Researcher Profiles

Nathan Nickel, Krista Hardy & Janelle Poiron

Click on link below to read the full PDF two-pager celebrating research excellence in Manitoba, and in Honour of National Indigenous History Month (June 2022):

Jocelyn Elias

Program and Year: 2021 Master’s Studentship Award
Project Title: Discovering and Dreaming: Long-term Care Healthcare Aide Perceptions of Structural Empowerment
Department: College of Nursing
Faculty: Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (Supervisor: Dr. Judith Scanlan)

Synopsis: 

The long-term care (LTC) sector has struggled to maintain quality resident care for decades. During the COVID-19 pandemic these challenges have been highlighted and made worse, resulting in significant resident illness and death. LTC healthcare aide (HCA) empowerment is a prerequisite of quality care in LTC and represents an important modifiable cause of the problem.  HCAs provide up to 90% of direct resident care but are often subject to low pay, minimal non-standardized educational preparation, inadequate continuing education, high burden of work, and little to no professional authority or autonomy. In Canada HCAs tend to be middle-aged or older women from ethnic and racialized minorities. They endure hostile work environments and high rates of work-related injuries. The compounding effect of these social and structural issues predispose LTC HCAs to high levels of job dissatisfaction, burnout and turnover rates between 60-170% annually. Despite the important position and role of LTC HCAs in providing quality care to residents, little research has been devoted to understanding the influences of organizational structure on them and their empowerment, and the care they provide. 

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada? 

The purpose of this study is to develop a thorough description of HCA perspectives on how organizational structures have or do empower them and the desired dreams state for these structures moving forward. This study will explore the perspectives of LTC HCAs through focused interviews with individual HCAs. It will seek to find out (a) the relationship between power, opportunity, and proportion structures in residential LTC settings and HCA empowerment, (b) the relative importance of power, opportunity, and proportion structures in influencing HCA empowerment, and (c) promising practices and areas for improvement of power, opportunity, and proportion structures in residential LTC settings. 

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

This study will make a difference because by prioritizing the perspectives and needs of LTC HCAs, this study will use the type of egalitarian approach needed to begin the process of positively influencing HCA perceptions of the value they bring to their organizations and the importance of prioritizing their empowerment needs to achieve optimal quality of care outcomes for residents. This study will also make a difference because it is designed with scale up in mind and will provide the evidence needed to get government and funding agencies to commit to supporting organization change initiatives that will ultimately help improve the care of older adults in LTC by empowering the staff who provide the bulk of their care.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The funds I am receiving from Research Manitoba are helping me to advance my research and my career by reducing the financial barriers of graduate school, thereby allowing me to focus more fully on my learning and research work. I am honoured to be listed among other exceptional researcher and emerging researcher alumni for this funding and have been encouraged to learn others believe in the importance of my research.

Quintin Litke 

Program and Year: 2021 Master’s Studentship Award
Project Title: Development of Smart and Biodegradable, Multilayered Food Packaging Department: Biosystems Engineering 
Faculty: Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba (Supervisors: Dr. David Levin and Dr. Song Liu)

Synopsis: 

My research aims to develop new food packaging products from biodegradable plastics and plant-based additives that slow the rate food spoils and changes colours to indicate when spoilage occurs in real-time. In doing so, I am techniques to improve the properties of biodegradable plastic blends, testing the bioactivity of plant extracts for use in the packaging, fabricating the food packaging, and will ultimately test the products with food products that play a critical role in the Manitoban economy (pork and canola oil).

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada? 

Food waste remains a significant consequence of our highly distributed food supply chain and result in foodborne illness. At the same time, traditional plastic packaging has contributed to the growing problem of plastic pollution. The food packaging developed through this research will alleviate the impact of these issues while providing consumers with more information regarding the safety and quality of the food they are buying.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

By the end of my Masters Studentship award, I hope to have fabricated the food packaging and characterized the bioactivity of the additives in preparation for tests with food products.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The funding I received through Research Manitoba has allowed me to focus solely on my research and related activities. This has helped move my project forward and allowed me to collaborate on additional research projects to broaden my research experience. 

