A Lakehead Barrie STEM Hub researcher, in partnership with the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), is transforming how Simcoe County detects and responds to environmental health threats, starting with airborne allergens.

Dr. Thiago E. Alves de Oliveira, associate professor of computer science and assistant dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, has been awarded $248,750 from the New Frontiers in Research Fund’s (NFRF) Exploration stream to create a real-time, autonomous allergen-detection system using machine learning.

A High-Tech Approach to Tracking Airborne Allergens

Dr. de Oliveira— along with Geography and Environmental Sustainability Professor Dr. Florin Pendea and Psychology Professor Dr. Sila Demir— will work closely with Barrie’s RVH to develop an AI-driven sensing network that can instantly and precisely detect, count, and classify pollen particles and determine their allergenic potential.

“Our network has the capacity to enhance quality of life, support public health responses, and strengthen community resilience against environmental and biological risks,” says Dr. de Oliveira.

Collection tapes will capture airborne pollen particles, often invisible to regular microscopes, which will be automatically analyzed by ‘super-resolution’ robotic microscopes.

The platform will also track environmental data including air pressure, temperature, humidity, and particulate matter.

“This will provide a complete, real-time picture of what types of pollen are in the air we breathe,” explains Dr. de Oliveira.

Putting Real-Time Data into Allergy Sufferers’ Hands

Getting information to people will be the most important part.

The interdisciplinary research team will develop an AI-driven app to take the “raw data” and translate it into clear, actionable messages for users.

Users can log their allergy symptoms and will receive personalized health alerts when allergen exposure is high.

This will help them make informed decisions about their health and stop an allergy attack before it happens.

As a partner on the project, RVH is eager to see this next-gen health innovation deliver tangible benefits for the region.

“Environmental conditions can have a real impact on health, particularly for people living with allergies, asthma, respiratory disease, or other chronic conditions,” says Dr. Jesse McLean, RVH director, research and innovation and grant co-applicant.

“This exciting project will help us explore how real-time data can support better day-to-day decisions for individuals, while helping healthcare providers in our region anticipate and respond to emerging community health needs.”

While the project’s initial focus is on allergy management, the network will provide a foundation to monitor a wide range of environmental health risks, including airborne pathogens and harmful pollutants.

“By combining computer science, environmental science, healthcare, and psychology in ways that have not been tried before, this cross-disciplinary project will help individuals better manage their health through technology,” says Dr. Langis Roy, Lakehead vice-president, research and innovation.

“This is exactly the ‘out of the box’ thinking the NFRF program is designed for and that will help Lakehead develop game-changing solutions for health and well-being across the regions we serve.”

Connecting Young People With the Right Care

The Help in Hand initiative is part of Dr. Aislin Mushquash's (pictured) broader research program focused on helping young people thrive in an increasingly digitally connected world.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – For youth in northwestern Ontario, timely access to mental health care is a significant challenge. To fill this service gap, researchers at Lakehead University are launching the Help in Hand initiative in partnership with community mental health agencies and School Mental Health Ontario. 

With a $2 million investment from Health Canada's Youth Mental Health Fund, the initiative expands access to youth mental health supports in schools across northwestern Ontario. Help in Hand will bring digital mental health tools directly into schools—where young people spend much of their time—and create stronger links to additional care when it is needed. 

Led by Dr. Aislin Mushquash, a clinical psychologist and Lakehead’s Research Chair in Youth Mental Health, the initiative is part of her broader research program focused on helping young people thrive in an increasingly digitally connected world. Designed to complement, not replace, existing mental health services, Help in Hand adds another layer of support to help young people connect with the right level of care based on their current needs.

“I’ve worked as a clinical psychologist in our community for 13 years and have seen how young people often face unique barriers to accessing support,” said Dr. Mushquash. “Help in Hand is about providing practical, evidence-based tools while strengthening links to the broader mental health system. Our hope is that this initiative will lead to a better understanding of the impact of digital spaces and technologies on youth mental health.”

Recognizing that educators are often the first point of contact when youth experience challenges, Help in Hand will provide school communities with specialized training and resources to navigate the evolving digital mental health landscape, find high-quality tools, and measure their impact. Participating students will have access to JoyPop, a research-backed app that helps youth strengthen their emotion regulation skills and improve overall well-being.

