Contours Summer 2021

CONTOURS VOLUME 38, 2021

SH A P E T HE W ORL D

ualberta.ca/science

CONTOURS SHAPE THE WORLD

VOLUME 38, 2021

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.

Contours is dedicated to highlighting the collective achievements of the Faculty of Science community. It is distributed to alumni and friends of the faculty.

Interim Dean of College of Natural and Applied Sciences Matina KalcounisRueppell

Contributing writers Andrew Lyle Julie Naylor Tom Ndekezi Katie Willis

Acting Dean of Science Frederick West

Designer Lara Minja, Lime Design

Editors Editor Katie Willis Associate Editor Andrew Lyle

Photographers Dawn Graves John Ulan Proofreader Philip Mail

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

UAlbertaScience

Bringing science to you The Faculty of Science is home to museums and collections that showcase a remarkable depth and breadth of research. Each year these museums and collections are accessed by hundreds of students, researchers from all over the globe, the public, summer programs, and school groups. Now we are bringing them to you—wherever you are.

Explore some of the Faculty of Science's world-renowned collections and facilities at uab.ca/scitours.

CONTENTS 6

Dean’s message

7

Byte-size science

8

Science news

+ Zebra finches choose nest materials based on past success

+ AI innovator named to Royal Society + What goes up + Scientist briefs U.S. policy-makers on technology to remove carbon dioxide from atmosphere

+ Plaque-fighting protein protects against Alzheimer’s

+ Tiny crustaceans’ claws capable of

fastest repeatable movements ever seen in marine animals

12 Vital statistician Modernizing Canada’s census for a COVID-19 world 16 Tried and tested chemistry Spinoff company partners with Alberta Health Services 19 Working through it New graduate shares her experience in the Science Internship Program 22 Going the distance Graduate reimagines the future of health care 26 12 ways to combat discrimination in STEM 30 A year of perseverance The search for signs of life on the red planet 34 Alumni Perspectives Ellie Ardakani (’16 PhD) Crossing the Hidden Bridge GLOVER'S SILKMOTH (HYALOPHORA GLOVERI), E.H. STRICKLAND ENTOMOLOGICAL MUSEUM

IN THE FIELD

4

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

OUR FARTHEST IN THE FIELD PHOTO YET COMES AFTER A JOURNEY OF MORE THAN 480 MILLION KILOMETRES—FROM THE SURFACE OF MARS. IN FEBRUARY, NASA’S PERSEVERANCE ROVER LANDED ON THE RED PLANET AND BEGAN ITS MISSION TO ANALYZE AND COLLECT ROCK SAMPLES IN THE HUNT FOR EVIDENCE OF PAST MICROBIAL LIFE ON MARS. HEAR FROM CHRIS HERD (EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES) ON HIS ROLE AS A RETURNED-SAMPLE SCIENTIST ON THE PERSEVERANCE MISSION, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT SCIENTISTS CAN LEARN FROM THESE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE ROCKS ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE. READ MORE ON PAGE 30.

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

5

N A S A /JPL-CA LT ECH

JOURNEY TO MARS

DEAN’S MESSAGE

LOOKING AHEAD THESE CHANGES ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE ON AND PROVIDE MORE EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS. THE NEW COLLEGE WILL OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES WE PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS WE DELIVER.

Dear Faculty of Science alumni, donors, supporters, and friends,

I

am delighted to share the 2021 edition of Contours with you.

Inside, you will find a collection of stories describing the groundbreaking research, formative learning experiences, and remarkable people that make up the Faculty of Science—and the continued success of the faculty despite the challenges of the past year.

Please read, enjoy, and share them with your networks.

There are changes ahead for the Faculty of Science and the University of Alberta. As of July 1, the faculty is part of a College of Natural and Applied Sciences, alongside our colleagues in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES) and the Faculty of Engineering. I have been appointed interim dean of this college. This is a

6 CONTOUR S

■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

two-year post, after which I will return to the Faculty of Science to complete my term as dean. During this time, Fred West will be the acting dean of the Faculty of Science.

Fred is an experienced leader, scientist, and educator who embodies the values of the Faculty of Science. Fred and I will continue to work closely together in our new roles.

These changes are an opportunity to consider ways we can improve on and provide more experiences for our students and researchers.

The new college will offer opportunities to improve the administrative services we provide that support the research and academic programs we deliver.

There are also opportunities for enhancing collaboration across faculties to benefit our students and researchers.

Our faculties already work together effectively and have many collaborations.

The new college will allow us to build on this history of collaboration, and there are many exciting opportunities ahead for the Faculty of Science.

Your support has made our success possible throughout the tumult of the last year. Because of you, we have continued to uphold our commitment to providing exceptional teaching and learning experiences for our students

and conducting groundbreaking research. Thank you for all that you do to champion the Faculty of Science.

Sincerely, Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell Interim Dean, College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Dear Faculty of Science supporters,

I

t is my pleasure to connect with you in this issue of our alumni and friends magazine. For the next two years, I will be acting dean in the Faculty of Science, and I am looking forward to getting to know many of you in this new role.

This year at the University of Alberta has been like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every component of life on campus, from the way we conduct research to the move to remote learning. Our community is responding to unprecedented budget reductions with an institution-wide restructuring initiative called the U of A for Tomorrow.

Despite these many challenges, the Faculty of Science continues to thrive.

In the last year, we have seen remarkable growth in numbers that reflect our

BYTE-SIZE

After a journey of 480 million kilometres, NASA’s Mars rover is collecting samples of Martian rocks.

Read more on page 30.

mission of teaching and research. Demand for our graduate and undergraduate programs is strong. In September 2021, we will be home to more than 7,000 undergraduate students—the highest number of concurrent students in our faculty’s history. Our exceptional research programs have garnered $88.4 million in research funding this year. And finally, we have made significant strides in our efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusivity and in cultivating a welcoming and inclusive climate.

I came to the Faculty of Science in 2002 as a new faculty member in the Department of Chemistry.

During the last 20 years, I have served as a professor, interim department chair, associate chair (research), and vice-dean. I am honoured to step into the role of acting dean for the next two years and to act as a champion for the Faculty of Science within our new campus model.

The Faculty of Science and the University of Alberta have a challenge ahead as we work to implement the administrative and academic elements of the U of A for Tomorrow restructuring. I am confident that our faculty will thrive as part of this new configuration, under the college leadership of Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell.

As we forge ahead into this new territory, we are more grateful than ever for the support of you, our alumni, donors, and friends. Thank you.

