The Lakehead-Georgian Partnership’s Electrical Engineering program has been accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. The four-year degree-diploma program offers students the ability to earn a Lakehead University degree and Georgian College diploma in four years of full-time study.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021

The Lakehead-Georgian Partnership’s Electrical Engineering degree program has received the maximum possible accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). This represents a powerful endorsement of the Lakehead-Georgian Partnership’s vision to offer a unique Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree in Simcoe County.

“This outstanding achievement was a team effort involving students, faculty and staff of the Lakehead-Georgian Partnership,” said Dr. Janusz Kozinski, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead University. “It is a testament to the high-quality curriculum, the exceptional student learning experience, and the strength of our partnerships with employers.”

The CEAB is the professional body responsible for the accreditation of all undergraduate engineering programs across Canada. To be accredited, an undergraduate engineering program must meet or exceed educational standards acceptable for professional engineering registration in Canada. The rigorous peer-review process evaluates the program against several standards including, graduate attributes, curriculum content and quality, program environment, and continual improvement.

“The accreditation of our partnership program, coupled with the unique degree-diploma option and co-op/internship opportunities, will continue to make this program very attractive for students considering a career in engineering,” said Dr. Bill Angelakos, Dean of Technology and Visual Arts at Georgian College. “It is also positive news for our community and industry partners, as it allows greater access to engineering programs right here in Simcoe County.”

Lakehead has a long history of offering accredited engineering programs at its Thunder Bay campus dating back to the original offerings in 1974.

For more information visit www.engineerscanada.ca.

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For more information or to arrange an interview:

Jaclyn Bucik
Media Communications and Marketing Associate
Lakehead University
705-330-4010, ext. 2014
jbucik@lakeheadu.ca

Elaine Murray
Communications Specialist
Georgian College
705-728-1968, ext. 1003
elaine.murray@georgiancollege.ca

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and 99th among 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Georgian College is MORE than an education – it’s an experience. The college offers 130+ market-driven programs, from degrees and diplomas, to certificates, apprenticeships, corporate training and more. A recognized leader in co-operative education, we have one of the highest graduate employment rates among Ontario colleges. We’re the first – and only – college in Canada designated a changemaker college by Ashoka U for our role as a leader in social innovation and changemaking in higher education.

In support of National Truth & Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day, Thursday September 30th, the library will have a book display available for review Monday Sept. 27 to Friday Oct. 8.

Both primary and secondary sources are available in the library that detail the history of residential schools in Canada. A sample collection of titles related to Truth and Reconciliation can be viewed here.

A sample selection of children's books about residential schools can be viewed here.

For further information please visit the library website or contact the Special Collections Librarian Trudy Russo at trusso@lakeheadu.ca.

Two Lakehead University professors will soon be part of the Royal Society of Canada.

On Friday, Nov. 19, Dr. Lori Chambers will be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and Dr. Ruth Beatty will be inducted into the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Dr. Chambers, Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies in Thunder Bay, is only the second Lakehead professor to become a Fellow of the RSC, joining Dr. Roger Mitchell, Professor Emeritus of Geology, who was elected as a Fellow in 1994.

Fellows of the RSC are distinguished Canadians from all branches of learning who have made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life.

The RSC elected Dr. Chambers as a Fellow for her research, which has transformed understandings of the history of Canadian law, particularly with regard to women and gender. Her original and ground-breaking research includes discussions of property law, unwed parenthood, adoption, violence against women, and, more recently, Indigenous histories in the North. Highly esteemed by historians and law professionals, her work has revealed how the past continues to shape our legal present.

“I am honoured to receive this award and thank my colleagues and Lakehead University for their wonderful support over the past two decades,” she said.

Dr. Chambers joined Lakehead University in 1999. Chair of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, she is a former Lakehead University Research Chair on Gender, Law, and Equity, and was the Chair of the President’s Task Force on Sexual Assault Education, Prevention, and Support.

She has won numerous awards, including Lakehead’s Distinguished Researcher Award and awards from the Ontario Historical Society and the Canadian Journal of Law and Society.

The author of four monographs, Dr. Chambers has edited four books and published numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters. She is currently President of the Canadian Law and Society Association.

Dr. Beatty, Associate Professor of Education in Orillia, is one of several new members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, which recognizes those who have demonstrated a high level of achievement at an early stage of their career.

