental responsibility through efforts such as the upcoming annual鈥�痑苍诲鈥�.

The University鈥檚 inclusion on Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers adds to a growing list of accolades for 91亚色.

Last year, 91亚色 was designated a鈥�Living Campus by the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) for the second year in a row. The designation recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate leadership in engaging their communities in conservation action and education.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 placed 91亚色 second in Canada for its contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production. 91亚色 was also recognized in the鈥� among the top academic institutions in the world for its impact with environmental leadership, education and research.

Nicole Arsenault, program director in the Office of Sustainability, says 91亚色鈥檚 continued recognition reflects a collective effort across the University.

鈥淪tudents, faculty, instructors and staff all play a critical role in advancing 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability goals,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hrough their engagement in teaching, research and campus operations, they help strengthen the University鈥檚 impact and support long-term progress on new and existing initiatives aimed at accelerating climate action.鈥�

As 91亚色 continues to advance its sustainability priorities through both new and ongoing programs, the University remains focused on building a more sustainable institution. That work spans infrastructure, academic leadership and community partnerships, with a shared goal of strengthening impact across its campuses, local communities and beyond.

鈥�Building a more sustainable institution 鈥� across our buildings, research, teaching and community partnerships 鈥� strengthens 91亚色鈥檚 leadership and delivers lasting benefits locally, nationally and globally,鈥� says Kishinchandani.

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From 3 to 4 a.m. on April 8, physics and astronomy students used the observatory鈥檚 one-metre telescope to image Orion as it travelled back toward Earth after looping around the moon. The capsule carried Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The observation was led by graduate student Sunna Withers and supported by Nakul Sethuram Ramjee, an undergraduate student. Ramjee also completed the data reduction, animating the images to produce a short movie showing the spacecraft moving against background stars.

"I worked on processing the Artemis II data using Siril (an astronomical image processing software)," says Ramjee. "I uploaded the sequence of images and applied auto stretch to enhance the brightness and contrast, and then converted the sequence into a video to visually capture it's movement over time."

Because Orion appeared low on the horizon, the imaging capture pushed the limits of the telescope. The team used a Mallincam camera mounted on the one-metre telescope at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus to capture the historic mission.

Elaina Hyde, director of AICO and associate professor in the Faculty of Science, says this kind of telescope access and training is rarely available to undergraduate students. Having the largest telescope on any Canadian post-secondary campus, she notes, "is quite a boon to any space fan at 91亚色."

She adds that certification to use the telescope is open to all undergraduate students.

Withers describes the event as "very exciting." Because the capsule was barely visible against the stars, it took careful comparison of multiple images to identify its motion. "It was a great feeling once I spotted it," says Withers. "Artemis II is a historic mission, especially with a Canadian on board, and its amazing that we were able to get a glimpse of it through the one-metre telescope."

A video of the spacecraft imaging, along with a technical discussion of the observations, is available for public viewing on .

鈥淭his work highlights how 91亚色 students participate directly in space-related observation, data analysis and telescope operations using on-campus infrastructure,鈥� says Hyde. 鈥淢onitoring mission activity gives students experience with real-time space missions.鈥�

Alongside astronomical research, the observatory tracks satellites and space missions connected to human exploration programs.

Artemis II is part of NASA鈥檚 broader Artemis program that is preparing for a return of astronauts to the moon in 2028.

AICO supports both research and public engagement and offers free weekly public tours on Wednesday evenings, featuring its 60-centimetre and one-metre telescopes. This summer will also host the 2026 AstroFair 鈥� a community fundraiser to support AICO鈥檚 programming. More details will be released ahead of the Aug. 29 event.

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The study, published in , tested a multi-agent system built with large language models (LLMs) to simulate the work of a liver transplant selection committee 鈥� a multidisciplinary group that decides which patients are placed on transplant waitlists.

Using real-world transplant registry data, the AI system demonstrated high accuracy in identifying patients who are likely to benefit from a liver transplant and those for whom transplantation would be unlikely to help.

