CONTOURS VOL. 36, NO. 2, FALL/WINTER 2019
SH A P E T HE W ORL D
ualberta.ca/science
CONTOURS SHAPE THE WORLD
VOL. 36, NO. 2, FALL/WINTER 2019
The University of Alberta Faculty of Science is a research and teaching powerhouse dedicated to shaping the future by pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the classroom, laboratory, and field. Through exceptional teaching, learning, and research experiences, we competitively position our students, staff, and faculty for current and future success. Science Contours is a semi-annual publication dedicated to highlighting the collective achievements of the Faculty of Science community. It is distributed to alumni and friends of the faculty. Dean of Science Matina KalcounisRueppell Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Pascoe Managing Editor Katie Willis Associate Editor Andrew Lyle Design Lime Design Inc.
Contributing Writers Chris Fetterly Andrew Lyle Julie Naylor Jennifer Pascoe Katie Willis Photography John Ulan Dawn Graves Proofreader Sasha Roeder Mah
Send your comments to: The Editor, Science Contours Faculty of Science 6-194 CCIS, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1 science.contours@ualberta.ca
FSC logo
facebook.com/UAlbertaScience @UAlbertaScience @UAlbertaScience UAlbertaScience UAlbertaScience ualberta.ca/science
Innovation Pipeline What's two-and-a-half metres long, worth $1 million, and could potentially change how we explain physics at the high-school textbook level? The answer is this length of pipe, which might look simple, but is actually a component of the world's largest particle accelerator. UAlberta scientists are cutting apart this beampipe in the hunt for something never before documented on Earth— a magnetic monopole. Learn more on page 8.
CONTENTS 6
Dean’s message
7
Byte-size science
8
Science news
+ Funding from Gilead Sciences
+ Physicist leads magnetic treasure
+ How humans and chickadees
+ Detecting depression through voice + Smaller cities give Syrian refugees
+ What a garden-variety snake can
+ Mathematician next scientist-in-
supports undergraduate chemistry lab renewal hunt for monopole
understand each other
a better start
tell us about the evolution of reptiles residence at local science centre
11 Fences and flagpoles Thoughts on collaboration in the world of innovation 12 What lies beneath Innovative project set to cement Canada’s leadership in Arctic research 16 (Not-so) Risky business Innovative assessment for drivers 20 Around the world in 120 days One student’s journey around the globe for geoscience 24 Student, professor, chair The many faces of philanthropy with Susan Jensen (’70 BSc, ’75 PhD) 27 Finding your path How the Edmonton video-game industry, UAlberta research, and new graduates step up their game together 30 Awards and Accolades 31 Alumni perspectives Taking a look at Alumni Weekend 2019
IN THE FIELD
CHRISTOPH FREI (MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL SCIENCES) IS USING MATHEMATICAL MODELS TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL CURRENCY TO CHANGE OUR WORLD. FREI IS AN EXPERT IN MATHEMATICAL FINANCE AND ECONOMICS, FOCUSING ON ALGORITHMIC TRAINING, CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT, AND DIGITAL CURRENCIES—INCLUDING CRYPTOCURRENCIES SUCH AS BITCOIN.
CHEQUES AND BALANCES 4
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
5
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E â– C O N T O U R S
5
MATINA KALCOUNISRUEPPELL began her five-year term as dean in the Faculty of Science on July 1, 2019.
DEAN’S MESSAGE
MEET MATINA
Dear Faculty of Science supporters,
I
t is an honour to greet you in my first issue of our alumni and friends magazine as the new dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. In just four short months in my role, I have come to appreciate the critical engagement, leadership, and impact of our alumni, donors, government, industry partners, and countless other community supporters in steering science and our local, national, and global society forward. It has been my pleasure, and a highlight of my first few months, to meet many of you, whether in person, on the phone, via email, or at our inspiring and energizing Alumni Weekend events (catch a glimpse on page 31). I sincerely look forward to reconnecting with and meeting many more of you in the coming months and years. Consider joining us at any of our upcoming alumni events, because meeting with you and hearing your perspectives are top priorities for me. Though the year ahead promises challenges, the Faculty of Science is in
6 CONTOUR S
■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
a strong position to carry forward our core mission of excellence in research, innovation, discovery, and teaching. Supporting and defending this mission of excellence in research and the student experience is paramount for my vision for success for the Faculty of Science. To support our excellence, we need to work together in a balanced, inclusive, and welcoming way. At its core, science is about individual creativity in our classrooms, laboratories, and field sites. When we can make connections between individuals and across disciplines and boundaries, our potential for problem solving increases. Opportunities for connections abound. I have been gratified, even in the short time since I began as dean, by work on multidisciplinary programs within our science departments, between our faculty and the faculties of Engineering, Medicine & Dentistry, and Arts, among others, and between universities in Canada and across the world. We also have enormous opportunities ahead for communicating our science and the impact it has locally and globally. We are all aware of the worldleading programs and expertise in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta, and I would like to see increased recognition for our programs and expertise. This recognition will be important for our future to ensure that the best and brightest scientists and future scientists choose our Faculty of Science as a place to study, work, and lead. This will require meaningful engagement from all of us. How can you help? As our alumni, friends, and supporters, you are our champions. In the pages ahead, you will be inspired and energized by the stories of our students, faculty, and alumni, who are transforming the world around us with innovative solutions to some of society’s—and the world’s—most pressing problems. Enjoy these stories and tell these stories. You are uniquely positioned within your incredible spheres of leadership and influence to increase awareness of the Faculty of Science and the important and innovative research and training happening here on campus and beyond. Sincerely, Matina
1
MATINA is the first female dean in the Faculty of Science.
Prior to joining us, Matina was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for 16 years.
MATINA is an expert on the biology of acoustic communication in bats and mice, two biodiverse groups of mammals that communicate using ultrasound.
25
Matina has spent more than 25 years doing field research. IN NORTH CAROLINA, Matina and her research team examined approximately 100,000 bat calls and 1 million mouse call files.
THERE ARE 9 SPECIES of bats in Alberta and they all are nocturnal and major consumers of insects. Matina has recorded at least 3 of these species flying over CCIS this fall.
Read more on page 20.
SCIENTISTS are working to drill through
700 metres
of ice to access the subglacial lakes below the Devon Ice Cap. Read more on page 13.
A RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP between UAlberta and Edmonton game studio Improbable is creating better, more realistic video games. Read more on page 27.
20
SUSAN JENSEN, 1st female chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, reflects on more than 20 years of support as a donor to the Faculty of Science. Read more on page 24.
23
BYTE-SIZE 50% OF LEARNERS
50
The Faculty of Science offers 23 massive open online courses (MOOCs), with topics ranging from Bugs 101 to Problem Solving, Python Programming, and Video Games.
enrolled in our MOOCs are between the ages of 25 and 34, and more than half work full time.
These lifelong learners come from around the world—from Brazil to Russia to India to Spain.