Dr. Mushquash and her research team are working closely with a network of community partners, including Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Children’s Centre Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, School Mental Health Ontario, and McGill University’s Ludic Mind Studio, to improve the effectiveness, timeliness, and cultural appropriateness of integrated mental health care for youth and their support systems.

Help in Hand will directly benefit youth, families, and schools across the region, while the knowledge generated will help inform how education and healthcare systems make decisions about the integration of digital technologies nationwide.

Quotes 

“Community organizations, like Lakehead University, are key to strengthening youth mental health because they understand the needs and realities of young people in their communities, especially those facing the greatest barriers to care. Through Health Canada’s Youth Mental Health Fund, our government is helping young people access mental health care where they feel safe and supported. Supporting young Canadians today means building a Canada strong for generations to come.”

The Honourable Marjorie Michel
Minister of Health, Government of Canada

"When young people have access to the right supports at the right time, they are better able to thrive at school, at home, and in their communities. The Help in Hand initiative reflects the innovation and collaboration that Northwestern Ontario is known for, bringing together educators, researchers, and community organizations to improve access to mental health supports for youth. I'm proud to see partners across our region leading this important work."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Member of Parliament – Thunder Bay Superior North
Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor), Government of Canada

“The Help in Hand program demonstrates Lakehead University’s commitment to social responsibility in interactive online systems and the mobilization of research into real-world solutions that directly serve the needs of our community. By expanding mental health support within our local educational framework, Lakehead continues to lead in research that fosters thriving, resilient communities.”

Dr. Langis Roy
Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Lakehead University

“The Help in Hand project is an important step forward in improving access to mental health supports for youth across Northwestern Ontario. By increasing digital mental health literacy, providing evidence-informed tools, and strengthening pathways to care, the project will help youth and families find support sooner and more easily. Dilico is proud to partner in this work and to help ensure that Indigenous youth and their caregivers have access to resources and services that support wellness, resilience, and positive mental health outcomes.”

John Dixon
Director of Substance Health and Special Projects, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care

“Helping young people thrive means ensuring they have access to evidence-informed mental health supports that reflect the realities of their lives today. The Help in Hand initiative brings together digital mental health literacy, practical supports, and strong partnerships with schools to help students, educators, and families build confidence and wellbeing. We are excited to partner on this important work and help bring it to school communities across Ontario.”

Dr. Kathy Short
Executive Director, School Mental Health Ontario

Engineering Practical Solutions to Protect Our Environment and Our Communities

Dr. Sam Salem from the Department of Civil Engineering and Dr. Seung-Il Lee from the Faculty of Natural Resources Management have received Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to develop innovative solutions to critical engineering and environmental issues. Theirs are among 15 Lakehead University projects receiving a total of over $2.7 million in funding from NSERC.

“Lakehead researchers are at the forefront of tackling the urgent challenges facing our region, from escalating wildfires to the broader impacts of climate change,” Vice-President, Research and Innovation Dr. Langis Roy says. “This vital NSERC funding will lead to practical solutions that will protect both our environment and our communities while training the next generation of scientists and engineers.”

Setting a Global Standard for Mass Timber Fire Safety

Building on over a decade of cutting-edge research at the Lakehead University Fire Testing and Research Laboratory (LUFTRL), which he founded, Dr. Salem and his research team are improving the safe and widespread use of engineered wood products— called mass timber— in construction.

Despite mass timber’s growing popularity as a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete, the construction industry lacks proven standards for inspecting, assessing, and repairing these buildings after a fire.

Various full-size mass timber building elements, such as beams, columns, and slabs, will be put through intense fire testing. The burned materials will then be analyzed and assessed to determine exactly how fire affects them using rigorous char-layer analysis before applying innovative repair and retrofitting techniques. The outcomes of this research program will help the construction industry accurately assess structural safety after a fire and choose the most reliable, cost-effective ways to repair or rebuild.

“This research will improve public safety, influence building codes, and support the sustainable use of mass timber in high-rise constructions,” says Dr. Salem, the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Researcher Award for his contributions to structural fire engineering.

This practical research program positions LUFTRL as a global leader in structural fire engineering, shaping best practices and standards for the mass timber industry in Canada and beyond.

