91涩漫

U1 Civil Engineering

I've听always been fascinated by and have had a deep appreciation for older structures, particularly the masonry and stonework they employ. While structural design and construction materials have advanced significantly over the last century, their application towards preserving these older structures is limited. Now more than ever, with the push towards more sustainable construction, I believe looking towards the past is the best way to provide for the future. As a student in Professor听Malomo's听Solid Mechanics class, I enjoyed testing mechanical material properties in the lab听experiments and听looked forward to being able to continue in the same line of work while being at the forefront of structural preservation research.听

David will be working with Professor Daniele Malomo in the Department of Civil Engineering to adapt Canada's existing building stock to altered precipitation patterns, snow loads and temperature swings induced by climate change, improved the engineering knowledge of older materials is essential. This project will test multiple building components (bricks, mortar, timber) to make structural and building envelope assessment and retrofit data-driven, more听affordable听and sustainable.听

U2 Environment Interfaculty Program

Noor is fascinated by the intersection of听environment听and global health. Noor is excited to take on this project as a learning opportunity to develop data analysis skills and gain exposure to research in this important field. This will complement the experience she has gained in climate advocacy, project management, and community service in Canada and abroad.听She sees this internship as a chance to hone and discover research techniques.听Most recently, Noor has been developing her skills in teaching and science communication through community engagement. Noor loves dancing, reading, and endless discussions with friends.听

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Noor will be working with Dr. Sasha Bernatsky and the听Centre for Observational Research and Evaluation to study Systemic Lupus (SLE), a life-threatening autoimmune disease commonly affecting women and racial minorities. There is no cure, and the course of the disease is marked by frequent flare-ups and听are听not easily predicted.听Due to the need for chronic immunosuppressives, serious infections are a common issue.听We will study culturally distinct populations in Montreal and Lima to provide essential insights into patterns of disease flare and infection risk in autoimmune diseases like SLE over time, and how these may be affected by climate change-related factors, such as air quality and ambient temperature.

PhD year 1, Anatomy and Cell Biology

My graduate studies in the Guo Lab focus on bacterial adhesins and their implications for both human health and climate change. I am drawn to the microalgae project because of its potential to tackle critical environmental challenges through efficient carbon sequestration. Investigating the symbiotic relationships between microalgae and bacteria, especially the role of the ice-binding protein from听Marinomonas听primoryensis, perfectly aligns with my passion for understanding biomolecules that can have a significant impact on climate change. Enhancing our knowledge of microbial interactions not only contributes to climate resilience but also opens new pathways for improving human health. Outside of my research, I am committed to staying informed about climate policy and sustainable development.

Mingyu will be working with Professor Shuaiqi Guo in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology to investigate the complete structure of the ~200-kDa听MpIBP听C-terminal ligand-binding region using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single-particle analysis, which complement the existing high-resolution structural information of the individual domains solved by X-ray crystallography. Additionally, biophysical techniques including isothermal titration calorimetry and surface-plasma resonance will be used to investigate cooperative ligand binding within these domains. This research will contribute to new microalgae-based carbon capture solutions that may help reduce atmospheric听carbon. Moreover, it may inform the development of strategies to control bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, thus giving insight into new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance. This project will advance fundamental knowledge of microbial adhesion by providing new structural and mechanistic insights into RTX adhesins, which have wide-reaching implications for both climate-change-related environmental research and medicine.听

U3 Bioengineering

Throughout my time in听bioengineering听I鈥檝e听found that my main interest lies in climate change and its effects on ecosystems and human spaces and ways of life, and the ways in which we can prevent further impacts while mitigating and potentially reversing current ones. I was hoping to get a taste of working on a research project, and this was听great听opportunity for me to do so in a field听I鈥檓听interested in. I also love coding and modelling, so听I鈥檓听looking听forward to getting听to听combine听these interests over the summer. When听I鈥檓听not working听on听school, I spend my time playing sports (mostly hockey, volleyball, and biking), reading, and in the summer, hiking and camping.

Cedric will work with Professor Caroline Wagner in the Department of Bioengineering and听collaborators at Brown University to combine mathematical transmission models with experimental data on virus survival as well as climate change projection data to develop projections for future transmission of respiratory infectious diseases.