research roundup By Alison Auld, Michele Charlton, Jessica Dee Humphreys, Caitlyn MacQueen, Dawn Morrison
Health Children in conflict Split-second decisions soldiers make in the fog of war have long-term consequences on their mental and moral well-being long after the soldier returns home. But little is known about this phenomenon, and no formal research has yet been undertaken to study the issue from the perspective of those who interact with children in armed conflict. It is this motivation that led Dal’s Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security to begin a study in 2020, which has just been expanded through funding from Veterans Affairs Canada. The research project will be the first of its kind to explore the connections between morally injurious events and the recruitment and use of children as soldiers.
Researchers: Dr. Shelley
Whitman and Dr. Catherine Baillie Abidi, Dallaire Institute
10 dal mag fall 2021
Health
Stronger, lighter, tougher
Investigators track the vax
As a kid, Karan Chowdhry liked to ask, “Why?” That passion for understanding things has translated into developing technology that can solve realworld problems. Chowdhry is one of the founders of 3D BioFibR, a Dal spin-out company focused on the production of biofibre that has the type of quality and scale that is not achievable with current manufacturing methods. Some of the products 3D BioFibR has created include CollaFibRTM Tendon, which can serve as an excellent artificial tendon in both tissue models and medical applications; and SpidrFibRTM, which has exceptional mechanical properties, and shows great potential for applications in the green textile industry and in bio-composite development for aerospace engineering and defence.
Members of the public were asked to play an important role in completing the largest study of vaccine safety in Canadian history. Jennifer Isenor, a researcher in the Faculty of Health, is a regional investigator on the study, which is examining adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. The project is being coordinated by investigators with the Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network, and may be reassuring in providing additional data on the safety of the vaccines and helping those who are vaccine hesitant decide to get the shot. Investigators are looking to enrol 400,000 participants per vaccine across the county, in B.C., Yukon, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. They also aim to register a control group of approximately 50,000 unvaccinated participants.
Researchers: Karan
Researchers: Dr. Jennifer
Chowdhry, 3D BioFibR
Isenor, Faculty of Health
3D BioFibR has found a way to bridge the gap between production scalability and performance.
SUPPLIED
A new Dallaire Institute study looks at the psychological effects of interactions with child soldiers on military personnel.
Science
