2022 Research and Innovation Award Winners

Graduate Studies Awards

Three-Minute Thesis Awards

  • Third Place: Amin Hadizade, PhD in Biotechnology (Candidate); Title: “Better Inhaler, Better Life” ; Supervisor: Dr. Leila Pakzad.
  • Second Place: Magdy Alanani, PhD in Civil Engineering (Candidate); Title: “Towards Efficient Future Housing Against Climate Change”; Supervisor: Dr. Ahmed Elshaer.
  • First Place: Nicole Lee, Master of Kinesiology (Candidate); Title: “Exploring the Rehabilitative and Exercise Experience in Stroke Recovery Among Adults Living in Thunder Bay”; Supervisor: Dr. Taryn Klarner.

Three Minute Research Awards

  • Third Place: Shakira Mohamed, PhD in Psychology (Candidate); Title: “User Perspectives on a Resilience-Building App (JoyPop): Qualitative Study”; Supervisor: Dr. Aislin Mushquash.

  • Second Place: Laurent Cheret, Master of Computer Science (Candidate); Title: “Improving Transfer Learning with Variational Feature Encoders” ; Supervisor: Dr. Thiago Oliveira.

  • First Place: George Drazenovich, PhD in Psychology (Candidate); Title: “A Psychological Interpretation of the Phenomenon of Rights Claiming”; Supervisor: Dr. Mirella Stroink.

Graduate Studies Research Excellence Awards

  • NSERC Category:  Behrooz Afra, PhD in Biotechnology (Candidate); Supervisor: Dr. Ali Tarokh; Title: "Fluid-structure interaction for the Flexible Filament's Propulsion Hanging in the Free Stream".

  • SSHRC Category: Jillian Zitars, Master of Clinical Psychology (Candidate); Supervisor: Dr. Deborah Scharf; Title: "Understanding the Psycho-environmental Potential Functions of a Green Building to Promote Employee Health, Wellbeing and Productivity: A Theoretical Perspective”.

  • CIHR Category:  Angela MacIsaac, PhD in Clinical Psychology (Candidate); Supervisor: Dr. Aislin Mushquash; Title: "Adverse Childhood Experiences & Building Resilience with the JoyPop App: Evaluation Study".

Graduate Student Conference Poster Winners

  • CIHR poster winner:  Andrew Ault, Master of Economics (Candidate); Title: “Cost-Effectiveness of Selumetinib for Neurofibromatosis Type I Plexiform Neurofibromas”; Supervisor: Dr. Livio Di Matteo.

  • Engineering poster winner:  Vahid Agehi Doost, PhD in Civil Engineering (Candidate); Title: “Resilience Assessment of Highway Bridges”; Supervisor: Dr. Muntasir Billah.

  • NSERC poster winner:  Jessica Allingham, PhD in Chemistry (Candidate); Title:“Medicinal Mushrooms: The Synthesis of Terphenyllin Opening Doors to Medicinal Applications in the Future”; Supervisor: Dr. Michael Campbell.

  • SSHRC poster winner:  Chelsea Noel, Master of Psychology (Candidate); Title: “Experiences, Impacts and Service Needs of Injured and Ill Workers in the WSIB Process: Evidence from Thunder Bay and District”; Supervisor: Dr. Deborah Scharf.

Indigenous Partnership Research Award

  • Dr. Helle Moeller, Department of Health Sciences and Denise Taylor, St. Joseph’s Care Group with partners Marlene Quequish, North Caribou Lake First Nation, Robert Baxter, Eabametoong First Nation, Wesley Nothing, Bearskin Lake First Nation and Joan Rae, Sandy Lake First Nation for the research project titled, “Supporting Elders Living with Frailty in Remote Indigenous Communities in Northwestern Ontario: Developing and Evaluating the Role of a Community Rehabilitation Facilitator Training Program”.

Ingenuity Awards

  • Faculty Award Recipient:  Dr. Pedram Fatehi, Department of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Biorefining Research Institute.

  • Student Award Recipient:  Silas Young, HBComm in Accounting from the Faculty of Business Administration.

Community-Engaged Research Award

  • Dr. Lana Ray, Department of Indigenous Learning, in partnership with Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe'iyewigamig (WNHAC) for the project titled, “Indigenous Self-Determined Research”.

Building Research Capacity Award

  • Dr. Amanda Diochon, Department of Geology, Director, Lakehead University Environmental Laboratory (LUEL).

Senate Research Committee Awards

Research Support Award

  • Dr. Weijue Gao, Research Associate and Lab Manager at the Green Processes Research Center.

Research Excellence Awards

  • CIHR Category:  Dr. Anna Kone Pefoyo, Department of Health Sciences.

  • NSERC Category:  Dr. Zubair Fadlullah, Department of Computer Science and TBRHRI.

  • SSHRC Category: Dr. Olakunle Akingbola, Faculty of Business Administration.

Distinguished Researcher Awards

  • SSHRC Category - Dr. Monica Flegel – Professor, Department of English.

  • NSERC Category - Dr. Pedram Fatehi – Professor, Chemical Engineering and Director, Biorefining Research Institute.

  • CIHR Category - Dr. Michel Bedard – Professor, Department of Health Sciences and Director, Centre for Research on Safe Driving.