鈥淟iver transplantation is a rare case in medicine where access to a life-saving treatment is limited by organ availability,鈥� explains co-senior author Divya Sharma, assistant professor in the Faculty of Science. 鈥淒ecisions about who is waitlisted are complex, and committee deliberations can be subject to unconscious bias聽where a clinician's own background or identity may subtly influence their judgement,聽even when national guidelines are in place.鈥�

Researchers set out to test whether AI agents 鈥� each assigned a clinical role 鈥� could support more objective decision-making. To test the approach at scale, researchers evaluated the system against transplant outcomes data.

The study analyzed 20 years of data from more than 8,000 adult liver transplant recipients in the U.S. using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. A simulated group of patients with known contraindications was also created to test the system鈥檚 accuracy in flagging cases that should be excluded from transplant consideration.

Results show the AI committee predicted one-year post-transplant survival with 92 per cent accuracy and six-month survival with 95 per cent accuracy. Contraindications were identified with an accuracy of more than 98 per cent, thereby identifying transplant candidates efficiently.

The research team also examined where errors occurred to better understand where the AI system works well, and where it needs careful oversight and improvement. The authors caution that continued monitoring is needed because transplant data can reflect broader inequities in access to health care.

鈥淥ur work positions LLM-based multi-agent AI systems as potential clinical decision-support tools, rather than replacements for human judgement,鈥� says Sharma. 鈥淲hile AI shows promise in making liver transplant decisions more objective, it鈥檚 crucial to emphasize that the final responsibility must always remain with transplant teams and human oversight is critical to address ethical considerations.鈥�

Sharma says while more research is needed to test the AI tools in real-world settings across different health systems, AI-supported committees have potential to help standardize complex medical decisions where resources are limited.

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At 91亚色, his impact was immeasurable and will continue to enrich the lives of students and scholars for generations to come. His legacy at the University spans his influential research in physics, decades of teaching and leadership, and transformative philanthropy that strengthened scholarship across disciplines.

鈥淒r. Carswell鈥檚 passing marks the loss of a pioneering force in physics, a devoted builder of institutions and a generous supporter of education, health care and the arts,鈥� says Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps. 鈥淗is prolific career reflected a rare combination of scientific excellence, entrepreneurial vision and profound commitment to the public good, leaving an indelible mark on Canadian science, higher education and community life.鈥�

Carswell earned his BASc in engineering physics (鈥�56), MA (鈥�57) and PhD in physics (鈥�59) from the University of Toronto, which he followed with a postdoctoral research position at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam. It was there that he focused his career on high-power lasers and the emerging field of laser radar, now known as LiDAR (light detection and ranging).

Nearly 58 years ago, Carswell joined 91亚色 as a professor of physics. During his tenure, he pioneered LiDAR applications for remote sensing, environmental diagnostics, and atmospheric monitoring (including Arctic ozone layer observation). He was internationally recognized as a founding figure in LiDAR technology, and his research innovations revolutionized Earth and planetary mapping, atmospheric science and space-based environmental monitoring.

Most notably, LiDAR technology developed through his research was later deployed by NASA as part of the Mars Phoenix Lander鈥檚 weather station, a mission led by 91亚色 scientists and work that led to the first observation of falling snow on Mars.

His career at the University spanned three decades. He was named professor emeritus in 1998.

In 1974, Carswell founded Optech with his late wife, Helen Carswell, who played a formative role in the company鈥檚 growth. Initially operating the business out of their family home, the company bridged the gap between academic research and real-world, deployable technologies. Under Carswell鈥檚 leadership as founder and president (1974-2000), Optech evolved into a global leader in high-tech laser systems. Operating today as Teledyne Optech, the company鈥檚 technologies have been deployed on all seven continents, in space and on the surface of Mars.

Beyond research and entrepreneurship, Carswell was a prominent leader in Canada鈥檚 scientific community. He served as Chair and member of the National Science & Research Physics Committee (1977-81), Chair of the committee on Laser Atmospheric Studies of the American Meteorological Association (1984-86) and president of the Canadian Association of Physicists (1985-86).

He was also a founding member and board director of Ontario鈥檚 Institute for Space and Terrestrial Science (now CRESTech), where he served as principal investigator who oversaw LiDAR atmospheric observatories in Toronto and the Canadian High Arctic.

Inspired by Helen, Carswell and his wife began their philanthropic journey with a $1,000,000 gift to establish a program at the East General Hospital where Helen had trained as a nurse.