Frederick G. West Acting Dean, Faculty of Science

1,221 individuals joined us live for Science Connects webinars in 2020-21. The webinars were viewed more than 4,500 times.

Check them out at uab.ca/scitalks.

100

15,000

480M

A drop of 15,000 feet in 30 seconds let U of A students experience weightlessness.

Read more on page 9.

12 LEARN

TINY CRUSTACEANS SNAP THEIR CLAWS AT A RATE OF 100 KILOMETRES PER HOUR.

12 new ways to combat discrimination in STEM.

Read more on page 11.

Read more on page 26.

Our virtual tours were viewed nearly 8,000 times.

120 students participated in our work-integrated internship program in the 2020-21 academic year.

Read more on page 19.

See them for yourself at uab.ca/scitours.

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

ZEBRA FINCHES CHOOSE NEST MATERIALS BASED ON PAST SUCCESS A FEMALE (LEFT) AND MALE ZEBRA FINCH. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE BIRDS' PRIOR EXPERIENCE RAISING CHICKS INFLUENCES WHETHER THEY STICK WITH TRIED-AND-TRUE MATERIALS OR TRY SOMETHING

IM AGE SUPPL IED

NEW WHEN BUILDING NESTS.

B

IRDS THAT HAVE successfully raised families stick with triedand-true methods when building their nests, whereas less successful birds will try something new, according to a new study.

“We found that when presented with a choice between a familiar material, coconut fibre, and a never-before-encountered material, white string, zebra finches who had successfully raised chicks preferred to stick with the same material they had

8 CONTOUR S

■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

previously used,” says PhD student Andrés Camacho-Alpízar (psychology). “Birds who failed to raise chicks built nests with equal amounts of familiar and novel material.”

The research shows that nest building is a behaviour based on learning and experiences, and sheds new light on the decision-making processes birds use when creating nests. The study also showed that all birds took fewer days to complete their second nest compared with their first nest.

“This study adds to the small but growing area of research about nest-building behaviour that challenges long-held assumptions about why animals do what they do,” explains Lauren Guillette (psychology), who is Camacho-Alpízar’s supervisor. “While one can find many references in the literature that suggest nest building in birds is entirely preprogrammed, our work shows that birds learn and modify the material they put into their nest based on past breeding experiences with that or similar material.”

AI INNOVATOR NAMED TO ROYAL SOCIETY

BY MICHAEL BROWN

I

N MAY 2021, Rich Sutton (computing science) was elected as a fellow of the venerable Royal Society, the world’s oldest national scientific institution, for pioneering contributions to machine learning.

Sutton, who came to the U of A in 2003, is a fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). He also holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the institute and is one of the founders and foremost experts of modern computational reinforcement learning. He was called to the United Kingdom’s 360-year-old national academy of sciences for pioneering an approach to artificial and natural intelligence that emphasizes learning and planning similar to how humans learn through trial and error. It is a field in which he continues to lead the world.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to join the ranks of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin as a fellow of the Royal Society,” says Sutton, who is also the chief

scientific adviser for Amii, an Edmonton-based organization designed to advance scientific research and accelerate the adoption of AI in industry in in the province.

Sutton’s renown and innovation immediately legitimized efforts to create an artificial intelligence hub in Edmonton with the U of A at its apex.

Proof of that came in July 2017, when DeepMind chose Edmonton as the location of its first international research lab outside the U.K. At the time, DeepMind CEO and cofounder Demis Hassabis said the company chose Edmonton because of its relationship with Sutton and the U of A’s computing science program.

WHAT GOES UP

STUDENTS EXPERIMENT WITH SIMULATED ZERO-GRAVITY CONDITIONS ON PARABOLIC FLIGHT

A L BER TA S AT, UNI V ER SI T Y OF IOWA , N A S A , ZERO-G

B

EFORE THE PANDEMIC, in November 2019, a group of undergraduate students had the chance of a lifetime to experience zero gravity—and to conduct scientific experiments while they did so.

“Parabolic flights are commonly used as a test bed for systems designed to perform in the microgravity environment of space,” explains graduate student Katelyn Ball (physics), AlbertaSat team member. “The plane drops 15,000 feet in about 30 seconds, giving the passengers and experiments on board about 20 seconds of weightlessness.”

The AlbertaSat team built and launched the first made-in-Alberta satellite, Ex-Alta 1, and is hard at work on its next satellite, Ex-Alta 2, which will capture wildfire data from orbit and continue the space weather monitoring started on Ex-Alta 1. The students used the parabolic flight to test an articulated boom that will deploy a magnetometer sensor away from the magnetically noisy spacecraft.

“The University of Alberta’s space program aims to combine the development, testing, and rapid prototyping of innovative new space technology with a unique space-based training,” says Ian Mann (physics), AlbertaSat faculty adviser. “Our goal is to ensure that Alberta fully benefits from the economic opportunities presented by taking a leadership role in the new space race.”

Clockwise, from left: Danny Harris, Jari Swanson, David Miles, Sam Hisel, Emma Rigby, and Katelyn Ball shown with the boom deployment test rig, ready for flight.

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

PLAQUE-FIGHTING PROTEIN PROTECTS AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S

S

SCIENTIST BRIEFS U.S. POLICY-MAKERS ON TECHNOLOGY TO REMOVE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM ATMOSPHERE

S

ASHA WILSON (Earth and atmospheric sciences) brought her expertise in mineral carbonation to a panel for U.S. officials in December 2020 in hopes of reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide on a mass scale.

Wilson and her colleagues from American non-profit Energy Futures Initiative co-led a panel for U.S. congressional staff on mineral carbonation and its potential for implementation in the United States.

“There is increasing awareness that carbon neutrality will not be enough to mitigate the worst impacts of anthropogenic climate change,” explains Wilson. “We need to go net negative by implementing carbon dioxide removal.

“The best ways to achieve this immense feat at scale are to use carbon dioxide removal technologies that have co-benefits. We have an opportunity to use two waste streams—carbon dioxide and mineral wastes—together to make useful products to grow the circular economy and clean-tech jobs.”

Mineral carbonation is the process of permanently capturing carbon dioxide in solids rich in magnesium and calcium. While this process occurs naturally in rocks, scientists have developed a method of mineral carbonation that uses waste materials, such as mine tailings, to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide.

While this work was focused on implementation in the United States, many of the recommendations are also relevant to Canada.

10 C O N T O U R S

■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

CIENTISTS HAVE IDENTIFIED a version of a protein that decreases the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease—a discovery that highlights a new potential avenue for developing therapeutic treatments.

