My research aims to improve the current understanding of the properties of low temperature clouds, for example the ice clouds which form high in the Earth’s atmosphere, and the methane and ethane clouds which exist in the lower atmosphere of Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. In the Earth’s atmosphere clouds play a crucial role in determining climate by scattering and absorbing radiation, and hence are an important feature in understanding climate change. As Titan is considered an ideal model for the Earth during the time at which life emerged, improving our understanding of atmospheric processes on Titan can offer insights for Earth.
Central to the research is the development of a new laboratory instrument for studying cloud particles at low temperatures. The instrument will use intense beams of light to isolate single cloud particles. Once isolated, the particles will be characterized by studying the patterns of light which they scatter.
The work will contribute to the understanding of clouds and hence to the rationalizing and managing of human impact on the climate of Earth. The findings will also contribute to understanding the atmosphere of Titan and, as a result, to a better understanding of the development of life on our own planet.
Julia Henderson
Art & Art History
My research will investigate how cultural perceptions and narratives of aging can influence performance and performance forms. I am both a registered occupational therapist and a professional actor. My purpose in pursuing a PhD in Theatre Studies is to combine my areas of expertise in theatre and health care, to approach arts-based research as both an artist and as a scientist, and to bridge these two worlds. I am interested in exploring performance styles and forms developed for Senior Theatre such as readers theatre, script-in-hand performances, life history, edu-dramas, reminiscence theatre, and in particular, intergenerational theatre. My research will focus on exploring and critiquing current practices related to ageing in performance works, such as casting procedures, inclusion of ageist narratives etc. My doctoral studies will equip me to show leadership in re-imagining the place of older actors in performance works and in developing new representations of ageing that reach beyond conventional, reductive ageist narratives.
Chris Willie
Medical & Health Sciences
The brain is the most oxygen dependent organ in the body relying on constant blood-flow to function normally. When brain blood flow drops below a critical level, within one-minute brain cells begin to die (called an ischemic stroke) which leads to an eventual loss of mental abilities (termed dementia). To ensure adequate oxygen to the brain, the maintenance of normal breathing is crucial to survival, and yet 20% of Canadians suffer from breathing disturbances, especially during sleep.
Surprisingly, the mechanisms by which the human body controls both brain blood flow and breathing are very poorly understood. Recently, through observations at high altitude and in the laboratory, we determined that brain blood flow and breathing are intimately related. When brain blood flow or brain oxygenation is reduced – such as occurs at high altitude – then the regulation of breathing becomes severely impaired.
My current research suggests that the arteries of the neck are intimately involved in the maintenance of appropriate brain blood flow, possibly being sensitive to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and the autonomic nervous system. This is a new concept within the cerebrovascular field, but one of particular relevance both in terms of our fundamental understanding of brain circulation, and our capacity for clinical intervention in various pathologies such as stroke and dementia.
By studying these processes in healthy humans under different types of stress I aim to augment our comprehension of cerebrovascular physiology. Exposure to high altitude; pharmacological alteration of blood pressure and brain blood flow; and whole-body or head heating/cooling – to name but a few – are stimuli that can each be utilized to examine cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cerebrovascular relationships that are essential for survival. These basic questions in human physiology are essential in the effort to treat and prevent age- and disease-associated declines in brain function, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in humans.
Bonnie Leung
Chemistry
When a biomaterial or medical device is implanted, the body reacts similarly to almost all materials by forming a collagen barrier around the device, possibly interrupting their life-saving function. One material that does not cause this biological cascade is polyethylene oxide (PEO); however, the precise molecular mechanism of how PEO acts as a non-fouling material is largely unknown and has been under debate for almost thirty years. One theoretical study has suggested that tightly bound water at the PEO interface can prevent protein adsorption from occurring, which is the first step in the biological cascade.
Our research group uses sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy to probe the structure of water at interfaces. The main advantage of this technique is that vibrational information of the water can be obtained even in the presence of protein. Thus, we aim to compare the water structure at a variety of known protein resistant and protein attractive materials to elucidate if there is a correlation between protein resistance and the structure of water at the device surface.
If so, then SFG would be an excellent tool for pre-screening materials used to fabricate medical devices prior to clinical trials to determine if negative biological reactions will occur. Furthermore, SFG will be useful for optimizing novel polymeric coatings for device surfaces that maximize water structure and reduce protein adsorption to allow for the uninterrupted function of implanted biomaterials.
