荔枝视频

If there was any doubt U荔枝视频 was making a mark on artificial intelligence-based research, those doubts were dismissed through a from the Government of Canada.  

Of the 11 U荔枝视频 teams that received funding in the program, four of them are working on projects with an AI focus. 

For all the awardees, the number of AI projects funded through the NFRF program is a testament to U荔枝视频鈥檚 commitment to advancing AI research across all areas of study.  

鈥淎I research is transdisciplinary research,鈥� explains Dr. Jessalyn Holodinsky, PhD, a co-principal investigator on a project exploring how to use large language models (LLMs) to optimize emergency departments. 鈥淭o have that support for transdisciplinary research and the Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship is a huge accelerator for AI work.鈥� 

We spoke with the principal investigators of these four projects to learn more about how they鈥檙e using AI and LLMs to advance their research.

Artificial Intelligence for health care: A transdisciplinary approach towards health equity 

• Primary Investigator: Dr. , PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Electrical and Software Engineering,  

Using a transdisciplinary approach, this team is exploring fairness, trustworthiness, and transparency of AI in healthcare systems. The project brings together experts in engineering, philosophy, computer science, and data ethics to tackle three critical areas: 

• Ensuring AI is trained on accurate, diverse, and representative datasets.
• Evaluating AI models not just for accuracy, but for fairness, reliability, and trustworthiness.
• Creating an open-access tool to help Canadians understand AI in healthcare and their rights. 

By bridging technical innovation with ethical safeguards, the project aims to improve patient trust, reduce bias, and train a new generation of AI practitioners who value both performance and responsibility. 

For Bento, receiving this type of funding is an exciting recognition of her work.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 positive feedback that we are going in the right direction and provides the encouragement to continue to push forward.鈥� 

• Co-applicants: Dr. , PhD, Werklund School of Education; Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Science; Dr. PhD, Faculty of Arts
• Collaborators: Ana Arantes, Cumming School of Medicine; Salome Bosshart; Dr. , PhD Faculty of Law; Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering; Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Arts; Leticia Rittner (University of Campinas), Alexander Stebner (M眉nsterlingen, Swizerland/荔枝视频), Tarra Drevet (Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute)  

Leading AI-driven advances in brain tumor glymphatics 

• Primary Investigator: Dr. , MD, PhD, FRCSC, assistant professor, departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Oncology,  

Dr. Candice Poon agrees with Bento that funding such as this is validation of her research. 

鈥淎s an early career researcher, it's really important to get that initial sort of encouragement from granting agencies that what you're studying is important and has relevance.鈥� 

Poon鈥檚 research focuses on understanding the role of the glymphatic system鈥攁 network of fluid-filled spaces around blood vessels that supports nutrient delivery, waste clearance, and immune cell movement鈥攊n the development and progression of brain tumours, particularly gliomas and brain metastases. The study combines AI techniques with clinical imaging, surgical data, and molecular tissue analysis to explore how dysfunction in this system may create conditions that favour tumour growth. 

鈥淭his is a largely unexplored area of brain tumour biology, potentially identifying new therapies by understanding glymphatic dysfunction,鈥� she explains. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to improve survival and quality of life for brain tumour patients.鈥� 

• Co-Applicant: Dr. , MD, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Collaborators: Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Charlotte D鈥橫ello, Hotchkiss Brain Institute; Dr. , MD, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. MD, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

Enhancing typing skills for nonspeaking autistic people through a co-designed, AI-assisted learning system 

• Principal Investigator: Dr. , PhD, PEng, professor, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering 

For Dr. Krishnamurthy, finding ways to help nonspeaking autistic people communicate has a personal aspect to it. His son is autistic and partially verbal, but does have struggles communicating. Krishnamurthy was able to teach him how to type, which opened many doors for him.  