The protein, called CD33, is known for its connection to Alzheimer’s disease susceptibility, but its exact role was unclear until now.

There are two versions, or isoforms, of the CD33 protein: a long version that increases susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease and a short version that decreases the chance of getting the debilitating neurodegenerative disease.

“We found that the short isoform has a completely different and opposite function from the long isoform,” explains Matthew Macauley (chemistry). “The short version of the CD33 protein makes immune cells in the brain, called microglia, better able to consume plaque-causing proteins, which contrasts to the long versions of CD33, which we previously showed represses this process.”

About 10 per cent of the population have the version of the CD33 protein that causes them to make more of the short isoform of CD33—which means that 90 per cent of people could benefit from a therapeutic intervention, Macauley explains. “Our ultimate goal is to translate this new information into a therapeutic treatment strategy.

There are several different avenues to accomplish this, which we are pursuing with new funding our laboratory has received.”

Macaulay is an investigator with GlycoNet, a Canadawide network of researchers based at the U of A who are working to further understand biological roles for sugars.

A R T HUR A NK ER

TINY CRUSTACEANS’ CLAWS CAPABLE OF FASTEST REPEATABLE MOVEMENTS EVER SEEN IN MARINE ANIMALS

A

GROUP OF CRUSTACEANS called amphipods can accelerate as fast as a bullet—literally.

A new study shows that a tiny and unusual species is responsible for making the fastest repeatable movements yet known for any animal in water.

“The high speeds of these repeatable movements reach nearly 30 metres per second or more than 100 kilometres per hour,” explains professor emeritus

Richard Palmer (biological sciences).

“They have the highest accelerations of any animal in water, reaching more than 0.5 million metres per second squared, which is close to the acceleration of a bullet.”

Amphipods are a type of crustacean related to marine beach hoppers and freshwater scuds. Male amphipods use their large claws to make ultra-fast, repeatable snapping motions. The snaps

make a popping sound and create rapid water jets that may be used to defend their territory. As Palmer notes, the mechanism that allows amphipods to create such high-speed movements repeatedly could inspire human engineering efforts.

“This may suggest novel engineering solutions to design and build small structures that can move extremely fast over and over.”

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

11

WHEN ANIL ARORA EMBARKED ON MODERNIZING STATISTICS CANADA FOUR YEARS AGO, HE NEVER IMAGINED A PANDEMIC WOULD THRUST THE AGENCY’S WORK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT MORE THAN EVER.

I

n an average year, Statistics Canada runs about 400 different programs. And in 2021, two additional—and sizable—projects were added to the list: the Census of Population, which is shared with every household across the country, and the Census of Agriculture. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, Arora (’85 BSc[Spec]) knew that Statistics Canada had to shift to prioritize key things Canadians needed now.

As Canada’s chief statistician, Arora sought to make the agency more relevant and user-centric, to use new tools, and to find new innovative ways to equip staff with secure but mobile infrastructure.

“The investments we were putting in place were so well timed,” says Arora from his home office in Ottawa. “In a sense one could say we were just lucky, but our journey to be able to be more helpful during this crisis in fact started a few years back. The pandemic accelerated our plans to shift our infrastructure. We had to identify the things that were most crucial and then figure out how to do them in new ways.”

THE PANDEMIC EFFECT Arora also knew Canada had to get far more data on how the pandemic was disproportionately affecting certain groups, including certain ethnocultural communities. “Women and youth were disproportionately impacted,” he notes, “and we knew other groups were going to be far more affected than others.” In response, new data were collected through the Labour Force Survey to capture these nuances and by June 2020, Statistics Canada put out far more detailed data on COVID-19’s impact in the labour market.

Under Arora’s leadership, the Statistics Canada team conducted more than 1.5 million telephone calls to support provinces and regional health authorities doing COVID-19 contact tracing. They quickly developed and helped manage the standards and underlying data infrastructure for the distribution of PPE inventory. They developed and executed a survey on the prevalence of antibodies in the population, vaccinations, and vaccine hesitancy, sharing results on an ongoing basis.

The result? Statistics Canada produced an incredible amount of additional information beyond what would be collected in a normal

VI STATI B y J U L I E N AY L O R

Photogr aphy by JOHN UL A N

MODERNIZING CANADA’S CENSUS FOR A COVID-19 WORLD

ANIL ARORA (’85 BSc[Spec]) SERVES AS CANADA'S CHIEF STATISTICIAN FROM HIS HOME IN OTTAWA.

12

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

ITAL ISTICIAN

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

13

“WE PUT OUT MORE THAN 100 ANALYTIC PRODUCTS—FROM BUSINESSES OPENING AND CLOSING TO MENTAL HEALTH, TO HOW STUDENTS ARE DOING DURING THIS CRISIS, TO HOW MUNICIPALITIES ARE FARING. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED.”

year, working to provide the kind of underlying data people need to continue to make good, data-driven decisions during the pandemic.

“It wasn’t just about saying, ‘Here are the data,’ ” he explains, “but rather working with partners to provide them with the information needed to make decisions. We put out more than 100 analytic products—from businesses opening and closing to mental health, to how students are doing during this crisis, to how municipalities are faring. This is unprecedented.”

SETTING THE STAGE Arriving in Canada from India when he was 11, Arora’s family settled in Edmonton. Living in Alberta, Arora naturally thought a career in the oil and gas sector was the best choice, so he enrolled in petroleum geology at the U of A. He followed his undergraduate degree with studies in computing science, governance, and business administration, which steered him to the field of statistics. His career took him through the energy sector, natural resources, health and policy, and in 2016 to Statistics Canada as chief statistician.

“I look at a career as a compilation of micro-decisions that one makes over time that have elements of luck, of preparedness, of networking, and the decision that you ultimately make at that particular point then leads you to the next crossroad, which then opens up additional doors,” reflects Arora.

Now responsible for the functioning of a department that grows to nearly 40,000 staff in the year of the census, Arora works across jurisdictions, provinces and territories, municipalities, government departments, and the private sector, to ensure decision-makers have the information needed to make informed, quality decisions that better the lives of Canadians.

Arora’s approach has not been just to do more; it is to do it smarter, do it better, and then expand into partnerships with others. He believes Statistics Canada has been successful because it has a well-developed innovation ecosystem within the agency in which talented people are not afraid to come forward and try new ideas.

14

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

What exactly is the census?

Every five years all Canadian households are asked to participate in the Census of Population. Sound familiar? The year 2021 is a census year. Census collection continues until all questionnaires are completed.

