Bringing research to life
Every scientific discovery, technological advance or new
revelation about why we are the way we are begins with a
question. Simple curiosity and the desire to solve the mysteries
that surround us are qualities we all share, and they are at the
heart of the systematic process of inquiry we call research.
Joanne Keselman, vice-president (research) and Emőke Szathmáry, president
3
By looking for answers to questions about
ourselves and our world, university researchers play
a critical role in our economic, social and cultural
advancement. Research, however, requires not only
the dedication and expertise of the investigators
themselves, but also the equipment and support
that will help them find the answers they seek.
This is why research universities are so important.
Research universities are the catalysts that bring
the process of research to life. They gather together
academic and administrative staff, students,
post-doctoral fellows, research associates and
technicians in an environment that fosters
innovation and the sharing of ideas, while
providing the facilities and advanced training
necessary for cutting-edge research.
As the first major research university in Western
Canada, the University of Manitoba has been
bringing research to life for more than a century.
From the development of canola and advances
in wireless communication, to the elimination of
Rh disease of the newborn and new strategies for
fighting HIV/AIDS, our researchers have made
contributions that have had a global impact.
Today, our faculty and students continue to earn
international acclaim in fields as diverse as infectious
diseases, Canadian history, materials science, civil
infrastructure, population and community health,
sustainable agriculture and northern research,
to name just a few. More than ever before, our
researchers are collaborating beyond traditional
disciplinary boundaries, sharing their expertise,
experience and passion for discovery.
While it would be impossible for a single document
to completely capture the vast scope of innovative
research at the University of Manitoba, this
publication does provide a good sense of how this
research truly benefits us all. Working together, our
researchers continue to find new ways to improve
our health, increase our understanding of ourselves
and our world, advance our technology, strengthen
our communities and protect our environment.
This is, after all, the true purpose of university
research. Our history has largely been defined by the
ingenuity of artists, scholars, scientists and engineers.
In many ways, our future will depend on it.
Joanne Keselman, vice-president (research)
 Improving
Table of Contents Our Health
Improving Our Health 5
The front lines of defense against emerging health threats 6
Food, functional food! 7
Working together towards a cure 8
Reacting to an allergy epidemic 9
Health is where the heart is 10
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and India 11
Drugs right on target 12

Understanding Ourselves and Our World 13

Conflict and cooperation in a troubled world 15
A little song, a little dance… 16
Something old, something new 17
Thinking history differently 18

Advancing Our Technology 19

“New biology” offers hope for custom-made medical treatments 20
Materials by design 21
Power systems and systems of power 22 In recent years, antibiotic-resistant “super bugs,”
A family of new engineering facilities 22
emerging diseases, and an increasing incidence of
Strengthening Our Communities 23 b r e a s t c a n c e r, h e a r t d i s e a s e , a l l e r g y a n d a s t h m a
Community voices in Aboriginal health research 25 have strained health care systems around the world.
Community by design, for the children 26
Enabling the disabled and the disempowered 27 At the University of Manitoba, researchers are
Young at heart 28 collaborating across disciplinary boundaries to meet

Protecting Our Environment 29 t h e s e c h a l l e n g e s h e a d - o n . Fr o m g r o u n d b r e a k i n g

The north wind doth blow 31 HIV/AIDS research in Africa, to the frontiers of
Renewable energy 32 cancer research and functional food development,
Down on the farm 33
our researchers are working to find solutions to
Bioproducts: safer, cleaner, better 34
some of today’s most urgent health problems.

4
 Improving
Table of Contents Our Health
Improving Our Health 5
The front lines of defense against emerging health threats 6
Food, functional food! 7
Working together towards a cure 8
Reacting to an allergy epidemic 9
Health is where the heart is 10
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and India 11
Drugs right on target 12

Understanding Ourselves and Our World 13

Conflict and cooperation in a troubled world 15
A little song, a little dance… 16
Something old, something new 17
Thinking history differently 18

Advancing Our Technology 19

“New biology” offers hope for custom-made medical treatments 20
Materials by design 21
Power systems and systems of power 22 In recent years, antibiotic-resistant “super bugs,”
A family of new engineering facilities 22
emerging diseases, and an increasing incidence of
Strengthening Our Communities 23 b r e a s t c a n c e r, h e a r t d i s e a s e , a l l e r g y a n d a s t h m a
Community voices in Aboriginal health research 25 have strained health care systems around the world.
Community by design, for the children 26
Enabling the disabled and the disempowered 27 At the University of Manitoba, researchers are
Young at heart 28 collaborating across disciplinary boundaries to meet

Protecting Our Environment 29 t h e s e c h a l l e n g e s h e a d - o n . Fr o m g r o u n d b r e a k i n g

The north wind doth blow 31 HIV/AIDS research in Africa, to the frontiers of
Renewable energy 32 cancer research and functional food development,
Down on the farm 33
our researchers are working to find solutions to
Bioproducts: safer, cleaner, better 34
some of today’s most urgent health problems.