Learn more at uab.ca/moocs
$500,000
GRADUATE STUDENT THERON FINLEY travelled to 5 countries on 3 continents on his journey to understand geothermal energy around the world. He took 25 flights, many train rides, and countless steps.
pledged to the overhaul of undergraduate chemistry lab space by Gilead Sciences Inc.
3,000 Gilead’s gift will support nearly 3,000 undergraduate students each year through the renovated laboratory spaces. Read more on page 8.
Nearly 1,800 campers in grades 1 through 10 joined us on campus for Science Summer Camps in 2019.
116 116 Faculty of Science alumni are currently employed at Gilead.
80
33 33 students have completed an internship with Gilead through the Science Internship Program.
The Faculty of Science offered 80 sessions of 40 different camps this summer, from artificial intelligence to space
MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT was provided for 40 undergraduate students who led and instructed Science Summer Camps.
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
7
NEWS
Greg Klak, vice-president (operations) of Gilead Alberta and UAlberta alumnus (’87 BCom, ’96 MBA)
FUNDING FROM GILEAD SCIENCES SUPPORTS UNDERGRADUATE CHEMISTRY LAB RENEWAL INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY Gilead Sciences has announced a $500,000 gift to the University of Alberta toward overhauling an undergraduate chemistry laboratory. “The Faculty of Science is proud to have the highest number of instruction hours for our undergraduates of any university in Canada. Experiential training in our laboratories is crucial to keeping our students’ skills competitive in the global marketplace,” says Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, dean of the Faculty of Science. “The learning environment is critical for student development and education. With this support from Gilead Sciences, we are providing laboratory spaces that support training excellence for the next generation of scientists.” Gilead’s gift will support nearly 3,000 undergraduate students each year through the renovated laboratory spaces, helping the Faculty of Science continue to train the skilled chemists and scientists of tomorrow. An international biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Alberta currently employs 116 UAlberta alumni since 1994 and has provided on-the-job learning opportunities to 33 students through the Science Internship Program. The company plays an essential role in the development and manufacturing of new medicines, including for cancer, inflammatory diseases, HIV, liver disease, and other diseases with unmet need for effective treatment. 8
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
James Pinfold (left) and particle physics detector technologist Richard Soluk (right) begin disassembly of the beampipe in the hunt for monopoles.
PHYSICIST LEADS MAGNETIC TREASURE HUNT FOR MONOPOLE WHILE IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER LENGTH OF PIPE, THE EQUIPMENT PICTURED HERE IS ACTUALLY A $1-MILLION PART INSIDE WHICH CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE BIG BANG HAVE BEEN REPLICATED. UALBERTA PHYSICISTS ARE CUTTING APART THIS BEAMPIPE IN THE HUNT FOR MAGNETIC MONOPOLES.
HEAR THEM ROAR
How humans and chickadees understand one another IS THERE SOMETHING UNIVERSAL about the sounds we make that allows other animals—such as songbirds—to figure out how we’re feeling? Sounds like it, according to a new study by UAlberta scientists. “The idea is that some species (those that are vocal learners) can understand other species’ vocalizations,” explains PhD student Jenna Congdon (’15 MSc, psychology), who led a new study under the supervision of Chris Sturdy (psychology) that showed both humans and black-capped chickadees can detect intense emotions such as fear or excitement in other species. “For instance, a songbird is able to understand the call of distress of a different type of songbird when they are in the presence
of a predator, like an owl or a hawk. Or, for example, if your friend scared you and you screamed. Both of these are higharousal vocalizations, and being able to understand what that sounds like in a different species can be very useful.” The study also found that black-capped chickadees can identify high arousal in giant pandas—despite the fact that they’d never come across one another in the wild.
SOUND MIND
Detecting depression through voice
“W
HEN I WAS A CHILD, I remember wondering what would happen if I cut a magnet in half, trying to separate the poles. Of course, you just end up with two smaller magnets—but what we’re looking for is a fundamental magnetic charge with only one pole,” says James Pinfold (physics). In the same way that an electron is a fundamental electric charge, the magnetic monopole would be the equivalent for magnetism—but it’s never been seen before. Looking for it requires conditions far beyond the ordinary. In this case, disassembling a $1-million beampipe that used to be part of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Large Hadron Collider—the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets. The search is still ongoing for the yet-tobe-identified monopole, explains Pinfold. “But we’ve got our fingers crossed.”
AI ALGORITHMS can now more accurately detect depressed mood using the sound of your voice. The research, conducted by PhD student Mashrura Tasnim and her supervisor Eleni Stroulia (computing science), builds on past research that suggests the timbre of our voice contains information about our mood. Using standard benchmark data sets, Tasnim and Stroulia developed a methodology that combines several machine-learning algorithms to recognize depression more accurately using acoustic cues.
PhD student Mashrura Tasnim and professor Eleni Stroulia (pictured) are authors of a study examining AI's ability to detect depression through voice.
The ultimate goal, Stroulia explains, is to develop meaningful applications from this technology. “A realistic scenario is to have people use an app that will collect voice samples as they speak naturally. The app, running on the user’s phone, will recognize and track indicators of mood, such as depression, over time. Much like you have a step counter on your phone, you could have a depression indicator based on your voice as you use the phone.”
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
9
NEWS SMALLER CITIES GIVE SYRIAN REFUGEES A BETTER START SIZE MATTERS when it comes to communities who welcome refugees in Canada, according to new research from the School of Urban and Regional Planning. The research compared experiences of refugees from Syria who were settled in Edmonton to those of similar refugees in Lethbridge. Results suggest that smaller communities were more creative, nimble, and efficient in settling newcomers in their first year, with Syrian refugees in Lethbridge reporting higher satisfaction with both the community at large and the specific aid services offered. “It seems that smaller urban centres, such as Lethbridge, can better serve refugees in the Sandeep Agrawal is the short term,” explains lead author director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Sandeep Agrawal, director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (earth and atmospheric sciences). “Their small size helps agencies, officials, and individuals to come together much more quickly and can also allow them to be creative in their service delivery.” The effect, however, may not extend past the first few years of settlement. The study also suggests that larger cities, such as Edmonton, may have more success in settling newcomers in the long term, with better access to complementary, non-government supports, more diverse job prospects, and a larger volunteer base from which to draw.
What a garden-variety snake can tell us about the evolution of reptiles NEW RESEARCH on a gardenvariety snake in Alberta provides an unprecedented in-depth look at how their skulls develop—and may offer new clues into how reptiles evolved. “Prior to this, no one had ever published a study of the skull in this level of detail through the lifespan of any lizard or snake,” says Catie Strong, an undergraduate student who led the research under the supervision of Michael Caldwell (biological sciences). “There is a huge gap in our knowledge of the development of lizards and snakes.” The biologists used a technique called micro-computed tomogra-
phy (micro-CT) to examine Plains garter snake skulls throughout their lifespan. The results provide new insight into how snakes develop and how they may have evolved. “We found that snake skull evolution is a lot more complex than previously realized,” notes Strong. “For example, garter snakes are unique in how they develop the classic snake ability to eat large prey items.” By combining new technology such as micro-CT scanning with more traditional anatomical descriptions, biologists have a versatile way to fill gaps in knowledge, says Strong, adding the experience was incredibly influential to her as a young researcher. “Being able to get this kind of hands-on experience is something that’s quite rare for an undergrad student.”