Members of the College represent the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership and will provide new advances in understanding, resulting from the interaction of diverse intellectual, cultural and social perspectives.

She is the third Lakehead professor, and the first from Lakehead Orillia, to be inducted into the College since it was launched in 2014, joining Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Psychology, inducted in 2017, and Dr. Pauline Sameshima, Education, inducted in 2020.

Dr. Beatty was selected for the College as a result of her collaborative and community-based research on the connections between Indigenous ways of knowing mathematics and the Western mathematics found in the Ontario curriculum.

“I am honoured to receive this award for our work, which is primarily about building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous knowledge keepers, leaders, artists, and educators as we investigate the mathematics inherent in cultural practices.”

Dr. Beatty joined Lakehead University in 2009 and is a mathematics education researcher who works with Anishnaabe, Cree, and Métis communities to decolonize education. She does this by collaboratively designing culturally responsive mathematics instruction for all students, and emphasizing learning from and incorporating Indigenous pedagogical perspectives in inclusive classroom settings.

She has received a number of awards for this work, including Lakehead University’s Community Engaged Research Award and Indigenous Partner Research Award and an eagle feather presented to her by Colinda Clyne, who is Anishinaabe kwe (Kitigan Zibi First Nation) and the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Curriculum Lead for the Upper Grand DSB.

She presented it to Dr. Beatty for her leadership in Indigenous mathematics education during the Relationships and Reciprocity: Indigenous Education and Mathematics conference held May 3-5, 2019 at Lakehead Orillia.

“I extend sincere congratulations to Lori and Ruth. I am so impressed with the work that they are doing and the contributions they have made to their respective scholarly disciplines. Thank you to the RSC for recognizing their important achievements,” said Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead’s President and Vice-Chancellor.

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada recognizes excellence and makes significant and substantial contributions of knowledge, understanding, and insight to help build a better future in Canada and around the world.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

September 17, 2021 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

The global pandemic has ignited debate about the constitutionality of mandatory vaccinations. On September 23, Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law will host an expert panel to delve into vaccine mandates and discuss legalities around the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Open to the public, the session, “Vaccine Mandates and the Charter”, will feature Dr. Mariette Brennan, Associate Professor in the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, and Dr. Vanessa Gruben, Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. The panel will be hosted by Dr. Jula Hughes, Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

The session will be held on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 12 pm. Questions will be taken via chat during the webinar.

The panel will be conducted via Zoom. Register at https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/j/99475018922.

Meet the Panel:

Moderator

Dr. Jula Hughes is the Dean of Law at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. The recipient of multiple research grants, Dr. Hughes has published extensively in Canadian and international journals, has contributed chapters to various selections of essays and is a regular speaker at international, national and regional conferences. Her research focuses on judicial ethics, particularly the law and practice of judicial disqualification, criminal law, particularly the application of criminal law to marginalized populations, and Aboriginal law, particularly the legal recognition of and provision of services to off-reserve and non-status Aboriginal people.

Panelists

Dr. Mariette Brennan is an Associate Professor at Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. Dr. Brennan completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa and was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2004. Following her call to the Bar, Brennan moved to England to pursue her LL.M at the University of Essex in international human rights law. She completed her thesis on the international right to health under the supervision of then United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to the highest attainable standard of health, Paul Hunt. Mariette graduated with distinction in 2006; in 2012, she received her PhD from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.  In 2008, Dr. Brennan began her academic career with the Faculty of Law, Bond University (QLD, Australia).  She returned to Canada in 2013 and was a founding faculty member of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.  In 2015, she was appointed as a stipendiary assistant professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Dr. Brennan’s research interests currently lie in the intersection of constitutional law and public health law.

Dr. Vanessa Gruben B.Sc.H (Queen’s), LL.B. (Ottawa), LL.M. (Columbia) is an Associate Professor and a member of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa. Her research interests include legal and ethical issues regarding professional regulation, assisted reproduction, organ donation and harm reduction. She is co-editor of the 5^th edition of Canada’s leading health law text, Canadian Health Law and Policy, with Joanna Erdman and Erin Nelson (LexisNexis, 2017). Her most recent book is Surrogacy in Canada: Critical Perspectives in Law and Policy, co-edited with Alana Cattapan and Angela Cameron (Irwin Law, 2018). Her research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canadian Blood Services and the Foundation for Legal Research. She is formerly a member of the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board and the Health Services Appeal and Review Board. Professor Gruben teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Health Law, Public Health Law as well as a seminar on Access to Health Care.

