涩里番

From fundamental physics to child well-being, 涩里番 researchers advance discovery across disciplines听

涩里番 has been awarded $18.1 million in federal funding to support 16 Canada Research Chairs 鈥� six new and 10 renewed.

The University鈥檚听newly appointed听CRCs听will drive forward听cutting-edge听research in fields听that include听subatomic听physics, food science and agricultural chemistry,听and counselling psychology.听Renewed Chairs听will continue听vital work in such areas as Parkinson鈥檚 disease,听bioengineering, data听ethics听and intergenerational childhood trauma.

鈥淕uided by 涩里番鈥檚 newly launched Strategic Research Plan, our Canada Research Chairs lead ambitious,听long鈥憈erm听research that advances discovery and delivers听real鈥憌orld听benefits for society,鈥� said Dominique B茅rub茅,听Vice鈥慞resident,听Research听and Innovation at 涩里番. 鈥淚 congratulate our new and renewed Chairholders and thank the Government of Canada for its continued investment in听world鈥慶lass听research at 涩里番.鈥�

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Uncovering the origins of mass and matter

,听James听涩里番听Professor in the Department of Physics and听newly appointed听CRC听in Experimental Subatomic听Physics听is tackling two of the听biggest unanswered questions in modern physics: the nature of the Higgs boson and the identity of dark matter.

The Higgs boson is a unique particle that helps explain how matter gets its mass.听Vachon鈥檚 team is developing听new听instrumentation for the听the听High鈥慙uminosity听Large Hadron Collider,听the world鈥檚 most powerful particle accelerator,听which is听set to become operational in mid-2030.听Using this unique research infrastructure,听Vachon鈥檚听team aims to make the first direct measurement of听how Higgs bosons interact with each other, offering new insight听into the origins of mass in the early moments of the听universe.

In parallel,听in collaboration with听Jack Sankey听of the Department of Physics,听she is pioneering a听novel听approach to dark matter detection听using听ultra鈥憇ensitive, supercooled detectors and advanced听quantum sensing听techniques.听Her research program brings together听expertise听from diverse disciplines听to push the boundaries of fundamental science.

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Harnessing enzymes to add health and sustainability to what we eat听

Salwa Karboune, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Professor in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry,听has been appointed听CRC听in Advanced Applications of Biocatalysis for the Synthesis of Functional Ingredients.

Her听research program explores how enzymes can be used to produce functional ingredients more sustainably.听These are ingredients added to food that improve its听quality, such as increasing its nutritional benefits.听Instead of relying on traditional chemistry, which often听requires听high heat, pressure听or harsh chemicals,听Karboune听uses听biocatalysis听鈥撎齢arnessing enzymes to carry out precise reactions under milder conditions.

Karboune听will听focus on discovering and engineering enzymes and multi鈥慴iocatalytic systems to transform starches,听sugars听and agri鈥慺ood byproducts into health鈥憄romoting ingredients such as dietary听fibres听and slowly digestible carbohydrates.听With applications听across听the food, pharmaceutical听and agri-food sectors, her听research听aims听to听add听both health value and sustainability to what we eat.

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Understanding and preventing intergenerational childhood maltreatment

Rachel Langevin,听William听Dawson听Scholar听and Associate Professor听in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology,听has been appointed听CRC听in Intergenerational (Dis)Continuity of Childhood Trauma.

Langevin鈥檚听research听program听examines why childhood maltreatment is so often passed from one generation to the next听and how this cycle听can be broken.听Child maltreatment affects over 30 per cent听of Canadians before age 16, with lasting听health听and societal听impacts.听Parents with a history of maltreatment are at听significantly听greater risk of having maltreated children.

Through population鈥慴ased, longitudinal and cross鈥慶ultural studies, and collaboration with practitioners and community organizations听at the local,听national听and international levels, her program听aims to听identify听the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying intergenerational maltreatment听and translate this knowledge into听effective听trauma-informed听intervention听strategies.

The CRC Program is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)听and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The CRC program invests approximately听$311听million听annually to recruit and听retain听world-class researchers in the fields of engineering, health听sciences听and听humanities听and social sciences.

There are two types of Canada Research Chairs: Tier 1 Chairs, awarded to outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields, are valued at $200,000 annually for seven years听with one opportunity for renewal听for听another听seven-year听term; Tier 2 Chairs, valued at $120,000 annually for five years听and renewable only once听for听another听five-year听term听at a value of $100,000 annually, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

As a Canada Research Chairs Program partner, the Canada Foundation for Innovation is also committing over $5.8 million to support 25 research infrastructure projects at 16 institutions, through its John R. Evans Leaders Fund. Newly appointed听CRC听Professor听Satoshi Yoshiji, Department of Human Genetics,听was awarded听$167,953 in听JELF听infrastructure funding.听

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涩里番鈥檚 new and renewed CRC recipients:听听

• Marcel A.听Behr, Canada Research Chair in Mycobacterial genomics, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Maziar Divangahi, Canada Research Chair in Trained Immunity, CIHR, Tier 1 (New)
• Ahmed El-Geneidy, Canada Research Chair in Public Transport Planning and Operation, NSERC, Tier 1 (New)
• Samer Faraj,听Canada Research Chair in Technology, Innovation, and Organizing, SSHRC, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Edward A.听Fon, Canada Research Chair in Parkinson鈥檚 Disease, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Kalle Gehring, Canada Research Chair in Structural Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases,听CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Alba Guarn茅, Canada Research Chair in DNA transposition, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• David Juncker, Canada Research Chair in Bioengineering, NSERC, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Salwa Karboune, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Applications of Biocatalysis for the Synthesis of Functional Ingredients, NSERC, Tier 1 (New)
• Rachel Langevin, Canada Research Chair in Intergenerational (Dis)Continuity of Childhood Trauma, CIHR, Tier 2 (New)
  Sara Mahshid, Canada Research Chair in Nano-Biosensing Devices, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal)
• Marc D.听McKee, Canada Research Chair in Biomineralization, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal)
• Ali Seifitokaldani, Canada Research Chair in Electrocatalysis for Renewable Energy Production and Conversion, NSERC, Tier 2 (Renewal)
• Eran Tal, Canada Research Chair in Data Ethics, SSHRC, Tier 2 (Renewal)
• Brigitte Vachon, Canada Research Chair in Experimental Subatomic Physics, NSERC, Tier 1 (New)
• Satoshi Yoshiji, Canada Research Chair in Human Genetics and Therapeutic Discovery, CIHR, Tier 2 (New)