Olha Myhalatyuk

Program and Year: 2021 Master’s Studentship Award
Project Title: Role of Microglial NMDA Receptors in Synaptic Plasticity
Department: Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Faculty: Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba (Supervisors: Dr. Tina M Kauppinen and Dr. Michael F Jackson

Synopsis: 

My research is focused on studying whether disrupting the function of a specific receptor (called NMDA receptor) expressed in microglia, the brain immune cells, can reduce neuroinflammation and thus prevent impaired neuronal function and memory loss. The number of Manitobans (65+) with dementia is rising, in fact, in 2045 it’s predicted to reach almost 50,000 cases. Therefore, it is important for Manitobans to be aware of the current progress in dementia research as it can provide them with knowledge and understanding of the potential causes and hopefully with some means of preventing of Alzheimer’s disease.

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada? 

My research project will bring more knowledge about the role that microglia triggered neuroinflammation plays in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. In the long run, my findings could help identify treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, for which prevalence is rising worldwide, including Manitoba.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

I hope that by establishing the role of NMDA receptors in driving microglia inflammatory responses, my research project will provide insight about what drives the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. This would help establish the feasibility of targeting specific microglial receptors to prevent microglial responses that can jeopardize neuronal functions.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The financial help from Research Manitoba allows me to fully dedicate my time and focus for the research (project), and getting this scholarship was an achievement that serves as a step to advance my future career. Providing available funding in the field of dementia creates more opportunity and promotes training in research, which is beneficial for the lives of Manitobans.

Cameron Boult

Program and Year: 2018 New Investigator Operating Grant
Project Title: Blame and Belief
Department: Philosophy
Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Brandon University

Synopsis:

This research examines how we react to others when we perceive them to inquire irresponsibly; it aims to better understand the source of deep disagreements in society, and what we can do as individuals to make meaningful contributions to the democratic process.

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

By gaining a foundational understanding of this important area of our social and political lives, this project aims to develop conceptual tools to promote healthier civic discourse. 

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

This project has produced four articles in widely-cited peer-reviewed international journals, including one in Philosophy Compass, the leading peer-reviewed journal for critical surveys of new and upcoming areas of research in the humanities. The project has also enabled the writing of a book titled The Puzzle of Epistemic Blame: On the Nature and Norms of Epistemic Relationships. The book makes a novel contribution to an active area of research in social and political epistemology, but, more importantly, it summarizes the project’s results in an accessible, engaging, and informative way for audiences beyond academia.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career? Did you receive additional funding for this project as a result of your Research Manitoba grant?

Funds from Research Manitoba supported a research visit to the COGITO Centre for Epistemology, at the University of Glasgow. I was fortunate to spend time working with some of the best researchers in the UK and globally, culminating in a symposium on a draft of the book manuscript enabled by the project. Funds from Research Manitoba also supported the training of a Student Research Assistant at Brandon University, and the purchase of Open Access rights to the Philosophy Compass article. This article is now available online to anyone interested the social dimensions of knowledge! Opens in new windowhttps://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12762 

Kevin Walby

Program and Year: 2021 – Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)
Project Title: The Centre for Access to Information and Justice, the Access Lab, and Transparency in the Digital Age 
Faculty: Department of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Arts, The University of Winnipeg

Overview: 

The Centre for Access to Information and Justice (CAIJ) investigates government practices using freedom of information, computational approaches, and other critical research methods to raise questions about political power as well as economic and social inequality.  

What is your research program and what would you like Manitobans to know about your research?

The CAIJ investigates government practices, tracks general trends in Freedom of Information and access to justice, as well as charts national and regional variations in these practices. The CAIJ advances theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented studies of Freedom of Information and access to justice in the form of workshops, reports, articles, and books produced by its members. Anyone can use freedom of information requests to find out what governments are doing. Connect with the Opens in new windowCAIJ to learn more and collaborate.  

What is your project working to achieve? What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

The CAIJ’s goals include advancing knowledge of Freedom of Information and access to justice practices through multi-disciplinary and critical collaborative research projects, serving as a welcoming context for students and visiting scholars working in the areas of Freedom of Information and access to justice, and engaging in outreach with a community and public interest focus. Beyond publishing academic works, CAIJ wants to push for government transparency and accountability, as well as social change and social justice. We want to connect with communities that may have never heard of access to information before, so it is important to use different approaches and creations. Doing this kind of creative and community-based work will help to generate new attention to the overlap between movements for social, racial, economic and environmental justice and the focus on information justice central to the CAIJ.