Gruben’s research focuses on the legal regulation of various aspects of assisted human reproduction including contractual disputes over frozen embryos, privacy and access to information, gamete donor anonymity, the regulation and funding of assisted reproductive technologies, and the constitutionality of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. Her research also includes health law more generally as well as the protection of language rights in Canada. In addition to her research work, Gruben has appeared on behalf of Amnesty International Canada before the Supreme Court of Canada in Charkaoui v. Canada, [2007] 1 S.C.R. 350; Charkaoui v. Canada, [2008] 2 S.C.R. 326; and Khadr v. Canada, [2010] SCC 3 and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. She is also a member of the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board and the Health Services Appeal and Review Board.

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Media:  For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications & Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and 99th among 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Thunder Bay and Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Radialis Medical today announced that it has submitted a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) premarket notification for the Radialis PET Camera, an organ-targeted positron emission tomography system.

“Compared to whole-body PET scanners, an organ-targeted PET camera positions detectors in close proximity to the organ of interest for a higher quality image of a smaller field of view,” said Michael Waterston, CEO of Radialis Medical.

“Our compact high-resolution PET camera would be an ideal addition to clinics with whole-body PET systems due to its improved sensitivity, spatial resolution, and flexibility enabling precision imaging of multiple organs with potentially as little as 1/10^th the radiotracer dose,” he said.

Radialis Medical is now seeking FDA clearance to market its planar dual-head organ-targeted PET system. The system employs a seamless silicon photomultiplier-based detector array using patented light-sharing technology to efficiently localize radiation emission.

The detector electronics have integrated cooling to enhance signal quality (patent pending), and the high-throughput data acquisition is optimized for low-dose imaging. The underlying technology of the system was developed in Dr. Reznik’s research laboratory at Lakehead University and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI).

“Emerging radiotracers being developed for PET imaging allow specific disease processes to be visualized and facilitate precision medicine. The Radialis PET Camera is the first organ-targeted PET system focused on low-dose PET imaging of multiple diseases,” said Dr. Alla Reznik, Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Physics of Radiation Medical Imaging at Lakehead and a Scientist and the TBRHRI.

The University Health Network-Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (UNH-PMCC) in Toronto is currently using the Radialis PET Camera in a study titled “Evaluating Positron Emission Mammography Imaging of Suspicious Breast Abnormalities” (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03520218).

“The submission of the 510(K) application is a great milestone to achieve as Radialis moves to develop their novel cancer detection imaging equipment. Equally exciting is the development of manufacturing facilities in Thunder Bay to produce this new medical device," said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Lakehead University.

The Radialis PET Camera

At Waverley Park on Aug. 28, field school participants were learning about
the Year of Climate Action and brainstorming for the social media campaign.

September 3, 2021 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

Lakehead University is declaring the 2021/2022 academic year a Year of Climate Action.

“Science demands a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in each year of this decade if we want to avoid the worst of human-caused climate change,” said Dr. David Barnett, Lakehead University’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic. 

“Declaring a Year of Climate Action supports Lakehead University's commitments to social responsibility and sustainability, which demand that we take action to create a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future. The question is not whether we can do this, but how we will do this,” Dr. Barnett said. 

Lakehead University is calling on students, faculty, and staff to envision diverse contributions – everything from events to art, workshops, panel discussions, embedding climate learning outcomes into teaching, concrete climate actions, and more.

As parts of the country are seized by drought and wildfires, the impacts of climate change are becoming harder to ignore. The most recent report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released August 9, clearly outlines that urgent climate action is needed.

On November 26, 2020, Lakehead University confirmed its leadership on climate change by announcing it is divesting its endowment of fossil fuel stocks, the sixth Canadian university to do so. 

Lakehead University is declaring the 2021/2022 academic year a Year of Climate Action (YOCA) to build on this divestment leadership and recognize the need for more bold steps to tackle climate change. 

This includes recognizing the causes and consequences of climate change, and the steps that we collectively need to take to restore our relationships with each other and the land. The YOCA is as much an opportunity to engage in climate mitigation and adaptation as it is an opportunity to reflect on the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and how our actions should advance social, environmental and climate justice, including intergenerational inequity.

“The idea for the YOCA came from Dr. Lindsay Galway, Canada Research Chair in Socio-Ecological Health, and a member of the Lakehead University Sustainability Stewardship Council (LUSSC),” said Ledah McKellar, Lakehead’s Sustainability Coordinator. 