4
The front lines of defense
against emerging health threats
When you check into a hospital, you don’t expect the experience
to contribute to your illness. Surveillance within hospitals and
nursing homes indicates that “superbugs” in blood, respiratory
and urinary infections continue to spread rapidly across Canada.
Organisms such as methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus,
Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-
resistant Enterococci are quickly
sharing their genetic information so
that they can resist antibiotics. George
Zhanel, medical microbiology, is
researching the effectiveness of new
treatments from combinations of
existing antibiotics and working to
develop sophisticated genetic tools for
identifying new antibiotics.
“We’re trying to adapt rapidly and
keep one step ahead of the spread of
these superbugs,” says Zhanel.
“The evolving situation of emerging
pathogens has required a joint attack
on several fronts, and we are helping
to develop a research funding strategy
for the Canadian Institutes for Health
Research (CIHR),” says Joanne
Embree, head, medical microbiology.
The University of Manitoba has been
working closely on these issues with
CIHR and Manitoba Health, along
with industry and researchers like
Michael Mulvey, medical microbiology,
chief of antimicrobial resistance and
nosocomial infections at the Public
Health Agency of Canada’s National
Microbiology Laboratory.
6
Embree’s department has expanded its
work on “superbugs” to other diseases
that make the evening news, such as
SARS and West Nile virus.
From a completely different angle
of attack, the dynamics of infectious
diseases can also be modeled
mathematically. Abba Gumel,
mathematics, has been developing
models of the spread and control of
emerging and re-emerging diseases of
Medical microbiology faculty Michael Mulvey and George Zhanel
public health importance such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS,
influenza, SARS and West Nile virus. As part of a mega
project of the Mathematics of Information Technology and
Complex Systems (MITACS), Gumel designs mathematical
models of how diseases spread in a population, helping to
assess control strategies such as quarantine and isolation,
vaccines and antiretroviral therapy.
Gumel notes: “The ultimate objective is to determine,
via mathematical modeling, cost-effective public health
strategies for combating and/or eradicating the spread of
some human diseases.”
Improving Our Health
Food,
functional food!
Functional foods are consumed as part of a usual diet
and have proven health benefits, like reducing the risk of
disease. Nutraceuticals are products with proven health
benefits derived from foods and sold as pills, powders or
other medicinal forms.
In Manitoba, three complementary
facilities have placed the province at the
leading edge of functional foods and
nutraceuticals research and development.
Scientists at the Richardson Centre for
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
(RCFFN) and the Canadian Centre
for Agri-Food Research in Health and
Medicine (CCARM) work closely with
the provincial government’s Food
Development Centre (FDC) in Portage la
Prairie to develop and test natural food
products that will improve the health of
Canadians.
At the University’s Fort Garry Campus,
research at the RCFFN focuses on the
development of value-added products
derived from crops important to the prairie
region. For example, Carla Taylor, human
nutritional sciences, is investigating the role
of components isolated from buckwheat
in the management of diabetes, and she
is studying the effects of flaxseed on
blood glucose control. In the department
of food science, Trust Beta is examining
components of plant foods that can
potentially prevent or delay the onset of
diseases related to aging.
The RCFFN’s multi-pronged approach includes an
identification team, which selects a substance to study,
and an enhancement team, which does research on
the molecular and chemical structure of the optimal
plant source. An extraction team then processes the
biomaterials, and a safety and efficacy assessment team
studies the metabolic and pharmacological nature of the
bioactive compounds, including their effects on existing
medical conditions and illnesses. The final element is the
testing and evaluation of consumer acceptability, which
involves researchers from a variety of disciplines who
examine processing, sensory analysis and food quality.
At the St. Boniface General Hospital Research
Centre, CCARM scientists conduct basic research
and clinical trials on a wide range of natural health
products. For example, CCARM director Peter
Zahradka, physiology, is examining how nutrition
and nutraceutical compounds influence the function
of adipose tissue in relation to vascular disease.
Peter Jones, RCFFN director and Canada Research
Chair in Nutrition and Functional Foods, points out:
“Research and development at CCARM, FDC and
the Richardson Centre is a response to interest by the
general public in food products that can promote and
maintain good health. We’re involved from ‘farm to
fork’ and from ‘hill to pill.’”
“It’s the direction consumers are now heading,” Jones,
food science, adds, “and it’s in the best interest of all
of us who need to eat food to survive.”
Peter Jones, food science
The front lines of defense
against emerging health threats
When you check into a hospital, you don’t expect the experience
to contribute to your illness. Surveillance within hospitals and
nursing homes indicates that “superbugs” in blood, respiratory
and urinary infections continue to spread rapidly across Canada.
Organisms such as methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus,
Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-
resistant Enterococci are quickly
sharing their genetic information so
that they can resist antibiotics. George
Zhanel, medical microbiology, is
researching the effectiveness of new
treatments from combinations of
existing antibiotics and working to
develop sophisticated genetic tools for
identifying new antibiotics.
“We’re trying to adapt rapidly and
keep one step ahead of the spread of
these superbugs,” says Zhanel.
“The evolving situation of emerging
pathogens has required a joint attack
on several fronts, and we are helping
to develop a research funding strategy
for the Canadian Institutes for Health
Research (CIHR),” says Joanne
Embree, head, medical microbiology.
The University of Manitoba has been
working closely on these issues with
CIHR and Manitoba Health, along
with industry and researchers like
Michael Mulvey, medical microbiology,
chief of antimicrobial resistance and
nosocomial infections at the Public
Health Agency of Canada’s National
Microbiology Laboratory.
6
Embree’s department has expanded its
work on “superbugs” to other diseases
that make the evening news, such as
SARS and West Nile virus.
From a completely different angle
of attack, the dynamics of infectious
diseases can also be modeled
mathematically. Abba Gumel,
mathematics, has been developing
models of the spread and control of
emerging and re-emerging diseases of
Medical microbiology faculty Michael Mulvey and George Zhanel
public health importance such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS,
influenza, SARS and West Nile virus. As part of a mega
project of the Mathematics of Information Technology and
Complex Systems (MITACS), Gumel designs mathematical
models of how diseases spread in a population, helping to
assess control strategies such as quarantine and isolation,
vaccines and antiretroviral therapy.
Gumel notes: “The ultimate objective is to determine,
via mathematical modeling, cost-effective public health
strategies for combating and/or eradicating the spread of
some human diseases.”
Improving Our Health
Food,
functional food!
Functional foods are consumed as part of a usual diet
and have proven health benefits, like reducing the risk of
disease. Nutraceuticals are products with proven health
benefits derived from foods and sold as pills, powders or
other medicinal forms.
In Manitoba, three complementary
facilities have placed the province at the
leading edge of functional foods and
nutraceuticals research and development.
Scientists at the Richardson Centre for
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
(RCFFN) and the Canadian Centre
for Agri-Food Research in Health and
Medicine (CCARM) work closely with
the provincial government’s Food
Development Centre (FDC) in Portage la
Prairie to develop and test natural food
products that will improve the health of
Canadians.
At the University’s Fort Garry Campus,
research at the RCFFN focuses on the
development of value-added products
derived from crops important to the prairie
region. For example, Carla Taylor, human
nutritional sciences, is investigating the role
of components isolated from buckwheat
in the management of diabetes, and she
is studying the effects of flaxseed on
blood glucose control. In the department
of food science, Trust Beta is examining
components of plant foods that can
potentially prevent or delay the onset of
diseases related to aging.
The RCFFN’s multi-pronged approach includes an
identification team, which selects a substance to study,
and an enhancement team, which does research on
the molecular and chemical structure of the optimal
plant source. An extraction team then processes the
biomaterials, and a safety and efficacy assessment team
studies the metabolic and pharmacological nature of the
bioactive compounds, including their effects on existing
medical conditions and illnesses. The final element is the
testing and evaluation of consumer acceptability, which
involves researchers from a variety of disciplines who
examine processing, sensory analysis and food quality.
At the St. Boniface General Hospital Research
Centre, CCARM scientists conduct basic research
and clinical trials on a wide range of natural health
products. For example, CCARM director Peter
Zahradka, physiology, is examining how nutrition
and nutraceutical compounds influence the function
of adipose tissue in relation to vascular disease.
Peter Jones, RCFFN director and Canada Research
Chair in Nutrition and Functional Foods, points out:
“Research and development at CCARM, FDC and
the Richardson Centre is a response to interest by the
general public in food products that can promote and
maintain good health. We’re involved from ‘farm to
fork’ and from ‘hill to pill.’”
“It’s the direction consumers are now heading,” Jones,
food science, adds, “and it’s in the best interest of all
of us who need to eat food to survive.”
Peter Jones, food science
Working together towards a cure Reacting to an
If breast cancer can be detected early enough, lives can be
saved. However, finding the markers or warning signs of allergy epidemic
cancer cell development is a challenging problem. A new In Canada, allergies are the most common, and most
coordinated approach to breast cancer research has rapidly increasing, chronic health problem. More than
injected a sense of synergy and collaboration into the 50 per cent of young children are sensitive to common
work of teams striving to understand this disease. environmental allergens and pediatric asthma is the
leading cause of hospitalization in children.
The Great-West Life Manitoba Breast Davie leads the Nygård International says Hicks. “Through studying cancer cells in mice, we can
Cancer Research Centre is a joint Molecular Biology Breast Cancer better understand how the disease manifests in humans.”
research initiative between the University Research Unit, the proteomics platform, Allergy is complex — involving genetics, individual Hayglass, immunology, notes: “Learning IRARG co-head Estelle Simons, pediatrics
Finally, Peter Watson leads the Manitoba Breast
of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba. studying proteins in the tumour itself physiology, metabolism and an immune system what controls how the immune system and child health, is internationally
Tumour Bank, which supports over 60 local, national
Organized in five teams called research or blood or urine, identifying potential and international projects by providing tissues biased to the development of allergy-associated defaults to ‘protective’ versus ‘self- known for her innovative studies of
platforms, the centre focuses on genetic biodiagnostic markers of the disease. and the accompanying clinical and pathological diseases. The University of Manitoba’s Immune destructive’ immune responses in asthma, anaphylaxis and other allergic
and hormonal changes in breast cancer data associated with tumours. This translation of Regulation of Allergy Research Group (IRARG) is different people will result in vaccine disorders. Andrew Halayko, physiology,
The fourth platform is the Mammalian on the front lines of an all-out war against allergies development and clinical trials of is also studying allergy response and the
and the identification of biomarkers for knowledge provides researchers with material to test
early detection and treatment. The teams Functional Genomics Centre, led by and asthma, bringing together diverse expertise from new strategies to redirect the immune progressive and irreversible deterioration of
theories and help make discoveries related to breast
each attack the problem from different Geoff Hicks, Canada Research Chair cancer treatment a reality. pediatrics and child health, immunology, physiology response in humans.” airways in patients with asthma or chronic
directions, focusing on a particular in Functional Genomics. He is using and medical microbiology. pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD).
Davie explains: “These research platforms working
aspect of the molecular events which transgenic mouse models to investigate
together create a synergy that is unrivaled anywhere Allan Becker is lead investigator of two teams focused
lead to breast cancer, then work with one the genetics of breast cancer.
else. Since 5,000 women per year die from breast on gene-environment interactions and gender
another in a concerted effort. “We need to know which genes regulate cancer in Canada, the importance of this combined influences in asthma. He is research director of the
The genomics platform is headed the production of breast cancer cells,” research effort cannot be overstated.” Children’s Asthma Education Centre at the Children’s
by Sabine Mai, director of the Genomic Hospital of Winnipeg and a core member of a
Centre for Cancer Research and National Training Program in Allergy and Asthma
Diagnosis. She is looking at changes in based at the University of Manitoba. He suggests that
the physical structure of chromosomes evolution and genetic change occurring over decades
in breast cancer cells. Leigh Murphy leads and centuries have been subtly contributing to a
another platform, the Molecular Profiling present-day epidemic of asthma.
Unit, studying how and why genes
He explains: “We really need to understand how our
sometimes do not function normally
genes interact with the environment. Asthma is a
during the progression of breast cancer.
disease with a complex, heritable component, with
“We want to be able to point to some of multiple genes involved.”
the early events that give the breast cancer
Kent HayGlass, Canada Research Chair in Immune
cell an advantage to grow,” explains James
Regulation, works closely with researchers at the
Davie, director of the Manitoba Institute Children’s Hospital and the Manitoba Institute for
of Cell Biology, Canada Research Chair Child Health. Co-head of IRARG, Hayglass focuses on
in Chromatin Dynamics, and Margaret understanding how immune cells and responses are
Leigh Murphy, James Davie and Spencer Gibson, biochemistry and medical genetics; Bob Shiu, physiology; Peter Watson, pathology;
Sellers Chair in Cell Biology. Sabine Mai, physiology; Yvonne Myal, pathology; Etienne Leygue and Geoff Hicks, biochemistry and medical genetics turned on and off, especially in allergies and asthma.
Allan Becker, pediatrics and child health

Improving Our Health

8
Working together towards a cure Reacting to an
If breast cancer can be detected early enough, lives can be
saved. However, finding the markers or warning signs of allergy epidemic
cancer cell development is a challenging problem. A new In Canada, allergies are the most common, and most
coordinated approach to breast cancer research has rapidly increasing, chronic health problem. More than
injected a sense of synergy and collaboration into the 50 per cent of young children are sensitive to common
work of teams striving to understand this disease. environmental allergens and pediatric asthma is the
leading cause of hospitalization in children.
The Great-West Life Manitoba Breast Davie leads the Nygård International says Hicks. “Through studying cancer cells in mice, we can
Cancer Research Centre is a joint Molecular Biology Breast Cancer better understand how the disease manifests in humans.”
research initiative between the University Research Unit, the proteomics platform, Allergy is complex — involving genetics, individual Hayglass, immunology, notes: “Learning IRARG co-head Estelle Simons, pediatrics
Finally, Peter Watson leads the Manitoba Breast
of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba. studying proteins in the tumour itself physiology, metabolism and an immune system what controls how the immune system and child health, is internationally
Tumour Bank, which supports over 60 local, national
Organized in five teams called research or blood or urine, identifying potential and international projects by providing tissues biased to the development of allergy-associated defaults to ‘protective’ versus ‘self- known for her innovative studies of
platforms, the centre focuses on genetic biodiagnostic markers of the disease. and the accompanying clinical and pathological diseases. The University of Manitoba’s Immune destructive’ immune responses in asthma, anaphylaxis and other allergic
and hormonal changes in breast cancer data associated with tumours. This translation of Regulation of Allergy Research Group (IRARG) is different people will result in vaccine disorders. Andrew Halayko, physiology,
The fourth platform is the Mammalian on the front lines of an all-out war against allergies development and clinical trials of is also studying allergy response and the
and the identification of biomarkers for knowledge provides researchers with material to test
early detection and treatment. The teams Functional Genomics Centre, led by and asthma, bringing together diverse expertise from new strategies to redirect the immune progressive and irreversible deterioration of
theories and help make discoveries related to breast
each attack the problem from different Geoff Hicks, Canada Research Chair cancer treatment a reality. pediatrics and child health, immunology, physiology response in humans.” airways in patients with asthma or chronic
directions, focusing on a particular in Functional Genomics. He is using and medical microbiology. pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD).
Davie explains: “These research platforms working
aspect of the molecular events which transgenic mouse models to investigate
together create a synergy that is unrivaled anywhere Allan Becker is lead investigator of two teams focused
lead to breast cancer, then work with one the genetics of breast cancer.
else. Since 5,000 women per year die from breast on gene-environment interactions and gender
another in a concerted effort. “We need to know which genes regulate cancer in Canada, the importance of this combined influences in asthma. He is research director of the
The genomics platform is headed the production of breast cancer cells,” research effort cannot be overstated.” Children’s Asthma Education Centre at the Children’s
by Sabine Mai, director of the Genomic Hospital of Winnipeg and a core member of a
Centre for Cancer Research and National Training Program in Allergy and Asthma
Diagnosis. She is looking at changes in based at the University of Manitoba. He suggests that
the physical structure of chromosomes evolution and genetic change occurring over decades
in breast cancer cells. Leigh Murphy leads and centuries have been subtly contributing to a
another platform, the Molecular Profiling present-day epidemic of asthma.
Unit, studying how and why genes
He explains: “We really need to understand how our
sometimes do not function normally
genes interact with the environment. Asthma is a
during the progression of breast cancer.
disease with a complex, heritable component, with
“We want to be able to point to some of multiple genes involved.”
the early events that give the breast cancer
Kent HayGlass, Canada Research Chair in Immune
cell an advantage to grow,” explains James
Regulation, works closely with researchers at the
Davie, director of the Manitoba Institute Children’s Hospital and the Manitoba Institute for
of Cell Biology, Canada Research Chair Child Health. Co-head of IRARG, Hayglass focuses on
in Chromatin Dynamics, and Margaret understanding how immune cells and responses are
Leigh Murphy, James Davie and Spencer Gibson, biochemistry and medical genetics; Bob Shiu, physiology; Peter Watson, pathology;
Sellers Chair in Cell Biology. Sabine Mai, physiology; Yvonne Myal, pathology; Etienne Leygue and Geoff Hicks, biochemistry and medical genetics turned on and off, especially in allergies and asthma.
Allan Becker, pediatrics and child health