What is your vision for this research centre/infrastructure?

Hopefully the CAIJ Access Lab will be a space that can bridge divides between academic and community circles to foster research for social change. With this funding CAIJ will have infrastructure that graduate and undergraduate honours students can use to train to conduct critical, investigative research. Community members can also connect to CAIJ members and access the research space. The use of computer science skills and the realization of how powerful data and information can be is changing the strategies and tactics of social movements and community groups. Activists are also turning to mapping and other kinds of data visualization to enhance their communications and knowledge mobilization.  

How will the funds you received from RM advance this research program/field?

This funding will greatly enhance the ability of CAIJ to carry out its research agenda and make academic contributions in the years ahead. With this funding CAIJ will also provide research and training opportunities for graduate and graduate honours students in the social sciences at The University of Winnipeg and beyond.  

Lily Kaufmann

Program and Year: 2020 Master’s Studentship Award
Project Title: Integrating Canadian Youth: Immigrants’ Multicultural Rights
Supervisor: Dr. Danielle Gaucher, University of Manitoba 
Faculty: Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba

Synopsis: 

This research project examined the immigrant and non-immigrant youths’ (16-17) perceptions of immigration, experiences of integration in Canada, and the role of friendships and belonging to promote integration.  

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada? 

The results of this study led to a better understanding of youths’ experiences and resulted in a list of recommendations for educators and settlement service providers working with youth that was distributed to organizations across Canada. These recommendations will hopefully inform future programming. In addition, the project generated suggestions for a paradigm shift in discourse surrounding integration in Canada that will hopefully generate new research projects and discussion.  

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

At the end of this project, I hope to publish two academic manuscripts and create relationships with service providers working with youth integration to implement the findings of the study into practice and programming. Both of these goals are currently in progress: two manuscripts are in the review process in separate academic journals and a research summary report was recently distributed to settlement organizations.  

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The funding allowed me the financial freedom to concentrate on this research project and to dedicate time to considering the dissemination element of the research, as well as completing the thesis requirements necessary to obtain my degree. In addition, the funding instilled a sense of confidence in my work and inspired me to continue to pursue research in this area during my professional career.

Trisha Scribbans, CAT(C)

Program and Year: 2019 – Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)
Project Title: Project title:  An integrative approach to understanding shoulder movement across the lifespan.
Faculty: Faculty of Kinesiology & Recreation Management, University of Manitoba

Synopsis:

Dr. Scribbans’ innovative research program will explore how muscles and connective tissue (e.g. fascial) influence movement of the shoulder complex, if they are altered in different populations (e.g. females versus males, with aging, etc.) and how they respond to different treatment interventions (e.g. myofascial release).

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

Shoulder pathologies significantly impact an individual’s ability to function daily resulting in reduced independence, health status, quality of life, and psychological stress due to pain, disability, and reduced earning capacity. Over 50% of the Canadian population will develop a rotator cuff pathology (RCP) in their lifetime, and more than a third of patients do not experience positive outcomes to surgical and conservative treatments. A more complete understanding of the shoulder complex in normal and pathological shoulders across the sexes and ages will provide insight into the pathogenesis of rotator cuff pathology and other shoulder pathologies.

This enhanced understanding will identify modifiable biological targets that will inform the development of more effective preventative and rehabilitative strategies and improve the identification of at-risk individuals to reduce the incidence and duration of shoulder disorders like RCP. Collectively, outcomes from the proposed research program will improve the diagnosis, rehabilitation and prevention of RCP, resulting in improved shoulder function and a reduced risk of future shoulder injury for Manitobans and all Canadians.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

The equipment jointly funded by Research Manitoba and CFI is essential to the long-term success of my research program by allowing for a wide range of research streams investigating how the skeletal and fascial systems influence movement. Over the next 5 years, I will use the equipment along with my existing equipment to support an integrative research program aimed at expanding our knowledge of shoulder movement by delineating the role of fascial anatomy and physiology, neuromuscular function and upper limb kinematics in different populations and in response to different treatment interventions.