MATHEMATICIAN NEXT SCIENTIST-INRESIDENCE AT LOCAL SCIENCE CENTRE
A
10
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
BELOVED TEACHER and expert in string theory, Vincent Bouchard (mathematical and statistical sciences) was named the TELUS World of Science in Edmonton’s newest science fellow. “Mathematics is often misunderstood as a discipline,” says Bouchard. “Mathematics is truly fun and playful, but it is often seen as a difficult, boring, and obscure field of study. One of my long-term goals as a scientist is to share my enthusiasm and passion for mathematics and physics, not only within the scientific community, but with the general public as well.”
The fellowship, now in its second year, recognizes an outstanding researcher or innovator based in Northern Alberta. (The inaugural fellow was UAlberta physicist Gregory Sivakoff.) As the 2019 fellow, Bouchard will receive a monetary award and a professional development scholarship. “I am really excited and honoured to be a scientific ambassador with the TELUS World of Science and look forward to building bridges between the research community and the general public,” adds Bouchard.
Fences and flagpoles Thoughts on collaboration in the world of innovation B y C H R I S F E T T E R LY ( ' 18 P H D ) / P h o t o g r a p h y b y J O H N U L A N
There it is. Your idea, coming into existence in your head. You can feel the excitement build as your mind plays out different scenarios about how it will be successful. This one, you believe, is a good one. How close will you hold your idea? Are you afraid that if you start talking about your idea someone might steal it and execute on it? Up goes the fence, and the weary ideator begins to spend endless hours on the pursuit of shielding their yet-to-be-created IP (intellectual property). How many plausible ideas die in the fencebuilding process before receiving critical feedback? Where does this fear of sharing your big idea come from? I blame the outdated notion that there’s such a thing as a million-dollar idea. With abundant sources of “glamourized entrepreneurship” celebrating the fundraise, it’s easy to develop the notion that ideas alone are high in value. With this mindset, it’s possible to become distracted from doing the work. How much time are you comfortable spending on guarding your idea? What is the actual value of just the idea? There’s an interesting thought experiment from Paul Graham, cofounder of YCombinator, the most successful seed-stage business accelerator in the world: If ideas are worth a million dollars, try to sell one. You’ll find there’s no market for startup ideas—which means there’s no demand, which in turn means ideas are worthless. Michael Seibel, co-founder of live streaming platform Twitch, goes a step further and says that even the leanest useful version of your idea—the minimum viable product (MVP)—is not special. The majority of people do not remember Airbnb’s first website or how the launch of Twitter looked. Yours is also not special—so get it out there and get learning! These are harsh realities, but the point is, the idea is a beginning, not a blueprint. It is the uncarved block, full of potential. When you’re starting out, assessing potential, try asking yourself: What conversation might move my idea along right now? Will you fence it off or plant a flag in it?
Student Innovation Centre director Chris Fetterly ('18 PhD) (left) meets with students to coach them on the resources they can draw on for their ideas.
So who’s raising the flag of innovative, open thinking in the Student Innovation Centre? These are just a few of the UAlberta student groups that are using the space—and accessing and producing open source information as they work on their next big ideas:
UAlberta International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team AlbertaSat NeurAlbertaTech Space Exploration Alberta Robotics (SPEAR) UABiomed See uab.ca/innov8 for more.
A fence may keep people out (warning: this can include investors if your gate looks like a cumbersome non-disclosure agreement), but what’s the bigger risk? Talking about your idea and getting scooped by a mysterious opportunity-stealing organization that swoops in on every idea it can get its hands on? Or not telling anyone what you’re doing and receiving little to no help to propel you and your idea forward? A flagpole, on the other hand, draws people in. It’s a symbol in the community, a source of inspiration, and a meeting point. The flag has your message and enables the community to rally around you. “I need help with A, B, and C. I’m looking to make connections. I need to find a customer.” We have lots of metaphorical flagpoles in the Student Innovation Centre. Some indicate “we’re here to help.” Others say “open source” or “teammates wanted.” Flagpoles like these enable conversations with students who are thinking about their next (or first) big thing. How do you help someone standing behind a fence when their fear of idea-thieving is running high? By engaging each other, we can open up fences and rally the troops. With help comes feedback, and feedback is a path to validation. The execution, you’ll find, is up to you. And nobody is going to steal that. In the end, what matters more to you? Seeing your idea into reality, or protecting it at all costs? I think you’ll find your community is ready to help when you make that decision. +
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
11
WHAT LIES BENEATH INNOVATIVE PROJECT SET TO CEMENT CANADA’S LEADERSHIP IN ARCTIC RESEARCH
ASHLEY DUBNICK (LEFT) AND ALISON CRISCITIELLO, ALONG WITH ANJA RUTISHAUSER, ARE CHARTING A NEW COURSE FOR COLLABORATIONS IN CANADIAN SCIENCE. 12 C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
HYPER SALINE LAKES BENEATH ONE OF THE MOST STUDIED ICE CAPS IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC? MAYBE EVEN AN ENTIRE BRINY NETWORK WEAVING A WATERY WEB UNDER THE ICE? IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE SCIENCE FICTION THAN SCIENCE FACT. BUT ARMED WITH AMBITION, INNOVATIVE IDEAS, CUTTINGEDGE TOOLS, AND PRICELESS SUPPORT FROM ONE OF CANADA’S FOREMOST FOUNDATIONS—PLUS A COSY PARKA OR TWO—THESE SCIENTISTS ARE SET TO HELP US BELIEVE THE ONCE UNBELIEVABLE, CHANGING THE FACE OF THE CANADIAN SCIENCE COMMUNITY ALONG THE WAY.