“Both LUSSC and its Climate Action Working Group are committed to considering how Lakehead University can be a leader in cultivating and taking climate action. As a university, our mandate is to educate the future leaders of society. But we also recognize our responsibility to model climate leadership.” 

Over the past two years, Lakehead University has placed in the top 100 universities globally for the Times Higher Education Global Impact Rankings, the only assessment in the world that measures institutions of higher education on their performance related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Sustainability is a core value of Lakehead University, as is reflected in its Strategic and Academic Plans. In 2019, the University launched its inaugural Sustainability Plan, further demonstrating its commitment to be a leader in sustainability and social responsibility. 

“Many of our students, as well as our staff and faculty, have been voicing their climate concerns and the YOCA draws inspiration from their leadership,” said Dr. Galway, who is a member of the YOCA Coordinating Committee and Climate Action Working Group.

“I am inspired by the visionary members of our university community who have joined the YOCA Coordinating Committee and are volunteering their time to make the YOCA happen. Our team recognizes that we have a critical window of opportunity for taking climate action seriously,” Dr. Galway added.

Lakehead’s Year of Climate Action requires just that: action. 

As a first step, the Climate Action Working Group will work toward the following concrete actions identified by LUSSC members: installing EV charging stations on both campuses, providing training on climate change to faculty, increasing the visibility of the Lakehead University Thunder Bay solar panels, and creating internal awards for research on climate change. 

The YOCA will formally launch on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7 pm shortly after students return for the Fall semester. The launch will introduce the YOCA, as well as profile how staff, faculty and students are getting involved. 

The launch will conclude with a keynote presentation from Clayton Thomas-Müller, media producer, organizer, facilitator, public speaker and writer on Indigenous rights and environmental and economic justice. Registration is required.

Following the launch, the YOCA will be populated by diverse contributions from participating faculties, offices, organizations, and individuals. The YOCA kicked off in late August with the Lake Superior Climate Action Field School, which trained a diverse group of young Canadians – poised to become regional and national climate leaders – in an experiential program of virtual workshops, community site visits, and events in coastal communities around the Lake Superior Watershed. 

Other initiatives to look forward to include:

• The YOCA research Awards. Through the office of Research and Innovation, a special call for projects aimed at research connected to climate action will be launched. Up to six awards of $6,000 will be given through a competitive process. These awards will be available to faculty and students;
  
  
• An event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Lakehead's commitment to divest from fossil fuels hosted by Fossil Free Lakehead;
  
  
• A four-part webinar series on climate action in the Lake Superior watershed hosted by the Lake Superior Living Labs Network;
  
  
• An online gathering to discuss radical Indigenous responses to the Green New Deal and climate activism, hosted by the ReImagining Value Action Lab;
  
  
• A Sustainable City Workshop on incorporating climate mitigation and adaptation into citywide infrastructure and operations led by EarthCare Thunder Bay;
  
  
• A Youth Sustainability Summit, organized by Sustainable Orillia's Youth Council and hosted by Lakehead's Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning and Dr. Ellen Field, Faculty of Education;
  
  
• The World’s Future, an interactive simulation designed to teach participants new ways to learn about and take action for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is available to classes and hosted by the Office of Sustainability
  
  
• A climate art exhibition in collaboration with Dr. Pauline Sameshima and the Lakehead Education Research Galleries;
  
  
• Weaving workshops hosted by student Brigitte Champaigne-Klassen;
  
  
• A virtual climate action book display and research guide developed by the Lakehead Library;
  
  
• Guest speaker hosted by the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies; 
  
  
• And more!

You can learn more about the YOCA at lakeheadu.ca/yoca.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Monday, August 30 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Dr. Pauline Sameshima, Lakehead University’s Canada Research Chair in Arts Integrated Studies, is part of an international team of researchers recently awarded a five year, $26.5-million (USD) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to try a new strategy for curing HIV.

Known as the HIV Obstruction by Programmed Epigenetics (HOPE) Collaboratory, the multi-institution collaboratory will be led by researchers at Gladstone Institutes, Scripps Research Florida, and Weill Cornell Medicine. Their approach, which aims to both silence and permanently remove HIV from the body, takes advantage of knowledge about how other viruses have become naturally inactivated over time.