Knowledge regarding the function of and interaction between the muscular and fascia systems will elucidate modifiable risk factors and targets for preventative and rehabilitative strategies to reduce the incidence and duration of musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder complex.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

This question is a little challenging to answer as we have not yet purchased all of the equipment and it is not yet being used. This usually takes several years, and is being complicated/extended because of the pandemic.

I can comment on how I expect that these funds will advance my research program and career.

Only a few musculoskeletal researchers have access to Shear Wave Elastography ultrasound, one of the pieces of equipment purchased with the awarded funds, and those who do, use the technology for research programs investigating other body regions, with distinct anatomy and function compared to the shoulder. Internationally, there are currently no research programs that have access to 3D motion analysis, SWE ultrasound and high-density electromyography concurrently. Thus, my research program would be the first to possess this unique combination of infrastructure. As the muscular and fascial systems work in concert to dynamically stabilize the shoulder during movement, it is imperative that future research uncovers the function of and interaction between these systems. The requested infrastructure will allow innovative integrative musculoskeletal research that will generate new information that will inform novel therapies and interventions strategies for musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder complex.

Did you receive additional funding for this project as a result of your Research Manitoba?

Not yet! We are still in the process of purchasing the equipment that this award funded (with CFI).

Nathan Nickel

Program and Year: 2020 – Manitoba COVID-19 Rapid Response Research Grant Award
Project Title: A Distinction-Based Study on Equity in COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination and Associated Outcomes for Manitoba First Nations, Métis and Inuit
– First Nations Lead: Dr. Wanda Phillips-Beck
– Métis Lead: Dr. Julianne Sanguins
– Inuit Lead: Dr. Wayne Clark
Faculty: Max Rady College of Medicine, Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Synopsis:
First Nation, Metis and Inuit Canadians have high rates of chronic illnesses, and are at high risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes. Researchers at the University of Manitoba, the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, the Manitoba Metis Federation, and the Manitoba Inuit Association have partnered on this project. We will compare rates of testing and vaccination for COVID-19 among First Nation, Inuit and Metis people to rates of testing in Manitoba. We will use administrative data to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing testing and vaccination in our province to provide evidence to inform future strategies as the pandemic unfolds.

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

We will co-create evidence with First Nation, Metis, and Inuit health leadership and the Manitoba Government’s Department of Health to direct the public health response to COVID-19 to where it is most needed.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

We hope to generate evidence on the barriers and facilitators First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples experience when accessing COVID tests and vaccinations to inform future strategies to support optimal health and well-being among First Nations, Metis, and Inuit that takes into consideration their unique culture and historical experiences.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The funds from Research Manitoba were critical for advancing the Knowledge Translation (KT) work that we’re engaged with. This includes the creation of knowledge products and data dashboards as well as the ability to pay a KT Broker to help us think through a KT strategy.

Did you receive additional funding for this project as a result of your Research Manitoba?

We received funds from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) concurrently with this grant, which we have combined to advance the work that we’re completing with this grant.

Lidia Trzuskot

Program and Year: Research Manitoba – 2020 Master’s Studentship Award
Project Title: Contribution of immune cells to successful spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish
Supervisor:  Dr. Benjamin Lindsey
Faculty: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Synopsis:
My research looks into how immune cells communicate with neural stem cells in the spinal cord to promote recovery after an injury.

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

There is no cure for spinal cord injury in humans, however, using a regenerative model such as the zebrafish will allow us to gain a better understanding on how they repair post-injury so that we can translate our findings to mammals and come up with more effective treatments.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

I hope that at the end of my project I gain better insight into how immune cells play a role in the regeneration of the zebrafish spinal cord.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career?

The funding that I received allowed me to focus entirely on my research without worrying about finances and freed up lab resources to help move my project along in order to successfully defend my thesis in the future.

Did you receive additional funding for this project as a result of your Research Manitoba?

I received funding from Research Manitoba twice, one was my Master’s Studentship and the other was an entrance scholarship.