B y J E N N I F E R PA S C O E / P h o t o g r a p h y b y J O H N U L A N
T
he Devon Ice Cap. Situated in one of the most extreme environments and remote locations on the planet, this cooler than cool environment is a literal hotbed of scientific discovery. Like all Canadian Arctic ice caps, Devon was assumed to be cold-based and frozen to the bed. Despite being well studied by scientists for decades, it took a Swiss PhD student studying in Canada to surprise everyone with a remarkable finding. “At first, we thought this geophysical evidence for subglacial lakes beneath the cold-based interior of the Devon Ice Cap was impossible because the temperatures at the glacier bed are estimated below -10C,” says Anja Rutishauser (’19 PhD). “Only after looking at the surrounding geology did we realize that the water is likely saline, so its freezing point is depressed, sourced from salty rocks that underlie parts of the ice cap. That’s when we started to recognize that we had discovered a worldwide unique subglacial water system.” This is not only the first subglacial lake discovered in the Canadian Arctic, it is also considered the first isolated hypersaline subglacial waterbody of its kind discovered on Earth. This waterbody presents a unique scientific opportunity because it is a potential extreme microbial habitat, representing the combination of cold, salty, and dark conditions under pressure. These conditions
make this subglacial waterbody one of Earth’s most extreme environments and one of Earth’s closest known analogues to extraterrestrial habitats hypothesized to exist on Mars, Jupiter’s moon Europa, and Saturn’s moon Enceladus. That otherworldly component captured the attention of countless people around the world when the finding was first announced in the spring of 2018. And it’s the opportunities presented by the project that have the potential to chart a new course for collaborations in Canadian science. HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD The heavily interdisciplinary (glaciology, biogeochemistry, geophysics, hydrology, microbiology, and fluid dynamics, to name a few), highly collaborative project has united scientists from seven universities so far, including the University of Alberta, McGill, Waterloo, Simon Fraser University, and the University of British Columbia, plus the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Montana State University. The project is spearheaded and led by Ashley Dubnick (’18 PhD), a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta; Alison Criscitiello, technical director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab housed at the University of Alberta; and Rutishauser, now completing a postdoctoral fellowship at UTIG. Not only is this one of the largest, most interdisciplinary projects to date
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
13
Rutishauser (left) and Criscitiello at the Devon Ice Cap
IM AGE SUPPL IED
significant support from the foundation, which has solely supported the first two years of exploration since. “The discovery of these lakes is such big news, and it’s so scientifically important, not to mention incredibly unique,” says Criscitiello, a celebrated ice core researcher. “There was an energy around it, and we wanted to leverage the inertia of the discovery to turn this into something much bigger, cementing Canada’s place in Arctic research. “This project would not be happening without the philanthropic support of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. There is no structure in Canada at the moment for funding huge science like this. It is high risk but high reward. Because it’s such a massive investment, and it’s coming from a foundation, it feels more personal.” Criscitiello details the uphill battle of getting beneath all that ice. Travelling to the Devon Ice Cap requires precision planning in logistics—a costly flight to Resolute, Nunavut followed by a bumpy flight on a small fixed-wing plane equipped with skis. The trip is further complicated by the need for optimal (yet uncontrollable) weather conditions that are typically sub -20C—some instrumentation doesn’t work in extreme cold or cloud cover. And ultimately there is the question of the physical limitations of getting through 700 metres of ice to the water below. It means innovative approaches to drill through the ice, plus a new way of thinking about how to keep the water beneath pristine. So why jump through all the hoops?
led out of the Faculty of Science, it is also being led by three early-career researchers who are all passionate about deepening our understanding of the Arctic. “The Canadian Arctic is incredibly remote,” says Dubnick, who in her graduate studies focused on the chemistry and microbiology of glacial ice and the meltwater that drains from ice sheets. “It’s a huge landmass—3.5 million square kilometres covered by a ton of coastline and 150,000 square kilometres of glaciers and ice caps. There’s so much diversity in terms of the terrain. “It’s a harsh environment, but every nook and cranny is unexplored and new, so the scientific opportunities are endless. It’s an inspiring yet hugely understudied area, mostly because it’s so remote and hard to access, and there’s not a great funding structure within Canada to do research up there. We want to explore what adaptations have been created in this extreme environment to extend the definition of biodiversity on Earth,” says Dubnick. BIG SCIENCE, BIG SUPPORT How support came to be to move the project forward from Rutishauser’s initial discovery is more poetry than science fiction. Dubnick, a biogeochemist who completed her PhD studies with Professor Martin Sharp (earth and atmospheric sciences), was supported by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation during her graduate studies. Following her PhD, Dubnick completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Emeritus John England (earth and atmospheric sciences), recently named to the Order of Canada and himself supported by the foundation as the 2016 recipient of the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research. The magnitude and potential impact of the Devon Ice Cap project and the mystery behind it motivated
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
IM AGE SUPPL IED
14
REDEFINING BIODIVERSITY “This is a moment to change Canada’s role in cryosphere research,” says Criscitiello. “This salty, dark, cold, isolated environment means that there’s a place on Earth that will allow us to ask questions about the extremes of life and biodiversity on our planet, and by extension, what may be possible on other planets where similar conditions are hypothesized to exist. “Studying a hypersaline waterbody beneath 700 metres of ice requires state-of-the-art geophysical, drilling and sampling equipment that doesn’t cur-
DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE A POLAR NATION AND CHANGES IN THE ARCTIC ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED AS A HARBINGER FOR CHANGES WE MAY ONE DAY EXPERIENCE ON THE REST OF THE PLANET, CANADA HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES GLOBALLY IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT FOR NORTHERN RESEARCH.
rently exist in Canada. This project aims to acquire that equipment and ultimately make it available to the Canadian scientific community. The equipment will allow scientists to make new observations with strong potential to revolutionize our understanding of polar science across disciplines, including glacier dynamics, glacier-ocean interactions and even the climate on Mars,” continues Criscitiello. “The equipment we hope to develop will be critical in allowing us to better understand ice dynamics and constrain sea level rise projections, which is particularly important to Canadians given the huge percentage of our landmass affected by sea level rise. Climate science affects everyone on the planet.” Despite the fact that we are a polar nation and changes in the Arctic are widely accepted as a harbinger for changes we may one day experience on the rest of the planet, Canada has been historically behind other countries globally in terms of infrastructure and support for Northern research. These scientists and their supporters are hoping this project serves as a critical tipping point to shift that, with huge spinoff impact on collaborations and opportunities for Canadian scientists and for science in general. “The W. Garfield Weston Foundation believes that this type of groundbreaking research is the key to advancing a global understanding of unique northern ecosystems,” says Geordie Dalglish, chair of the Northern Committee with The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. “We’re thrilled to be supporting the project team’s pioneering efforts to help unlock the mysteries of these subglacial lakes while advancing Canadian expertise on a global scale.” In terms of what comes next, the scientists remain not only optimistic but also curious. “I am still extremely excited about this discovery, but even more determined to continue researching this unique subglacial environment through interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art investigations,” concludes Rutishauser. “There are so many remaining questions about what lies beneath the Devon Ice Cap.” +
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
15
UALBERTA RESEARCH MAXIMIZES INDEPENDENCE AND ROAD SAFETY WITH NEW COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT FOR AGING DRIVERS.
B y J U L I E N AY L O R / P h o t o g r a p h y b y J O H N U L A N
(NOT-SO) RISKY BUSINESS Innovative assessments for drivers 16
C O N T O U R S â– FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
IT MAY BE A CONVERSATION YOU’VE CONSIDERED HAVING WITH AN AGING LOVED ONE: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S NO LONGER SAFE FOR THEM TO DRIVE ON THEIR OWN? IT’S A COMPLICATED QUESTION OF GROWING IMPORTANCE WITH CANADIANS LIVING LONGER AND A GROWING AGING POPULATION—AND IT’S ONE THAT UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCHERS AND SPINOFF DRIVEABLE ARE TAKING ON WITH NEW RESEARCH.
Established as a uni v ersit y spinoff, DriveABLE has been providing driver risk assessments across North America, New Zealand, and South Korea for more than 15 years. With deep roots in UAlberta research, DriveABLE’s goals are to protect competent drivers, identify cognitively unsafe drivers, and help improve safety on our roads.
