Rapid Access to CT to Streamline Emergency Care

Since 2011, radiologists at Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH) and Victoria General Hospital (VGH) have piloted a “Rapid CT” (CT = Computed tomography) program to provide same-day CT scans for patients referred directly by participating community physicians, with the intent of avoiding unnecessary ED (Emergency Department) visits. This research will test the hypothesis that the Rapid […]

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Long-Term Ecosystem Monitoring of the British Columbia Coast across a Gradient of Human Stressors – Year Two

Proposed developments (pipelines, super-tankers) along the coast of BC have the potential to negatively impact (shell)fisheries. Direct monitoring of fisheries can only detect negative impacts which have already occurred; therefore, indicator species (meiofauna) and environmental variables are monitored to detect disturbances before productivity is impacted. Our project will monitor intertidal ecosystems (numerous species and environmental […]

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A life cycle impact assessment methodology based on planetary boundaries

Planetary boundaries can be understood as limits for the Earth’s tolerance towards environmental impacts in the form of, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and the release of nitrogen and phosphorous. This project aims at making planetary boundaries useful to the environmental management within companies. This will happen by developing a method that quantifies […]

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Novel Approaches for Practical Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence that aims at producing computing models from observations (data), with no explicit coding made by humans. Recent advances have illustrated a strong potential of machine learning, with the potential of being a disruptive technology in many domains. For the current project, we are investigating techniques for making […]

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A new flow cytometry platform to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapies and vaccines

The development of effective immunotherapies, vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs are the main success stories from the last years in drugs development for cancer, infectious diseases and chronic disorders. We are developing a simple and robust new platform to evaluate the next generation of immunotherapeutics treatments at pre-clinical stage. This platform is called Immune Complex Phagocytic […]

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Evaluation of a Multi-Factor Retirement Planning Tool: The Reliability and Validity of the Retireability Score (RS)

Created by senior wealth advisor David Allard, Retireability Score (RS) is an innovative web-based retirement readiness assessment survey that plays an integral part in the retirement planning service operated by the Navigation team of ScotiaWealth. Unlike majority of retirement planning services, which focus exclusively on financial readiness, the RS and its associated program address non-financial […]

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Evaluation of Pre-Participation Screening and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Masters Athletes in British Columbia

Regular physical activity has well known health benefits. Paradoxically, exercise can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in those with underlying disease. Sports-related SCDs account for approximately 90% of all SCDs. Pre-participation screening can detect underlying disease and decrease sports-related SCD. Optimal screening methods have not been universally agreed and Canadian Masters athletes […]

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Early warning indicators as tools for freshwater monitoring

A myriad of environmental stressors are threatening freshwater ecosystems. However, monitoring the impacts of these stressors on economically and culturally important native fish populations remains a challenge. Ontario is a large province with hundreds of thousands of lakes, yet knowledge of ecological structure across lakes is limited, particularly for remote lakes in the Far North. […]

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Impact of a cognitive intervention program for adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Cognitive impairments are the most common long-term challenges after traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is very little research on interventions to improve cognitive function after brain injury. The goal of this project is to evaluate whether and how an intensive cognitive intervention program (Arrowsmith program) may stimulate positive changes in the brain. We have already […]

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Developing a novel solar cell incorporating graphene and collaborative technologies

The rapid depletion of fossil fuels (such as Coal, Natural gas, Oil etc.) and the escalation in environmental pollution have prompted increased investigations in the field of alternative energy sources. In this context, solar cells are being studied to satisfy the increasing power needs of today’s society as photovoltaic power uses pollution-free energy source, solar […]

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