Award-winning author Robert Sawyer dreamed of a career in science, but was discouraged by the state of Canadian research in the 1970s. So he decided to write science fiction instead. These days, he often sets his novels in Canada’s remarkable research labs, including the Canadian Light Source (where he was writer-in-residence) and SNOLAB (where part of his Hugo Award-winning novel Hominids is set). Speaking to a room full of researchers at a workshop for the country’s national research facilities in November 2018, he surveyed the state of Canadian science institutions from the time he was entering university in 1979 through to the world-class installations we have today. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier said the 20th century would belong to Canada; Sawyer tells us why, as far as science is concerned and thanks to the CFI, he was off by a hundred years. Music credit: Soda Machine by Kabbalistic Village | @kabbalisticvillageMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.comAttribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-ND 3.0)creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

Canada Foundation for Innovation

Sci-fi writer Robert Sawyer imagines the future of Canadian science

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly serious problem - threatening to alter modern medicine as we know it. It's an area of research that has captured Gerry Wright's attention for over two decades. As the director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University, Wright and his team have made some exciting progress in identifying where resistant genes come from and how to beat them.

Keeping antibiotics ahead of infectious diseases

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy aren’t perfect. The drugs meant to kill cancerous cells aren’t choosy, so they take out healthy cells too, which can mean serious side-effects for the patient. And if cancer cells develop a resistance, the therapies might not result in a complete remission. Engineering new molecules that incorporate the power of metals to destroy disease-causing cells could not only lead to more effective cancer treatments, but also better defences against another serious health threat — multidrug resistant bacteria.

Better molecules for better medicine

Raising sandflies is tricky, but with the help of Chukwunonso Nzelu’s expertise, researchers have grown a large, thriving colony of the insects at the University of Calgary’s high-level containment insectarium. It’s a critical resource for studying how the flies transmit Leishmaniasis to humans, with the goal of producing a vaccine against the disease which kills 30 000 people a year. What they learn could also inform the prevention of other insect-borne diseases like Lyme disease and malaria.

Tiny fly, deadly bite

When non-Indigenous scientists wish to conduct research in Indigenous communities, cultural misunderstandings can arise over issues including the methods of research; ownership of data; and interpretation of results. In this podcast, Carrie Bourassa – Research Chair in Indigenous and Northern Health and Senior Scientist at Health Sciences North Research Institute in Sudbury, Ontario – introduces listeners to the complexities of conducting research in First Nations communities and the philosophy of Indigenous research methodology. 

Knowledge, ceremony, and an Indigenous approach to research

 When viruses infected our ancestors millions of years ago, they left behind strands of their DNA embedded in human brain cells. At the University of Manitoba, Sheena Gurm studies these viral sequences, as part of a research team seeking to understand the causes of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Her research may lead to new treatments, such as the use of antiretroviral drugs, to combat this debilitating and ultimately deadly affliction.

Seeking a treatment for ALS

Building on the theories of Einstein and his contemporaries, today’s quantum physicists investigate the unique properties of sub-atomic particles, aiming to deepen our knowledge of the universe, and to usher in a new technological revolution. With applications in fields including computer science, pharmacology, clean energy, and many more, quantum science holds tremendous potential for innovative disruption. Learn more about emerging quantum technologies in this podcast featuring Dr. Shohini Ghose (Professor of Physics, Wilfrid Laurier University; VP elect, Canadian Association of Physicists ); Dr. Andrea Damascelli (Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia; Canada Research Chair in the Electronic Structure of Quantum Materials); Dr. Kimberley Hall (Professor and Canada Research Chair in Ultrafast Science, Dalhousie University); and Dr. Michel Pioro-Ladrière (Professor of Physics and Deputy Director of Institut Quantique, Université de Sherbrooke).

The solace of quantum

 Twenty years ago, University of Waterloo Optometry and Vision Science Professor Trefford Simpson began researching the nerves on the surface of the human eye, using a specialized machine called the pneumatic esthesiometer. In this podcast, he shares the insights gained over two decades of research, and discusses the elusive goal of modern lens-makers: to create a comfortable contact lens. 

Sight for sore eyes - Trefford Simpson researches the nerves of the cornea

 Michael Houghton’s discovery of the Hepatitis C virus in 1989 — along with colleagues Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo — led to blood screening tests that have protected tens of millions of people from contracting the disease. In this podcast, Houghton — Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology at the University of Alberta — discusses the scope of Hep C infection worldwide, describes his discovery of the virus and explains his current search for a vaccine that will help the World Health Organization reach its goal of eradicating Hep C by 2030.

Michael Houghton’s 30-year quest to cure Hepatitis C

At the Université de Montréal, Catherine Girard analyzes gut bacteria to understand the impacts of mercury in the human body. She is particularly interested in how mercury interacts with traditional foods in the North and the health impacts it has on those living there. Her PhD project has taken her to Resolute Bay, a remote hamlet in Nunavut, where she collects samples from the local Inuit population. In Montreal, she works in two CFI-funded biology labs and uses a gut simulator to conduct her experiments.

Dealing with mercury in food

In the 2017 Federal Budget, the word “innovation” appeared 262 times. Innovation's future as a buzzword is secure but in this episode, CFI President & CEO Gilles Patry and Board Chair Kevin Smith look at what innovation in Canada looks like today. They also comment on what needs to be done to ensure Canadian research continues to thrive.

Our origin story - PART 6: The way forward

To help reverse the brain drain that plagued Canada's research community in the 1990s, the newly established Canada Foundation for Innovation started outfitting Canadian universities with the state-of-the-art research infrastructure they sorely needed. But it would take more than funding a couple of new microscopes here and there — the CFI would need to turn the current system on its head to get the job done.

Our origin story - PART 5: A new research strategy for Canada

The new Canada Foundation for Innovation begins to assemble a talented team that charts an exciting course for the organization, but must also address opposition from Quebec. Researchers try to adjust to a new “mind blowing” way of doing research. And…the Queen is not amused by the CFI’s early success.

Our origin story - PART 4: An idea becomes reality

The Liberal government suddenly finds itself facing a budget surplus for the first time in decades. Researchers, university presidents, government officials in the department of Finance and the PMO work on a plan to support research through an independent foundation that will invest in the cutting-edge labs and equipment researchers need.

Our origin story - PART 3: The idea of CFI is born

The Liberal government cuts spending across government so deeply, even Finance Minister Paul Martin faces a crisis of confidence. At the same time, university presidents try to convince Minister Martin that research in Canada is in serious trouble…and they offer an intriguing solution.

Our origin story - PART 2: An unexpected opportunity

Research in Canada is a national success story worth celebrating: it is also a remarkable story worth sharing with Canadians. The Canada Foundation for Innovation gives researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI is helping to attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers, to support private-sector innovation and to create high-quality jobs that strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

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Canada Foundation for Innovation

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