Improving Our Health

8
Health is
where the heart is
According to Health Canada, as many as 35 per cent of
all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases each year,
and treating these diseases costs Canadian taxpayers over
$18 billion annually.
Physiology faculty Naranjan Dhalla and Grant Pierce
10
If researchers like Naranjan Dhalla have their way,
however, that may soon change. He is a world
renowned heart researcher who was instrumental in
establishing the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences,
a partnership between the St. Boniface General
Hospital and the University of Manitoba. Dhalla and
his fellow researchers believe that in the near future,
doctors will be able to prevent and reverse the ravages
of congestive heart failure.
Dhalla served as the Institute’s founding director for
a decade, and he received the Order of Canada for
his groundbreaking work. His laboratory is currently
focusing on four different areas: heart dysfunction in
chronic diabetes, ischemic heart disease, congestive
heart failure and stress-induced heart disease.
Other teams within the institute are looking at
cardioprotection — keeping heart cells alive during a
heart attack — heart muscle regeneration, reperfusion
injuries which occur when blood flow is restored, and
the remodeling of scar tissue to allow signals to pass
through a scarred heart and keep blood flowing.
Institute director Larry Hryshko, physiology, is
exploring a way to improve heart function following
a heart attack. A Canada Research Chair in Cardiac
Electrophysiology, Hryshko is studying a family of ion
transport proteins, called sodium-calcium exchangers,
which play a critical role in controlling the force of
heart contractions. His laboratory is investigating the
possibility that regulating the flow of ions through
these exchangers by using newly developed drugs
might regulate the strength with which heart muscle
cells can contract, allowing muscle cells that survive
after a heart attack to work more effectively.
“We work in an environment unequalled across the
country,” says Grant Pierce, physiology, and executive
director of research at St. Boniface General Hospital.
“I’m not aware of another centre this large. We have
the critical mass to go after any scientific problem in
this field, and so if we can find the factors responsible
for normal and abnormal vessel function, we can
certainly wipe out stroke and heart disease.”
Improving Our Health
Fighting HIV/AIDS
In India, the University of Manitoba is leading one of the
world’s largest programs for HIV prevention among sex
workers. Here, Stephen Moses, medical microbiology,
in Africa and India and James Blanchard, community health sciences, are
working with communities to reduce the transmission
of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
It has been 25 years since Allan Ronald of the University One of their projects, funded by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, is developing ways to scale up HIV
of Manitoba partnered with the University of Nairobi
prevention programs and reduce the spread of sexually
to share information and expertise on infectious
transmitted infections and HIV in Karnataka, India,
disease prevention and research. In 1985, the focus of particularly in vulnerable populations, including sex
the partnership expanded to include HIV/AIDS, which trade workers, injection drug users and at-risk men.
was quickly spreading across Africa. Since then, the “The demonstration projects are being seen as ‘best
collaboration, based within the WHO Collaborating Centre practices’ and have increased access to preventive
for Research and Training in STDs, has grown into an services and resources, such as voluntary counseling,
HIV testing and condoms,” says Blanchard, Canada
international effort with researchers from the Universities Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public
of Washington, Ghent, Oxford, and others working to Health, adding that he has also seen reduced fear,
study and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. stigma and discrimination because of these projects.
Over the life of this research partnership, HIV Research Group, under the
the Manitoba-Nairobi teams have made direction of Frank Plummer, medical
advances and discoveries that have microbiology, Canada Research Chair
significantly increased our understanding in Resistance and Susceptibility to
of HIV/AIDS. This group was the first to Infections, and Scientific Director
show that HIV could be heterosexually General of the National Microbiology
transmitted. They were the first to discover Laboratory, Public Health Agency of
that transmission of HIV from mother Canada, in Winnipeg.
to child through breast milk is a frequent
A recent investment from the Canada
occurrence and a significant clinical and
Foundation for Innovation, through
public health problem. They were also the
its International Access Fund program,
first researchers to discover that having a
has further enhanced the University of
traditional sexually transmitted disease
Nairobi collaboration. The grant created
increased the risk of HIV infection.
a world-class infectious disease research
Perhaps most significantly, this group facility in Nairobi, including a Level-3
identified groups of sex trade workers in retrovirology laboratory for handling
Kenya who, despite repeated exposure to HIV, highly infectious materials.
have not become infected. This discovery
“Cutting-edge research can now take
overturned conventional wisdom about
place right in Nairobi, increasing the
the virus, and it has received international
research capacity of local scientists,”
recognition as one of the world’s best hopes
explains Keith Fowke, medical
in the race to develop an HIV vaccine.
microbiology, who is investigating the
At the University of Manitoba, these immunobiology of HIV infection and
projects are carried out by the Manitoba training new scientists.
Keith Fowke, medical microbiology
Health is
where the heart is
According to Health Canada, as many as 35 per cent of
all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases each year,
and treating these diseases costs Canadian taxpayers over
$18 billion annually.
Physiology faculty Naranjan Dhalla and Grant Pierce
10
If researchers like Naranjan Dhalla have their way,
however, that may soon change. He is a world
renowned heart researcher who was instrumental in
establishing the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences,
a partnership between the St. Boniface General
Hospital and the University of Manitoba. Dhalla and
his fellow researchers believe that in the near future,
doctors will be able to prevent and reverse the ravages
of congestive heart failure.
Dhalla served as the Institute’s founding director for
a decade, and he received the Order of Canada for
his groundbreaking work. His laboratory is currently
focusing on four different areas: heart dysfunction in
chronic diabetes, ischemic heart disease, congestive
heart failure and stress-induced heart disease.
Other teams within the institute are looking at
cardioprotection — keeping heart cells alive during a
heart attack — heart muscle regeneration, reperfusion
injuries which occur when blood flow is restored, and
the remodeling of scar tissue to allow signals to pass
through a scarred heart and keep blood flowing.
Institute director Larry Hryshko, physiology, is
exploring a way to improve heart function following
a heart attack. A Canada Research Chair in Cardiac
Electrophysiology, Hryshko is studying a family of ion
transport proteins, called sodium-calcium exchangers,
which play a critical role in controlling the force of
heart contractions. His laboratory is investigating the
possibility that regulating the flow of ions through
these exchangers by using newly developed drugs
might regulate the strength with which heart muscle
cells can contract, allowing muscle cells that survive
after a heart attack to work more effectively.
“We work in an environment unequalled across the
country,” says Grant Pierce, physiology, and executive
director of research at St. Boniface General Hospital.
“I’m not aware of another centre this large. We have
the critical mass to go after any scientific problem in
this field, and so if we can find the factors responsible
for normal and abnormal vessel function, we can
certainly wipe out stroke and heart disease.”
Improving Our Health
Fighting HIV/AIDS
In India, the University of Manitoba is leading one of the
world’s largest programs for HIV prevention among sex
workers. Here, Stephen Moses, medical microbiology,
in Africa and India and James Blanchard, community health sciences, are
working with communities to reduce the transmission
of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
It has been 25 years since Allan Ronald of the University One of their projects, funded by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, is developing ways to scale up HIV
of Manitoba partnered with the University of Nairobi
prevention programs and reduce the spread of sexually
to share information and expertise on infectious
transmitted infections and HIV in Karnataka, India,
disease prevention and research. In 1985, the focus of particularly in vulnerable populations, including sex
the partnership expanded to include HIV/AIDS, which trade workers, injection drug users and at-risk men.
was quickly spreading across Africa. Since then, the “The demonstration projects are being seen as ‘best
collaboration, based within the WHO Collaborating Centre practices’ and have increased access to preventive
for Research and Training in STDs, has grown into an services and resources, such as voluntary counseling,
HIV testing and condoms,” says Blanchard, Canada
international effort with researchers from the Universities Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public
of Washington, Ghent, Oxford, and others working to Health, adding that he has also seen reduced fear,
study and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. stigma and discrimination because of these projects.
Over the life of this research partnership, HIV Research Group, under the
the Manitoba-Nairobi teams have made direction of Frank Plummer, medical
advances and discoveries that have microbiology, Canada Research Chair
significantly increased our understanding in Resistance and Susceptibility to
of HIV/AIDS. This group was the first to Infections, and Scientific Director
show that HIV could be heterosexually General of the National Microbiology
transmitted. They were the first to discover Laboratory, Public Health Agency of
that transmission of HIV from mother Canada, in Winnipeg.
to child through breast milk is a frequent
A recent investment from the Canada
occurrence and a significant clinical and
Foundation for Innovation, through
public health problem. They were also the
its International Access Fund program,
first researchers to discover that having a
has further enhanced the University of
traditional sexually transmitted disease
Nairobi collaboration. The grant created
increased the risk of HIV infection.
a world-class infectious disease research
Perhaps most significantly, this group facility in Nairobi, including a Level-3
identified groups of sex trade workers in retrovirology laboratory for handling
Kenya who, despite repeated exposure to HIV, highly infectious materials.
have not become infected. This discovery
“Cutting-edge research can now take
overturned conventional wisdom about
place right in Nairobi, increasing the
the virus, and it has received international
research capacity of local scientists,”
recognition as one of the world’s best hopes
explains Keith Fowke, medical
in the race to develop an HIV vaccine.
microbiology, who is investigating the
At the University of Manitoba, these immunobiology of HIV infection and
projects are carried out by the Manitoba training new scientists.
Keith Fowke, medical microbiology
Drugs right
on target
You may take your pill or
spoonful of medicine, but
will it do what it’s supposed
to do, or cause an unexpected
interaction with some other
substance in your body?
A research team led by Frank Burczynski,
pharmacy, is studying ways to enhance
the efficacy of drug treatments through
targeted drug delivery systems. They
are investigating how extracellular and
intracellular proteins affect the uptake of
fat-soluble drugs.
“We can isolate and identify therapeutic
substances, determine the optimal
potency of a compound and deliver it to
the places in the body where it will do
the most good,” explains David Collins,
Dean of Pharmacy.
The ways that drugs are formulated
and administered can also affect how a
person’s body responds to the drugs and
whether the drugs are doing what they
should. In the case of some agents that are
applied topically or transdermally, such as
cosmetics, insect repellents and sunscreen,
studies are underway to investigate new
formulations that suppress absorptive
properties of the skin.
This is particularly important since
pharmacologist Xiaochen Gu has
discovered that consumers are mixing
topical medicines in ways that had not
been anticipated by manufacturers, leading
12
Understanding
Ourselves and
Our World
Pharmacy faculty Xiaochen Gu, David Collins, dean, Frank Burczynski and Anita Kozyryskyj
to unusual side effects. His research has
shown that sunscreen and insect repellent
should not be worn together because of the
way they enhance absorption through the
skin. This is a public health concern since
the spectre of West Nile virus has made
some consumers apply both to their skin to
prevent sunburn and mosquito bites.
A large part of how pharmaceuticals are
actually delivered to people depends on
government policy, prescribing trends
and patient compliance. Anita Kozyrskyj,
a pharmacoepidemiologist, is using
prescription and health status databases
to examine pharmaceutical policies and
aspects of child and family health.
To t r u l y u n d e r s t a n d o u r s e l v e s a n d t h e c o m p l e x
“Our ability to develop safer, more effective
medicines will reap benefits for future world in which we live, we need to examine our
generations,” Collins says. “However, in past, our present and our hopes for the future.
order for medicines to do what they were
Scholars and researchers at the University of
designed to do, we need to ensure that they
Manitoba are doing just that, working to build
will be readily accessible and that patients
are educated in how to use them. The a civil society by offering new insight into our
critical role of pharmacists is, and will
h i s t o r y, o u r p o p u l a r c u l t u r e , o u r s p i r i t u a l i t y,
continue to be, working with our patients
and our colleagues in medicine, nursing, our artistic expression and our ongoing quest
and government, to maximize quality for peace and justice.
outcomes for those in need of our services.”
Improving Our Health
Drugs right
on target
You may take your pill or
spoonful of medicine, but
will it do what it’s supposed
to do, or cause an unexpected
interaction with some other
substance in your body?
A research team led by Frank Burczynski,
pharmacy, is studying ways to enhance
the efficacy of drug treatments through
targeted drug delivery systems. They
are investigating how extracellular and
intracellular proteins affect the uptake of
fat-soluble drugs.
“We can isolate and identify therapeutic
substances, determine the optimal
potency of a compound and deliver it to
the places in the body where it will do
the most good,” explains David Collins,
Dean of Pharmacy.
The ways that drugs are formulated
and administered can also affect how a
person’s body responds to the drugs and
whether the drugs are doing what they
should. In the case of some agents that are
applied topically or transdermally, such as
cosmetics, insect repellents and sunscreen,
studies are underway to investigate new
formulations that suppress absorptive
properties of the skin.
This is particularly important since
pharmacologist Xiaochen Gu has
discovered that consumers are mixing
topical medicines in ways that had not
been anticipated by manufacturers, leading
12
Understanding
Ourselves and
Our World
Pharmacy faculty Xiaochen Gu, David Collins, dean, Frank Burczynski and Anita Kozyryskyj
to unusual side effects. His research has
shown that sunscreen and insect repellent
should not be worn together because of the
way they enhance absorption through the
skin. This is a public health concern since
the spectre of West Nile virus has made
some consumers apply both to their skin to
prevent sunburn and mosquito bites.
A large part of how pharmaceuticals are
actually delivered to people depends on
government policy, prescribing trends
and patient compliance. Anita Kozyrskyj,
a pharmacoepidemiologist, is using
prescription and health status databases
to examine pharmaceutical policies and
aspects of child and family health.
To t r u l y u n d e r s t a n d o u r s e l v e s a n d t h e c o m p l e x