After retiring from 91亚色, he assumed the role of president of the Carswell Family Foundation where he supported causes across education, health care, science, engineering and the arts. Carswell鈥檚 philanthropic legacy at 91亚色 was profound.

Over decades of sustained giving, Carswell supported scholarships, observatory infrastructure, public science outreach and three endowed research chairs across the Faculties of Science and Health, and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

His support was the driving force behind 91亚色鈥檚 Allan I. Carswell Observatory, home to the largest telescope on a Canadian university campus. The Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts (2016), the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy (2018) and the Helen Carswell Research Chair in Dementia Care (2019) were established to promote research excellence, community engagement and knowledge mobilization.

In 2019, the Helen Carswell STEAM Program for Women was launched to honour Helen鈥檚 legacy as a nurse, entrepreneur and co-founder of Optech.

In recognition of his contributions to science and society, Carswell received numerous honours. He was inducted into the Order of Canada (2005), the Order of Ontario (2021), the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction (2006) and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2011).

He received the John H. Chapman Award of Excellence (2006), Ernst & Young Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year (2009), the Volunteer Award from the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (2010), the C.D. Howe Award from the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (2010) and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).

He was also appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1984) and a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (1982). In 2022, he was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Carswell exemplified the integration of academic excellence, innovative leadership, public service, and philanthropy.

"He made exemplary and lasting contributions to Canadian science, technology and society at large and remained an enduring inspiration for future generations of scientists, innovators and community leaders at 91亚色 and beyond," says Philipps.

A celebration of life will be held at 91亚色, in the McEwen Auditorium, Schulich Executive Learning Centre, 111 Ian Macdonald Blvd. at 1:30 p.m. on April 19 with a reception to follow.

Click here to view the .

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Faculty of Science Professor Cora Young and Associate Professor Trevor VandenBoer were recognized through the NASA Group Achievement Award for their contributions to the Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) campaign, a joint effort between NASA and the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study air quality and climate interactions across North America.

The award is reserved for those who have made exceptional contributions to NASA's mission and scientific endeavours.

AEROMMA combined aircraft, ground-based measurements and satellite observations to study how contemporary emissions from cities and oceans affect air quality and climate. NASA and NOAA approached 91亚色 to lead the Toronto supersite, one of several measurement hubs established in major North American cities to contribute to the campaign's airborne data.

Young served as scientific lead, coordinating a team of 25 to 30 researchers; VandenBoer served as logistical lead, overseeing the physical transformation of 91亚色's rooftop laboratory 鈥� on the Petrie Science and Engineering Building 鈥� to host the research.

Also involved were 91亚色 colleagues Mark Gordon, associate professor at the , and Rob McLaren, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry.

Collaborators came from across Canada and internationally, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the University of 91亚色 in the U.K.

91亚色 graduate and undergraduate students had the opportunity to work on the project with those visiting researchers.

"Our ability to bring together this strong team of researchers allowed us to ensure it was worthwhile for AEROMMA to include Toronto," says Young. "Otherwise, we would have missed out on this unprecedented opportunity to learn about modern air quality here."

The 2023 summer AEROMMA project unfolded during a period of intense wildfire smoke across the region, an unplanned development that offered a rare opportunity for study.

"Wildfires will exacerbate air quality issues," says VandenBoer. "Understanding the chemistry of wildfire plumes arriving in the city is going to be critical to informing the public on when and how to protect their respiratory health."

The existing Air Quality Health Index is not well-suited to wildfire conditions because the smoke differs from the other drivers of urban air pollution.

One of the first papers to emerge from the project, now in its final round of peer review, found that wildfire smoke changed chemically as it travelled, changing how health and climate impacts are understood and communicated.

91亚色 researchers have also been in dialogue with the team behind ECCC鈥檚 2024 Study of Winter Air Pollution in Toronto (SWAPIT). Together, the summer and winter datasets create a year-round picture of urban air quality in Canada鈥檚 largest city that could inform policy on everything from wood-burning smoke to the atmospheric impacts of road salt.