The vital information that Canadians provide formulates the census database, which helps decision-makers across the country make a huge number of decisions—from transfers of tens of billions of dollars between levels of government annually, to redrawing federal jurisdictions and electoral districts, to informing federal immigration policy and beyond.

Learn more about Canada’s 2021 census at census.gc.ca.

“I LOOK AT A CAREER AS A COMPILATION OF MICRODECISIONS THAT ONE MAKES OVER TIME THAT HAVE ELEMENTS OF LUCK, OF PREPAREDNESS, OF NETWORKING, AND THE DECISION THAT YOU ULTIMATELY MAKE AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT THEN LEADS YOU TO THE NEXT CROSSROAD, WHICH THEN OPENS UP ADDITIONAL DOORS.”

“BIG DATA IS PLAYING A HUGE ROLE IN SOCIETY AND IN MANY CASES IT’S ENABLING NEW BUSINESS MODELS TO EMERGE. IT’S ALLOWING FOR PEOPLE TO SPOT HIDDEN TRENDS THAT THEY NEVER SUSPECTED.”

Nearly all Canadians—98.4 per cent—completed the 2016 census. “We are a country with citizens who understand the value, the use and utility of the data,” says Arora. “Citizens trust Statistics Canada because of how we do things and the confidentiality that’s assured, so that’s why we get these very, very high levels of participation.”

CANADA’S 2021 CENSUS Arora is hard pressed to find an area not touched in some way by the census.

“The census is crucial to how our society functions. It is the output, playing a very active role in the well-functioning government system that we have within this country.”

Last year Arora and the census team redesigned several pieces of the census to adjust for the current context. In a normal year, an interview team would head to northern communities in January or February. Instead, they had to shift the timing of the census to avoid sending teams across the country and putting communities at risk. Instead, they worked to enable the communities themselves, hired locally, and provided the ability for everybody to complete the census online. Where it could not be done online, paper and telephone options were provided.

ON THE HORIZON “I think it’s an understatement to say that we’re seeing an explosion of data,” says Arora. “Ninety per cent of the data that has been created was created in the last two years and that trend just continues to increase.”

The amount of data is growing and so is the underlying infrastructure. With a plethora of devices collecting data in one form or another—from Fitbits to satellites—many organizations consider themselves more data organizations than service providers or commodities.

“This is where you see the emergence of data science integrated with new tools. Machine learning, natural language processing, and so on, which give us the ability to use massive amounts of data,” he says. “Big data is playing a huge role in society and in many cases it’s enabling new business models to emerge. It’s allowing for people to spot hidden trends that they never suspected.”

But Arora notes that this shift also raises concerns around privacy, control, ownership, and access. Data stewardship is important—a way for information to provide greater utility and value for Canadians. For organizations like Statistics Canada, good practices, transparency, expertise, and privacy protection can turn quantity of data into quality insights. Moving in this direction depends on data security, Arora explains.

“Data stewardship is going to play a fundamental role in our future because that’s how we can serve Canadians: policy-makers, academic institutions, researchers, businesses and average, everyday Canadians that need data for the decisions they make about their households and their loved ones every day. I think that’s the future of this agency.” +

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

15

TRIED + TESTED CHEMISTRY SPINOFF COMPANY APPLIED QUANTUM MATERIALS PARTNERS WITH ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES TO PRODUCE REAGENTS FOR COVID-19 TESTS. 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

T

esting for COVID-19 is a critical part of Canada’s strategy for overcoming the pandemic—but COVID-19 tests require specialized reagents that aren’t easy to come by. The solution? University of Alberta spinoff company Applied Quantum Materials Inc. (AQM) is putting its chemical production expertise to work to provide these critical components in a partnership with Alberta Health Services.

“These reagents—or ‘magnetic beads’—used in standard nucleic acid testing are the gold standard for molecular tests,” says Stacey Hume

16 C O N T O U R S

■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

(’94 BSc[Hons], ’03 PhD), associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Medical Genetics. “And until now, Canada did not have any local suppliers of this critical medical reagent within the country.”

The partnership began when Hume, a graduate of the Faculty of Science, identified the need to increase production of the reagents.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented demand for medical reagents around the world. Canada’s supply chain for critical personal protective equipment and medical diagnostics is limited and our system is highly dependent on foreign suppliers.

JON VEINOT (LEFT) AND STACEY HUME (’94 BSc[HONS], ’03 PhD) ARE PICTURED IN THE APPLIED QUANTUM MATERIALS INC. LAB IN EDMONTON.

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

17

“THIS IS A HIGH-QUALITY, MADE-IN-ALBERTA PRODUCT THAT REDUCES CANADA’S DEPENDENCY ON FOREIGN SUPPLIERS. OUR TECHNOLOGY IS VERSATILE AND CAN BE USED FOR ALL NUCLEIC ACID EXTRACTION PROCESSES, SO EVEN WHEN COVID DISSIPATES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NEED FOR OUR PRODUCT.”

WORKING HARD Our scientists are working today to solve the problems of tomorrow, addressing some of society’s most pressing concerns.

Learn more about innovation at the University of Alberta at ualberta.ca/ innovation-generator.

“AQM was able to respond quickly and effectively because of our team— all of whom are University of Alberta alumni,” says Jon Veinot (chemistry), chief technology officer and co-founder of AQM. “They understand the processes involved in nanoparticle preparation and tailoring the material properties, giving our team the skills and dedication needed to pivot quickly to produce these reagents.”

The reagents are an integral component of a COVID test. When patient samples are delivered to the lab, a portion is treated to break open the virus and expose its genetic material. The critical step involves

18

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

adding magnetic silicon nanoparticle beads, which bind to all genetic material. This genetic material is then tested to determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus is present, indicating whether the patient has a COVID infection.

“During the initial outbreak of the pandemic, my lab helped with COVID-19 testing as we had all the equipment required,” explains Hume.

“I became aware of how difficult it was to acquire the reagent for the COVID tests. Continuous supply and quality of product from international suppliers were both proving to be issues.”

Hume reached out to a few potential partners, including AQM, to explore production of the reagents required—and after many trials AQM’s reagents were found to perform the best, resulting in improved detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The ability to produce these important reagents during the pandemic is not only a success story for AQM and the U of A, but for the entire province as well, the AQM team said.

“This is a high-quality, made-inAlberta product that reduces Canada’s dependency on foreign suppliers,” says David Antoniuk, CEO of AQM and a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering.

“Our technology is versatile and can be used for all nucleic acid extraction processes, so even when COVID dissipates, there will always be a need for our product.

