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Five prominent uOttawa scientists receive Leaders Opportunity Fund
OTTAWA, October 16, 2012 — Five top researchers at the University of Ottawa will share a total of $863,509 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support their cutting-edge research in the areas of earthquake patterns, prenatal health, environmental protection, chronic illnesses and disability as well as novel therapies in microcirculation.
The funding is allocated through the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which helps prominent researchers and their institutions acquire some of the infrastructure they need to gain a competitive edge.
The five researchers are:
Pascal Audet – Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences
Broadband Seismograph Network for Passive Seismic Imaging of Earth Structures
The goal of the project is to monitor earthquake activity in the Yukon and Northwest Territories using a network of seismograph stations. The project will involve installing approximately 10 stations across the Richardson and Mackenzie mountains and the Mackenzie River basin, each of which will continuously record subtle earth shakings for about five years. The degree of sensitivity of these instruments allows them to pick up an intermediate-sized earthquake (magnitude 5) occurring on the other side of the globe. The data will be used to determine earthquake patterns and map faults in the Canadian northwest.
Shannon Bainbridge – Faculty of Health Sciences - Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences
Placental Pathophysiology Research Laboratory
Professor Bainbridge’s research in prenatal development will help advance our understanding of the development of placental dysfunction, which causes serious complications during pregnancy. Her research will lead to better screening programs and therapies to identify women at risk during pregnancy and improve the outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Majid Mohammadian – Faculty of Engineering, Civil Engineering
Tomographic Time-Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (TR-PIV)
A leading expert in numerical modeling of flow, sediment and water quality, Professor Mohammadian will use a state-of-the-art tomographic system—unique in Canada—to measure the risks of such pressing environmental issues as pollutant and sediment transport in rivers, particularly in the Great Lakes, as well as the impact of catastrophic events such as storms and tsunamis on infrastructure. His research will help lead to better protection of the environment and ecosystem.
Marianne Fenech – Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Laboratoire de biofluides et de biorhéologie (biofluid and bio-rheology laboratory)
This project will lead to the creation of a one-of-a-kind experimental platform using lab-on-a-chip devices for studying the complex properties of blood in microcapillaries. The goal is to develop diagnostic tools and test therapeutic solutions for a number of diseases related to impaired microcirculation drainage such as certain types of leukemia and anemia as well as septic shock, diabetes and even malignant diseases and rheumatic conditions.
Roanne Thomas – Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences
Creative Practices Centre
The Creative Practices Centre will help develop person-centred interventions using unique approaches such as photography and drama along with conventional research with the objective of improving the lives of people with disabilities and chronic illnesses such as cancer. This approach will help define how creative research practices can generate new knowledge and function as supportive interventions for rehabilitation.
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation
Created by the Government of Canada in 1997, the Canada Foundation for Innovation builds the capacity of universities, colleges and research hospitals to undertake world-class research. In the 2012 federal budget, the CFI received $500 million to make continued investments in state-of-the-art research facilities and equipment nationwide. These investments are helping to attract top talent, train the next generation of researchers, support private-sector innovation and create jobs that strengthen Canada’s economy.
About the University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world. The University is an important stakeholder in the National Capital Region’s economic development.