The work also validated NASA鈥檚 TEMPO satellite, a space-based instrument tracking air pollution across North America. Measurements from 91亚色鈥檚 site, alongside NASA research aircraft and ECCC sites, were essential in confirming the satellite鈥檚 early readings, helping move the tool into practical use for ongoing air-quality monitoring and research.

For 91亚色 graduate students, the initiative created opportunities to build international networks. VandenBoer says students helped host collaborators by familiarizing them with 91亚色鈥檚 facilities and procedures, and in some cases were involved with operating, maintaining and responding to issues with visiting researchers鈥� instruments.

Those connections continued beyond the project. Graduate student Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour later spent two weeks collaborating at NOAA鈥檚 Chemical Sciences Laboratory, while graduate student Na-Yung Seoh went on to join an international University of 91亚色-led campaign in Cape Verde.

AEROMMA involved a range of 91亚色 collaborators, including facilities staff, operations teams and University leadership.

"It's a 91亚色 community undertaking," says VandenBoer. "A lot of people wanted to support us, and for no other reason than that's just the type of community that we have."

Young points to why the work is imperative today.

"There are a lot of chemicals being emitted into the environment we can't see or smell or taste," she says. "Just because we can't detect them with our own senses doesn't mean they're not a problem. We need to keep on top of it."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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Announced March 27 at 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Campus, Natural Resources Canada will invest $28.9 million in 12 projects across the country to build and deploy clean energy technologies through its Energy Innovation Program.

These investments support efforts to reduce emissions and modernize Canada鈥檚 energy systems as clean technologies advance.

91亚色's project, led by Associate Professor Marina Freire鈥慓ormaly at Lassonde, is one of four initiatives funded in the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage stream which supports early research on capturing, moving, story and reusing carbon dioxide.

Freire-Gormaly will focus on developing a carbon capture technology that replaces heat鈥慽ntensive systems with electrochemical and light鈥慸riven processes. By using advanced materials, the technology aims to cut energy use, reduce operating costs and improve performance.

鈥淭his funding allows us to move promising carbon capture ideas from the lab and scale them up, closer to real鈥憌orld use,鈥� says Freire鈥慓ormaly. 鈥淚t supports 91亚色鈥檚 role in developing practical, low鈥慹nergy solutions that can help reduce emissions.鈥�

The project, titled 鈥淒evelopment and scale-up of novel solid C02 capture photoelectrochemical active sorbents,鈥� began in 2023 and will continue until March 2027 with a focus on creating and testing new solid materials that absorb carbon dioxide when exposed to light and electricity, instead of through thermal processes.

Freire鈥慓ormaly and her team of researchers 鈥� including co-applicant Assistant Professor Solomon Boakye-Yiadom and other collaborators at 91亚色's Faculty of Science 鈥� have developed new electrode materials using copper, aerogels and specialized coatings to improve performance.

Researchers are using a small, custom-built lab to accurately measure how much carbon dioxide is captured. Findings will help evaluate costs, environmental impacts and carbon emissions, and help determine how sustainable and practical the innovative solvent-based pathway would be at an industrial scale.

鈥淭hese innovations are crucial towards a net-zero energy transition for all Canadians,鈥� says Friere-Gormaly.

Tim Hodgson, minister of energy and natural resources, says the project reflects Canada鈥檚 goal to scale up clean energy and responsibly grow the nation鈥檚 conventional energy industry.

鈥淲e are investing to provide reliable, affordable and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower.鈥�

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Ciuying Jian (associate professor, ), Trevor VandenBoer (associate professor, Faculty of Science) and Daanish Mulla (postdoctoral fellow, ) are three of 34 delegates selected to engage in dialogue with policymakers during the 2026 Science Meets Parliament 鈥� Ontario Program (SMP-ON).

The event creates opportunities for in-depth knowledge sharing, in which delegates from the academic scientific community gain insights into the legislative process and learn how to effectively communicate research to policymakers.

This is the second year for the Ontario cohort, which is an expansion of the SMP federal program launched by the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) in 2018. It serves as a non-partisan initiative to benefit scientists, members of provincial parliament (MPPs) and Ontarians.

The three 91亚色 representatives will bring research expertise in water and energy, air quality and chemical instrumentation, and human movement to the Spring 2026 delegation.

