Research office

The 2021-2022 academic year saw the return of researchers and many students on campus. Research had not completely stopped during the pandemic and the efforts made during this difficult period translated into highly visible breakthroughs. Professor Clément Bataille analyzed chemical elements in the tusk of Arctic woolly mammoths and showed that they have walked almost twice the circumference of the Earth over the span of their lives. Professor Tuan Bui and his team generate models of the zebrafish spinal cord. These models significantly increase our understanding of spinal cord function and may prove valuable to develop new treatments for spinal cord injuries in humans. The last year saw several of our researchers receive recognition through prizes, nominations and highly competitive grants. Professor Paul Corkum won the Wolf Prize in Physics, a prize considered to be the second most famous after the Nobel Prize. Professor Frithjof Lutscher, who works at the interface between Mathematics and Biology, received the Research Prize of the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society. Knowledge generated by our researchers is shared with partner organizations. For example, Professor Carole Yauk collaborates with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to develop testing procedures that determine the effects of toxic substances present in the environment. Examples of research with high impact in the community include a study led by Professor Laurie Chan on First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment. A more extensive description of these highlights as well as other research accomplishments at the Faculty of Science can be found in this annual report, which I hope you will enjoy.

- Marc Ekker, Vice-Dean, Research and Infrastructure