Protecting Creepy-Crawlers in Northwestern Ontario’s Forests

Land-dwelling arthropods (insects, spiders, and other “creepy-crawlers”) make up nearly 70% of all forest species. Highly sensitive to their environment, they serve as an early-warning system for forests facing climate change and industrial logging.

Three student-led projects under the supervision of Dr. Lee will foster sustainable ecosystem management and the conservation of arthropods in northwestern Ontario’s forests.

The first student-led project investigates how jack pine logging affects forest biodiversity. Researchers will determine how much wood debris loggers need to leave behind on the forest floor to allow ground-dwelling and wood-dependent insects to recover from the impacts of logging.

Study two will provide northwestern Ontario with its first in-depth assessment of regional insect biodiversity. The project examines how different levels of commercial thinning in black spruce forests affect local spider and insect populations.

Using mesh screens to block insects from specific wood samples, the third research team will determine whether insects or microbes— like fungi and bacteria— do the heavy lifting of breaking down dead wood in managed versus wild forests.

“Together, these projects will provide valuable insights to enhance the management and conservation of Canada’s forest ecosystems and biodiversity,” Dr. Lee says.

In 2025-26, Lakehead University received $2.8 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which include costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.

Funding Recipients

Lakehead University received a total of $2,702,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The following Lakehead researchers have received grants:

Discovery Grants (five-year grants)

Dr. Abedalrhman Alkhateeb, Department of Computer Science, "Self-aligned, Causal, and Actionable Multimodal AI Framework for Complex Biomedical Data", $192,500.

Dr. Liang Cui, Department of Civil Engineering, "Multiaxial Mechanical Behavior of Exposed Cemented Paste Backfill under Multiphysics Curing Conditions", $215,000.

Dr. Gautam Das, Department of Physics, "Investigation into photonic devices and their applications in sensing trace chemicals and gases", $180,000.

Dr. Peter Hollings, Department of Geology, "Magmatic evolution and mineralization of the Midcontinent Rift, Ontario", $200,000.

Dr. Seung-Il Lee, Faculty of Natural Resources Management, "Linking forest management intensity to arthropod biodiversity recovery and ecosystem function", $222,500.

Dr. Osama (Sam) Salem, Department of Civil Engineering, "Innovative Techniques for Post-Fire Assessment and Structural Rehabilitation of Mass Timber Buildings", $215,000.

Dr. Tobias Stephan, Department of Geology, "Kinematics and Strain Geometry of Archean Tectonics – A New Tool for Predicting Gold Mineralization in the Canadian Shield", $187,500.

Dr. Abdelhamid Tayebi, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Towards Fully Autonomous Navigation: Robust Estimation and Control Strategies", $260,000.

Dr. Wilson Quansheng Wang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, "Intelligent Diagnostics and Prognostics of EV Drive Systems", $235,000.

Dr. Qiang Wei, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Power Converter Topologies and Controls for High-Power Medium-Voltage Battery Energy Storage Systems", $235,000.

Dr. Kaiyu Wu, Department of Computer Science, "Space Efficient Graph Data Structures", $192,500.

Dr. Yushi Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Scalable On-Chip Low-Dropout Regulators Architectures for Edge Artificial Intelligence System on Chips", $235,000.

Discovery Development Grants (two-year grant)

Dr. Jinqiang Hou, Department of Chemistry, "Integrated Chemical-Digital Technologies for Targeted Molecular Probes in Biological Regulation and Imaging", $44,000.

Dr. Eltayeb Mohamedelhassan, Department of Civil Engineering, "Solar-electrokinetic in-situ leaching for sustainable critical minerals extraction", $44,000.

Dr. Douglas Morris, Department of Biology, "Evolutionary ecology of habitat selection", $44,000.

Jane Antoniak joins Lakehead University as Associate Vice-President, Communications and Marketing and takes on leadership of the Communications and Media Relations, Marketing Support, and Web Development portfolios. A proud Northener, Jane is excited to return to her hometown of Thunder Bay.

A respected communications leader and educator, Jane’s career is marked by a deep commitment to advancing the field of public relations and communications management. She is the owner of a private communications consultancy and currently serves as the President of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Board of Directors. Jane brings significant experience in institutional communications, notably her tenure as Director of Communications and Media Relations at King’s University College at Western University. She began her career as a national journalist working across television, print, and digital media.