“Our ability to develop safer, more effective
medicines will reap benefits for future world in which we live, we need to examine our
generations,” Collins says. “However, in past, our present and our hopes for the future.
order for medicines to do what they were
Scholars and researchers at the University of
designed to do, we need to ensure that they
Manitoba are doing just that, working to build
will be readily accessible and that patients
are educated in how to use them. The a civil society by offering new insight into our
critical role of pharmacists is, and will
h i s t o r y, o u r p o p u l a r c u l t u r e , o u r s p i r i t u a l i t y,
continue to be, working with our patients
and our colleagues in medicine, nursing, our artistic expression and our ongoing quest
and government, to maximize quality for peace and justice.
outcomes for those in need of our services.”
Improving Our Health
 Conflict and cooperation
in a troubled world
“The beginning of the third millennium has been
characterized by violence in the home, workplace and schools,
by war and insurrection, by ethnic and religious strife, by
terrorist activity, by suicide bombers and by the use of
children as soldiers,” soberly observes Sean Byrne, director of
the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice.
Former University of Manitoba
Chancellor Arthur Mauro helped to
establish the centre. Through education,
research and outreach work, its members
work towards understanding the
cultural, religious and philosophical
dimensions of peace. Researchers study
the social, economic and environmental
aspects of peace and justice, and the
role international organizations play in
Sean Byrne, political studies, and Jessica Senehi, sociology
U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
14
conflict resolution. The Mauro Centre
is also the first Canadian institution to
offer a doctoral program in peace and
conflict studies.
“There continues to be a great need for an
understanding of the deep-rooted causes
of the terrible conflicts we see around the
world and a need to educate people who
can work for peace and justice in their
homes, communities and institutions, both here and
abroad,” explains Byrne.
Associate director and sociology professor, Jessica
Senehi, is doing ethnographic work on storytelling,
conflict resolution and peace building.
“Conflicts are complex and have aspects that are
social, political, economic or ethical,” says Senehi.
“Some conflicts, such at as domestic violence, happen
in the domain of the home, but can spill over into the
workplace. The inequitable treatment of minorities
happens in communities, but is reflected throughout
a society.”
These issues are also under direct scrutiny by
researchers in other disciplines, such as legal expert
Debra Parkes, whose research includes bullying
in the workplace as well as the rights of prisoners
in institutions. Her colleague Anne McGillivray
examines the safety and protection of children
and issues surrounding domestic violence towards
women. She recently co-authored a disturbing study
of abused women in First Nations communities,
titled Black Eyes All the Time.
In addition, the rights of individuals with disabilities
has been the focus of educator Zana Lutfiyya,
educational administration, foundations and
psychology, who, along with Jennifer Mactavish
in physical education and recreation studies, is
identifying barriers to social participation.
15
 Conflict and cooperation
in a troubled world
“The beginning of the third millennium has been
characterized by violence in the home, workplace and schools,
by war and insurrection, by ethnic and religious strife, by
terrorist activity, by suicide bombers and by the use of
children as soldiers,” soberly observes Sean Byrne, director of
the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice.
Former University of Manitoba
Chancellor Arthur Mauro helped to
establish the centre. Through education,
research and outreach work, its members
work towards understanding the
cultural, religious and philosophical
dimensions of peace. Researchers study
the social, economic and environmental
aspects of peace and justice, and the
role international organizations play in
Sean Byrne, political studies, and Jessica Senehi, sociology
U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
14
conflict resolution. The Mauro Centre
is also the first Canadian institution to
offer a doctoral program in peace and
conflict studies.
“There continues to be a great need for an
understanding of the deep-rooted causes
of the terrible conflicts we see around the
world and a need to educate people who
can work for peace and justice in their
homes, communities and institutions, both here and
abroad,” explains Byrne.
Associate director and sociology professor, Jessica
Senehi, is doing ethnographic work on storytelling,
conflict resolution and peace building.
“Conflicts are complex and have aspects that are
social, political, economic or ethical,” says Senehi.
“Some conflicts, such at as domestic violence, happen
in the domain of the home, but can spill over into the
workplace. The inequitable treatment of minorities
happens in communities, but is reflected throughout
a society.”
These issues are also under direct scrutiny by
researchers in other disciplines, such as legal expert
Debra Parkes, whose research includes bullying
in the workplace as well as the rights of prisoners
in institutions. Her colleague Anne McGillivray
examines the safety and protection of children
and issues surrounding domestic violence towards
women. She recently co-authored a disturbing study
of abused women in First Nations communities,
titled Black Eyes All the Time.
In addition, the rights of individuals with disabilities
has been the focus of educator Zana Lutfiyya,
educational administration, foundations and
psychology, who, along with Jennifer Mactavish
in physical education and recreation studies, is
identifying barriers to social participation.
15
A little song,
a little dance…
Manitoba’s rich cultural heritage is reflected in the
diversity of research and performance in the arts at
the University of Manitoba.
The University of Manitoba is also a hotbed of artistic
activities, with a bold, enthusiastic approach to its new
jazz program, led by a man who really knows jazz.
Steve Kirby, director of the jazz
program in the Faculty of Music,
has recorded and performed with
some of today’s best-recognized jazz
artists including Wynton Marsalis and
Kathleen Battle. Kurt Markstrom is an
18th century music historian, but is also
studying the history of rock, punk, funk
and rap. Markstrom notes: “Serious
academic studies of these genres
should soon become standard at music
faculties. This is a part of 20th and 21st
century culture that cannot be ignored.”
Researchers in the Centre for
Ukrainian Canadian Studies would
argue that the kolomyka should be
regarded as a major musical style as
well. The centre is unique in Canada,
focusing on research and scholarship
in Ukrainian Canadian Studies,
including culture, history, art, folklore
and relationships to Ukraine.
Popular culture is also the research
focus of Carl Matheson, philosophy,
who has contributed essays on modern
cultural icons such as The Simpsons,
while Brenda Austin-Smith, English,
16
has done research on melodrama and
on women’s responses to “tearjerker”
films. Gene Walz, English, won awards
for his book Cartoon Charlie: The Life
and Art of Animation Pioneer Charlie
Thorson, a critical biography of the
Winnipegger who designed Bugs
Bunny, Punkinhead and many other
favourite cartoon characters.
Meanwhile, faculty and students in the
School of Art cross boundaries and
challenge preconceived ideas within
society. The sculptures and photographs
of Diana Thorneycroft have shocked
and unsettled viewers, with conceptual
pieces including animal flesh and sensual
images of dolls’ mouths inviting your
gaze. David McMillan’s photographs
of life in Chernobyl have attracted
international acclaim, as has the quirky
work of The Royal Art Lodge, a collective
of students in the School of Art. Their
work was recently exhibited in Toronto,
the Netherlands, Detroit and Los Angeles,
and is testament to the spark of creativity
fostered and nurtured within the
School of Art.
Something old,
something new
To learn more about our world,
University of Manitoba researchers
have led students on archaeological
ventures to sites in Greece, Roman
North Africa and the remains of an
ancient Greek city on the Black Sea
coast of Ukraine.
The Leptiminus Archaeological Project in Tunisia,
for example, is a joint initiative of the University of
Manitoba, the Institut National du Patrimoine and
the University of Michigan. Co-director Lea Stirling,
classics, has furthered the understanding of the
industry and economy of the Roman Empire, through
her uncovering of artifacts that indicate an industrial
manufacturing centre with kilns, a pottery workshop
and hydraulic water-work structures.
Stirling, Canada Research Chair in Roman
Archaeology, notes: “Ancient Roman culture had to
contend with modern problems such as harsh climates
Top: Lea Stirling, classics; bottom left: Greg Monks, anthropology; bottom right: Robert Hoppa, anthropology
and the challenge of tieing far-flung regions together,
and balancing colonists with indigenous residents.”
Dating these artifacts is a complex process, but new
Digital Image Analysis Laboratory CT scans using very thin layers of plaster
state-of-the-art technology is assisting researchers
(BDIAL) and Canada Research Chair powder and liquid binder.
in their studies of remains and antiquities. Robert
in Skeletal Biology. His research
Hoppa, anthropology, is director of the Bioanthropology Other research in the lab includes thin
into aging and longevity uses digital
Steve Kirby, music sectioning of human teeth for estimation
imaging technology to reliably estimate
of age and for biochemical analysis in
demographic information from samples of
association with researchers in geological
bone or teeth.
sciences, and with archaeologist Greg
The BDIAL can produce accurate models Monks and his seasonality analyses of
of human skeletal biology from laser shellfish.
scans. Thus, an object such as a bone or
ceramic artefact can be “printed”
or physically built from
3D renderings and
U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
A little song,
a little dance…
Manitoba’s rich cultural heritage is reflected in the
diversity of research and performance in the arts at
the University of Manitoba.
The University of Manitoba is also a hotbed of artistic
activities, with a bold, enthusiastic approach to its new
jazz program, led by a man who really knows jazz.
Steve Kirby, director of the jazz
program in the Faculty of Music,
has recorded and performed with
some of today’s best-recognized jazz
artists including Wynton Marsalis and
Kathleen Battle. Kurt Markstrom is an
18th century music historian, but is also
studying the history of rock, punk, funk
and rap. Markstrom notes: “Serious
academic studies of these genres
should soon become standard at music
faculties. This is a part of 20th and 21st
century culture that cannot be ignored.”
Researchers in the Centre for
Ukrainian Canadian Studies would
argue that the kolomyka should be
regarded as a major musical style as
well. The centre is unique in Canada,
focusing on research and scholarship
in Ukrainian Canadian Studies,
including culture, history, art, folklore
and relationships to Ukraine.
Popular culture is also the research
focus of Carl Matheson, philosophy,
who has contributed essays on modern
cultural icons such as The Simpsons,
while Brenda Austin-Smith, English,
16
has done research on melodrama and
on women’s responses to “tearjerker”
films. Gene Walz, English, won awards
for his book Cartoon Charlie: The Life
and Art of Animation Pioneer Charlie
Thorson, a critical biography of the
Winnipegger who designed Bugs
Bunny, Punkinhead and many other
favourite cartoon characters.
Meanwhile, faculty and students in the
School of Art cross boundaries and
challenge preconceived ideas within
society. The sculptures and photographs
of Diana Thorneycroft have shocked
and unsettled viewers, with conceptual
pieces including animal flesh and sensual
images of dolls’ mouths inviting your
gaze. David McMillan’s photographs
of life in Chernobyl have attracted
international acclaim, as has the quirky
work of The Royal Art Lodge, a collective
of students in the School of Art. Their
work was recently exhibited in Toronto,
the Netherlands, Detroit and Los Angeles,
and is testament to the spark of creativity
fostered and nurtured within the
School of Art.
Something old,
something new
To learn more about our world,
University of Manitoba researchers
have led students on archaeological
ventures to sites in Greece, Roman
North Africa and the remains of an
ancient Greek city on the Black Sea
coast of Ukraine.
The Leptiminus Archaeological Project in Tunisia,
for example, is a joint initiative of the University of
Manitoba, the Institut National du Patrimoine and
the University of Michigan. Co-director Lea Stirling,
classics, has furthered the understanding of the
industry and economy of the Roman Empire, through
her uncovering of artifacts that indicate an industrial
manufacturing centre with kilns, a pottery workshop
and hydraulic water-work structures.
Stirling, Canada Research Chair in Roman
Archaeology, notes: “Ancient Roman culture had to
contend with modern problems such as harsh climates
Top: Lea Stirling, classics; bottom left: Greg Monks, anthropology; bottom right: Robert Hoppa, anthropology
and the challenge of tieing far-flung regions together,
and balancing colonists with indigenous residents.”
Dating these artifacts is a complex process, but new
Digital Image Analysis Laboratory CT scans using very thin layers of plaster
state-of-the-art technology is assisting researchers
(BDIAL) and Canada Research Chair powder and liquid binder.
in their studies of remains and antiquities. Robert
in Skeletal Biology. His research
Hoppa, anthropology, is director of the Bioanthropology Other research in the lab includes thin
into aging and longevity uses digital
Steve Kirby, music sectioning of human teeth for estimation
imaging technology to reliably estimate
of age and for biochemical analysis in
demographic information from samples of
association with researchers in geological
bone or teeth.
sciences, and with archaeologist Greg
The BDIAL can produce accurate models Monks and his seasonality analyses of
of human skeletal biology from laser shellfish.
scans. Thus, an object such as a bone or
ceramic artefact can be “printed”
or physically built from
3D renderings and
U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
Thinking history
differently
“If we look at people’s lives and how they were lived, does
that encourage us to think differently about the experience Advancing Our
of colonialism?” asks historian Adele Perry. Her research
is reshaping our understanding of immigration, gender,
indigenous peoples and the significance of colonialism.
Technology
Perry, Canada Research Chair in Western for human rights and the emergence
Canadian Social History, examines the of mass protest movements against the
efforts of politicians and missionaries effects of globalization. It is important to
to regulate the lives of settlers and understand how this new order impacts
Aboriginal peoples in 19th century on our lives and everyday experiences.”
British Columbia history and in early
Similar questions were asked by historian
20th century Canada.
Gerald Friesen as he worked with an
“I’m interested in perspectives of the unpublished 1946 report by sociologist
past that don’t minimize the presence James Giffen, who spent over two years
of groups of people who have in Manitoba working on a report for the
historically not especially been Royal Commission on Adult Education.
part of the narrative,” she explains. Friesen discovered its yellowing pages
in the provincial archives and found it
With a broader perspective, the
an amazing first-person record of the
Interdisciplinary Research Circle on
struggles, lives, controversies and daily
Globalization and Cosmopolitanism
routines common to small rural farming
critically examines the cultural and
communities and the immigrants who
political implications of an increasingly
became part of the area’s culture.
globally integrated world. Co-coordinator How can we improve the materials we use to
David Churchill, history, notes: “Our He notes: “You get an inside picture of daily
build bridges or aircraft? Is there a better
current political moment is one shaped life in the towns and of relations among the
by the War on Terrorism, a rapidly major groups. This culture would change way to generate power? What new tools
changing political economy, a quest dramatically over the next 30 years.” are needed to study human disease? Our
Adele Perry, history
scientists and engineers are answering these