“This is a fundamentally different approach to targeting HIV than what everyone else has been trying,” said Dr. Melanie Ott, Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, and the program director and a principal investigator of the HOPE Collaboratory. “I think it’s extremely important for us to explore a broad range of scientific approaches to find the best cure for people living with HIV, as quickly as we can.”

A world-leading expert in education and curriculum development using the arts, Sameshima will be a co-investigator working alongside Dr. Patricia Defechereux, the community engagement coordinator at HOPE, to develop the Community Arts Integrated Research (CAIR) plan.

“It is so exciting to be part of this multi-disciplinary team of researchers that is taking this new approach to curing HIV,” said Sameshima. “My role on this team demonstrates the importance of educators on research teams and the necessity for collaborative interdisciplinary, diverse, and inclusive perspectives being valued in high-level research.”

Utilizing the award-winning Parallaxic Praxis research model, which invites multiple perspectives and recognizes different forms of learning through artful and creative ways, Sameshima and Defechereux will work with community members to create innovative CAIR approaches that will not only enable the development of an HIV cure curriculum that resonates at local levels in different countries, and among historically under-represented groups in HIV research and educational effort (women, Black, Indigenous, and transgender individuals and people who use substances), but also allow for the scientists and medical field to learn about the needs of the populations they serve. The end goal is for learning and understanding to travel in multiple ways.

The CAIR approach will see insights from communities disproportionately affected by HIV shared with scientists and others to develop new, culturally relevant community-generated curricula based on the HOPE scientific plan. The curricula will include stories, plays, documentaries, paintings, poetry, and other modes to stimulate conversation, provoke thinking, and provide feedback.

Ultimately, these creative works will provide knowledge to communities and scientists on how to communicate HIV cure research to the broader public in multiple forms people may understand. Cure research can be shared through events such as public art displays, exhibitions and community gatherings. Imaginative lay-language for HIV cure will aid community understanding, satisfaction, and acceptance of research and ultimately HIV cure(s).

“As we have seen with COVID-19 vaccine rollout, misinformation and unclear messaging are often the reasons why we see vaccine hesitancy,” explained Sameshima. “The arts are a unique and powerful vehicle for knowledge dissemination, one that will help to increase HIV cure literacy.”

Sameshima will play a lead role in creating the HIV cure education curriculum (in collaboration with Defechereux, the HOPE scientific team, community partners and community members) to be used in the arts activities. She will design study cohorts; host CAIR training for HOPE staff who will conduct research; and co-lead the focus group cohorts with participants in the United States and other international sites. She will also conduct data analyses (in collaboration with artists and students) and art-making collectives.

“The fact that arts integrated research is such a significant component of this ground-breaking research is extraordinary,” said Sameshima. “I am so grateful to Lakehead University for supporting my work in arts integration. I am honoured to be part of this high-calibre scientific team at the forefront of epigenetic research.”

“Congratulations to this international team on securing this significant research grant,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at Lakehead University. “More and more we are seeing that big questions in research require multiple interdisciplinary views to tackle those questions. This is an excellent example of how research in arts and education can add a whole new dimension to research in the health sciences area.”

More information about the HOPE Collaborative and the new approach to curing HIV can be found at https://gladstone.org/news/new-approach-curing-hiv.

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Media:  For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications & Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and 99th among 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

About the HOPE Collaboratory

The executive committee for the HOPE Collaboratory is led by Program Director Melanie Ott from Gladstone Institutes, and includes Principal Investigators Susana Valente from Scripps Research and Lishomwa Ndhlovu from Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as Co-Investigator Douglas Nixon from Weill Cornell Medicine. Operations will be overseen by Danielle Lyons from Gladstone, the collaboratory’s program manager.

The Hope Collaboratory also includes three co-directors for different research programs (Warner Greene and Nadia Roan from Gladstone, and Priti Kumar from Yale School of Medicine), a community engagement coordinator (Patricia Defechereux from Gladstone), 10 members (Cedric Feschotte from Cornell University, Joachim Hauber from Heinrich-Pette-Institut in Germany, Julie Ake and Denise Hsu from the US Military HIV Research Program, Esper Kallas from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Niren Murthy from UC Berkeley, Eric Verdin from Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Betty Mwesigwa and Hannah Kibuuka from the Makerere University Walter Reed Project in Uganda, and Pauline Sameshima from Lakehead University), and four consultants (Jennifer Doudna from UC Berkeley, Gladstone, and the Innovative Genomics Institute; Peter Glazer from Yale School of Medicine; Avi Nath from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and Mauricio Martins from Scripps Research).