ANTHONY SINGHAL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY (PICTURED), IS TAKING THE WHEEL OF A PROJECT INITIATED BY ALLEN DOBBS TO ASSESS COGNITION IN SKILLED ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING DRIVING AND OPERATING HEAVY MACHINERY.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS The idea was born when a team of physicians asked Allen Dobbs (psychology) to develop a driving assessment that would help them make the drive-or-no-drive decision for patients. “Physicians see many patients who have cognitive impairments due to dementia or other illness, and despite their decline in mental abilities, they are still driving,” explains Dobbs, now a professor emeriti. “Diagnosis itself is a poor predictor of driving competence, and at the time, there were no validated tests to assess when the illness had made the patient no longer safe to drive.” Dobbs’ goal? To discover a scientifically defensible way to evaluate the driving safety of those whose cognitive abilities had been compromised. When he set out to develop an in-car driving assessment, it became clear that it was too dangerous to test some cognitively impaired drivers on public roadways. Dobbs realized it was essential to develop a test that was highly predictive of actual in-car performance but could be administered in the safety of an office setting—without the need for accessing public roadways. Dobbs and his team recruited three groups of volunteers—a group of dementia patients who were still driving and likely to be a danger on the road, a group of age-matched cognitively normal drivers, and a healthy group of younger drivers.
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
17
RESEARCH CAN BE HYPER SPECIALIZED, AND WE NEED TO BROADLY EXPAND THAT AND WORK WITH A MARKET THAT HAS VARYING NEEDS AND SCENARIOS. “By comparing the driving errors of the three groups, we could isolate the kinds of unsafe driving errors made exclusively, or with a higher frequency, by the dementia patients,” explains Dobbs. “This told us what to score during a driving evaluation. “Our breakthrough was recognizing that driving required multiple cognitive skills concurrently—memory, spatial judgments, attention, et cetera, and that executing a test in a safe office environment could simulate the experience while ensuring the safety of the driver and others on the road.” Using a variety of statistical procedures, Dobbs developed a way to combine scores from those tests to provide a single outcome that resulted in a strong predictor of actual road-test performance. THE BIRTH OF DRIVEABLE The entire study took approximately eight years. And once the research was published, Dobbs was encouraged to champion a spinoff company that would transition the research results into practice. “We believed that the assessment could make a substantial contribution to road safety in Alberta and elsewhere,” he recalls. “So some of my research staff and I decided to accept the challenge.” The result was DriveABLE, which at the time was the only assessment system worldwide that assessed a driver based on the level of cognitive impairment caused by their medical condition.
FUTURE WORK THROUGH DRIVEABLE WILL INVOLVE COLLECTING ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) AND FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) DATA AS BRAIN FUNCTION CORRELATES OF DRIVING
18
AND COGNITION. C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
TAKING UP THE TORCH Fast forward 15 years, and the partnership between DriveABLE and University of Alberta researchers has continued to flourish. Anthony Singhal, associate professor and chair in the Department of Psychology, has carried on where Dobbs left off, expanding beyond driver assessments to develop reliable testing that takes into account a multitude of influences and can be applied to any skilled environment, be it operating a train, LRT, or heavy machinery. “The early studies led by Dobbs looked at the relationships between cognition as objectively measured by tests and on-road performance,” says Singhal. “We are now working towards blueprinting the definition of impairment—not just for driving, but for any situation that requires focus.” Singhal, along with postdoctoral fellow Reyhaneh Bakhtiari and graduate student Michelle Tomczak, has harnessed the power of machine learning for predictive modelling, using data sets supplied by DriveABLE as well as results from his own controlled experiments to determine if identifying certain aspects of cognitive performance would be predictive of passing a road test. The research focuses on the complexity of human behaviour and performance as our brain activity is influenced by different factors. “For instance, we are now determining specific ways an elderly brain is different than a brain on drugs and how both are different from younger brains
Driving has been a consistent theme throughout Singhal’s life. The avid car enthusiast even once drove a cab to pay for his tuition. His graduate work saw him working with the Canadian Space Agency to develop a multi-tasking instrument for testing on the space station for eventual human adaptation for a human mission to Mars. Singhal now drives the future as chair of the Department of Psychology, which serves roughly 13,000 students representing roughly one-third of the entire undergraduate student population at the University of Alberta. The department ranks near the top 100 in the world for the study of psychology.
not on drugs,” Singhal explains. “Looking at how cognitive performance is influenced from all angles will allow us to build an algorithm to predict what should be tested to determine risk.” Singhal wants to take the research one step further to include other kinds of studies—collecting brain waves and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—and accessing other populations through DriveABLE and their network of partners to inform the analysis. ROOTS IN RESEARCH For their part, DriveABLE continues to take great pride in its strong connection to research. “Science is the foundation of everything we do,” says Aaron Granley (’04 BA, ’07 BCom), vice-president of research and development for DriveABLE. “The fundamental question we have always been trying to answer is how cognition relates to any safetysensitive scenario—where one needs to pay attention, perform a task accurately, and perform well to be safe in the environment.”
Granley notes that DriveABLE’s strength lies in connecting with their partners, such as UAlberta, to leverage expertise and get the answers needed to some of the big, and new, impairment questions. Over the last four years, Granley has seen a significant shift in the way people and organizations not only talk about impairment and risk but also deal with it. “We are not focused on one thing,” he says. “There are complex scenarios and problems and we need to figure these out. Research can be hyper specialized, and we need to broadly expand that and work with a market that has varying needs and scenarios. “Science is always changing, and so are markets. If you are not pushing to improve or find the next level, you are not going to be relevant in a year or two.” The Faculty of Science is proud to foster a culture of innovation, putting research into action to improve safety, enhance quality of life, and create new technologies. Our strong track record of successful spinoff companies includes DriveABLE, Applied Quantum Materials, MedRoad, Nanolog Audio, Quantum Silicon Inc., Resolved Instruments, and 48Hr Discovery, among others. And Faculty of Science students are also leaders in turning research into real-world ideas through the Student Innovation Centre—where student groups AlbertaSat, the UAlberta International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team, NeurAlbertaTech, and more embrace the culture of innovation outside the classroom. +
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
19
STEAM POURS FROM PIPES CRISS-CROSSING A SNOW-COVERED FIELD IN ICELAND. THE SUN BEATS DOWN ON PATCHY SHRUBS IN THE NEVADA DESERT. MOUNTAINS PIERCE A BLANKET OF LOW CLOUDS IN SOUTHERN GERMANY. WHAT DO THESE LOCATIONS ALL HAVE IN COMMON? THEY’RE EACH A SOURCE OF GEOTHERMAL POWER—AND THEY’VE ALL BEEN VISITED BY ONE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA STUDENT.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 120 DAYS
B y K AT I E W I L L I S Photogr aphy by THERON FINLE Y
One student’s journey around the globe for geoscience
Theron Finley
Ov er the past y ear, geoscience master’s student Theron Finley circled the globe in search of such diversity, travelling from Alaska to New Zealand to broaden his understanding of geothermal energy exploration around the world. “It was five months of travel in total,” explains Finley, who is currently finishing his thesis under the supervision of Stephen Johnston (’85 MSc, ’93 PhD) (earth and atmospheric sciences) and Martyn
20
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
“It’s a common adage in geology that the more rocks you see, the better geologist you’ll be.”