questions, creating innovative technologies

that improve our infrastructure, expand our

communications, add microscopic precision to

our manufacturing industries and change the

way we look at human genes.

U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
18
Thinking history
differently
“If we look at people’s lives and how they were lived, does
that encourage us to think differently about the experience Advancing Our
of colonialism?” asks historian Adele Perry. Her research
is reshaping our understanding of immigration, gender,
indigenous peoples and the significance of colonialism.
Technology
Perry, Canada Research Chair in Western for human rights and the emergence
Canadian Social History, examines the of mass protest movements against the
efforts of politicians and missionaries effects of globalization. It is important to
to regulate the lives of settlers and understand how this new order impacts
Aboriginal peoples in 19th century on our lives and everyday experiences.”
British Columbia history and in early
Similar questions were asked by historian
20th century Canada.
Gerald Friesen as he worked with an
“I’m interested in perspectives of the unpublished 1946 report by sociologist
past that don’t minimize the presence James Giffen, who spent over two years
of groups of people who have in Manitoba working on a report for the
historically not especially been Royal Commission on Adult Education.
part of the narrative,” she explains. Friesen discovered its yellowing pages
in the provincial archives and found it
With a broader perspective, the
an amazing first-person record of the
Interdisciplinary Research Circle on
struggles, lives, controversies and daily
Globalization and Cosmopolitanism
routines common to small rural farming
critically examines the cultural and
communities and the immigrants who
political implications of an increasingly
became part of the area’s culture.
globally integrated world. Co-coordinator How can we improve the materials we use to
David Churchill, history, notes: “Our He notes: “You get an inside picture of daily
build bridges or aircraft? Is there a better
current political moment is one shaped life in the towns and of relations among the
by the War on Terrorism, a rapidly major groups. This culture would change way to generate power? What new tools
changing political economy, a quest dramatically over the next 30 years.” are needed to study human disease? Our
Adele Perry, history
scientists and engineers are answering these

questions, creating innovative technologies

that improve our infrastructure, expand our

communications, add microscopic precision to

our manufacturing industries and change the

way we look at human genes.

