Research & Innovation Week Celebrates Transformative Research and Community Partnerships
Thunder Bay, Ont. - With over 15 public talks, 13 research booths at the Science Carnival, and many community visitors to Lakehead University’s Thunder Bay campus over the last five days, officials consider this year’s event a sweeping success.
“At its heart, Research & Innovation Week is about the power of partnerships,” said Dr. Langis Roy, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. “Seeing community members, industry leaders, Lakehead students and researchers come together to connect and discuss current and future projects and partnerships strengthens the innovation ecosystem in Thunder Bay and beyond.”
The weeklong celebration kicked off with Science Carnival, a free public event held in partnership with Science North at the Intercity Shopping Centre. Over 3,200 people visited exhibitor booths where they enjoyed hands-on experiments and demonstrations for all ages.
Lakehead’s next generation of scholars was also on full display. Forty-six undergraduate and 56 graduate students shared their scholarly and creative activity with the community and their peers. Tanner Boyle, a Master of Computer Science student, claimed first place in the university’s annual Three Minute Thesis competition for his presentation on Alzheimer's stage classification. Master of Archaeological Science student, Ursula Kilbridge, won the 2026 GRADflix competition for her video, “Seeking Indigenous Guidelines for Laboratory Research on Plant and Animal Remains.”
At Lakehead’s 21st Annual Research Excellence Awards, researchers Dr. Anna Guttman and Dr. Sam Salem were recognized with the 2026 Distinguished Researcher Award.
An internationally recognized expert on South Asian literature and culture and Jewish Studies, Dr. Guttman, Professor in the Department of English, continues to elevate Lakehead’s global research profile. Over a 20-year career at Lakehead, she has produced four influential books and earned a reputation as a leading voice in postcolonial studies, exploring critical themes of diaspora, multiculturalism, globalization, and gender and sexuality. Her international influence is highlighted by her past role as the International President of the Association for Commonwealth Language and Literature Studies.
"I’m honoured to be named Lakehead’s 2026 Distinguished Researcher,” said Dr. Guttman. “It’s been a privilege to work with colleagues in the Department of English, and with students in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.”
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity that this award brings to share my new work, which investigates ideas about housing, community, and collective living in contemporary South Asian culture.”
Since joining Lakehead in 2012, Dr. Sam Salem, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, has become a leading expert in structural fire engineering. He has built an influential research program, advancing the fire performance of innovative building systems, particularly those made of mass timber. A milestone in his career was securing the John R. Evans Leaders Fund award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which led to the creation of the Lakehead University Fire Testing and Research Laboratory – the only facility of its kind in Canada.
“I’m deeply honoured to receive this award,” Dr. Salem stated. "It’s a reflection of the incredible real-world impact of the research we conduct, and the success of the highly qualified people I have had the privilege to mentor, whose enhanced research skills and hands-on experiences are shaping the future of our discipline.”
“I’m grateful to the funding agencies and Lakehead University for their support. This recognition inspires me to continue pursuing impactful, real-world, integrity-driven research.”
The public lectures, panel discussions, and interactive workshops held during Research & Innovation Week covered a range of topics from artificial intelligence, health equity, business management, Indigenous-led land-based learning, solar panels, and more.
“This week has shown that Lakehead is an economic engine for our community, translating academic excellence into real-world progress for the regions we serve,” said Dr. Roy.
Distinguished Researcher Award
Dr. Anna Guttman, Department of English
Dr. Sam Salem, Department of Civil Engineering
Building Research Capacity Award
Dr. Nandakumar Kanavillil, Department of Biology and Sustainability Sciences
Research Excellence Awards
NSERC Category
Dr. Michael Rennie, Department of Biology
SSHRC Category
Dr. Sarah Olutola, Department of English
Research Support Award
Mr. Morgan Ellis, Technologist, Department of Civil Engineering
Indigenous Partnership Research Awards
Larissa Speak, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law; Dr. Leigh Potvin, School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism; Dr. Keira Loukes, School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism; Brandon Chevrier, Niijii Indigenous Outreach; and Monique Woolnough, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law; for their project, “Weweni Zhichge: Building community research together through hide tanning”. Community partners include Jean Marshall, Shelby Gagnon, Charlotte Marten, and Andrew Mandamin.