Unsworth (earth and atmospheric sciences and physics). “It was so exciting and overwhelming at times. I moved to a new location every week or 10 days, either within a country or from one country to another. There were many new faces and new names every day.” Which was, of course, the whole idea—being exposed to as many places and perspectives as possible. Finley’s journey began in Alaska in September 2018, where he met with researchers at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, and visited several hot springs where geothermal energy is harnessed for use in small, remote communities. The second leg took him to Iceland, where he spent time with the Iceland GeoSurvey in Akureyri, learning about their efforts to find additional hot water for their district heating system. Finley then headed to the southwestern United States for nearly a month, visiting research institutions in Nevada, Utah, and California, before journeying across the Atlantic to Germany and Norway. After a brief break from travels over the holidays in December, Finley made the trek to New Zealand, where he
spent nearly a month learning how geothermal energy provides nearly 20 per cent of the nation’s energy. “It’s a common adage in geology that the more rocks you see, the better geologist you’ll be,” explains Finley, who is home in Canada for the foreseeable future. “While I wasn’t looking at rocks the entire time, the idea still applies. If you limit your scope too much, you’ll miss out. Every place that I went had different perspectives on geothermal energy—what made a good geothermal resource, what sort of science is required to explore it properly, and what are the economics that make it feasible.” So how does a graduate student financially manage a half-year, round-the-world trip during his master’s studies? This life-changing experience was made possible by the Hugh Morris Fellowship, offered by the Kimberley Foundation. The fellowship supports Canadian graduate students on a program of self-guided travel and experiential learning with
THE NESJAVELLIR GEOTHERMAL POWER STATION IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND WAS THE SECOND STOP ON FINLEY'S JOURNEY.
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
21
THE KRAFLA GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO BE BUILD IN ICELAND.
a focus on global sustainability. It is named for Hugh Morris, who as a PhD student studying geology at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa from 1954 to 1958 visited 65 per cent of mines in North America on a similar fellowship experience. HOT TOPIC Instead of mining, however, Finley’s trip was focused on geothermal energy—a renewable energy source that taps into the heat present in Earth’s crust. Geothermal energy is a promising source of consistent power and heat that produces few greenhouse gas emissions. It can contribute to existing power grids, power remote off-grid communities, be used as a direct source of heat for homes and businesses alike, and facilitate food production. “Some of the places that I visited have been using geothermal energy for decades,” explains Finley. “They’re dealing with totally different features with high volume and temperature of water—for example, at active volcanoes. These are more traditional
22
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
“Theron’s fellowship has given him an invaluable opportunity to learn about the global status of geothermal energy. He has used this opportunity to learn how this technology can fit into the future of Canadian energy production.” — Martyn Unsworth
resources, whereas places like Canada and Germany have more unconventional, lower temperature, less obvious resources, and have only recently started investing in this type of energy.” While Canada is not rife with resources such as volcanoes, new approaches to harnessing geothermal power have been successful with the more marginal resources that exist here. “Theron’s fellowship has given him an invaluable opportunity to learn about the global status of geothermal energy,” says Unsworth. “He has used this opportunity to learn how this technology can fit into the future of Canadian energy production.” “In Munich, for example, they are drilling wells for less than 10 megawatts of power, to provide electricity for something more like 1,000 homes. It’s a much smaller scale than in, say, Iceland, but done multiple times, it becomes very useful,” says Finley. “It is a different playing field. We’re not finding hundreds of megawatts of power, but these models hold a lot of promise for us here in Canada.”
10 DAYS
10 DAYS
14 DAYS
7 DAYS
7 DAYS
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
AKUREYRI, ICELAND
RENO, NEVADA
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES GRADUATE STUDENT THERON FINLEY TRAVELLED TO FIVE COUNTRIES ON THREE CONTINENTS ON HIS JOURNEY TO UNDERSTAND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY AROUND THE WORLD. HE TOOK 25 FLIGHTS, MANY TRAIN RIDES, AND COUNTLESS STEPS. “BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I DIDN’T LOSE MY LUGGAGE
TIME OFF OVER WINTER
OR MISS A CONNECTION EVEN ONCE,” SAYS FINLEY.
NEW ZEALAND
TRONDHEIM, NORWAY
BERLIN, GERMANY
MUNICH, GERMANY
KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
25 DAYS
7 DAYS
7 DAYS
7 DAYS
7 DAYS
HOME-GROWN RESEARCH Back at home, Finley is hard at work on his master’s thesis in advance of his defence in early 2020. His research is focused on mapping potential geothermal resources in British Columbia. “There are many valleys associated with fault zones in southeastern B.C., and we believe these faults can control certain types of geothermal resources,” Finley explains. “There has been some fascinating research done in Nevada with mapping fault zones, using these maps to predict the location for geothermal upwellings, and we are hoping to apply something similar in B.C.” Faults allow hot water to flow through the ground, beneath the surface. By mapping faults, researchers may be able to predict where geothermal resources are accessible from the surface, identifying locations where geothermal wells can be drilled. This approach reduces costs and environmental impact, making the
“Theron’s research into geothermal energy sources gives me great hope and confidence regarding our ability to deal with climate change. What Theron is doing is nothing less than forging a new, lowcarbon energy future for Canada.” — Stephen Johnston
resource all the more appealing to industry and local governments. “Theron’s research into geothermal energy sources gives me great hope and confidence regarding our ability to deal with climate change,” adds Johnston. “What Theron is doing is nothing less than forging a new, low-carbon energy future for Canada.” TO INFINITY Reflecting on his international expedition, Finley notes that his horizons have been broadened beyond just the science. “Seeing things from a new perspective, whether it’s how someone approaches science or seeks to answer questions or what different techniques they use, has been a great experience. Beyond the geothermal scientific aspect of this experience, it’s also just been an amazing opportunity for personal growth. I’m more confident in myself as a scientist.” +
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
23
THE MANY FACES OF PHILANTHROPY
PROFESSOR EMERITA SUSAN JENSEN REFLECTS ON THE ROLES SHE’S PLAYED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA— AND ON BUILDING A FOUNDATION
STUDENT, PROFESSOR, CHAIR B y A N D R E W LY L E / P h o t o g r a p h y b y D AW N G R AV E S
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION WITH THE FIRST INDIGENOUS SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP IN THE FACULTY
IM AGE SUPPL IED
OF SCIENCE.
Students, postdoctoral researchers, support staff, faculty lecturers, professors, chairs. In our community, there are those whose stories have charted the course between many of those roles—and continue to support others’ journeys today, like Susan Jensen (’70 BSc, ’75 PhD). Born and raised in Edmonton, Jensen came to call the University of Alberta home for the course of her scientific career, working in the thenemerging field of molecular genetics.