U n d e r s t a n d i n g O u r s e l v e s a n d O u r Wo r l d
18
“New biology” offers
hope for custom-made
medical treatments
Proteomics, the study of proteins and their role in disease
processes, is often called the “new biology.” It offers
enormous market potential and infinite applications,
from personalized medical diagnosis to solving crop
diseases, by understanding how proteins function in
living cells.
John Wilkins, internal medicine
Physics and astronomy faculty Werner Ens and Ken Standing
20
The Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems
Biology (MCPSB) has earned international attention
for developing new scientific methods to identify and
treat diseases and conditions as varied as HIV/AIDS,
cancer, arthritis and transplant rejection. With a cross-
disciplinary staff of scientists from physics, biology,
medicine and computer science bringing their own
varied expertise to the developing field of proteomics,
the centre continues to find new approaches and tools
for the study of biological systems.
Physicists Ken Standing and his long-time
collaborator Werner Ens jointly developed the
prototype for the mass spectrometer and research
tool, QStar, that has rapidly become one of the more
important tools in protein biomarker identification,
in mapping and analyzing proteins through
proteomics. This new biology, born out of the
recent mapping of the human genome, unlocks how
molecules interact to produce life.
“The mass spectrometer in our laboratory can obtain
accurate molecular weights and a very informative
description of proteins,” says Ken Standing, director
of the Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.
“This can provide researchers with the means to
acquire the knowledge that is necessary to explain
how living cells function.”
“The challenge is to determine how and where
molecules are assembled in the cell in health and
disease,” explains John Wilkins, internal medicine,
and director of the MCPSB. “Eventually, it may
be possible to design medicines specifically for a
particular patient, through knowing a person’s
metabolism, physiology and response to a treatment.”
A d v a n c i n g O u r Te c h n o l o g y
Materials by design
Can the wood or steel or concrete used in the
construction of buildings or bridges or aircraft
be made lighter, stronger or cheaper?
At the Manitoba Regional Materials
and Surface Characterization Facility,
researchers are showing how materials
can be “made to measure.” Materials are
studied, strengthened and even designed
at molecular and atomic levels.
“Materials such as plastic, stainless
steel and ceramics are not homogeneous
but have complex structures,” says
Clockwise from left: Michael Freund, chemistry; Doug Buchanan and Doug Thomson, both from electrical and computer engineering;
Hélène Perreault, chemistry; Mahesh Chaturvedi, mechanical and manufacturing engineering
Michael Freund, chemistry, and
Canada Research Chair in Conducting
Polymers and Electronic Materials.
“Understanding a material’s surfaces
and interfaces at the microscopic level
is the key to our research.”
The facility is a hotspot for collaborative
research in everything from the
treatment of diabetes to the development
of improved jet engines. Powerful research tools
examine surfaces and interfaces at levels small enough
to understand the distribution of elements, atoms and
particles within structures and compounds.
For example, Frank Hawthorne, geological sciences,
and Canada Research Chair in Crystallography and
Mineralogy, is investigating certain elements in
minerals for a better understanding of crystallization
in such key applications as the safe storage of
nuclear waste and the amelioration of acid mine
drainage. Johan van Lierop, physics and astronomy,
is engineering ways to make disk drives in computers
more efficient, increasing their capacity to store data
through the use of magnetic nanoparticles.
Mahesh Chaturvedi, mechanical and manufacturing
engineering, heads a group studying ways to
join difficult-to-weld metals with super alloys
and investigating structural fatigue and fracture
behaviour. Chaturvedi, Canada Research Chair in
Aerospace Materials, continues his pioneering work
on crack-free welds and manipulating bonding
surfaces — research which has a tremendous impact
on aerospace manufacturing and repair.
Making more responsive and durable construction
materials is a priority for researchers at the ISIS
Canada Research Network, headquartered at the
University of Manitoba. ISIS researchers are testing
innovative materials such as composite timbers made
of glass fibre-reinforced polymer. They also monitor
the structural health of structures with sensors,
gathering real time data on wind stress, temperature
and load. This technology is used in bridges and
structures such as the Golden Boy statue perched high
atop the Manitoba Legislature.
“Intelligent sensing and structural health monitoring
are essential parts of today’s infrastructure design, at a
fraction of the capital cost of construction,” says Aftab
Mufti, civil engineering, and president of ISIS Canada.
“New biology” offers
hope for custom-made
medical treatments
Proteomics, the study of proteins and their role in disease
processes, is often called the “new biology.” It offers
enormous market potential and infinite applications,
from personalized medical diagnosis to solving crop
diseases, by understanding how proteins function in
living cells.
John Wilkins, internal medicine
Physics and astronomy faculty Werner Ens and Ken Standing
20
The Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems
Biology (MCPSB) has earned international attention
for developing new scientific methods to identify and
treat diseases and conditions as varied as HIV/AIDS,
cancer, arthritis and transplant rejection. With a cross-
disciplinary staff of scientists from physics, biology,
medicine and computer science bringing their own
varied expertise to the developing field of proteomics,
the centre continues to find new approaches and tools
for the study of biological systems.
Physicists Ken Standing and his long-time
collaborator Werner Ens jointly developed the
prototype for the mass spectrometer and research
tool, QStar, that has rapidly become one of the more
important tools in protein biomarker identification,
in mapping and analyzing proteins through
proteomics. This new biology, born out of the
recent mapping of the human genome, unlocks how
molecules interact to produce life.
“The mass spectrometer in our laboratory can obtain
accurate molecular weights and a very informative
description of proteins,” says Ken Standing, director
of the Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.
“This can provide researchers with the means to
acquire the knowledge that is necessary to explain
how living cells function.”
“The challenge is to determine how and where
molecules are assembled in the cell in health and
disease,” explains John Wilkins, internal medicine,
and director of the MCPSB. “Eventually, it may
be possible to design medicines specifically for a
particular patient, through knowing a person’s
metabolism, physiology and response to a treatment.”
A d v a n c i n g O u r Te c h n o l o g y
Materials by design
Can the wood or steel or concrete used in the
construction of buildings or bridges or aircraft
be made lighter, stronger or cheaper?
At the Manitoba Regional Materials
and Surface Characterization Facility,
researchers are showing how materials
can be “made to measure.” Materials are
studied, strengthened and even designed
at molecular and atomic levels.
“Materials such as plastic, stainless
steel and ceramics are not homogeneous
but have complex structures,” says
Clockwise from left: Michael Freund, chemistry; Doug Buchanan and Doug Thomson, both from electrical and computer engineering;
Hélène Perreault, chemistry; Mahesh Chaturvedi, mechanical and manufacturing engineering
Michael Freund, chemistry, and
Canada Research Chair in Conducting
Polymers and Electronic Materials.
“Understanding a material’s surfaces
and interfaces at the microscopic level
is the key to our research.”
The facility is a hotspot for collaborative
research in everything from the
treatment of diabetes to the development
of improved jet engines. Powerful research tools
examine surfaces and interfaces at levels small enough
to understand the distribution of elements, atoms and
particles within structures and compounds.
For example, Frank Hawthorne, geological sciences,
and Canada Research Chair in Crystallography and
Mineralogy, is investigating certain elements in
minerals for a better understanding of crystallization
in such key applications as the safe storage of
nuclear waste and the amelioration of acid mine
drainage. Johan van Lierop, physics and astronomy,
is engineering ways to make disk drives in computers
more efficient, increasing their capacity to store data
through the use of magnetic nanoparticles.
Mahesh Chaturvedi, mechanical and manufacturing
engineering, heads a group studying ways to
join difficult-to-weld metals with super alloys
and investigating structural fatigue and fracture
behaviour. Chaturvedi, Canada Research Chair in
Aerospace Materials, continues his pioneering work
on crack-free welds and manipulating bonding
surfaces — research which has a tremendous impact
on aerospace manufacturing and repair.
Making more responsive and durable construction
materials is a priority for researchers at the ISIS
Canada Research Network, headquartered at the
University of Manitoba. ISIS researchers are testing
innovative materials such as composite timbers made
of glass fibre-reinforced polymer. They also monitor
the structural health of structures with sensors,
gathering real time data on wind stress, temperature
and load. This technology is used in bridges and
structures such as the Golden Boy statue perched high
atop the Manitoba Legislature.
“Intelligent sensing and structural health monitoring
are essential parts of today’s infrastructure design, at a
fraction of the capital cost of construction,” says Aftab
Mufti, civil engineering, and president of ISIS Canada.
Power systems and systems of power
As the world continues to demand cheaper and more
plentiful energy sources, research on energy generation
has taken a different spin. Collaborative projects in
agriculture and engineering are designing new ways to
accommodate increasing demand for low-cost electricity.
The University of Manitoba Power System
Laboratory was the first in the world to be
equipped with a Real Time Digital Simulator,
capable of solving, in real time, the equations
which govern the behaviour of electrical
power systems and their control apparatus.
Aniruddha Gole, NSERC Industrial
Research Chair in Power Systems
Simulation, develops computer simulation
methods for energy generation,
transmission, distribution and utilization.
A family of new engineering facilities
Electrical and computer engineering faculty
Lotfollah Shafai and Cyrus Shafai
22
Gole, electrical and computer engineering,
explains, “Partnering with industry helps
maintain international competitiveness
and also leads to improved designs and
operating procedures for power utilities.”
Another energy system project involves
wind turbines which may someday
power self-sustaining farms that
themselves generate biological fuels.
However, in Manitoba, such turbines
are susceptible to icing during the
When TV journalists broadcast live from
war disaster zones or inside hurricanes,
many use satellite-phone systems with
compact antennas to send live images
or reports back to the news desk. These
“picoterminals” for two-way broadcasts
have almost supplanted telephone contact
in remote areas and have given a more
human face to coverage of current events.
This technology was developed and tested
at the University of Manitoba by Lotfollah
Shafai, Canada Research Chair in Applied
Electromagnetics, and his team in the
Applied Electromagnetics Laboratory.
With sophisticated equipment unique in
Canada and complemented by a highly
capable staff, the lab is at the research and
development frontier of communications
technology and remote sensing, helping
Canada lead the world in this field.
long winter season. Research at the Thermofluids
Engineering Laboratory allows testing of turbine
blades in a wind/ice chamber in simulated prairie
winter conditions. Strengthening
Our Communities
Conventional hydroelectric power is generated by
turbines within dams across rivers. Several projects in
engineering are addressing ways to improve the design
of these facilities, increasing efficiency and net power
output while also addressing environmental concerns.
In addition, research on kinetic turbines has shown
they can generate power from their placement in
flowing rivers, without harming the environment or by
requiring a dam that upsets the natural flow of water.
“This kinetic turbine technology will one day produce
units of up to half a megawatt of power, capable of
providing energy to 500 homes,” says mechanical and
manufacturing engineering researcher Dan Fraser.
Technologies that benefit from this research include
wireless and satellite communications, remote sensing,
telemedicine, smart vehicles and navigation systems.
Under development here are “virtual antennas” which
create multiple receivers out of a single unit.
Down the hall is another facility that is a collaborative effort
of a different kind. The Nano-Systems Fabrication
At the University of Manitoba, researchers are
Laboratory has the ability to manufacture composite
collaborating with local groups, governments
structures with microscopic precision. Lotfallah
Shafai’s son, Cyrus Shafai, is its director. and international organizations to make our
“We’re designing and manufacturing very tiny communities stronger and more responsive to
components and sensors for any discipline of study,”
t h e n e e d s o f t h e i r r e s i d e n t s . Fr o m w o r k i n g w i t h
Cyrus Shafai explains. “Engineering, chemistry, physics,
biology — any investigator who needs a ‘thing-a-ma-jig’ Canada’s First Nations peoples to improve access
comes to us for help in its manufacture.” to education and health services, to designing
Together, the father and son team have worked to cities that are safer and more appealing to youth,
create adaptable antennas which change shape to
our research is building better communities, both
change channels instead of having to be physically
moved to point at other targets. locally and around the world.
A d v a n c i n g O u r Te c h n o l o g y
Power systems and systems of power
As the world continues to demand cheaper and more
plentiful energy sources, research on energy generation
has taken a different spin. Collaborative projects in
agriculture and engineering are designing new ways to
accommodate increasing demand for low-cost electricity.
The University of Manitoba Power System
Laboratory was the first in the world to be
equipped with a Real Time Digital Simulator,
capable of solving, in real time, the equations
which govern the behaviour of electrical
power systems and their control apparatus.
Aniruddha Gole, NSERC Industrial
Research Chair in Power Systems
Simulation, develops computer simulation
methods for energy generation,
transmission, distribution and utilization.
A family of new engineering facilities
Electrical and computer engineering faculty
Lotfollah Shafai and Cyrus Shafai
22
Gole, electrical and computer engineering,
explains, “Partnering with industry helps
maintain international competitiveness
and also leads to improved designs and
operating procedures for power utilities.”
Another energy system project involves
wind turbines which may someday
power self-sustaining farms that
themselves generate biological fuels.
However, in Manitoba, such turbines
are susceptible to icing during the
When TV journalists broadcast live from
war disaster zones or inside hurricanes,
many use satellite-phone systems with
compact antennas to send live images
or reports back to the news desk. These
“picoterminals” for two-way broadcasts
have almost supplanted telephone contact
in remote areas and have given a more
human face to coverage of current events.
This technology was developed and tested
at the University of Manitoba by Lotfollah
Shafai, Canada Research Chair in Applied
Electromagnetics, and his team in the
Applied Electromagnetics Laboratory.
With sophisticated equipment unique in
Canada and complemented by a highly
capable staff, the lab is at the research and
development frontier of communications
technology and remote sensing, helping
Canada lead the world in this field.
long winter season. Research at the Thermofluids
Engineering Laboratory allows testing of turbine
blades in a wind/ice chamber in simulated prairie
winter conditions. Strengthening
Our Communities
Conventional hydroelectric power is generated by
turbines within dams across rivers. Several projects in
engineering are addressing ways to improve the design
of these facilities, increasing efficiency and net power
output while also addressing environmental concerns.
In addition, research on kinetic turbines has shown
they can generate power from their placement in
flowing rivers, without harming the environment or by
requiring a dam that upsets the natural flow of water.
“This kinetic turbine technology will one day produce
units of up to half a megawatt of power, capable of
providing energy to 500 homes,” says mechanical and
manufacturing engineering researcher Dan Fraser.
Technologies that benefit from this research include
wireless and satellite communications, remote sensing,
telemedicine, smart vehicles and navigation systems.
Under development here are “virtual antennas” which
create multiple receivers out of a single unit.
Down the hall is another facility that is a collaborative effort
of a different kind. The Nano-Systems Fabrication
At the University of Manitoba, researchers are
Laboratory has the ability to manufacture composite
collaborating with local groups, governments
structures with microscopic precision. Lotfallah
Shafai’s son, Cyrus Shafai, is its director. and international organizations to make our
“We’re designing and manufacturing very tiny communities stronger and more responsive to
components and sensors for any discipline of study,”
t h e n e e d s o f t h e i r r e s i d e n t s . Fr o m w o r k i n g w i t h
Cyrus Shafai explains. “Engineering, chemistry, physics,
biology — any investigator who needs a ‘thing-a-ma-jig’ Canada’s First Nations peoples to improve access
comes to us for help in its manufacture.” to education and health services, to designing
Together, the father and son team have worked to cities that are safer and more appealing to youth,
create adaptable antennas which change shape to
our research is building better communities, both
change channels instead of having to be physically
moved to point at other targets. locally and around the world.
A d v a n c i n g O u r Te c h n o l o g y
Community
voices in Aboriginal
health research
The University of Manitoba has a long history of
research collaboration with communities and Aboriginal
organizations, both in Manitoba and around the world, to
measure the impact of social and environmental factors
on health, and translate research findings into policy that
strengthens the health care system and improves lives.
The Centre for Aboriginal Health Research With programs created and implemented
(CAHR) uses a multifaceted approach, with through community involvement, the
major projects on diabetes, bone health Centre for Community Oral Health in the
and a longitudinal health study of First Faculty of Dentistry has provided dental
Nations people, conducted in cooperation care to northern Manitobans and Aboriginal
with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and communities for more than 25 years. The
governmental organizations. The bone oral health care programs, including a
health study examines why the prevalence of state-of-the-art, full-service dental clinic,
osteoporosis and fractures in Manitoba First were designed to address community needs
Top: Pat Martens, community health sciences
Nations people is more than twice the rate in a manner that respects First Nations Centre: Judy Bartlett, community health sciences
Bottom: Jane Ursel, sociology
seen among other Manitobans. The centre’s ideologies and attitudes.
longitudinal health survey is designed to
The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy Making connections between community-based research
create a regional and national health profile
(MCHP) looks at how provincial services and policy is also vital for RESOLVE, a network of
of First Nations populations, and to provide
such as hospitals, care homes and Canadian social scientists, service providers and policy
the data necessary for improving and
prescription drugs are used and by whom. makers who focus on action-oriented ways to end family
developing policies and programs essential
MCHP director Pat Martens, community violence. They are interviewing abused women as part
for healthy First Nation communities.
health sciences, guides an award-winning, of a five-year longitudinal study and will use the research
Building on the research success of CAHR, five-year CIHR project called The Need findings to improve services. The team is listening to
Judith Bartlett, community health sciences, to Know Team, a multidisciplinary task abused women to determine which services and resources
is leading the department’s collaboration in force examining health status and health work well and which ones need improvement.
the International Network of Indigenous care use patterns in rural and northern
“This project provides an opportunity to hear directly
Health Knowledge and Development. regional health authorities. MCHP
from women about which factors are most important to
The network was organized as a way to published a population-based study of the
them in their healing journey,” says Jane Ursel, sociology,
improve Indigenous health through the health and health care use of registered
and RESOLVE director. Working closely with Aboriginal
exchange of ideas, models, and experiences First Nations people living in Manitoba
communities and with service agencies such as shelters,
on health education, training, services and and edited a special issue of the Canadian
health and resource centres and correctional facilities, is
research. “There are so many things that we Journal of Public Health on First Nations-
an integral part of RESOLVE’s innovative research.
can learn from each other by sharing our university collaboration on Aboriginal
approaches,” says Bartlett. health research and policy.