Ngai Man (Carl) Ho

Program and Year: 2018 New Investigator Operating Grant
Project Title: Advanced Galvanic Isolated Solar Micro-Inverter
Faculty: Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Price Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba

Synopsis: Solar Energy represents a clean and renewable energy source for providing electric power to support our daily life, including lighting and transportation. However, the manufacturing cost of a Photovoltaic (PV) inverter, which is an energy converting interface between solar panels and power grids, is high due to complex circuit design. It takes a long time for reduced energy bills to recoup the initial costs of traditional PV system installations. In this work, a comprehensive investigation into the methodology of PV energy conversion associated with modern semiconductors have been carried out and the completed system were experimentally verified.

What will the impacts/benefits of this research be to Manitoba/Canada?

The new concept will benefit power apparatus manufacturers, will be able to provide optimised PV products, and provide the Manitoba local Research Centre and energy provider with the potential to develop new business, which will greatly strengthen the power electronics industry in Manitoba. The newly trained HQP will be skilled in the development and application of advanced techniques for design and implementation of power electronic systems. All technologies and concepts arising from this work will enable my research team to further develop advanced technologies for Power Electronics, Control Systems and Renewable Energy, and will help to solidify Canada’s leadership position in the fields of Power Electronics and Power Systems. The outcomes of my research will help to drive ongoing innovation and provide intellectual insight to Canadian industries as they continue to develop and enhance the performance of their products. This will provide these companies with a technological competitive edge that will help to invigorate the Canadian Power industry.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your Research Manitoba funded project?

At the end of the project, an efficient and cost-effective PV inverter for North America and residential use will be produced. The resultant system of this research project will assist engineers in PV inverter manufacturers to evaluate the efficiency and power density of their PV micro-inverter products. Research students, PhD, MSc and BSc, will be trained in the project. These HQP will learn cutting-edge technologies and will be able to contribute to the Canadian Power and Energy industry in the future.

How did the funds you received from Research Manitoba advance this research and/or your career? Did you receive additional funding for this project as a result of your Research Manitoba grant?

The Research Manitoba New Investigator Operating Grant assisted me rapidly establishing my research program of Solar Inverter Technologies. It provided me enough funding to conduct that high cost and practical research. And we could find the advanced solution and generated new knowledge from the funded project. Consequently, we could publish the results in top-tier international academic journals, e.g. the IEEE Trans. on Power Electronics, to obtain international reputations. Furthermore, we could attract Manitoba industry to collaborate with us and received a NSERC CRD Grant for developing micro-grid systems using solar energy which was based on the outcomes of the RM project. And the results of the project also strengthened my Canada Research Chair renewal application in 2019 which was successfully awarded with a new 5-year term to continuously research on green power systems.

Riley Feser

Program and Year: 2020 Master’s Studentship
Project Title: MicroRNA-High Tumor Proteome Analysis to Identify Novel Breast Cancer Biomarker
Supervisor: Dr. Mousumi Majumder
Faculty: Department of Biology, Brandon University

Synopsis: Previous findings strongly suggest that microRNA 526b/655 promote aggressive breast cancer and that they’re detectable in the blood. In tumor cells, approximately 30-40% of the proteins are known to be secretory proteins. Thus, a microRNA-high tumor cell secretory protein analysis will identify novel proteins controlling these aggressive cancer traits, further confirming the use of microRNA-protein combination as early detection markers for breast cancer.

What will the impacts/benefits be to you as a researcher or to Manitobans/Canadians or both?

One in eight women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. But early detection of the disease can save the life of 99% of breast cancer patients. Identification and validation of a biomarker will facilitate early detection of breast cancer. Primary breast cancer screening starts at age 50 in Canada, but incidences continue to rise in younger populations. In the future, this project aims to develop a blood test kit which will identify early incidences of breast cancer in the overall population.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of your project?

I hope to identify protein biomarker that will further strengthen the use of microRNA-protein combination as early detection markers for breast cancer, ultimately reducing the number of breast cancer fatalities in Manitoba, Canada and the world.

How will the funds you received through your Research Manitoba award help you accomplish your research?

I am extremely grateful for being chosen for the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award. The funds I received through this award allow me to focus on my project full-time, without having to worry about obtaining income through any other means. This is an excellent opportunity for any researcher that is avid about their work to have that as their sole outlook throughout the duration of the award. This project wouldn’t be possible without the help of Dr. Mousumi Majumder, Sujit Maiti, Brady Nault and the rest of Majumder Lab.