“Our efforts have created exciting jobs for university graduates at a time when Alberta is transitioning and diversifying its economy. This reduces our import-to-export ratio and keeps more wealth in Alberta.” +

By TOM NDEKEZI P h o t o g r a p h y b y D AW N G R AV E S

WORKING THROUGH IT

New graduate Reihaneh Abtahi shares her experience of working in the Science Internship Program—despite the challenges of COVID-19.

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

19

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT MANY LESSONS, NOT LEAST OF WHICH IS ADAPTABILITY. THE WORLD OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IS NO EXCEPTION, AND OVER THE LAST 16 MONTHS, STUDENTS HAVE ADAPTED TO REMOTE COURSEWORK, INSTRUCTORS HAVE DEVELOPED INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SHARE COURSE MATERIALS, AND MANY OF US HAVE LEARNED HOW TO WORK FROM HOME.

F

or students engaged in work-integrated learning through the Science Internship Program (SIP), the challenges of the first work placement of their scientific careers were accentuated by COVID-19—and none of those students felt them more than those in the medical field. New psychology graduate Reihaneh Abtahi (BSc ’21) faced those challenges head-on. During the first few weeks of her internship at the Royal Alexandra Hospital analyzing data from COVID-19 patients, the stakes could not have been higher.

“I remember that for the first two weeks, it was really challenging for me to work full time. I was never that busy during university,” Abtahi says. “I knew that if I entered something wrong into the data, everything would be messed up. Whenever I recorded information, I was constantly double-checking everything I did.”

Abtahi’s research was part of a national project analyzing the retrospective data of COVID-19 patients admitted to emergency wards. Her internship began in September 2020, just as the province was entering what would eventually become the pandemic’s second wave. There in the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s medical records room, Abtahi was watching the numbers climb.

“It was really hard to keep up, and honestly, we couldn’t,” she says. “We couldn’t keep up or always be on time entering data from the charts into the computer because the workload and pace of incoming cases was unbelievable.”

If the classroom was the frying pan, this was definitely the fire. But it was also an up-close look into a medical field that Abtahi has been intent on for most of her life, and an opportunity that came about thanks to the SIP. LEARNING ON THE JOB Born in Iran, Abtahi and her family emigrated to Edmonton in 2012. Her focus has been on becoming

20

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

“I decided to go to the U of A specifically because of this internship program. Some staff from the U of A came to my high school and told us about the SIP, where you can take up to 16 months out of class to go experience real-life jobs and situations.”

—Reihaneh Abtahi

a doctor for as long as she can remember—“My interest was always medicine,” she explains—but it was the internship program that persuaded her to set her sights on the University of Alberta.

“I decided to go to the U of A specifically because of this internship program,” she says. “Some staff from the U of A came to my high school and told us about the SIP, where you can take up to 16 months out of class to go experience real-life jobs and situations.”

Like many undergraduates, Abtahi found the first few years out of high school were a bit of a rude awakening.

“University was really a different experience than I had expected,” she says.

There was also the pressure to build a resumé that could meet the demands of medical school admissions officers. Abtahi quickly amassed volunteer hours working in hospitals, but she soon found herself drawn to extracurriculars for reasons that went beyond getting into medical school. “I began looking for extracurriculars because of med school, and at some point I realized I had enough to put on my resumé,” she says. “But I wanted more. I wanted to join other groups. At some point, I realized that it’s not just about studying medicine.”

That meant continuing to volunteer at hospitals and as an undergraduate mentor with the Faculty of Science, but also joining the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Student Society (AIMSS) as its vicepresident of communications.

KEEPING UP THE GOOD WORK Ultimately, Abtahi still had her sights on the Science Internship Program that attracted her to the University of Alberta in the first place. The SIP allows Faculty of Science undergraduate students to integrate work experience into their degree in four-month work periods, up to a maximum of 16 months. It’s

Reihaneh Abtahi completed her internship at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton through the Science Internship Program.

This program allows students to integrate up to 16 months of work experience into their undergraduate studies. Learn more at uab.ca/sip.

on-the-job training that helps students develop hands-on skills while engaging with research opportunities that supplement their classroom learning— an invaluable opportunity when it comes time to take that next step into the workforce or graduate studies.

After a year of searching for an internship, Abtahi found a research assistant position at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for the Fall 2020 semester. While the focus of the placement was outside of her psychology major, Abtahi was excited by the idea of gaining experience in another field—namely health data analysis.

She was supervised by two doctors at the hospital, and with the help of a few nurses who were assigned to the project alongside her, she input and interpreted anonymized data from COVID-19 patients.

“I wouldn’t have found this internship if it weren’t for SIP and I am grateful to have gotten this experience a few years earlier than I would have expected,” says Abtahi. “To anyone considering the internship program, keep looking for the right position and don’t give up. Getting work experience in a field you love is the most valuable and unforgettable experience.”

Her unfamiliarity with medical terminology initially made for a steep learning curve, but her experience as an undergraduate student mentor had taught

“To anyone considering the internship program, keep looking for the right position and don’t give up.

Getting work experience in a field you love is the most valuable and unforgettable experience.”

—Reihaneh Abtahi

her the importance of never being afraid to ask questions—particularly on a project as important as this.

“During that first month, I asked lots of questions, and sometimes I felt bad,” Abtahi says. “But I realized that I shouldn’t, because the accuracy I needed to have for this research project was even more critical.”

As a mentor, she advises undergraduate students to maintain a willingness to learn, no matter the feelings of uncertainty that might come with it. Many of the students are just beginning their own academic journeys. That willingness to learn is the mindset that allowed her to survive the trial by fire of working through the pandemic’s second wave, and even have her internship extended beyond its initial four-month term.

Now having finished her degree, Abtahi’s focus is still on medical school, but thanks to the workintegrated learning experience she gained during her internship placement, she feels ready for whatever her next challenge may be.

“My plan for my future kind of changed. I realized I don’t want to only study until I get accepted to medical school,” she says. “I had the chance to be a research assistant and learn a lot on the job. This opportunity caused me to realize that I love research more than I thought. I want to continue on this path.” +

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

21

GOING THE DISTANCE B y K AT I E W I L L I S / P h o t o g r a p h y b y D AW N G R AV E S

Graduate reimagines the future of health care

22

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

E

It started with a poster, but it soon became her noble cause.

“The limited access to health care in some of Alberta’s rural regions can be a bit shocking if you haven’t experienced it before,” says Talwinder Punni (’16 BSc), co-founder and CFO at Naiad Lab Inc. “I remember asking myself, how is this happening in Alberta, or in Canada? This fuelled us to charge forward.”