In addition, the HOPE Collaboratory will work in partnership with the Last Gift Study led by Sara Gianella and Davey Smith at UC San Diego and the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) led by Julie Ake at the US Military HIV Research Program, as well as with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and industry partners Amgen, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, and Sangamo Therapeutics. The HOPE Collaboratory is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number UM1AI164559.

August 11, 2021 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute scientists are receiving a total of more than $244,000 in research grants through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.  

Dr. Qiang Wei, Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering, is receiving $127,079 to design the next generation of wind energy conversion systems featuring small size and low weight, low cost and high conversion efficiency.  

“Existing wind systems are very bulky, costly, and inefficient,” Dr. Wei said.

“The research program is focused on developing next-generation power converters: topologies, modulations, and controls for wind energy systems.”

This funding will allow Dr. Wei and his team to develop cutting-edge wind technologies for Canada's next generation wind energy industry, which will help generate more low-cost clean electricity to meet increased electricity demand and further lowering emissions and carbon taxes.

Dr. Wei’s research will also create a high tech wind industry with much-needed and competitive employment opportunities.

Dr. Alla Reznik, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Physics of Radiation Medical Imaging at Lakehead University and a Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, is receiving $68,407 to manufacture large-area detector prototypes for medical use, which will use a new photoconductor material called amorphous lead oxide. 

This new photoconductor material will allow for the implementation of the direct conversion of X-rays, which is the most efficient way of detecting them. 

“This research will develop detectors for fluoroscopic applications used in cardiac intervention, to improve the radiation safety and effectiveness of minimally-invasive cardiac interventions,” said Dr. Reznik, a Professor in Physics.

It will also allow for three-dimensional tomosynthesis, a novel approach to detecting breast cancer that has emerged to overcome the frequent ambiguity of conventional two-dimensional mammography.

“The development of amorphous lead oxide detector technology is an important scientific and engineering accomplishment in the continuing development of digital X-ray imaging systems,” Dr. Reznik said.

“The high sensitivity of these detectors will lower the barrier towards harm-free X-ray imaging to the benefit of health-care patients in Canada and worldwide," Dr. Reznik added.

“This generous funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation strengthens our patient-centred research program and supports our researchers like Dr. Reznik to find solutions to regional health care challenges – solutions that often have global applications,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO of the Health Research Institute.

“This research and technology can potentially provide our patients with more personalized care and better outcomes,” she added.

Dr. Lindsay Galway, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Social-Ecological Health and Associate Professor in Health Sciences, is receiving $49,033 to establish the Confluence Collaboratory at Lakehead University, which will enhance and support research, training and the collaborations necessary to spark innovation, implement discoveries and share knowledge. 

“The Collaboratory will be a unique gathering place for students, researchers, community partners and knowledge-users to advance the field of planetary health and inform much-needed public policy and action on health and well-being in Canada and beyond.” Dr. Galway said.

The Collaboratory is connected with Dr. Galway’s Canada Research Chair. She studies and addresses the interconnected social and ecological dimensions of health and well-being. Her creative and interdisciplinary approach to community-engaged, place-based, and applied socio-ecological research is timely and relevant in a rapidly changing and inequitable world.

“We are very pleased to have the support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation for this essential research infrastructure,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead University’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

“For over 20 years, CFI has supported Canadian researchers with valuable research equipment. At Lakehead University, this equipment has allowed our researchers to embark on cutting edge projects and to offer hands-on training to our students. Congratulations to Drs. Reznik, Wei and Galway on their successful applications,” he said.

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives, speaks during the
opening ceremony while Michele Solomon, Community Development
Manager, Ontario Native Women’s Association, and Rita Fenton from
Fort William First Nation light the candle that will burn each day until
Friday, Aug. 13.

August 4, 2021 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead University’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives is hosting the Legacy of Hope Waniskahtan Exhibit, designed to create greater awareness about the high rates of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

The goal of the exhibit, at the Intercity Shopping Centre from Wednesday, Aug. 4 to Friday, Aug. 13, is to commemorate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and hopefully prevent future violence.

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is a national Indigenous-led, charitable organization working to promote healing and reconciliation in Canada for more than 19 years. It educates and raises awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the residential school system and subsequent ‘60s Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) survivors, their descendants, and their communities.