Jane’s commitment to professional development and education is reflected in her work as an instructor at Fanshawe College and McMaster University, where she taught strategic public relations within their post-graduate programs and helped prepare the next generation of communications professionals. In addition, she has a Master of Communications Management degree from McMaster University/Syracuse University, and is Accredited in Public Relations (APR).

Her genuine enthusiasm for engaging with community makes her exceptionally well-suited to the role, positioning her to build strong relationships that will advance Lakehead's reputation and deepen its impact across our regions. An active volunteer, Jane has served as a board member at London’s Boler Mountain, a past board member with CPRS Hamilton (Accreditation Chair), and a life-member of the Optimist Club. In 2025, she volunteered in Thunder Bay at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling championships in the youth engagement program.

Jane believes strongly in the mission, vision and values of Lakehead University and looks forward to being part of Lakehead’s continued growth and success.

Her first day at Lakehead will be Monday, August 24.

The Crossfade Program Turns High School Students into Filmmakers

"Film is about illusion and a filmmaker is a kind of magician," says Media, Film and Communications Assistant Professor, Neven Lochhead.

The cinematic world is one that Dr. Lochhead knows intimately.

He's an accomplished media artist and filmmaker who joined Lakehead in September 2025 to teach students in the Media, Film and Communications (MFAC) program on the Orillia campus.

"Mentoring emerging filmmakers is a thrilling adventure as an educator," he says. "I'm surprised every time I assign my students a project."

Dr. Lochhead is an artist-filmmaker, curator, and educator. He says he fell in love with filmmaking because it's so elastic and capacious. "I can fit music, text, art and architecture into film and have things collide in unexpected ways," he says. "I also love narrative storytelling, of course, especially French New Wave cinema."

Recently, Dr. Lochhead has been extending the magic of film beyond the university campus.

Since winter 2026, he has been teaching a series of workshops—called Crossfade—that introduce high school students to sound design, filmmaking, and interactive storytelling.

"Crossfade is a term used in radio broadcasting," he explains. "It refers to the moment of overlap between songs when you bring down one song and bring up another. In film, it signifies the transition between two scenes or two time periods."

The program is offered through Lakehead's Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) with support from the City of Orillia.

Crossfade is also part of the Ontario Ministry of Education's SHSM program and helps fulfil the requirements of the Arts & Culture Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM). SHSM specializations provide young people with experience in different economic sectors and are recognized on their high school diplomas and transcripts.

High school students who completed Crossfade in winter 2026 had their productions displayed alongside the works of Lakehead MFAC students in the annual Media Arts Showcase (above), which was held at the Orillia Museum of Art and History." Jeff Cole, a wonderful teacher at the Patrick Fogarty High School, approached me about offering a film workshop for his media students, which led to the birth of Crossfade," Dr. Lochhead says. "I'm also grateful to CELL Director Nicky Locker for her work getting Crossfade designated as a Specialist High Skills Major."

"Demystifying spaces of higher education and giving students a taste of Lakehead life are two other important goals of Crossfade," Dr. Lochhead says. "The workshops take place on the Lakehead Orillia campus and students eat lunch together in the university cafeteria."

There's yet another advantage for Crossfade participants who may later apply to Lakehead's MFAC program. They can accelerate their admission route to MFAC by submitting their Crossfade projects for consideration instead of a standard filmwork portfolio.

Pick a Card, Any Card

Dr. Lochhead takes an inventive approach to teaching filmmaking.

"I listen to students, challenge them, and encourage them to take risks with their ideas," he says.

After discussing filmmaking principles and techniques, Dr. Lochhead pulls out a deck of custom-made cards.

"In collaboration with an educator at the Edinburgh College of Art, Neil Mulholland, I have been exploring how the randomness of decks of cards can be used to jumpstart the creative process," he says.

Each deck is tailored to different aspects of filmmaking to activate playful workshop environments.

In Dr. Lochhead's cinematography workshops, for example, students drew from his Ciné-Magic Card Deck, which has cards featuring camera shots, angles, moods, and motivations.