2 4
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
“As an undergraduate student, I was in three different departments. I started in honors chemistry,” says Jensen, professor emerita (biological sciences). “Along the way, I discovered how much I liked microbiology.” Once Jensen found that passion, there was no stopping her. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, she continued straight into a graduate program in what was then the Department of Microbiology. Following two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, Jensen returned to her roots at UAlberta, becoming one of the first heritage scholar recipients through a program providing funding for cutting-edge research. “I was a heritage scholar for 10 years,” says Jensen. “From there, I stayed in positions here at the University of Alberta for my whole career.” It turned out to be quite the career. Jensen was a professor during the formation of the Department of Biological Sciences and became its first female chair a year later, paving the way for other female scientists in the department—all while pursuing cutting-edge research.
BREAKING NEW GROUND “We were working in the field right at the time when biologists were first realizing that molecular genetics was something they would all be making use of,” says Jensen. Her work in the field would later help develop a new class of antibiotics, and her team became one of a handful in the world working on a compound called clavulanic acid. Jensen would study it until the end of her career— and with good reason. The team studied ways to increase production of clavulanic acid, which, when combined with penicillin, can help overcome some forms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria: a topic that has only grown more pressing over the years. “I am proud that I was able to make a successful career for myself in one of the best universities in the country, proud of the students that I taught and the research that we accomplished,” says Jensen, reflecting on her long career. “But at the same time, I am forever grateful for the scholarships, fellowships, bursary, and loan programs that made it possible for me to go to university in the first place, and for the Alberta
SUSAN JENSEN (CENTRE) VISITS CAMPUS AND MEETS WITH FACULTY OF ARTS STUDENTS ROGAN ALEXIS (LEFT) AND PAMELA GREENE (RIGHT).
“I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, BURSARY, AND LOAN PROGRAMS THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO GO TO UNIVERSITY IN THE FIRST PLACE.”
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
25
IM AGE SUPPL IED
Susan Jensen has had many roles on campus, from student to department chair.
JENSEN VISITS CAMPUS IN SEPTEMBER 2019, SEEING HOW THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BUILDING HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
Heritage Foundation for Medical Research that gave me my original academic position. So much of that support was as a result of good fortune, and being in the right place at the right time.” A CAUSE FOR REFLECTION Jensen and her husband have been proud donors to the University of Alberta for more than 20 years, helping to support the next generation of students. And looking back on that good fortune, she was inspired to channel that support in a new way— with the Susan Jensen Indigenous Support Endowment, the first support
26
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
endowment in the Faculty of Science for indigenous students, supporting students via undergraduate scholarships, bursaries, and fees for equipment and conferences. “I have reached an age where I have begun to reflect back on my life and how fortunate I have been,” explains Jensen. “I attribute my good fortune in large part to my university education and my career as a staff member in the Faculty of Science.” The first scholarships funded through the Susan Jensen Indigenous Support Endowment will be awarded later this year.
A FOUNDATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION “Our real legacy is our students. I’m proud of my contributions to research, of course—but I wanted to train students who love what they do,” says Jensen. “To me, more important than being in the lab around the clock was that they worked hard because they wanted to work hard—because they wanted to pursue what they found interesting, and that they would pass that excitement on to their own students.” As a professor emerita, Jensen continues her support of today’s students with an annual donation to the Faculty of Science, expressing her personal philosophy of mentorship, science, and paying it forward. “There are very few cases where one makes a discovery and that’s the end of the story. Science goes on and on and into other hands. It’s important that we remember we’re building a foundation for the next generation.” + Want to find out how you can support initiatives like the Susan Jensen Indigenous Support Endowment? Visit ualberta.ca/science/alumniand-giving to learn more.
A THRIVING TECH ECOSYSTEM IN EDMONTON IS BEING BUILT BY PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN UALBERTA RESEARCHERS SUCH AS NATHAN STURTEVANT (CENTRE), TECH LEADERS LIKE AARYN FLYNN OF IMPROBABLE (RIGHT), AND RECENT GRADUATES TURNED EMPLOYEES LIKE DEVON SIGURDSON (LEFT).
FINDING YOUR PATH HOW THE EDMONTON VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY, UALBERTA RESEARCH, AND NEW GRADUATES STEP UP THEIR GAME TOGETHER
Collaboration between computing scientists and Edmonton tech company Improbable creates new research partnership—and opportunities for new grads.
H
ow does a robot navigate around a room? How does it plan its movement to avoid furniture or falling down the stairs? If it moves outside, is it faster to go around a hill, or to climb over it? These questions are the basis of pathfinding technology, and the techniques are applicable to more than just robots in the real world—they’re also of critical importance in video games. That’s why computing scientists at the University of Alberta are engaging in a
B y A N D R E W LY L E / P h o t o g r a p h y b y J O H N U L A N
new research partnership with the Edmonton office of international games company Improbable. “Research on pathfinding has broad applications, including helping vehicles or robots to navigate on their own,” says Nathan Sturtevant (computing science), who is heading up the collaboration with Improbable. “In video games, it’s the foundation for how characters move around the game world. As we improve this technology, the way those characters move becomes more efficient, more realistic, and more believable.”
Sturtevant runs the MovingAI lab on campus, where their artificial intelligence research is improving how programs determine how to move around three-dimensional space. “There are many types of research. Some of our work is on more fundamental algorithms and is more abstract—with less obvious applications. But, as in cases like this, it’s always exciting to adapt our work so that millions of people can directly experience and benefit from the improvements we make,” says Sturtevant.
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
27
(RIGHT) AARYN FLYNN, GENERAL MANAGER (NORTH AMERICA) OF IMPROBABLE AND UALBERTA ALUMNUS, IS OVERSEEING CREATION OF A FLAGSHIP GAME IN EDMONTON—AND SEES UNIQUE STRENGTHS IN DOING SO HERE.
PATH FORWARD Improbable opened its Edmonton studio in 2018. But the company isn’t just focused on building games. Rather, its work centres on creating a new engine called SpatialOS. As general manager (North America) of Improbable and UAlberta computing science alumnus Aaryn Flynn (’96 BSc, ’00 BSc) explains, it’s a set of tools that other developers will be able to use to create their own games—and the Edmonton office is using it to develop a game to share its potential. “Here in Edmonton, we’re building a yet-unannounced flagship game to demonstrate the power of SpatialOS in a meaningful way. Deciding to do this in Edmonton really draws on the strengths of the talent here,” says Flynn. “That goes for both people we can hire in the community as well as those in the talent network that we can collaborate with— and that’s where the impressive research at UAlberta comes in.” BREAKING NEW GROUND Sturtevant has already had applications for his research in the games industry, having collaborated with Edmonton video game developer BioWare to create the pathfinding used in the popular video game Dragon Age: Origins. Flynn has also worked with UAlberta in the past while general manager at BioWare, making the new collaboration an exciting opportunity to again work with his alma mater on technology for video games.