Dr. Jill Taylor-Hollings, Department of Anthropology, and Dr. Martha Dowsley, departments of Geography and the Environment and Anthropology, for their project, “Lac Seul First Nation Manomin (“Wild” Rice) Research, Resilience and Restoration”. Community partners include Clifford Bull, Raymond Angeconeb, and Gerald Kejick.
Community Engaged Research Award
Dr. Amanda Maranzan, Department of Psychology, in partnership with the Canadian Injured Workers Alliance, for their project, “Identifying and understanding the stigma experienced by injured workers through a systematic scoping review and advisory team focus group engagement”.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award
Dr. Mirit Grabarski, Faculty of Business Administration, for their project “ADHD and career sustainability: A sustainable career ecosystem perspective”.
Innovation Award
Dr. Mahsa Jahed, PhD Biotechnology, for their project “Developing a validated experimental–computational framework to advance respiratory drug delivery.
Canada Research Chair Appointments
Dr. Christopher Mushquash, CIHR Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction
Renewals:
Dr. Alla Reznik, NSERC Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Radiation Medical Imaging Physics
Dr. Lindsay Galway, SSHRC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Social-Ecological Health
Three-Minute Thesis
First Place:
Tanner Boyle, Master of Science in Computer Science with specialization in Artificial Intelligence
Supervisor: Dr. Garima Bajwa
Title: Explainable Multi-Class Alzheimer's Stage Classification using a Hybrid CNN Vision Transformer and Imbalance Aware Training
Second Place:
Rachel Johnson, Master of Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Charles Levkoe
Title: Reestablishing Traditional Plant Harvesting Practices through Indigenous Young Adults
People’s Choice Award:
Nicholas Woolsey, Master of Science in Archaeological Sciences
Supervisor: Dr. Jessica Metcalfe
Title: Insights bison provide about changing environments
GRADflix Awards
First Place:
Ursula Kilbridge, Master of Science in Archaeological Sciences
Supervisor: Dr. Jessica Metcalfe
Title: Seeking Indigenous Guidelines for Laboratory Research on Plant and Animal Remains
People’s Choice Award:
Do Quoc Anh Nguyen, Master of Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Muditha Heenkenda
Title: Digital agriculture: Non-destructive Phenotyping and Disease Symptom Monitoring using a Robotic System
SSHRC Storytellers Challenge
Casey Oliver, PhD student, Clinical Psychology, Supervisor Dr. Dwight Mazmanian, was one of the top 20 finalists in the 2025 Challenge.
Title: Sexual violence through technology: Exploring vulnerability, distress & coping in women
Graduate Studies Research Excellence Awards
Natural Sciences and Engineering Category
Mahsa Jahed, PhD Biotechnology. Supervisor: Dr. Leila Pakzad and Dr. Janusz Kozinski
Title: How Breathing Interruptions Influence pMDI Aerosol Delivery: A CFD Study in a Realistic Airway
Social Sciences and Humanities Category
Casey Oliver, PhD Clinical Psychology. Supervisor: Dr. Dwight Mazmanian
Title: A Scoping Review and Meta-Analyses of Clinical Override Use in Structured Risk Assessments: Clinical and Training Implications for Field Practice
Graduate Student Conference Poster Winners
Engineering Category
Siddarth Kishore, Electrical & Computer Engineering (PhD Candidate)
Supervisor: Dr. Farhan Ghaffar
Project: Realizing Smart Antenna Systems Using an Advanced Blend of Microfluids and 3D Printing
NSERC Category
Rishnika Boteju, Biotechnology (PhD Candidate)
Supervisor: Dr. Wensheng Qin
Project: Optimizing Microbial and Enzymatic Approaches Using Directed Evolution for Sustainable and Alternative Production of Bioethanol and Other Bioproducts
SSHRC Category
Shree Venkateshan, Clinical Psychology (PhD Candidate)
Supervisor: Dr. Kirsten Oinonen
Project: Does Childhood Adversity Alter the Perceived Valence and Intensity of Facial Emotions
CIHR Category
Ashley Wright, Kinesiology (MSc Candidate)
Supervisor: Dr. Paolo Sanzo
Project: The Effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Osteoporotic Changes in a Pre-Clinical Model
Post-Doctoral Fellow Excellence Award
Dr. Mohamed Ahwiadi, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Supervisor: Dr. Wilson Wang