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Dr. Yetaotao Qiu, University of Manitoba – Asper School of Business
Social Mobility and Corporate Innovation
“Receiving this award is an important milestone in my career. With Research Manitoba’s support, I aim to show how greater social mobility can spark creativity and drive economic growth.”
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Dr. Alicia Berard, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Health Sciences
Investigating the Role of mTOR in the Vaginal Microenvironment
“This award will allow me to recruit our first graduate students to my lab and establish in vitro epithelial barrier model systems to integrate with mTOR signalling modulation assays. It will also create opportunities for new collaborations between my group and the Sears lab and provide the resources to optimize fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) protocols for biopsies collected through our ongoing reproductive health cohort studies. These advances will expand our technical capacity to study how the microbiome interacts with human immunity and tissue barriers. In addition, the funding will support the culture and sequencing of clinical bacterial isolates for mechanistic studies on mTOR expression and other pathways relevant to the vaginal microbiome and reproductive health. Overall, this award will strengthen the mechanistic and translational aspects of my research program, increasing its potential to inform and ultimately improve clinical care.”
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Professor Jay Wang, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Engineering
AI-Enhanced Autonomous Agricultural Robotics: Advancing Safety, Efficiency, and Field Deployment
“This award will provide vital support for my project. The funding will enable us to develop and field-test cutting-edge AI-driven robotic systems that improve the safety and productivity of agricultural operations, while accelerating the deployment of these technologies in real-world farming environments.”
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Dr. Tara Horrill, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Health Sciences
Co-Development and Feasibility Testing of a Social Needs Assessment Tool in an Outpatient Oncology Setting
“Advances in cancer treatment have improved survival and quality of life, but these benefits have not been shared equally, leaving marginalized groups in Canada with worse outcomes. Funding from Research Manitoba will support research to move beyond describing these inequities toward developing solutions to reduce disparities in cancer care. This challenging but important work would not be possible without the support of a New Investigator Operating Grant from Research Manitoba.”
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Dr. Dan Shin, University of Manitoba – Asper School of Business
Does Artificial Intelligence Take Away Decision-making Capability and Autonomy? Impact of Artificial Intelligence Policy Strictness on Professional Service Providers in Healthcare
“As an early career researcher who has recently started as an assistant professor, I am honoured to receive this award. This award will bring greater acceleration for my research agenda, which I believe is not only prevalent but interesting for the future of healthcare operations. I am grateful that the research was deemed as important in the eyes of the panels of reviewers, and I look forward to adding value to both academia and the world of practitioners.”
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Dr. Ke Peng, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Engineering
Optical Brain Imaging-Based Evaluation of Virtual Reality as a Pain Modulation Tool
“For the past two years, our lab has been developing methodologies to understand how the human brain interacts with virtual reality. This award will allow me to explore the translation of these methods into real-world healthcare applications for cost-effective, non-pharmacological pain treatment. This will open new avenues for my research and career, with the potential to deliver tangible benefits to healthcare.”
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Dr. Christine Kampen Robinson, Canadian Mennonite University
Narrating Future Selves: Student Narratives of Identity and Purpose in Experiential Learning
“Having worked in primarily administrative roles related to experiential learning and career development since completing my doctorate, it has been challenging to get momentum in my research. My research focus is on student voice and experiential learning. This funding makes it possible not only for me to build on what I’ve already been doing longer term, but more importantly to create opportunities to partner with students as co-researchers and co-creators of knowledge in ways that I hope can impact experiential learning here in Manitoba and beyond.”
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Dr. Tamara Taillieu, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Health Sciences
A Population-Based Examination of the Impacts of the Legalization of Recreational Use of Cannabis on Vulnerable Children and Youth from Manitoba
“I am extremely grateful for the Research Manitoba New Investigator Operating Award. This award will help me to further develop my research program related to how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other forms of trauma impact substance use trajectories across the lifespan. Financial support from Research Manitoba will allow me to extend work in the area of how the legalization of recreational cannabis use by adults has affected children and youth living in Manitoba, including whether children and youth with an ACE history are disproportionately affected by cannabis legalization. I am also excited to have some funding available to help establish an advisory circle to guide my work, and for all my amazing collaborators on this project.”