鈥淭his initiative is important because it creates a structured space for direct exchange between researchers and policymakers,鈥� says Jian, a professor of mechanical engineering. 鈥淭his type of engagement helps ensure that decisions are informed by evidence and allows researchers to better understand how policy is shaped in practice.鈥�

Jian鈥檚 research explores innovative ways to use carbon and water more effectively. Specifically, her research examines how to sustainably produce carbon-based functional materials and use them to clean wastewater and improve environmental monitoring and green energy systems. Her lab also uses computer modelling to understand the behaviour of materials and interfacial systems at a microscopic level.

She plans to highlight to policymakers the importance of supporting both applied and fundamental research and hopes to help build mutual understanding between scientists and MPPs about how each approaches complex decision-making. Jian says she will share insights learned with Lassonde and the wider 91亚色 community, as well as external partners such as the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering. She will incorporate these new perspectives into her research practice moving forward, she says.

For VandenBoer, the delegation is an opportunity to help ensure that 鈥渟cience is a non-partisan entity in politics,鈥� and looks forward to scientists and MPPs working together to serve Ontarians

Atmospheric and analytical chemistry is the focus of VandenBoer鈥檚 research at 91亚色, which develops new tools to track nitrogen from use as fertilizer to grow crops to the air, as well as in the air quality of urban environments including indoor spaces. The research team working with VandenBoer studies how these chemicals travel and change from microscopic interactions at atmospheric interfaces to impacts at a global scale.

VandenBoer notes that by giving MPPs access to experts, and CSPC teaching scientists how to translate research for policy relevance, the program ensures that provincial decisions can be grounded in the best available evidence.

鈥淭he collaboration aims to benefit all Ontarians by bringing a wide range of diverse, expert voices into government to solve real-world problems,鈥� says VandenBoer, adding he plans to maintain relationships developed during the delegation.

Mulla, a postdoctoral researcher with Connected Minds at 91亚色, sees the delegation as an opportunity to ensure his research generates evidence that is scientifically rigorous, but also directly actionable for public health policy.

His research investigates how the brain and nervous system control movements. By using advanced computer models, he explores how individuals learn new skills or break old habits, with the goal of finding ways to help people learn physical tasks faster and safely.

"Visible collaboration between researchers and policymakers signals that evidence and governance are working together, not in silos,鈥� Mulla says, adding that he鈥檒l apply what he learns to his teaching and research, and will incorporate findings into lessons about science communication.

By participating in the initiative, 91亚色 researchers will help strengthen connections between science and policy at the provincial level.

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The Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (CSMB) has elected Pearlman as one of three 2026 CSMB Fellows. The designation honours senior faculty who have advanced molecular bioscience through research and service to the science community.

Over a distinguished academic career, Pearlman pioneered expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis in the single鈥慶elled organism Tetrahymena thermophila. This led Pearlman to be among the first researchers involved in one of the earliest genome sequencing initiatives, the Tetrahymena Genome Project. 

His research examined how cells turn genes on and off and how cells are organized and regulated. Findings from this advanced understanding of genome function has significant relevance to applications in health and biotechnology. 

鈥淚 am very delighted and extremely聽honoured聽to have been chosen as one of the three 2026 CSMB Fellows,鈥� says Pearlman. 鈥淭his is a very prestigious聽honour聽and award that I am humbled to receive. I know and have interacted with the other two elected CSMB Fellows and I am delighted to be聽honoured聽together with these exceptional and deserving scientists.鈥澛�

Pearlman has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has shared his work internationally and has made significant contributions to science communication and science literacy. 

In addition to research success, he contributed to science leadership and public education when he served on the Council of the Royal Canadian Institute for Science as president, past-president and advisor. 

He was also an associate of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Evolutionary Biology Program. He served with the Gairdner Foundation as associate scientific director, and on its Medical Review Panel, Medical Advisory Board, and as coordinator for its high school outreach programs.

Pearlman retired from 91亚色 in 2008 after a lengthy career in the Faculty of Science but continues to be active in research working with colleagues and students on chromatin biology, as well as RNA biology, studying RNA processing and the origin of life on earth with a focus on the RNA World Hypothesis.

During his time at 91亚色, he also held roles as associate dean (1999-2004) and dean (2005-07) of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

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