鈥淢y son, like all autistic people, is very smart. If we can adapt the education methods and provide alternative ways to communicate, we can break down these barriers, get past our default assumptions and watch them thrive.鈥� 

Working alongside autistic team members, Krishnamurthy is looking to develop an innovative, affordable, and automated tablet-based system that will deliver engaging multimedia typing lessons. Drawing on a freely accessible, community-contributed library, the system will adapt to each user鈥檚 unique sensory and motor needs, making communication training more personalized and inclusive.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 thrilling to collaborate directly with people who have overcome systemic barriers and taught themselves to communicate, often in the face of doubt and lack of institutional support, and to see their lived experience shape the technology from the ground up,鈥� he says.  

• Co-principal investigator: Vikram Jaswal (University of Virginia)
• Collaborators: Madison Imber (Mentoring Minds), Lyndon Parakin (Autism 荔枝视频) 

Optimizing operations of emergency departments using multi-agent large language models 

• Co-principal investigators: Dr. , PhD, PEng., assistant professor, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering; Dr. , PhD, assistant professor, departments of Emergency Medicine, Community Health Sciences, and Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine 

Improving patient care and reducing clinician burnout are top of mind for Drs. Drew and Holodinsky, who are using LLMs to find ways to optimize how emergency departments operate. 

This project combines two innovations to improve emergency care: an AI tool that rapidly summarizes patient medical history so doctors can focus more on the patient in front of them and less on their computer screens, and a LLM-powered multi-agent simulation that models emergency department workflows to test improvements before they鈥檙e implemented.  

鈥淎lmost everyone will visit the emergency department at some point, and this project has the potential to reduce wait times, ease clinician burnout, and improve patient care,鈥� says Drew.

Seeing the project receive this level of funding is extra special for Drew and Holodinsky. 

A team of four engineering students played a key role in kickstarting this research by developing the first prototype of the emergency department AI tool as part of their Capstone project. Their work was showcased at the on April 1, where it earned a bronze medal. Their achievement not only demonstrated the potential of AI in healthcare but also helped lay the foundation for the project鈥檚 continued success. 

• Co-applicants: Dr. , MD, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Nursing; Braden Teitge, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Jiayu Zhou (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
• Collaborators: Dr. PhD, Cumming School of Medicine

Other U荔枝视频 NFRF-funded projects 

Humanizing infant formula using precision fermentation 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Co-applicants: Josephine Yee (The Pennsylvania State University), Yadira Tejeda Saldana (New Harvest Canada) 

Characterization of small intestinal microbiome biomarkers of treatment response in Parkinson鈥檚 disease 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , MD, PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Co-primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Science
• Collaborators: Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Joseph Wang 

Social innovation in engineering for climate-neutral cities 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
• Co-primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
• Co-applicants: Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Arts; Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering; Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering; , School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape 

Regulation of thought content as transdiagnostic process underlying internalizing and externalizing disorders 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Co-primary investigator: Dr. , MD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Collaborators: Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Arts; Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Arts; Matthias Wilms, Hotchkiss Brain Institute; Dr. , MD, Cumming School of Medicine 

Rationally designed microbial therapeutics to treat recurrent urinary tract infection 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
• Co-primary investigator: Charl猫ne Roussel (University of Ottawa)
• Collaborators: Alexie Savchenki, Duane Hickling (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute), Yuding Wang (Children鈥檚 Hospital of Eastern Ontario), See-Yeun Ting (Academia Sinica) 

Engineered encapsulated encrypted peptides as immune regulator treatment for infectious diarrhea in pigs 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , DVM, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Collaborators: Hector Arguello-Rodriguez (University of Leon), Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine; Dr. , PhD, Faculty of Science; Leluo Guan (UBC)
• Co-applicants: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering; Cesar de la Fuente (University of Pennsylvania) 

Highly dexterous robotic endoscope for improved access to minimally invasive surgery and diagnostics 

• Primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Cumming School of Medicine
• Co-primary investigator: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering
• Collaborators: Mustafa Al-Saiedy, MD, Cumming School of Medicine; Matthew Topham, Lilian Salm (Inselspital-Universitaetsspital Bern), Moritz Reinders (Eraneos Group)
• Co-applicant: Dr. , PhD, Schulich School of Engineering; Dr. , MD, Cumming School of Medicine