Young Innovators

Student researchers at the U of S are harnessing creativity and drive to make discoveries and uncover new knowledge in areas that matter to Canadians.

This series highlights examples of student research at the U of S. It is written by U of S students under the mentorship and supervision of University Research Communications. This initiative is a partnership with University Research Communications, College of Graduate Studies and Research, and The StarPhoenix.

The Young Innovators initiative was previously known as “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Please click here for these earlier stories.

2012 Young Innovators Series

• Student wants to bring forest back to Flin Flon - by Lisa Buchanan
  Decades after fire and tree-cutting devastated the forest in Flin Flon, Man., researchers are trying to solve the mystery of why the forest has not grown back.
• Student Takes Math to Heart - by Thomas Onion
  As a child growing up in Iran, math problems really got Saeed Torabi’s heart pumping. As a PhD student, he is using his love of math to help build a computer simulation of a beating heart.
• Student aims for better assessment of uranium toxicity in sediment - by Lisa Buchanan
  University of Saskatchewan researchers are trying to improve the way regulators and mine operators assess the risk of metal contamination from effluent discharged in uranium mining.
• Researcher hunts for hepatitis C cure - by Tara Donovan
  A deadly virus with no symptoms until its end stages, the liver disease hepatitis C could threaten the health of the largest population in North America - baby boomers.
• Finding cure for HIV a balancing act - by Tara Donovan
  University of Saskatchewan researchers are studying a family of proteins produced in our own cells that can shut down HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
• Student studies diseases of wild urban rats - by Jamie Rothenburger
  Wild urban rats carry bacteria and viruses that can pose a significant health risk to people, yet very little is known about them in Canada.
• Student ambassadors promote science - by Lisa Buchanan
  Exploring the particle physics of popcorn and the forces and geometry in hockey are just two ways student “science ambassadors” from the University of Saskatchewan are making science fun and relevant for young people in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Synchrotron shines light on prostate cancer - by Robyn Thrasher
  University of Saskatchewan researchers are pioneering the use of synchrotron technology to study prostate cancer in humans and dogs.
• Genes key to rust resistance in wheat - by Lisa Buchanan
  Saskatchewan plant scientists are working to stay one step ahead of a fungal disease — stripe rust — that they fear may be moving into the province and starting to reduce wheat crop yields.
• History of province's early sex trade uncovered - by Lisa Buchanan
  In 1910, an all-male jury in Saskatoon caused an uproar when the jurors acquitted notorious brothel madam Babe Belanger of attempting to bribe a police officer.

2011 Young Innovators Series

• Discovery may aid oilsands cleanup - by Lisa Buchanan
  A novel filtration material developed at the University of Saskatchewan as part of a PHD thesis may offer a green solution to contaminated oilsands process water.
• Research improves cold-hardy wheat - by Victoria Martinez
  With global demand for wheat exceeding 20 billion bushels a year, producers need more high-yielding crops that can survive in the extreme climate of the Canadian Prairies.
• Student, ranchers protect prairie songbirds - by Victoria Martinez
  Grassland songbirds — from Sprague’s pipit to the chestnut-collared longspur — rely on native prairie to survive, yet many songbirds and much of that habitat is disappearing.
• Student protects animal, human health from parasites - by Robyn Thrasher
  Janna Schurer is working with northern Aboriginal communities to help people protect themselves from parasite infection from wildlife and dogs.
• Student unleashes electrical power of microbes - by Victoria Martinez
  Jonathan Godwin, a University of Saskatchewan master’s student, is improving a new “green” energy source — creating electrical fuel cells from everyday microbes.
• Synchrotron used to improve cancer treatment - by Victoria Martinez
  Masoomeh Poorghorban is designing a new nano-sized way to carry a cancer drug right to the diseased cells, a strategy that promises to lessen serious side effects.
• Student examines views of disability - by Stephen Prestley
  Adam Pottle, a PhD English student at the University of Saskatchewan, was born with impaired hearing in both ears. To engage in class discussions, he has learned to read lips.
• Research project on psychopaths finds there is hope for treatment - by Ishmael Daro
  Lindsay Sewall has spent the last three years studying a feared and misunderstood segment of the population: Psychopaths.
• Student unlocks secrets of mercury - by Stephen Prestley
  More than one billion people around the world depend upon fish for protein in their diet. But the threat of mercury poisoning, especially in children, has raised concerns about the safety of eating fish.
• Researcher vying to save polluted lake - by Victoria Martinez
  In a way, Lake Diefenbaker is Jeff Sereda’s lake. The University of Saskatchewan post-doctoral researcher got married there, worked there for years and now his research centres on the lake’s health.
• First Successful Embryo Transfer in Wood Bison - by Robyn Thrasher
  University of Saskatchewanveterinary scientists and colleagues acrossCanadahave recently carried out the world’s first successful embryo transfer in wood bison.
• Battling Chronic Wasting Disease in Elk and Deer - by Tara Donovan
  Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been responsible for the severe decline ofSaskatchewan’s game farm industry. Millions have been spent on programs to screen herds and compensate farmers.
• “Green” sunscreen research at the U of S - by Victoria Martinez
  Since plants need sunlight to survive and can’t go hide in the shade, they need to make their own sun protection.
• Tackling Obesity with Computer Apps - by Stephen Prestley
  Imagine an app for your smart phone or Facebook page that helps you make healthy decisions about what to eat at a restaurant so that you can control your weight, manage your diabetes, or build muscle.

2010 Young Innovators Series

• Probing Materials with X-Ray Vision - by Lisa Johnson
  For Michael Gaultois, the bright lights of his native Alberta couldn’t compete with the Canadian Light Source synchrotron and its promise to help him reveal the secrets of advanced materials.
• U of S Student Tracks Changing Path to Adulthood - by Lisa Johnson
  With the increasing need for more education to land jobs, young people today wait longer than ever to marry and become parents.
• U of S Medical Student Drawn to Research - by Lisa Johnson
  When Neil Kalra was in grade nine, he was already doing innovative medical research.
• U of S Student Homing in on Untold History - by Lisa Johnson
  University of Saskatchewan student Omeasoo Butt is tracing the history of housing in two indigenous communities, showing that homes speak volumes about the way people think, express their values, and live their lives.
• U of S Psychology Graduate Advances Epilepsy Research - by Lisa Johnson
  University of Saskatchewan psychology graduate Neil Fournier has been awarded a post-doctoral fellowship for brain research that could open up new possibilities for the treatment of epilepsy.
• U of S Student Uncovers History of Trade Blankets - by Lisa Johnson
  University of Saskatchewan PhD student Katya MacDonald has been awarded a prestigious national scholarship to research the history of one of Canada’s most iconic symbols—the trade blanket.
• U of S Student Wins GG Award for Food Research - by Lisa Johnson
  This summer Ricky Lam was flown to Ottawa to meet celebrity chefs and receive honors from Governor General Michaëlle Jean for his innovative research and “immense potential” to contribute to the food industry.
• U of S Student Exploring Fertility in Space - by Lisa Johnson
  Growing up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, Heather Allaway had a somewhat unusual career aspiration — she wanted to become an astronaut.