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Dr. Latika Raisinghani, University of Winnipeg – Faculty of Education
Exploring Teachers’ Experiences of Piloting the Implementation of New K-10 Science Curricula in Manitoba Schools
“I am honoured to receive this award, which enables me to execute my research project that focuses on exploring teachers’ experiences of piloting K-10 science curricula in Manitoba schools. Identifying successes, challenges, and areas where more teacher support is needed, this research will help redesign science teacher education courses and professional development programs to support pre-service and in-service teachers in successfully implementing the new science curricula in Manitoba. The funding through NIOG will also help me in hiring and building research capacity among students. Further, as an early career researcher, this grant will provide me a strong platform for securing national-level funding to perform future research on curriculum change, teachers’ professional learning, and resource development to support science teachers and their understandings of scientific literacy in Manitoba and across Canada. Overall, the NIOG award will facilitate successful execution of my research project on pilot science curricula that will specifically benefit Manitoba teachers, give me the opportunity to build on my previous research of supporting teachers and school leaders, and strengthen my academic leadership in science education.”
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Dr. Lei Xing, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Science
Developing a Novel Organoid Co-culture System to Study the Role of Placental Factors in Human Brain Development and Autism Spectrum Disorders
“Receiving this grant represents a pivotal milestone in the development of my research program and the establishment of my scientific career as an early-career researcher. At this critical career stage, securing independent funding is not only essential for launching a focused and high-quality project but also for demonstrating my ability to independently conceptualize and lead original research. This grant would provide the foundational support needed to set up a novel model system to study human development, an important step toward building a strong, innovative and competitive research program. It would also validate the potential and promise of my research trajectory and enable me to establish interdisciplinary collaborations that can expand the scope and impact of my work. Earning the support from Research Manitoba and the recognition of my peers will strengthen my future applications to nationally and internationally competitive research grants, and open doors to mentoring experience, leadership development, and long-term professional growth. Overall, receiving this grant provides a transformative opportunity for me to build momentum, establish a strong track record, and make a meaningful impact and contribution to my research field.”
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Dr. Savino Longo, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Science
Exploring the Matter-Antimatter Imbalance of our Universe with the TUCAN Experiment at TRIUMF
“This award enables my research program to expand Manitoba’s involvement in the international TUCAN project, which is investigating why antimatter is so rare in our universe. This award provides important support to allow University of Manitoba students to have a leading role in this internationally collaborative research project through locally designing, building, and operating specialized subatomic particle detectors that are an essential component of the TUCAN experimental apparatus.”
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Dr. Marike Palmer, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Science
Probing Microbial Speciation Using the Natural Ecological ‘Islands’ of Manitoba’s Saline Springs
“This award will allow expansion of my research into a new avenue for my group. With this funding, we will be exploring evolution of microbes that live in extreme environments here in Manitoba, which will shed light on the boundaries of life as we know it.”
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Dr. Donghoon Lee, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Engineering
Advancing Manitoba’s Hydropower Resilience and Water Management by Integrating SWOT Observations and Climate Forecasting
“This award will allow me to develop innovative tools for hydropower resilience in Manitoba and support my career as a researcher committed to addressing climate and water challenges.”
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Dr. Abishek Iyer, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Science
Artificial Intelligence-Driven Metal Sulfide-Based Ion Exchange Materials for Wastewater Treatment
“This award will provide the critical support to establish my independent research program and train the next generation of scientists. It will accelerate my work on AI-driven water treatment materials, creating practical solutions for toxic metal contamination in Manitoba and beyond. By providing the foundation to compete for national funding, this award ensures both my growth as a new investigator and meaningful impact for the community.”
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Dr. Zhenxiang Chen, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Arts
Pathways to Inclusion: Exploring Immigrants’ Tolerance in Multicultural Canada
“This grant is a crucial step in advancing my research on immigrants’ tolerance toward other minority groups in Canada. It will enable me to collect original survey data and explore key factors shaping intergroup attitudes. The project will contribute significantly to Canadian migration research and provide a foundation for broader, comparative studies. Additionally, the funding will help strengthen my future funding prospects and allow me to mentor graduate students, contributing to the development of the next generation of researchers.”
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Dr. Joel Pearson, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Health Sciences
Understanding the Role of a TEAD/Homeobox Axis in the Genesis and Evolution of Distinct Small Cell Lung Cancer Subtypes
“This grant will be instrumental in helping to build my career and become a leader in cancer research in Canada. Our ability to move this important project forward to understand the underlying biology of small cell lung cancer and how this cancer evolves to become drug resistant would not be possible without this critical support from Research Manitoba.”
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Dr. Joshua Walsh, University of Manitoba – Faculty of Science
Breaking Symmetry, Building Function: Liquid Chromophores at the Edge of Order
“With this award, my lab can push forward on understanding how to design molecules that remain functional even when they refuse to stay ordered. This project is about finding opportunity in entropy, which is also a fair description of starting a research group. Support from Research Manitoba allows us to turn that chaos into something constructive, both in the science and in the training of the next generation of researchers.”
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