Dr. Lochhead's decks of cards lead to unexpected juxtapositions. "The Jootsy! deck is my favourite because it's more speculative. It stands for Jump Out of The System, and it prompts students to develop a parallel-narrative map and connect multiple storylines into a playful, shared, and interactive project."

"A deck functions like a recipe book. Students have to figure out what they can make by combining disparate ingredients. By bringing chance and rules into filmmaking, it becomes a game of problem-solving."

After students deal and choose their cards, they work together in small teams.

"The workshops become a flurry of collaboration where students will produce short works anywhere between 30 seconds to 4 minutes in length," Dr. Lochhead says.

This is crucial because every film and media production requires a troupe of people working together, making the ability to collaborate an essential skill in the field.

"The projects that emerge from the workshop are always full of energy, and there are lots of laughs," he adds. "One group used a birdhouse to film a story about an alien abduction."

From Babbling Brooks to Screeching Traffic

The most recent Crossfade workshops immersed students in the medium of sound art during an intensive three-day program called Sonic Imagination.

"The students went out and collected sounds and then assembled them into audio collages that evoke specific moods and feelings," Dr. Lochhead says.

Any sound imaginable can be incorporated into sound art, whether it's a barking dog or the wind in the trees. Unlike music, it isn't driven by harmonic structures or musical scales, offering sound artists great freedom. Above, a student records sounds.

"Audio collages are playful and they encourage students to be open and curious about the world around them, where music can be found anywhere," he says.

Dr. Lochhead hopes to run a Crossfade series focused on interactive storytelling this fall, giving more Simcoe County students the opportunity to become the next Ken Burns or Sofia Coppola, or to break the mould entirely as they pursue their own unique vision.

Check out this piece of sound art created by Crossfade students called Cosmic Storm.

Click here for information about Crossfade and upcoming workshops.

Lakehead University has once again been recognized among the world’s leading universities for sustainability and global impact, maintaining its status as the top-ranked university in North America with fewer than 10,000 students, in the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings.

For the seventh consecutive year, Lakehead remains among the top 10 percent of universities worldwide for societal impact, ranking in the 101-200 category among 1,603 participating institutions from 116 countries. 

"Our faculty, students and staff are committed to research, education, and community partnerships that support the global sustainability agenda, including poverty, climate change, access to clean water, and Indigenous reconciliation," said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall. "The Sustainability Impact Ratings shine a light on the work happening in our classrooms, campus labs, and through community-engaged research that is changing lives and contributing to the development of sustainable communities and societies, locally, nationally, and globally." 

The Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings evaluate universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (or SDG’s) through research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching. The rankings measure how universities are helping to address global challenges from poverty and food security to health equity, climate action, and sustainable development. Lakehead's performance reflects key operational initiatives, curriculum development and research projects that address complex societal challenges.

"This recognition reflects the strength of an education that connects learning with real-world impact," said Dr. Gillian Balfour, Provost and Vice-President, Academic. "Through our Strategic and Academic Plans, Lakehead is embedding sustainability across teaching, research and community partnerships, preparing graduates who are ready to address today's most pressing social, environmental and economic challenges." 

Lakehead ranked among the top 100 universities in the world for SDG 1: No Poverty. The rankings also placed Lakehead among the top 200 universities in the world and top 10 in Canada for SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 14: Life Below Water; SDG 15: Life on Land; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. 

Quick facts:

• Lakehead is ranked 101-200th overall among 1,603 universities from over 116 countries in the Times Higher Education 2026 Sustainability Impact Rankings.

• For the seventh year in a row, Lakehead remains in the top 10% of global universities for social impact.

• Lakehead is one of 20 participating Canadian universities, and the top ranked Canadian primarily undergraduate university.

• Lakehead is the top ranked university in Canada with under 10,000 students.

• Lakehead is the top ranked university in North America with under 10,000 students.

• Lakehead is ranked 69th in the world and 5th in Canada in SDG 1: No Poverty, for its work to address poverty reduction.

• Lakehead is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world for 10 of the 17 SDGs.

To view Lakehead's full results, visit the University’s Times Higher Education profile at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/lakehead-university. 

We are pleased to share that Dr. Jodie Murphy-Oikonen of the School of Social Work was the recipient of the Lakehead University Graduate Mentorship Award.

