Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF)
2007 LOF Recipients HonoredTwenty-three recipients of CFI Leaders Opportunity Fund grants were honored at a Jan. 17th ceremony at the Faculty Club. Saskatoon-Humboldt MP Brad Trost brought greetings from the Government of Canada, while CFI board member Liz Harrison spoke on behalf of the CFI.
In his remarks, President Peter MacKinnon noted that since CFI's inception in 1997, the U of S has received more than $153 million through various CFI programs, and that this investment has leveraged roughly another $300 million from other sources, mainly matching frunds from the Government of Saskatchewan supplemented by industry partners.
"This investment is indisputably helping us to build a vibrant and sustainable U of S research enterprise that positions us among the best in the country -- and as world leaders in select areas of pre-eminence," he said.
2007 CFI Recipients
Angela Bedard-Haughn from Soil Science is investigating how climate change and land use decisions affect soil properties. She is working to provide a foundation for environmentally sustainable land management.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Angela Bedard-Haughn, Liz Harrison
Ian Burgess from Chemistry is developing photonic applications of metallic nanoparticles at electrical interfaces. The work could lead to advanced ways of manipulating light to transfer and store data, such as creating pure silicon microchips.
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Jennifer Crane from Art and Art History is using still and video digital cameras and film scanners in the new Humanities and Fine Arts Digital Research Centre in order to develop and display new storytelling techniques that will transform the way people think about the role of technology in their lives.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Jennifer Crane, Liz Harrison
Geoff Cunfer from History is creating a historical geographic information systems laboratory to support research on human-environment interaction, on how people have altered landscapes, and how they have responded to changing climates in the past 100 years.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Geoff Cunfer, Liz Harrison
Oleg Dmitriev from Biochemistry studies interactions between proteins and small molecules. His work aims to map contacts between drugs and their protein targets in humans, and to design new molecules to regulate enzymes for possible therapeutic use.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Oleg Dmitriev, Liz Harrison
Jill Johnstone (johnstun) from Biology has created a mobile unit that will travel to field research sites in Western Canadian boreal forests to probe ecosystem responses to global change. She will study recent changes in patterns of forest composition and tree growth, focusing on how events such as fire or insect outbreaks may activate or direct ecosystem responses to climate change.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Jill Johnstone, Liz Harrison
Joel Lanovaz from Kinesiology has created a musculoskeletal biomechanics laboratory aimed at improving quality of life for people with artificial knees by reducing the likelihood of post-surgery mobility restrictions, a problem that currently affects more than 15 per cent of recipients.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Joel Lanovaz, Liz Harrison
Kathryn McWilliams and Jean-Pierre St.-Maurice from Physics and Engineering Physics have constructed radars at Inuvik, N.W.T. and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Their team is part of an international consortium which operates a unified array of radars around the world, recording the effects of solar wind on the Earth’s upper atmosphere in regions where the northern and southern lights are most active due to the transfer of huge amounts of energy via solar wind.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Jean-Pierre St.-Maurice, Kathryn McWilliams, Liz Harrison
Sean Mulligan from Physiology, along with Michael Corcoran from Anatomy and Cell Biology and Lisa Kalynchuk from Psychology, studies brain functions on a scale of less than one-thousandth of a millimeter. The team investigates how the brain regulates blood flow in response to metabolic demands. This knowledge will guide development of treatment strategies to minimize damage to the brain from stroke or other trauma.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Sean Mulligan, Brad Trost, Lisa Kalynchuk, Michael Corcoran, Liz Harrison
Joseph Ndisang from Physiology is developing and studying a novel anti-hypertension strategy. This work could lead to new ways to prevent and manage high-blood pressure.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Joseph Ndisang, Liz Harrison
Greg Sawicki from Pharmacology studies the effects of oxidative stress, shedding light on new approaches to combating heart disease.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Greg Sawicki, Liz Harrison
Robert Scott from Chemistry studies the design and activity of nanometer-sized metallic catalysts which are the foundation of a wide array of manufacturing processes. The goal is to produce novel catalysts for industrial reactions.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Robert Scott, Liz Harrison
Yang Shi from Mechanical Engineering studies high-performance networked control systems. He aims to develop intelligent autonomous helicopter surveillance systems and design a networked robot rehabilitation system for people suffering from stroke.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Yang Shi, Liz Harrison
Roanne Thomas-MacLean from Sociology and Ulrich Teucher from Psychology are creating the Qualitative Research Centre, which will feature computerized analytical tools and specially designed interview space and equipment. The centre will foster local and international collaboration in areas as diverse as Aboriginal health, cancer, and human development.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Roanne Thomas-MacLean, Ulirch Teucher, Liz Harrison
Christopher Todd from Biology studies how legumes use fixed nitrogen and why the process is sensitive to water limitation. His work could lead to decreased reliance on nitrogen fertilizer for crop production – a rising concern for farmers in light of strong petroleum prices.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Christopher Todd, Liz Harrison
Vladimir Vujanovic from Applied Food and Product Biosciences studies molecular and functional microbiology. His work could lead to microbial-based bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers as alternatives to sometimes hazardous chemicals.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Vladimir Vujanovic, Liz Harrison
Lee Wilson from Chemistry analyzes supra-molecular porous materials. His work could lead to the development of new materials for use in nano-drug delivery, membrane nanomaterials, and gas storage devices.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Lee Wilson, Liz Harrison
FangXiang Wu from Mechanical Engineering works with a high performance computer cluster for computational bioengineering. He uses the equipment to model and simulate biological systems, and to improve tandem mass spectrometry, a powerful tool for diagnosing disease.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, FangXiang Wu, Liz Harrison
Xiao Qiu from Applied Food and Product Biosciences explores metabolic engineering of oilseed crops to produce oils for nutraceutical and industrial uses.
LtoR: Peter MacKinnon, Brad Trost, Xiao Qiu, Liz Harrison
All Photos by Deb Marshall for U of S
