Q: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Professor Sapna Sharma ,Department of Biology, and co-applicants received a $3.1-million grant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (International stream), which is managed by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat housed at SSHRC. Sapna Sharma Sharma’s project is titled “Climate changed transportation: holistic and Indigenous informed responses to transportation infrastructure, food security and community well-being in the Arctic.” The project will explore the impacts of climate change and the loss of the cryosphere (i.e., sea ice, freshwater ice, snow, permafrost). She and her team will co-develop adaptation measures and technological solutions to decrease the frequency of drownings and accidents in response to hazardous cryospheric conditions for Arctic Indigenous communities, and promote enhanced mobility and food security, in addition to physical and mental health. The main goals of the research team are to map and forecast safe cryospheric conditions across the Arctic and explore observational and modelling tools to enhance Indigenous capacity in stewarding their land.

Question 1

Biology

Accepted Answer

The Department of Biology proudly welcomed Professor Mahmoud Sirdat through the International Scholars at Risk program. More than 400 undergraduate and graduate Biology students graduated, including 18 MSc and four PhD candidates. At the June convocation ceremony, undergraduate students Karina Kofman and Claire del Zotto were honoured with the Faculty of Science Gold and Silver Medals, respectively; Jennifer Porat received the esteemed Governor General’s Gold Medal and the Faculty of Graduate Studies Thesis Dissertation Prize, recognizing her exceptional academic and research accomplishments.

At the Faculty of Science Honours & Awards Celebration, our faculty and instructors received the following awards: Professor Tamara Kelly, Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (Faculty category); Professor Nicole Nivillac, Excellence in Teaching Award (Senior Tenure Stream Faculty category); Professor Jade Atallah, Excellence in Teaching Award (Junior Tenure Stream Faculty category); and PhD student Britney Picinic, Richard Jarrell Award of Excellence for Teaching Assistants.

Professors Jade Atallah and Luz Puentes Jácome launched the innovative Master’s in Biotechnology Management, Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology, and micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance at the new Markham Campus.

Matteo Dunnhofer from the University of Udine (Italy) was awarded the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Global Fellowship to conduct research under the supervision of Professor Kohitij Kar.

Our faculty members secured over $1.3 million in operating grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including Discovery Grants and Discovery Launch Supplements to support Professors Gordon Fitch, Kohitij Kar, and Eryn McFarlane.

Professor Jeffrey Schall was appointed as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Translating Neuroscience, and Professor Steven Connor renewed his Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Synaptic Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. University Professor Dawn Bazely was the recipient of the prestigious 2024-25 Fulbright Canada Distinguished Visiting Professorship.

Professor Sapna Sharma, the inaugural Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Global Water Academy, organized a total of 21 UNITAR workshops and online sessions that were attended by more than 7,000 participants from 147 countries.

— Professor Robert Tsushima, Chair of the Department of Biology

Question 2

Physics & Astronomy

Accepted Answer

The department welcomed Professor Bruce Howard as a new faculty member, jointly appointed at Fermilab.

Professors Nikita Blinov, Charles-Edouard Boukaré, Deborah Harris, Eric Hessels, Matthew Johnson, Rahul Kannan, Randy Lewis, Adam Muzzin, Paul Scholz and Adjunct Graduate Program Member Scott Beattie were successful with research grant applications.

Alumni Itay and Mina Yavin donated $200,000 in honour of late Professor Helen Freedhoff to create a memorial fund that supports research in the atomic physics laboratory of Professor Anantharaman Kumarakrishnan and the Helen Freedhoff First Year Award for undergraduate students. And, thanks to a generous donation from the late Al Stauffer and his wife Josie, the department created the Allan D. & Josie A. Stauffer Scholarship in Theoretical Physics.

Professors Eric Hessels and Wendy Taylor were named Fellows of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP). Professor Taylor was also appointed vice-president-elect of the CAP and will be a member of the presidential line for four years. To cap it off, she received the Faculty of Science Established Researcher Award.

Five undergraduate students, supervised by Professor Sean Tulin and international colleagues, joined a prestigious international summer research program at Goethe University in Germany.

The Allan I. Carswell Observatory (AICO), directed by Professor Elaina Hyde, marked the (partial) solar eclipse on April 8 by setting up telescopes atop the Arboretum Parking Garage and handing out solar glasses to more than 300 faculty, students and staff. And, past AICO director and Professor Emeritus Paul Delaney got an asteroid named after him.

Another milestone was the rebranding of our Biophysics program as Biomedical Physics. Professor Ozzy Mermut embarked on a local public high school tour to promote biomedical physics, physics, and astronomy at York.