25
Community
voices in Aboriginal
health research
The University of Manitoba has a long history of
research collaboration with communities and Aboriginal
organizations, both in Manitoba and around the world, to
measure the impact of social and environmental factors
on health, and translate research findings into policy that
strengthens the health care system and improves lives.
The Centre for Aboriginal Health Research With programs created and implemented
(CAHR) uses a multifaceted approach, with through community involvement, the
major projects on diabetes, bone health Centre for Community Oral Health in the
and a longitudinal health study of First Faculty of Dentistry has provided dental
Nations people, conducted in cooperation care to northern Manitobans and Aboriginal
with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and communities for more than 25 years. The
governmental organizations. The bone oral health care programs, including a
health study examines why the prevalence of state-of-the-art, full-service dental clinic,
osteoporosis and fractures in Manitoba First were designed to address community needs
Top: Pat Martens, community health sciences
Nations people is more than twice the rate in a manner that respects First Nations Centre: Judy Bartlett, community health sciences
Bottom: Jane Ursel, sociology
seen among other Manitobans. The centre’s ideologies and attitudes.
longitudinal health survey is designed to
The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy Making connections between community-based research
create a regional and national health profile
(MCHP) looks at how provincial services and policy is also vital for RESOLVE, a network of
of First Nations populations, and to provide
such as hospitals, care homes and Canadian social scientists, service providers and policy
the data necessary for improving and
prescription drugs are used and by whom. makers who focus on action-oriented ways to end family
developing policies and programs essential
MCHP director Pat Martens, community violence. They are interviewing abused women as part
for healthy First Nation communities.
health sciences, guides an award-winning, of a five-year longitudinal study and will use the research
Building on the research success of CAHR, five-year CIHR project called The Need findings to improve services. The team is listening to
Judith Bartlett, community health sciences, to Know Team, a multidisciplinary task abused women to determine which services and resources
is leading the department’s collaboration in force examining health status and health work well and which ones need improvement.
the International Network of Indigenous care use patterns in rural and northern
“This project provides an opportunity to hear directly
Health Knowledge and Development. regional health authorities. MCHP
from women about which factors are most important to
The network was organized as a way to published a population-based study of the
them in their healing journey,” says Jane Ursel, sociology,
improve Indigenous health through the health and health care use of registered
and RESOLVE director. Working closely with Aboriginal
exchange of ideas, models, and experiences First Nations people living in Manitoba
communities and with service agencies such as shelters,
on health education, training, services and and edited a special issue of the Canadian
health and resource centres and correctional facilities, is
research. “There are so many things that we Journal of Public Health on First Nations-
an integral part of RESOLVE’s innovative research.
can learn from each other by sharing our university collaboration on Aboriginal
approaches,” says Bartlett. health research and policy.

25
Community
by design, for
the children
Researchers at the University of Manitoba don’t just reach
out into the community, they roll up their sleeves and
get involved in the design of the community itself. From
city planning to environmental design, and from social
work to psychology, faculty are looking at ways to make
our neighbourhoods into healthier and more secure
environments.
Rae Bridgman and Sheri Blake, architecture, have studied
child-friendly cities and found that effective city planning
with youth involvement brought renewed optimism
within communities and helped youth care about their
world. Bridgman believes that when a city makes a real
commitment to youth involvement, innovative programs
can flourish and design becomes more in tune with
positive community lifestyles.
Rae Bridgman, architecture
26
While Winnipeg’s youth will see improvements to their
lives through innovative programs, across the ocean,
other children benefit from better living conditions
through the efforts of Manitoba-based researchers.
“Given their voice, children might
make streets safer to walk to school on,
transportation issues might be about
cycling and walking, and areas around
schools might be vehicle-free as well as
smoke-free,” she explains.
Nancy Higgitt, human ecology, and
Janice Ristock, women’s studies,
have looked at life on the street
as experienced by young people.
Partnering with street-involved youth
led to insights into what programs
did and did not work, and changes
suggested by the study included the
creation of a mobile identification
centre, new drop-in centres and plans
to find longer-term shelter solutions.
Namasuba-Ndegge Village in Uganda is
a community of orphans, left without
parents as a consequence of disease and
war. Many households are run by children
Sheri Blake, architecture
as young as ten, who, in spite of being
children themselves, are responsible for
finding food, shelter and clothing for their
younger brothers and sisters.
Kelley Beaverford, interior design,
worked in Uganda with a non-
governmental organization. She and
her environmental design students
developed design proposals for a
community residence that would suit
the needs of orphaned children living
with few adult caregivers. Provided
funds can be raised, the plans will be
adopted to provide better housing for
the children of Namasuba-Ndegge,
examining new conditions of culture,
climate and methods of building
construction and carefully considering
human factors such as creating a sense
of home, attachment to space and
interaction.
Strengthening Our Communities
Enabling the disabled
and disempowered
Winnipeg is the Canadian hub of associations related
to disability services, including the national home base
of the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, Disabled
Peoples International, the Council of Canadians with
Disabilities and People First.
The University of Manitoba was the One project is led by the director of research includes the creation of a forum for people
first Canadian institution to offer an disability studies, Deborah Stienstra. with disabilities to meet with industry representatives
interdisciplinary master’s degree in The project examines four areas — to exchange ideas. Together, they are developing a
disability studies, allowing the pursuit employment, e-learning, services and prototype of a “personal digital assistant” that will
of interdisciplinary graduate education e-government — pursuing avenues facilitate activities such as personal banking and
in this new and emerging field of study. where technology can increase the applying for jobs.
Researchers in essentially all faculties are quality of life of, and access to services
“We have a real opportunity to open new avenues to
involved in disability studies. for, Canadians with disabilities. This
develop technology differently,” says Stienstra.
In the Faculty of Social Work, the Family Strengths in
Childhood Disability Study tracks and assesses factors
that facilitate or hinder services for children with
disabilities and their family members.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funds the
End-of-Life Care and Vulnerable Persons New Emerging
Team (VP-NET) under the joint leadership of Stienstra
and psychiatrist Harvey Chochinov, director of the
Manitoba Pallative Care Research Unit at CancerCare
Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in Pallative Care.
The team also includes Joseph Kaufert, community
health sciences, and Zana Lutfiyya, educational
administration, foundations and psychology. Within
VP-NET, researchers from eight different disciplines, are
joining forces to study how physical, psychological and
intellectual impairments affect access to end-of-life care.
Harvey Chochinov, psychiatry
Deborah Stienstra, disability studies
Community
by design, for
the children
Researchers at the University of Manitoba don’t just reach
out into the community, they roll up their sleeves and
get involved in the design of the community itself. From
city planning to environmental design, and from social
work to psychology, faculty are looking at ways to make
our neighbourhoods into healthier and more secure
environments.
Rae Bridgman and Sheri Blake, architecture, have studied
child-friendly cities and found that effective city planning
with youth involvement brought renewed optimism
within communities and helped youth care about their
world. Bridgman believes that when a city makes a real
commitment to youth involvement, innovative programs
can flourish and design becomes more in tune with
positive community lifestyles.
Rae Bridgman, architecture
26
While Winnipeg’s youth will see improvements to their
lives through innovative programs, across the ocean,
other children benefit from better living conditions
through the efforts of Manitoba-based researchers.
“Given their voice, children might
make streets safer to walk to school on,
transportation issues might be about
cycling and walking, and areas around
schools might be vehicle-free as well as
smoke-free,” she explains.
Nancy Higgitt, human ecology, and
Janice Ristock, women’s studies,
have looked at life on the street
as experienced by young people.
Partnering with street-involved youth
led to insights into what programs
did and did not work, and changes
suggested by the study included the
creation of a mobile identification
centre, new drop-in centres and plans
to find longer-term shelter solutions.
Namasuba-Ndegge Village in Uganda is
a community of orphans, left without
parents as a consequence of disease and
war. Many households are run by children
Sheri Blake, architecture
as young as ten, who, in spite of being
children themselves, are responsible for
finding food, shelter and clothing for their
younger brothers and sisters.
Kelley Beaverford, interior design,
worked in Uganda with a non-
governmental organization. She and
her environmental design students
developed design proposals for a
community residence that would suit
the needs of orphaned children living
with few adult caregivers. Provided
funds can be raised, the plans will be
adopted to provide better housing for
the children of Namasuba-Ndegge,
examining new conditions of culture,
climate and methods of building
construction and carefully considering
human factors such as creating a sense
of home, attachment to space and
interaction.
Strengthening Our Communities
Enabling the disabled
and disempowered
Winnipeg is the Canadian hub of associations related
to disability services, including the national home base
of the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, Disabled
Peoples International, the Council of Canadians with
Disabilities and People First.
The University of Manitoba was the One project is led by the director of research includes the creation of a forum for people
first Canadian institution to offer an disability studies, Deborah Stienstra. with disabilities to meet with industry representatives
interdisciplinary master’s degree in The project examines four areas — to exchange ideas. Together, they are developing a
disability studies, allowing the pursuit employment, e-learning, services and prototype of a “personal digital assistant” that will
of interdisciplinary graduate education e-government — pursuing avenues facilitate activities such as personal banking and
in this new and emerging field of study. where technology can increase the applying for jobs.
Researchers in essentially all faculties are quality of life of, and access to services
“We have a real opportunity to open new avenues to
involved in disability studies. for, Canadians with disabilities. This
develop technology differently,” says Stienstra.
In the Faculty of Social Work, the Family Strengths in
Childhood Disability Study tracks and assesses factors
that facilitate or hinder services for children with
disabilities and their family members.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funds the
End-of-Life Care and Vulnerable Persons New Emerging
Team (VP-NET) under the joint leadership of Stienstra
and psychiatrist Harvey Chochinov, director of the
Manitoba Pallative Care Research Unit at CancerCare
Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in Pallative Care.
The team also includes Joseph Kaufert, community
health sciences, and Zana Lutfiyya, educational
administration, foundations and psychology. Within
VP-NET, researchers from eight different disciplines, are
joining forces to study how physical, psychological and
intellectual impairments affect access to end-of-life care.
Harvey Chochinov, psychiatry
Deborah Stienstra, disability studies
 Protecting Our
Environment