TALWINDER PUNNI (’16 BSC) CO-FOUNDED EDMONTON-BASED SPINOFF COMPANY NAIAD LAB INC.

Ev en ov er a v ideo call, it’s clear that Punni’s passion for her work is fierce and genuine. That passion was ignited by a research poster on the wall of Pierre Boulanger’s office.

“Esmat and I were in Pierre’s office to talk about another project when I saw a poster on his office wall: MedROAD,” she says with a smile.

The project that caught Punni’s attention, MedROAD, promises to be the future of telehealth, using the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based computing to remotely connect patients with health-care professionals—no matter where they are.

“The MedROAD system is a medical-grade virtual clinic that allows patients and doctors to conduct appointments remotely,” explains Esmatullah Naikyar, director and CEO of Naiad Lab. “On the patient’s side, there is an Android app that collects data from portable medical-grade devices and sends it to a cloud-based server.

The physician can then see this data and communicate with other users via video conference.”

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

23

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS MedROAD was set up for success early on with an infusion of funding from Cisco Canada. “If it wasn’t for Cisco’s initiative, I do not think we would have had proper funding to drive the project,” says Naikyar.

“They have set an exceptional example of industryfunded research that enables educational institutions to advance and create spinoff companies.”

“This happened because we were at the U of A, with access to the professors and scientists who are experts in their field,” adds Punni. “It is an incredible resource. We’re surrounded by people who are truly extraordinary, who are doing some amazing, almost unbelievable work.”

In February 2020, Punni and Naikyar incorporated the company Naiad Lab. And by September, the company launched its first pilot project in Pincher Creek, Alta., about 200 kilometres south of Calgary.

The Pincher Creek pilot connects 37 patients with physicians in a medical-grade virtual clinic. Many patients are managing chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Tests, such as taking blood pressure and measuring glucose levels, are done remotely, either by a nurse using a kit in the patient’s home or in a remote clinic. At the same time, the patient is in contact with a primary care doctor through the MedROAD multimedia platform, which allows for asynchronous communication.

EARLY SUCCESS Boulanger, a professor (computing science) who holds the Cisco Research Chair in Healthcare Solutions, has been conducting research on health care, AI, and remote medicine for years. MedROAD is now a project of Naiad Lab, a spinoff company developed at the University of Alberta by Boulanger with the mission of bringing technology from the lab into the world.

“The MedROAD virtual clinic involves an exchange of medical data that is captured through our system,” adds Boulanger. “Using an intelligent algorithm, health-care professionals can securely look at the trends in vital statistics in any particular patient—for example, moderating medication for a patient who has chronic high blood pressure.”

2 4

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

The purpose of MedROAD is to make the lives of care teams and patients easier by providing one secure and centralized place where all of a patient’s medical information is available. And for patients without easily accessible health-care services, MedROAD can make a world of difference.

“This tool is designed to make the lives of doctors and patients easier,” says Punni. “Lack of access to medical care for patients with chronic issues can quickly snowball into more serious problems with more severe outcomes.”

Punni recounts a story from a patient in Pincher Creek, who worked with a physician in real time to

“The data is simple.

The numbers for chronic care in our province keep going up.”

try a new blood pressure medication. Over a few days, the patient and physician stayed connected through the MedROAD interface and it became clear the medication was causing adverse effects.

“The doctor was able to intervene and adjust at an early stage, avoiding a serious reaction that, if left unchecked, could have meant hospitalization,” said Punni. “This is all the more important when you realize that the nearest emergency room was a long drive from this patient’s home.”

In addition to helping avoid a harrowing trip to the ER, this type of preventive care and early detection can also save money. The average cost for a hospital stay in acute care in Alberta is $8,007; the Canadian average is $6,098, Punni notes.

FUTURE FOCUS Now, the MedROAD tea m is exploring new partnerships, including with remote communities and Indigenous groups. “Parts of our province are severely underserved in terms of health care,” says Boulanger.

“MedROAD hopes to change that.”

Naiad Lab is also focused on developing AI that will allow the MedROAD system to use predictive modelling to identify and predict patterns. “It will flag things for the doctor, the patient, and the entire care team to be aware of to catch problems early and prevent adverse outcomes,” explains Punni.

This streamlined process also helps both the doctor and the care team manage large caseloads more easily. And MedROAD also has the potential to help those who live in urban centres but may not have a primary care doctor.

“The data is simple. The numbers for chronic care in our province keep going up,” says Punni. “To me, this shows a need for a new way of managing chronic conditions. There are things we can improve on, and the answer is technology.” + Kits like this one are an integral part of the MedROAD system, capturing medical data and relaying results to a patient's care team in real time.

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

25

12

By LISA WILLIS

F i l e s f r o m M AT T M c C R E A R Y

P h o t o g r a p h y b y D AW N G R AV E S

A N D A N D R E W LY L E

WAY S

TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION IN

STEM

LISA WILLIS SHARES ADVICE FOR CHAMPIONING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSIVITY IN ACADEMIA

26

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSIVITY (EDI) IN ACADEMIA, OUR INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AND DIRECT IMPACT. WE KNOW THAT MANY BARRIERS PREVENT PEOPLE FROM MARGINALIZED GROUPS FROM FULLY PARTICIPATING IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM). EVERY ONE OF US BEARS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WAY THINGS ARE—AND INDEED, THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE MET THROUGH MY EDI EDUCATION PROGRAM INCLUSIVESTEM WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HOWEVER, THEY OFTEN FIND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM OVERWHELMING. THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO CREATE CHANGE. THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT MY CO-AUTHORS, DEVANG MEHTA AND ALEXANDRA DAVIS, AND I SET OUT TO FIX. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW THEY COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE WANTED PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE EASY TO IMPLEMENT—CONCRETE STEPS THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE IN THEIR LABS, DEPARTMENTS, AND FACULTIES. WE LANDED ON THESE 12 PRINCIPLES TO HELP US ALL REDUCE BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION.

1.

Learn the basics.

The first step is familiarizing yourself with how diversity in STEM makes for stronger science with more diverse perspectives. It’s also important to learn about the barriers—and their history—that exist for marginalized groups in STEM.

2.

Acknowledge biases and privilege.

A critical principle is recognizing our own biases, which are products of the society we were brought up in. Unconscious bias can be diametrically opposed to our consciously held beliefs, so it is critical to let go of the assumption that we are not discriminating and instead examine our actions.

It’s also important to recognize privilege. For example, English has become the international language of science and is one of the more difficult languages for non-native speakers to learn.

LISA WILLIS is an associate professor (biological sciences) in the Faculty of Science.