Having hosted previous Legacy of Hope exhibits, staff at Lakehead University are proud to be entrusted with this year’s timely exhibit.

“As part of our commitment to reconciliation through education, we are honoured to collaborate with multiple partners to share this important exhibit with the community,” said Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University.

“It is our hope that all who engage with the exhibit will make a renewed commitment to stand up against violence and promote peace.”

Lakehead University partnered with the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) as community leaders in addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. ONWA continues to support programs by working on the frontlines of this ongoing national tragedy and will be inviting the Grandmother Earth Dress to be part of this important exhibit.

The Grandmother Earth Dress is a traditional red jingle dress, created by ONWA, and inspired by Jaime Black’s REDress Project, which honours and acknowledges Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+.

The REDress Project also serves as a sacred item of healing for families as well as communities to commemorate their loved ones. It is meant for families to visualize their loved ones in beautiful traditional regalia. The 365 jingles on the dress represent a year-round call for justice and safety for Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.

“The Legacy of Hope work and the Waniskahtan Exhibit keep alive the love, tears and memories of our lost mothers, sisters, aunties, grandmothers, family, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ members. The Grandmother Earth Dress proudly speaks to us like jingles in a breeze, keeping hope alive,” said Cora McGuire-Cyrette, Executive Director, ONWA.

Since the exhibit could not launch for National Indigenous Peoples Day, representatives from partner organizations created a video about it – produced by the Legacy of Hope Foundation.

Lakehead University staff, in partnership with the National Indigenous Peoples Day Committee, wanted to stage the exhibit to recognize, honour, and celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, although the launch was postponed due to pandemic.

The video includes introductory statements from Lakehead University, ONWA, a National Indigenous Peoples Day Committee representative, the Intercity Shopping Centre, and Sharon Johnson, Ontario Region Project Advisory Committee member to the Waniskahtan Exhibit.

Speakers discuss and share a short tour of the exhibit, explaining why they came together and why this is important for the community.

You can watch the video here.

The travelling exhibit and accompanying activity guide will be added to the existing roster of 19 exhibitions that are loaned out across Canada every year, thereby ensuring continued education and sustainability long after the project timeline is over.

The Legacy of Hope Foundation acknowledges the financial support of Women and Gender Equality Canada.

– 30 –

Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2020 World Universities Rankings for the second consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Evelyn Davenport

By Brandon Walker

A Lakehead University student placed first in the Cremona International Competition for Piano, held virtually on July 17 and 18. 

Third-year music student Evelyn Davenport spent six weeks preparing for the Cremona Competition, based out of Italy, practicing more than 25 hours per week.

The 18-year-old, who began playing when she was six, performed seven pieces during the competition.

“In the first round I played works by Bach, Debussy, Scarlatti, and Rachmaninov,” Davenport said. “In the second round I played works by Beethoven, Ginastera, and a composition by Aris Carastathis of the Lakehead Music Department.”

Out of those seven pieces, Davenport named her favourite song to perform.

“My favorite to play is Danzas Argentinas by Alberto Ginastera. The work has a lot of energy and is very fun to perform. One of my favorite composers is Alexander Scriabin. I am looking forward to playing more of his works in the future.”

The most stressful part of the competition was not performing live, Davenport said, but having to record her performances.

“Overall, I had a very pleasant experience competing. The recording process was tedious and took multiple days, but it was very fulfilling once completed.”

While performing, Davenport mainly focuses on projecting the music and conveying each piece’s mood.

“It’s important that every artistic decision I make can be clearly heard by the judges, especially through an online format,” she said.

Davenport offered advice for aspiring musicians.

“Consistency is key. There are a lot of unfamiliar and challenging aspects to music playing that take a long time to develop, but it is a very rewarding process,” she said.

As first prize winner, Davenport will be performing at the Winners Concert in Cremona in 2022, as well as performing a piano concerto with the Festival Orchestra next summer. 

Professor Evgeny Chugunov, who guided Davenport’s preparation, said she is a performer of many rare qualities, both disciplined and artistic.

“She has worked very hard,” he said. “It is a pleasure to see her recognized.”

Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead’s President and Vice-Chancellor, congratulated Davenport on her success.

“Evelyn has practiced and worked hard to perform to a world-class standard, setting a high standard for other students in the program," Dr. McPherson said.

“Our Lakehead University community joins her, her internationally-renowned professors and others who supported her, and the world in applauding and celebrating this exceptional achievement.”