Graduate

A Glance in the Brain

kvd1 — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:53:08 +0000

Natalia de Menezes Lyra e Silva

The primate brain is highly specialized, allowing us an incredible range of experiences. This microscopic photo captures cells within a brain region, the hippocampus, involved with learning and memory. Every lived experience that we are able to remember has boosted the formation of new connections in our brains. These connections are affected in diseases that impair memory, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we can observe cells involved with the brain inflammatory response. These cells are upregulated in the brains of AD patients. This technique allows us to better understand how our brains work and how they are altered by diseases.

Location of photograph:

Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University

Prize name:

Health Sciences Prize

Submission Year:

2019-20

Propelling Research

kvd1 — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:02:49 +0000

Lauren Welte

Our feet make contact with the ground millions of times within our lifetime, yet we still do not completely understand how they function. Using dynamic X-ray video, we image foot bones in ways we could only previously imagine. Recent work has questioned several popular theories about soft tissue function in the arch. Ongoing research aims to understand healthy foot function, to better inform treatments for foot pain. This research has the capacity to propel our understanding of foot function forward.

Location of photograph:

Skeletal Observation Laboratory, Queen’s University

Prize name:

Partnerships and Innovation

Submission Year:

2019-20

Shattered Planet

kvd1 — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:59:21 +0000

Allen Tian

The impact of human activity on our planet is often difficult to see in the moment, and requires a long-term, overlooking, view. This photo is a drone panorama of my field site on the Rideau Canal System, where I investigate the impact of human activity on aquatic ecosystems, particularly the development of toxic algal blooms. Activities such as fishing, property development and farming have fragmented and altered this ecosystem, and we need a holistic, broader view to piece together how we can protect our delicate, beautiful, world.

Location of photograph:

Milburn Bay, Dog Lake, South Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada

Prize name:

Graduate Studies Prize

Submission Year:

2019-20

Researchers at Offroad Robotics

kvd1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 20:30:45 +0000

Heshan Fernando

A group of multidisciplinary engineering researchers with expertise in mining and construction applications, mechanical and mechatronics systems, as well as electrical and computer engineering collaborate to develop the next generation of field and mobile robots.

Location of photograph:

Jackson Hall, Queen’s University

Prize name:

Community Collaborations

Submission Year:

2019-20

Porous Plastic Particle

kvd1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:34:57 +0000

Ross Jansen-van Vuuren

The photograph is of a water-swollen hydrogel particle created in our chemistry laboratory, taken with an instrument called a Scanning Electron Microscope, which allows us to zone in and see important details on the surface of the hydrogel. A hydrogel is essentially a plastic material that is able to absorb very large volumes of water (up to 800 times its weight!) – much like a baby diaper, swelling as it does so. From the image, the surface of the hydrogel is seen to possess large, distinctive pores, which help us understand how and why hydrogels absorb so much liquid.

Location of photograph:

Bruce Hall, SEM Lab, Queen’s University

Prize name:

Invisible Discoveries

Submission Year:

2019-20