Today, the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology announced more than $1.6 million in funding for eight projects to celebrate Research Week, which runs from November 23-27. These projects are leveraging over $2 million from national and other sources. Led by Memorial University, Research Week celebrates innovation and allows us to learn more about the extraordinary research taking place in our province.

Newfoundland and Labrador is producing world-class research across many disciplines and growing the next generation of researchers in the process. They are working to help us better understand our world and its many challenges and opportunities. Research and knowledge development across all sectors is critical for diversifying and growing our economy. The provincial government investments announced today include:

• $456,429 for a project led by Dr. Christopher Kozak that will contribute to reduced dependence on fossil fuels and petrochemicals and minimizing waste and pollution. The use of this instrument – the MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer – for the planned research will create a local base of highly trained specialists in analytical and green chemistry with a particular focus on renewable and non-renewable resources and environmental monitoring.

• $305,000 for a project led by Dr. Charles Mather and Dr. Barbara Neis. In collaboration with a larger team of researchers, this project will develop peer reviewed risk assessment models for the province’s aquaculture sector with a focus on mass mortality events and investigate occupational health and safety and other sustainability issues. The project will also address a number of questions relating to wild capture fisheries including recruitment and retention of labour in fish processing, market access in a pandemic, and sustainable management of emerging fisheries.

• $214,940 for a project led by Dr. Michelle Ploughman that focuses on two of Canada’s most disabling conditions – stroke and multiple sclerosis. The project supports the equipment that will enable Memorial University’s first ever state-of-the art Functional Brain Imaging and Assessment Suite. It will increase the ability to detect and identify the mechanisms by which rehabilitation treatments enhance plasticity and recovery in people with serious neurological conditions.

• $162,781 for a research project led by Dr. Lisa Rankin that will be the first in Canada for collecting and analyzing data on the impacts of climate change on all aspects of the archeological record over a period of thousands of years. Images will encapsulate the impact of climate change on archaeological sites that are resulting in massive heritage loss, and the research will assist in implementing data-driven solutions for mitigating these impacts.

• $172,746, for a project led by Dr. Scott Harding to acquire a comprehensive lab animal monitoring system. The system, to be housed in the new Animal Resource Centre at Memorial University, allows for precision monitoring of small but impactful changes in responses to various experimental conditions. This project aims to determine the impact of nutritional, pharmacological and psychological interventions on changes in animal’s physiology and behaviour that relate to healthy aging and chronic disease prevention.

• $150,000 for a research project led by Dr. Craig Moore, which will support the purchase of equipment to further study metabolic dysfunction in cell models of metabolic, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases. This piece of equipment will provide the researcher, along with various collaborators with the opportunity for increased knowledge of the biology of human cells and assist in the manipulation and treatment of various disease states.

• $92,500 for a research project led by Drs. Kurt Gamperl, Javier Santander and Andrew Swanson (Cooke Aquaculture Inc.) that will address the challenges faced by Atlantic Salmon at cold temperatures. This project will look at many of the gaps in knowledge related to the conditions that Newfoundland and Atlantic Canadian salmon experience  in winter, and this will greatly influence future development of aquaculture sites, and site management, in our region.

• $65,700 for a research project led by Dr. Shannon Bayse, which will develop and document the necessary rigging specifications to successfully apply semi-pelagic trawling to contemporary ground fish trawl designs targeting redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

From med tech, to harsh ocean environments, engineering, social sciences, clean tech and environmental solutions – the research and knowledge development activity being celebrated this week impacts citizens and industry development.

Quotes
“Memorial University is a hub for unique research and development activity in our province. The caliber of expertise in Newfoundland and Labrador is known throughout the world and we are so pleased to support some of these brilliant projects – and wish all participants of Research Week 2020 success.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology

“Memorial University researchers are internationally respected for their innovative, high-impact research that’s helping save lives, address industry challenges and provide greater insight to our world. This investment is a strong testament to the work of our talented researchers and their teams, and will further position Memorial as a global leader for leading-edge research.”
Dr. Neil Bose
Vice-President (Research)
Memorial University

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Research Week 2020

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Media contacts
Lisa Lawlor
Industry, Energy and Technology
709-729-5777, 631-8155
Lisalawlor@gov.nl.ca

Jeff Green
Office of the Vice-President (Research)
Memorial University
709-687-9243
jeffg@mun.ca