Her research is centred on understanding women’s health issues through glycobiology and glycoimmunology. Willis is a strong advocate for diversity in STEM. UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

27

3.

Do your research, listen to those around you, and then be vocal.

Take responsibility for researching EDI topics yourself, listen to teammates, and learn how to effectively and productively work against discrimination when you see it.

4.

Be strategic about who you work with.

Being a team that values diversity and works toward improving participation and lived experiences of people from marginalized groups requires keeping many important factors in mind. From applying for funding to serving on a hiring committee, there are many important ways to put this into practice.

When applying for jobs, ask potential employers about their EDI philosophy and activities. When serving on a hiring committee, set up inclusive hiring criteria. Include an EDI statement illustrating how the hiring group values diversity, and ask for the applicant’s professional EDI statement.

5.

Restructure retention and advancement programs.

Ensure that your focus is not only on diverse hiring practices. Retention and advancement practices merit equal attention, from keeping in mind societal differences in salary negotiations to the distribution of teaching and research duties.

28

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

6.

Generate a code of conduct.

Scientists come from all different backgrounds— different countries, rural and urban settings, and religious upbringings. Part of reducing discrimination in the workplace is creating a positive work culture, and overcoming potential conflicts requires a shared vision. Creating a code of conduct as a team is an excellent step in creating a more inclusive and positive work environment.

7.

Be inclusive.

Science is a team effort. The most effective teams are not those with the smartest people, but those in which people work together and everyone feels that they have the opportunity to participate. Learn how to reach out to team members to avoid isolating people from marginalized groups and create an inclusive environment—from social activities, to dissemination of information, to group projects and collaborations.

8.

Be intentional.

There is a huge body of evidence that demonstrates that people from marginalized groups are less likely to have access to the scientific activities used to determine “success” in the course of career progression—such as invitations to speak at conferences—and are more likely to be burdened with activities that require extra effort with no corresponding value.

Combat this imbalance by being intentional in your approach to scholarly activities. Invite a variety of diverse people to speak at conferences and seminars, publicly introduce people using their titles and last names, and nominate people from marginalized groups for awards. Ensure people from marginalized groups are not performing a disproportionate number of administrative and organizational tasks, such as lab ordering and note-taking.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSIVITY IS A PRIORITY FOR THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE—from our programs that engage K-12 learners in science, to our undergraduate and graduate programs, hiring of staff, and leadership positions.

We recognize the importance of equity and inclusivity in employment in the faculty and for students enrolled in our programs. Support for diversity and the desire for inclusivity are central to our decision-making and activities.

EDI is a key pillar in the Faculty of Science’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 UAlberta Science Ahead. Visit ualberta.ca/ science/diversity to learn more.

9.

11.

Most scientists experience imposter syndrome, but for people from marginalized groups these feelings can be magnified. Studies show that feedback and support have a major impact on people from marginalized groups. Learn how you can create a supportive work environment.

Being consistent and persistent in this work is critical to combating bias and discrimination. It isn’t sufficient to make a one-off effort and consider the matter closed. Instead, start small and work your way into larger changes, rewarding yourself for sustained effort, and tracking your progress so you can see how far you’ve come.

Be supportive.

10.

Rethink the status quo in science.

The fact that modern STEM education produces discriminatory outcomes—and that people from marginalized groups continue to experience them— implies that we all need to rethink long-standing norms in our community. Rethinking established processes through the lens of EDI and comparing processes with others can be a powerful way to generate new ideas that address structural bias and discrimination.

Make action a habit.

12.

Embrace these final thoughts.

The magnitude of the problem we are faced with can feel overwhelming. It’s clear there is much work still to do. Fortunately, it is also clear that small changes can have a big effect, especially in the lives of our trainees and colleagues. Every one of us has the power to make a difference. Let us start using that power to change culture. +

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

29

A YEAR OF PERSEVERAN THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF LIFE ON THE RED PLANET

One year ago

T

he morning light glitters off the waves off the coast of Cape Canaveral on July 30, 2020. Less than a kilometre away from the beach, across a pair of access roads and some lush Florida vegetation, Space Launch Complex 41 is abuzz with activity. Towering over the scene is an Atlas V-541 rocket, poised to launch with a precious payload: the Perseverance rover, the star of NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Mission.

Perseverance has no small challenge ahead. Its mission is to explore the red planet in the hunt for evidence of ancient microbial life. It will provide images and other data from the Martian surface, then carefully gather and cache the most promising samples for a future mission to one day collect them for return to laboratories on Earth. But the entire mission hinges on a successful launch.

30

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

It is an emotional morning for many. The world is still gripped by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this historic moment for which the mission team has been preparing for years must now take place under strict restrictions. This critical moment—the first of many in the rover’s journey to Mars—is being watched by more than 3.5 million people around the world.

For Professor Chris Herd (Earth and atmospheric sciences), it is a particularly tense moment.

“It was one of the most exciting and nerve-racking moments of my life,” says Herd. “Being a part of this mission is a dream come true for me.”

Herd is part of the mission as a returned sample science participating scientist, supported by the Canadian Space Agency and tasked with helping to

NCE 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

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

31

32

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

T wo hundred and three days l ater, Perseverance begins its final approach to Mars— the most perilous part of its journey. At this distance from Earth, radio signals take 11 minutes to transmit between Perseverance and mission control, and the final landing of the rover must be carried out by onboard computer.

If anything goes wrong during landing, the signal delay means it will be too late to do anything about it by the time mission control learns about it. With Perseverance’s fate out of its hands, the landing phase has earned an ominous nickname: “the seven minutes of terror.”

“Just like with the launch, it was incredibly exciting,” says Herd. “I kept thinking, ‘If anything goes wrong, that changes the entire course of my career over the next several years.’”

Those tense moments in the mission control room were streamed live to viewers around the world.

Hushed voices count off checks as the signal comes in from Perseverance. And then, applause.

Amid countless ways things might have gone wrong, Perseverance has deployed its parachute successfully, cut itself loose at the right time, and used its thrusters to slow its descent and land in Jezero Crater. The rover is now broadcasting back to mission control, and a black-and-white photo of the Martian surface is soon shared from Perseverance’s own Twitter account with a simple message: “Hello, world. My first look at my forever home.”

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter with its rotor blades unlocked, allowing them to spin freely for the first time since launch. The blades were locked into place during its trip, but here, the helicopter readies to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, as the Perseverance rover captures images.