28
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
“DECIDING TO DO THIS IN EDMONTON REALLY DRAWS ON THE STRENGTHS OF THE TALENT HERE.” — AARYN FLYNN
“We’ve begun our new collaboration by working on pathfinding. We’ve updated and improved approaches to pathfinding significantly,” says Sturtevant. “This new work provides more flexibility at runtime and will support interesting character behaviours that weren’t possible before.” Sturtevant sees opportunities for research collaboration with industry as just one way UAlberta research benefits the local community and industry. Providing a world-class education to students and building local talent are others.
FROM STUDENTS TO EMPLOYEES The skills that students develop in their coursework and in leadership opportunities on campus make them well-suited for Edmonton’s growing tech and games industries. Devon Sigurdson (’16 BSc, ’18 MSc) is one such graduate, now working at Improbable. “I originally met Aaryn when he visited the lab I worked in during grad school. Aaryn has always shown great interest in AI, and after seeing what we were working on he asked me what my plans were after graduation,” says
“THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING PROBLEMS THAT INDUSTRY CAN FACE THAT MIGHT NOT OCCUR TO US IN THE LAB—WORKING WITH INDUSTRY HELPS US FOCUS ON PROBLEMS THAT ARE BOTH CHALLENGING AND RELEVANT.” Improbable’s Sample Game demonstrates the core functionality of SpatialOS and is available for download.
Sigurdson. “After learning that Improbable was growing a team in Edmonton, I applied to join him there as a software developer. Now I work with a team developing our AI and animation systems.” Sigurdson’s experience is just one example of how the connection between campus and the local video game industry doesn’t end at research partnerships. And as Sturtevant—himself a recent addition to the research and teaching lineup on campus—reflects, UAlberta provides a critical component of the Edmonton tech ecosystem: training and seeding the pipeline of skilled people who work in it. “There are a lot of interesting problems that industry can face that might not occur to us in the lab—working with industry helps us focus on problems that are both challenging and relevant. And in turn, UAlberta’s video games certificate program has been very helpful to the local games industry,” says Sturtevant. “The education our students receive here at UAlberta gives them experience in multi-disciplinary teams and develops their skills—so they have the tools for success no matter where their path leads them.” +
— NATHAN STURTEVANT
NATHAN STURTEVANT (LEFT) SEES UALBERTA'S TRAINING OF SKILLED COMPUTING SCIENCE GRADUATES LIKE DEVON SIGURDSON (RIGHT) AS A STRENGTH OF EDMONTON'S TECH ECOSYSTEM.
Interested in learning more about artificial intelligence research at UAlberta? Check out ualberta. science.ca/ai
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
29
AWA R D S
&
ACCOL ADES PHOTOS: JOHN UL A N
PHOTO: JOHN UL A N
PHOTO SUPPL IED
ORDER OF CANADA John England
ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA Liang Li
AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION Kurt Konhauser and Graham Pearson
Canadian Arctic scientist JOHN ENGLAND (earth and atmospheric sciences) has been named to the Order of Canada for his lifelong contributions to research in the Canadian Arctic and environmental advocacy. A professor emeritus, England’s career spans more than 50 years of research, including 45 field seasons, covering the entire Canadian Arctic Archipelago from Baffin Island in the east, to Ellesmere Island in the north, to Banks Island in the southwest. “I’ve always been passionately Canadian,” says England. “The Order of Canada is being recognized for a contribution to your country, and that’s really special. It could easily be overlooked: all the things you’ve done, all the efforts you’ve made.”
Metabolomics expert LIANG LI (chemistry) has been inducted into the Royal Society of Canada, the country’s oldest and most prestigious scholarly institute. “I am really honoured to be recognized in this way,” says Li, co-scientific director of The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC). “It is a credit to the current and former members of my lab as well as our many collaborators. It is not just a recognition of myself, but of my lab’s research. I feel very humbled.” Li’s research is focused on developing new analytical tools and applying them for the discovery of biomarkers for many health indicators, including dementia and diabetes. His recent research has included paving the way for a saliva test designed to detect Alzheimer’s disease with fellow scientist Roger Dixon (psychology).
Two earth and atmospheric science researchers were named fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the world’s largest geological organization. KURT KONHAUSER and GRAHAM PEARSON were recognized for their visionary leadership and scientific excellence in the field of earth science. Konhauser’s research investigates the evolution of early life on Earth, beginning with understanding how and when our planet first became rich in oxygen. Konhauser is also a dedicated champion of diversity, with a specific focus on fostering connections with Indigenous people. Pearson is a world-renowned expert in the field of diamond research and exploration. He also leads the NSERC-funded Diamond Exploration and Research Training School (DERTS), a unique graduate program that unites students together that connects students with industry. PHOTO: UNI V ER SI T Y OF A L BER TA
PHOTO: JOHN UL A N
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS THIS YEAR, two Faculty of Science alumni have been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award, the UAlberta Alumni Association’s highest honour. Donald Enarson (’69 BSc, ’70 MD) and Ram Deva Mehta (’72 PhD) are recognized for a lifetime of outstanding accomplishments in their respective fields.
Donald Enarson (’69 BSc, ’70 MD)
Ram Deva Mehta (’72 PhD)
30
DONALD ENARSON is a scientist, professor, and medical doctor with a strong sense of social justice whose work revolutionized the control of tuberculosis (TB) and lung disease around the world. Enarson was one of the first scientists to make the connection between tuberculosis and poverty. His research on the treatment of tuberculosis was adopted by the World Health Organization in 1994 and became policy around the world. During his extensive travels, he watched for promising young physicians and mentored them in TB control, creating a web of experts in low- and middle-income countries who carry on the work to save millions of lives.
Microbiologist RAM DEVA MEHTA’S groundbreaking work in genetic toxicology—evaluating chemicals for cancer-causing characteristics by testing how they interact with our DNA—is helping to make the chemicals we use safer. In 1984, Mehta founded one of the first genetic toxicology labs in Canada, PBR Laboratories Inc. In his time there, Mehta developed testing methods that did not use animals and conducted significant research. Mehta passionately believes in the right to basic education and has co-founded three charitable organizations that are making education accessible to children living in marginalized communities in India, Nepal, and Canada.
C O N T O U R S ■ FA L L / W I N T E R 2 019
ALUMNI WEEKEND
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR OUR 2019 ALUMNI WEEKEND CELEBRATIONS.
FRIDAY IM AGE S: V I V ID RIBBON PHOTOGR A PH Y
FRIDAY
FRIDAY EVENING included a warm welcome from our new dean, Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, at the Dean’s Reception, followed by three stimulating presentations from researchers at Science Talks and an introduction from alumnus and former Daily Planet host, Dan Riskin (’97 BSc, pictured top right).
SATURDAY SATURDAY AFTERNOON was a dynamic experience for alumni and their families, including many science experiments and demonstrations, as well as tours of our labs and museums.
S AT URDAY IM AGE S: DAW N GR AV E S
UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S
31
CONTOURS SHAPE THE WORLD
Faculty of Science 6-194 CCIS University of Alberta Edmonton, AB Canada T6G 2E1
Publications Mail Agreement No: 40063605