As well, we hosted a public ceremony in June to mark the planting of seedlings that are direct descendants of Sir Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree.

Last but not least, I would like to thank Professor Patrick Hall for his service for more than four years as Department Chair, which concluded at the end of 2024.

— Professor Tom Kirchner, Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy

Question 3

Science, Technology & Society

Accepted Answer

Research highlights for the Department of Science, Technology & Society (ST&S) include Professor Kean Birch becoming the first Ontario Research Chair in Science Policy and being added to Stanford's World's Top 2% Scientists List. After being selected to co-lead a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research program titled “Future Flourishing,” Professor Hélène Mialet won a York University Research Award. Professor Daniela Monaldi co-edited “Women in the History of Quantum Mechanics” (Cambridge University Press). Professor Jesse Rogerson co-authored “Daydreaming in the Solar System” (MIT Press), taking readers on adventures amidst our planetary neighbours. And the late Professor Richard Jarrell lives on in his research: his unpublished pre-2013 research and interviews of thirty astronomers appeared in Jasper Wall and Elizabeth Griffin's Radio Astronomy in Canada (Springer, 2024).

ST&S, which houses the Division of Natural Science (NATS), continues to serve as a centre of teaching excellence. Four of our faculty were nominated for FSc Excellence in Teaching Awards and two were award recipients: Professor Angela Cope in the Contract Faculty category and Professor Robin Marushia in the Junior Faculty category. NATS continues to grow its suite of new, topical three-credit courses and is excited to be offering three new courses in 2025-26: “Human Spaceflight,” by Professor Jeremy Webb; “Astronomy across Cultures,” by Professor Parandis Tajbakhsh; and “Sustainable Energy” by Professor Banafsheh Hashemi-Pour. In summer 2024, NATS participated in the Visions of Science program, which seeks to create pathways in STEM careers for racialized youth. As part of this program, two of our faculty (Professors Carly Rozins and Jeremy Webb) supervised high school interns in astronomy- and mathematics-themed projects.

— Professor James Elwick, Chair of the Department of Science, Technology & Society
— Professor Robin Metcalfe, Director of the Division of Natural Science

Question 4

Mathematics & Statistics

Accepted Answer

In 2024, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics welcomed three new full-time faculty members: Professors Tianyu Guan, Yi Liu and Divya Sharma. The Department now has 53 full-time professors, 23 part-time faculty, 25 post-doctoral fellows, and many visiting graduate students and professors. It is the fifth largest department at York University.

In partnership with the Faculty of Science, the Department launched a new 3+1+1 program, which is designed to attract high-caliber international students and foster academic collaboration and global engagement in graduate education. Students may be admitted to the program after completing three years of undergraduate study at their home institution. The fourth year of the program is conducted at York, focusing on bridging courses, research methodologies, and language proficiency; students then receive undergraduate degrees from their home institutions. In the fifth year, students are advanced to the MA program in Mathematics and Statistics and, upon successful completion, receive their graduate degrees from York. We were pleased to sign the first partnership agreement for this program with Jiangnan University in 2024.

Last year, our faculty members contributed to internationally recognized research funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in the areas of industrial mathematics, mathematical finance, scientific computing, mathematical biology, disease modeling, vaccine mathematics, actuarial science, data science, biostatistics, statistical machine learning, statistical methodology and theory, algebraic combinatorics, analysis, number theory, probability theory, set theory, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

— Professor Michael Haslam, Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Question 5

Chemistry

Accepted Answer

The Department of Chemistry continues to thrive thanks to the dedication and talents of our faculty, staff and students. In 2024, undergraduate students Samantha Galea and Sebastian Marmorato were awarded silver medals from the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) for achieving high academic standing in the chemistry and biochemistry programs, respectively. Graduate students were recognized on the national level, including Emily Anacleto, Emma McLay and Taylor Cosby, who received competitive graduate fellowships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Irina Nistorescu and Lisa Azzarello, who were honoured with Chemical Institute of Canada awards at the national chemistry meeting in Winnipeg.

In 2024, we welcomed a new member of our technical staff, Charlie Haedicke, and bid farewell to retiring members Professors Michael Hempstead and Robert McLaren. Professors Sergey Krylov and Derek Wilson were recipients of a prestigious 2024 NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation in recognition of their transformative research collaboration with industrial partner Sanofi, while Professor Tao (Toby) Zeng received the 2024 Tom Ziegler Award of the CSC awarded for his outstanding early-career contribution to theoretical and computational chemistry. Professor Thomas Baumgartner’s Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Organomain Group Materials was renewed, Professor Gerald Audette became president of the American Crystallographic Association, and Professor Christine Le received a travel award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry to attend the World Chemistry Congress in Malaysia.