Jodie Murphy, MSW, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Lakehead University, where she teaches and mentors students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She brings more than 20 years of clinical practice experience in healthcare, working directly with women, children, and families in acute healthcare and public health.

Her research examines the intersections of health, social work, and justice, with a focus on sexual assault, addictions, and mental health. Dr. Murphy has led and collaborated on numerous interdisciplinary studies on survivors’ experiences with sexual assault, police challenges in sexual assault investigations, sexual assault evidence kits, neonatal abstinence syndrome, addiction in pregnancy, and perinatal bereavement. Her work is widely published and presented at national and international conferences.

Pictured above, Peter Hickey, Lakehead's new Vice-President, Administration and Finance

Peter Hickey will join Lakehead University as the new Vice-President, Administration and Finance.

Peter comes to Lakehead from Brandon University in Manitoba, where he serves as Vice-President, Administration and Finance. He brings extensive leadership experience across the post-secondary, public, and private sectors. He will also provide leadership for university services, including Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology and Physical Plant.

“This role supports every part of the University, and I believe that strong relationships and clear communication are essential to ensuring that financial and operational strategies truly enable teaching, learning, and research,” Peter says. “My leadership approach is grounded in transparency, collaboration, and data‑informed decision making.”

Peter’s educational achievements include the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University.  

Before joining Brandon University, Peter served as the Director, Finance and Administration, including time as Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), for the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Prior to that, he spent eight years leading finance within the Ontario child welfare sector, preceded by various leadership roles within the consumer-packaged goods sector with organizations like Maple Leaf Foods, Nestlé Canada, and Kraft Canada, among others. He also brings significant experience serving on not-for-profit boards, including the Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange (CURIE) and eCampus Ontario.

“I am very pleased to welcome Peter to Lakehead’s Executive Team,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gillian Siddall. “He brings extensive financial and administrative leadership experience, a collaborative approach, and a clear understanding of how strong institutional planning supports teaching, learning, and research. These qualities will be especially important as Lakehead advances its strategic goals and several transformational capital projects.”

Lakehead is pursuing an ambitious agenda at a time of significant change across the post-secondary sector. Strong financial stewardship will be essential to supporting our people, advancing our academic and research mission, and strengthening the University’s long-term sustainability. It will also be critical as Lakehead moves forward with four transformational initiatives: the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, the Orillia Campus expansion, the Barrie STEM Hub, and the re-envisioning of Gichi Kendaasiwin.

“Lakehead has a clear vision for the future, a strong commitment to its strategic priorities, and a deep dedication to the communities it serves,” Peter explains. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, students, and community members to build on the university’s many strengths and support its continued success.”

Peter will assume his new role on September 1, 2026.

Newly available at the LU Alumni Bookstore is the Tick Key. After collaborative discussions across multiple faculties, the School of Nursing and the Bookstore have brought the very best tick remover tool to our campus community for easy access. Here in Northwestern Ontario, we are in a very high-risk area for ticks. The availability of this item will help to raise awareness about ticks and tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme Disease. This tool is the best one available as it is suitable for ticks at all stages of the life cycle. It will decrease infection rates (for humans as well as beloved family pets) as it promotes proper tick removal and is available at an affordable price ($11.99 plus tax). It also fits on your key ring to keep it handy when you need it most. Students, faculty, and staff in the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks, & Tourism (ORPT), Geology, and Natural Resource Management (NRM) may be particularly interested in making this important purchase. Also, a great gift for anyone who loves the outdoors! Please make your way to the LU Alumni Bookstore to get your Tick Key today. A small amount will be available initially, with the potential to restock quickly as interest grows.

This Alum's Path to Being a Psychiatrist Started at Lakehead

"No one in my family went to university, so the idea that I would go seemed farfetched," says alum Dr. Zoe Michano-Furlotte (BScN'11, MD'16).

Despite her skepticism, she completed 10 years of medical school and residency training to become a psychiatrist who excels at helping people in crisis.

Dr. Michano-Furlotte—a member of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation—grew up in the small town of Caramat in northwestern Ontario.

She says that without her family's belief in her, she'd never have embarked on her postsecondary journey. "My mom, dad, sister, and my husband have been very supportive. And my two grandmothers have been my constant cheerleaders—I think they've told everyone they know that I'm a doctor."

