The provincial government has awarded Brock University more than $478,000 to purchase specialized equipment for four technology and health research programs.
Most of the funding comes from the Ontario Research Fund (ORF), which can be used to build, renovate and acquire state-of-the-art equipment for critical research projects and facilities.
"We welcome this latest investment from the Ontario government, which enables our researchers to expand their cutting-edge work boosting human health and making online spaces safer and more accessible," says Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon.
The four programs are:
- The Exercise and Environmental Physiology Laboratory, where Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel and his team are researching the impacts of heat and physical activity on body temperature and water content. The Canada Research Chair in Extreme Human Environments specializes in studying how estrogen and progesterone, the primary ovarian hormones in women of reproductive age, affect responses and adaptation to heat.
- The Cybersecurity and Critical Intelligent Infrastructure (C2I2) Lab, which conducts research on how to strengthen the resilience of digital infrastructure across Canada. The equipment being purchased will allow the group to conduct simulations that mimic critical infrastructure environments, such as intelligent transportation systems, and develop artificial intelligence models.
- The Muscle Contractile and Calcium Measurement Core Facility at Brock University, which will be led by Associate Professor of Kinesiology Val Fajardo (BSc '09, MSc 12) and contain advanced equipment to monitor skeletal muscle function in both pre-clinical and clinical groups. The Canada Research Chair in Tissue Re-modelling and Plasticity throughout the Lifespan and his team study muscle function to test new treatments for aging and disease.
- The Making Accessible Media with Youth: Advancing Disability and Access project, which will provide training and mentorship opportunities for 60 young, disabled content creators from around the world. Led by Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Chelsea Jones, the project involves creating a global network where youth and scholars with disabilities can connect to design accessible media, experiment with immersive arts, participate in training, and advocate for policies and education that make online spaces accessible to all
"The Ontario Research Fund is essential for supporting critical research and innovation across the province," said Sam Oosterhoff, Member of Provincial Parliament for Niagara West. "This latest round of funding which supports four local technology and health projects at Brock University will help advance research on women's health, muscle function, cybersecurity and accessibility issues."
The four Brock initiatives are among 195 university, college and hospital research projects to receive support, which was announced Jan. 21.
The ORF grants Mündel, the C2I2 lab and Fajardo received match funding they were awarded last year from the federal government's Canada Foundation for Innovation. Jones' funding is tied to a Ontario Early Researcher Award she received last year.