— Professor Jennifer van Wijngaarden, Chair of the Department of Chemistry

Question 6

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Accepted Answer

Our researchers and students received a total of $12M in grants and scholarships from NSERC. A few programs and projects are highlighted below.

Professor Jianhong Wu, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, and Professors Sergey Krylov and Derek Wilson, Department of Chemistry, received the NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation, which recognizes partnerships in natural sciences and engineering research and development between universities and industry in Canada. The grant is valued at $200K.

From left to right: Derek Wilson, Sergey Krylov and Jianhong Wu

Wu, Krylov and Wilson received the award in recognition of their pursuit of work addressing challenges in early-stage drug development by providing the health economic data needed for informed decision-making in pharmaceutical markets. In its award announcement, NSERC described their work as being at the forefront of efforts to revolutionize drug and vaccine development and distribution. NSERC also noted that the researchers’ collaboration with industry partners, including Sanofi Canada, underscores the value of interdisciplinary partnerships in advancing public health.

Through the Discovery Grants, Early Career Researcher Supplements, and Sub-atomic Physics Discovery Grants programs, 33 of our researchers received a total of $9.6M. These grants enable them to pursue discovery-driven research programs and conduct innovative research activities. 

Our Discovery Grants recipients included researchers from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Statistics, and Physics & Astronomy. They were Professors Andrew Donini, Gordon Fitch, Katalin Hudak, Kohitij Kar, Terrance Kubiseski, Raymond Kwong, John McDermott, Eryn McFarlane, Sandra Rehan, Gary Sweeney, Yongjoo Kim, Arturo Orellana, Derek Wilson, Cora Young, Tao Zeng, Nantel Bergeron, Miles Couchman, Ilijas Farah, Xin Gao, Jane Heffernan, Paul Skoufranis, Jianhong Wu, Kaiqiong Zhao, Scott Beattie, Charles-Eduoard Boukaré, Eric Hessels, Matthew Johnson, Rahul Kannan, Adam Muzzin, and Paul Scholz. Discovery Launch Supplements were also awarded to Fitch, Kar, McFarlane, Kim, Couchman, Zhao, Beattie, Boukaré, Kannan, and Scholz.

Deborah Harris

The Sub-atomic Physics Discovery Grant recipients included Professors Nikita Blinov, Deborah Harris, Eric Hessels, and Randy Lewis, all from the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Harris received the largest Discovery Grant in the Faculty with more than $1M for the sub-atomic physics project, “Paving the way for Neutrino Oscillation Measurements at DUNE.”

Question 7

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Accepted Answer

Our researchers received a total of $2.1M from CIHR. A few projects are highlighted below.

Professors Mark Bayfield and Gary Sweeney, Department of Biology, each received Project Grants from CIHR that totaled $1.9M.

Mark Bayfield

Bayfield’s project, “Regulation of gene expression by the La and La-related proteins,” received $922K. His team will study the process of how genes are translated into proteins, advancing the understanding of the roles these proteins play in causing diseases and how human cells respond to stress.

Gary Sweeney

Sweeney’s project, “Mechanistic and pre-clinical studies on cardioprotective effects of adiponectin,” received $998K. His research will explore the hormone adiponectin, which is often compromised in people with diabetes and obesity, and the therapeutic potential of adiponectin-based drugs.

Question 8

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Accepted Answer

Professor Sapna Sharma,Department of Biology, and co-applicants received a $3.1-million grant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (International stream), which is managed by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat housed at SSHRC.

Sapna Sharma

Sharma’s project is titled “Climate changed transportation: holistic and Indigenous informed responses to transportation infrastructure, food security and community well-being in the Arctic.” The project will explore the impacts of climate change and the loss of the cryosphere (i.e., sea ice, freshwater ice, snow, permafrost). She and her team will co-develop adaptation measures and technological solutions to decrease the frequency of drownings and accidents in response to hazardous cryospheric conditions for Arctic Indigenous communities, and promote enhanced mobility and food security, in addition to physical and mental health. The main goals of the research team are to map and forecast safe cryospheric conditions across the Arctic and explore observational and modelling tools to enhance Indigenous capacity in stewarding their land.

Research

2024 Annual Review

CAHS Emerging Leaders in Health Sciences

Cancer Grand Challenges

NSERC-ECCC Plastics Science and Innovation

CIFAR-CAISI Solution Networks in AI Safety

SSHRC Policy Innovation Partnership Grants

SSHRC Metascience and AI Postdoctoral Fellowships

Cutting-edge brain research technology drives experiential education for York U students

Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program

Arthritis Society Canada - Strategic Operating Grants