N A S A /JPL-CA LT ECH/A SU

select samples for the rover to gather—those most likely to hold evidence of ancient life and to tell us the most about Mars’ history. As curator of the U of A meteorite collection, his expertise is in the detailed information that we can glean from space rocks, but studying samples carefully acquired from the Martian surface is another prospect altogether.

“The driving question for this mission is ‘Did life ever arise on another planet?’ To answer that question, we cannot rely on the results from instruments on rovers alone—in spite of how advanced those instruments are,” explains Herd.

“Perseverance will collect samples from rocks that are inferred to have been formed in environments where life may have existed—for example, the bottom of a crater lake, or along its shore, some 3.5 billion years ago—under the assumption that any life that was there was microbial.

“The context provided by the rover’s instruments will be essential for interpreting the results of analysis of the samples on Earth. However, we won’t be able to tell whether life existed until we get samples back to Earth and can bring the full complement of lab-based studies to bear on the question.”

At 7:50 eastern daylight time, a roar echoes across the beach as the Atlas rocket takes off, and the intrepid rover mission captures the imagination of viewers around the world. Next stop: Jezero Crater, Mars.

“DID LIFE EVER ARISE ON ANOTHER PLANET?”

N A S A /JPL-CA LT ECH

After the harrowing “seven minutes of terror” of landing, the first photo is received from the Perseverance rover on Mars. The image is in black and white so it could be sent as quickly as possible—and is shared via Twitter with a simple message: “Hello, world. My first look at my forever home.”

Six months ago

Three months ago A sm all, nondescript helicopter sits amid rust-coloured dust. Out of context, it might look as if someone is about to take a drone for a test flight in the Nevada desert. But this little helicopter is about to attempt something that has never been done before.

Ingenuity is a helicopter deployed from Perseverance. Rotors spinning in the thin Martian atmosphere, it slowly takes off from the Martian surface, climbs to a height of three metres, lands safely on the ground— and goes down in history as the first powered, controlled flight on another world.

Herd explains that much of April was spent supporting the flying of Ingenuity—a technical demonstration and proof of concept for flight in the atmosphere of another planet.

“But even with that going on, we have been able to continue to explore the rocks nearby, as well as image rocks as far away as over two kilometres,” says Herd.

“All of this helps us to better understand the geology of the area, and plan for where to drive and what rocks to investigate, and eventually sample, over the next months and years.”

“IT’S REALLY AN HONOUR TO BE A PART OF THIS.”

N A S A /JPL-CA LT ECH/A SU/MS S S

This photo captured by the Perseverance rover features "Santa Cruz," a hill 2.5 kilometres away from the rover. In the distance, behind the hill, the rim of Jezero Crater can be seen along the horizon.

Today and tomorrow M ars 2020 is a mission of firsts. It is the first mission to fly on another world, the first to make a recording of the sounds of Mars and the first to prepare samples of Mars to bring back to Earth.

“Our main goal for the near future is to explore the area within a few hundred metres of the landing site, with the intent to return along the same route after we have an idea of the rock types and their relationships to one another, very much like any geological fieldwork done by humans—including geology students—on Earth,” says Herd.

“In the course of that exploration, we will take our first samples. That will be very exciting for me and my fellow returned-sample scientists, and for the whole mission team, since it will represent the first samples collected with the intent to eventually return them to Earth.”

The return of the samples will require another trip to Mars by a future mission, and will require a lander capable of taking off from the planet’s surface and returning to Earth—yet another first.

Those samples will not only hold potential evidence of past microbial life on Mars, they will give planetary geologists a first-hand look at the Martian surface, telling us details about the red planet’s geological composition and history at an unprecedented level. While meteorite fragments of rocks from Mars have been recovered on Earth, when it comes to detailed understanding of Mars’ geologic past, there’s no substitute for running tests on samples hand-selected from the planet’s surface.

“It’s really an honour to be a part of this—it’s absolutely thrilling,” says Herd. “If you had told 13-year-old Chris, who already had decided at that age that he wanted to work on Mars samples when they came back, I think he’d be a pretty excited kid.” +

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

33

JOHN UL A N

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVES

ELLIE ARDAKANI (’16 PhD) SHARES HER PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

3 4

C O N T O U R S ■ V O L U M E 3 8 , 2 0 21

CROSSING THE HIDDEN BRIDGE Ellie Ardakani (’16 PhD)

Ellie Ardakani (’16 PhD)

THERE IS A HIDDEN BRIDGE between being a scientist and a scientist entrepreneur. As scientists we are led by curiosity; we invent and experiment to advance knowledge for the greater good. With a snowball effect of millions of scientists establishing scientific ground-truths and improving upon them, we move forward as a global society to build a better future for us, and for generations to come. Finding this hidden bridge and crossing it opens doors to a world with endless possibilities. This is where the scientist inside us transforms invention into business.

My journey to founding Meta, a technology company offering software products in scientific simulation-based training and AI-augmented data analytics, started with searching for, finding, and crossing this hidden bridge. To make the passage, I armed myself with the traits and skills I gained during different stages of my life.

I combined the emotional intelligence developed in my childhood with the hulkish grit and agility of an immigrant and topped it with humility, clear vision, and scientific knowledge gained over the course of my academic tenure and industry experience.

Looking back on my PhD at U of A, beyond expanding my knowledge on exploration geophysics, I realize what I truly achieved was a unique ability to see the bigger picture—the ability to zoom out and explore how different pieces of scientific information can come together to derive

meaningful results; to envision and navigate efforts toward achieving a scientific breakthrough.

My supervisor and mentor, Doug Schmitt, whom I admire indefinitely, is one of the main influences in my personal and professional growth. For years I watched his relentless drive for scientific experimentation and his non-stop willingness to step into the unknown. He pushed scientific boundaries at every opportunity and encouraged me to do the same. As I was expanding my skills and making Canada my second home, Doug patiently and diligently nudged me toward the right path without enforcing his opinions. He taught me how to be humble enough to keep learning and be open-minded about potential solutions to difficult problems.

As I forge my path as a scientist, an entrepreneur, an immigrant, and a woman of colour, I am grateful for the experience I had at U of A. It is my commitment to pay it forward by mentoring and inspiring others, in particular women in STEM, to find this

+

hidden bridge.

Ellie Ardakani is the co-founder and CEO of Meta Innovation Technologies, a leading technology company providing software solutions for training and AI-augmented analytics to energy and mining industries and educational institutions.

UA L B E R TA .C A / S C I E N C E ■ C O N T O U R S

35

CONTOURS SHAPE THE WORLD

Faculty of Science 6-194 CCIS University of Alberta Edmonton, AB Canada T6G 2E1

Publications Mail Agreement No.: 40063605