A Leader in Mental Health Care

Dr. Michano-Furlotte is a staff psychiatrist offering acute care psychiatric services and outpatient therapy to people throughout northwestern Ontario.

"I've been working with an amazing team at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for the past four years. They provide emergency psychiatry as well as other forms of acute psychiatric care," she says.

"I feel extremely grateful to do what I do—I continue to learn every day."

“My mom was my main supporter and provided balance in my life,” says Dr. Michano-Furlotte (pictured left). “She was a hard worker who was an early education assistant and a labourer at the local paper mill. Her resilience and determination drove me to do what I wanted to do.”

Although her road to medical school wasn't straightforward, Dr. Michano-Furlotte's decision to stay in the north was.

Early on in her Lakehead education, she resolved to provide care to Indigenous people and communities, especially remote communities contending with challenging conditions.

"A lack of clean water, nutritious food, adequate housing, and schools has had damaging effects on their mental and physical wellbeing," she says.

The situation is compounded by the fact that community members must travel great distances to get basic health care, and mental health counselling is often entirely out of reach. "I wanted to help change that."

Stepping into the Unknown

In 2007, a university education was the furthest thing from Dr. Michano-Furlotte's mind. Instead, she'd applied to nursing and social work programs at a college in Thunder Bay.

It was while waiting to hear if she'd been accepted that fate intervened.

"My mom handed me a copy of Wawatay News and pointed to an ad in the newspaper for Lakehead University's Indigenous Nursing Entry Program. She said, 'You should apply,'" Dr. Michano-Furlotte recalls.

Dr. Michano-Furlotte's interest in health is longstanding. As a child, she loved sports and exercise and by the time she was in high school, she hoped to be a nurse or a social worker. She also earned a Fitness and Health Promotion diploma from Fanshawe College before coming to Lakehead.

The Indigenous Nursing Entry Program (INEP) is an eight-month bridging program for First Nations and Métis students who'd like to become nurses, but who don't yet meet all the requirements for Lakehead's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program.

The purpose of INEP is to give students the skills and qualifications to transition into the BScN program and ensure that successful graduates are guaranteed a spot in the nursing degree program.

Even though she was afraid she didn't have what it took to be a university student, Dr. Michano-Furlotte decided to enrol.

A first-year introductory psychology elective changed her mind about her abilities. She went into the course almost certain she'd fail, but when final grades were released, she discovered she'd earned 94%.

The experience gave her confidence, and she went on to join Lakehead's nursing program, completing her degree in three years.

After graduating, she was hired as an acute care nurse at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. A year later, she applied to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), which at the time was part of Lakehead University.

NOSM recognized her talent and her commitment to helping others, and she got in on her first try.

Hope and Support for People at their Most Vulnerable

Dr. Michano-Furlotte chose NOSM's family medicine stream and did several clinical placements in northern Ontario, including Summer Beaver, Attiwasipkat, her hometown of Greenstone, and Sioux Lookout.

"During my training, I became more connected with my culture, and being with other Indigenous students was transformative for me," she says.

She spent extra time in Sioux Lookout doing obstetrics, concerned by a huge gap in pregnancy care. "I loved it and I delivered 42 babies, however, my life path led me in another direction."

Mental health struggles in her family background was one of the reasons Dr. Michano-Furlotte wanted to practice psychiatry. More recently, motherhood has been a new source of inspiration. "It makes you want to give back so that your children can have a better world." Even before becoming a mother, providing prenatal and postnatal mental health care for women was an important part of Dr. Michano-Furlotte's practice. "Motherhood is a huge transition hormonally, emotionally, and physically, especially if you already have mental health issues," she says. Photo Credit: Unsplash/Solen Feyissa

She was within six months of qualifying as family doctor when she did a rotation with psychiatrist Dr. Diane Whitney.

"I'd seen a lot of mental health struggles during my placements, and I was blown away by the therapeutic alliance Dr. Whitney formed with her patients and by the art of her words. I switched to psychiatry because I knew that I'd found my calling."

Now, Dr. Michano-Furlotte treats patients who come to her with conditions like acute psychosis, bipolar disorder, addiction, PTSD, and severe depression.

"It's a very stressful, but very rewarding profession," she says. "I wouldn't do anything else."