Robert Tate, community health sciences

Young at heart
The Centre on Aging includes more than 45 researchers in the neuromuscular lab look at strength
across all faculties, working in aging and age-related training, driving and mobility, and muscle
changes with age. Malcolm Smith, marketing,
studies. These range from pragmatic examinations of
collaborates with researchers in the HLHP
geriatric medicine to health psychology, recreational Research Institute to understand marketing
activity and the serious issues of domestic and elder abuse. issues related to older adults.

Director Verena Menec, community
health sciences, and Canada Research
Chair in Healthy Aging, notes the centre
has developed an international reputation
for research excellence, looking at our
aging society and aging individuals
through surveys, evaluation, social policy
studies and even business-related research
exploring how the private sector can
respond to an aging society.
One truly unique project, directed by
Robert Tate, is the Manitoba Follow-
Up Study. Since 1948, researchers have
been collecting health and morbidity
information from 3,983 Canadian
WWII Air Force recruits via regular
surveys and routine medical
examinations. Over the years, the
study has provided vast amounts
of longitudinal information about
cardiovascular health.
In the Faculty of Physical Education and
Recreation Studies, the Health, Leisure
and Human Performance (HLHP)
Institute is a centre for research on topics
including exercise and environmental
medicine, leisure and tourism, aging
and wellness, biomechanics, sports and
human performance. Under the direction
of Michelle Porter, collaborative studies
Another Institute study examines psychological
aspects of health and illness in later life,
particularly with respect to perceptions of We k n o w t h a t h u m a n a c t i v i t y a n d c h a n g i n g
control and discrete emotions such as anger, weather patterns are having a profound impact
sadness and pride. Judy Chipperfield notes
on our planet and its resources. Researchers at
there is growing evidence for a link between
the perception of personal control and the University of Manitoba are investigating a
health, with many studies demonstrating the wide range of environmental issues, including
detrimental effects of uncontrollability.
the effects of climate change in the Arctic and
She explains: “Elderly individuals are said
n e w s o u r c e s o f r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y, e x a m i n i n g h o w
to be ‘doubly vulnerable,’ threatened by age-
related changes in their physiology as well we can preserve and sustain our world while
as their social environment, such as a loss of finding better ways to heat our homes, build our
financial security, family and other important
cities and feed our growing populations.
parts of their lives.”

Strengthening Our Communities

28
 Protecting Our
Environment

Robert Tate, community health sciences

Young at heart
The Centre on Aging includes more than 45 researchers in the neuromuscular lab look at strength
across all faculties, working in aging and age-related training, driving and mobility, and muscle
changes with age. Malcolm Smith, marketing,
studies. These range from pragmatic examinations of
collaborates with researchers in the HLHP
geriatric medicine to health psychology, recreational Research Institute to understand marketing
activity and the serious issues of domestic and elder abuse. issues related to older adults.

Director Verena Menec, community
health sciences, and Canada Research
Chair in Healthy Aging, notes the centre
has developed an international reputation
for research excellence, looking at our
aging society and aging individuals
through surveys, evaluation, social policy
studies and even business-related research
exploring how the private sector can
respond to an aging society.
One truly unique project, directed by
Robert Tate, is the Manitoba Follow-
Up Study. Since 1948, researchers have
been collecting health and morbidity
information from 3,983 Canadian
WWII Air Force recruits via regular
surveys and routine medical
examinations. Over the years, the
study has provided vast amounts
of longitudinal information about
cardiovascular health.
In the Faculty of Physical Education and
Recreation Studies, the Health, Leisure
and Human Performance (HLHP)
Institute is a centre for research on topics
including exercise and environmental
medicine, leisure and tourism, aging
and wellness, biomechanics, sports and
human performance. Under the direction
of Michelle Porter, collaborative studies
Another Institute study examines psychological
aspects of health and illness in later life,
particularly with respect to perceptions of We k n o w t h a t h u m a n a c t i v i t y a n d c h a n g i n g
control and discrete emotions such as anger, weather patterns are having a profound impact
sadness and pride. Judy Chipperfield notes
on our planet and its resources. Researchers at
there is growing evidence for a link between
the perception of personal control and the University of Manitoba are investigating a
health, with many studies demonstrating the wide range of environmental issues, including
detrimental effects of uncontrollability.
the effects of climate change in the Arctic and
She explains: “Elderly individuals are said
n e w s o u r c e s o f r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y, e x a m i n i n g h o w
to be ‘doubly vulnerable,’ threatened by age-
related changes in their physiology as well we can preserve and sustain our world while
as their social environment, such as a loss of finding better ways to heat our homes, build our
financial security, family and other important
cities and feed our growing populations.
parts of their lives.”

Strengthening Our Communities

28
 The north
wind doth blow
Concerns about global warming appear in newspapers
almost daily. What will be its effects? Will water levels
rise? Will we have a “greenhouse effect?”
Nowhere will global warming have more
direct impact than in the Arctic.
In response to the needs of the people
and resources in this geographical region,
University of Manitoba researchers across
several disciplines are conducting studies
and are engaged in projects focused
specifically on our colder climes.
David Barber, environment and
geography, has studied the environment
and resources in the high Arctic for
decades. His work plays a pivotal role
in ArcticNet, a Network of Centres of
Excellence that is a national collaboration
of expertise on issues important
to residents of the Arctic and to all
Canadians. ArcticNet connects researchers
in the natural, medical and social sciences,
their partners in northern communities,
federal and provincial agencies, and the
private sector to study the impacts of
climate change in the Arctic.
Barber, Canada Research Chair in Arctic
System Science, leads a team documenting
the links between environmental change,
health and the economy within Hudson
Bay. Other ArcticNet studies include
looking at pollution in the physical and
biological environment, the exchange of
greenhouse gases between the surface and
atmosphere and investigations of how
people can adapt to changing conditions.
Protecting Our Environment
30
Terry Dick, at right, zoology; with David Block
The direct involvement of northern Additional problems facing northern residents include
residents in the scientific process is a a shortage of affordable housing. Dimos Polyzois,
primary goal of research pursued by civil engineering, is evaluating and testing a housing
ecologist Fikret Berkes of the Natural system made entirely of composite materials for use in
Resources Institute. Berkes, Canada northern communities.
Research Chair in Community-based
The unique materials used in the Composite Housing
Resource Management, is investigating
Project are expected to exceed R-2000 standards
the relations between societies and
for energy efficiency, be highly resistant to mould
their resources, with current emphasis
(a condition that affects commercial and industrial
on co-management, resilience and
buildings) and be rigid, durable and fire resistant.
traditional ecological knowledge.
Because buildings erected over permafrost surfaces
Terry Dick, zoology, is studying aquatic often become unstable due to temperature changes,
ecosystems to determine long-term this is no minor feat of engineering.
trends affecting fish and other organisms
in freshwater and marine environments.
He is concerned that warming trends
will affect transportation, environmental
research and monitoring, and increase
access to new marine fisheries without
clear-cut national policies on resource
management and education.
Dick, NSERC Northern Research
Chair in Aquatic Northern Ecosystems,
explains: “There is a need to train people
at the technical and research level and
to ensure that these people and the
ideas generated by them from northern
research are transferred to curriculum
development. Future researchers
require depth and specialized research
experiences, but they need to view the
environment and natural resource
management more holistically.”
David Barber, environment and geography
 The north
wind doth blow
Concerns about global warming appear in newspapers
almost daily. What will be its effects? Will water levels
rise? Will we have a “greenhouse effect?”
Nowhere will global warming have more
direct impact than in the Arctic.
In response to the needs of the people
and resources in this geographical region,
University of Manitoba researchers across
several disciplines are conducting studies
and are engaged in projects focused
specifically on our colder climes.
David Barber, environment and
geography, has studied the environment
and resources in the high Arctic for
decades. His work plays a pivotal role
in ArcticNet, a Network of Centres of
Excellence that is a national collaboration
of expertise on issues important
to residents of the Arctic and to all
Canadians. ArcticNet connects researchers
in the natural, medical and social sciences,
their partners in northern communities,
federal and provincial agencies, and the
private sector to study the impacts of
climate change in the Arctic.
Barber, Canada Research Chair in Arctic
System Science, leads a team documenting
the links between environmental change,
health and the economy within Hudson
Bay. Other ArcticNet studies include
looking at pollution in the physical and
biological environment, the exchange of
greenhouse gases between the surface and
atmosphere and investigations of how
people can adapt to changing conditions.
Protecting Our Environment
30
Terry Dick, at right, zoology; with David Block
The direct involvement of northern Additional problems facing northern residents include
residents in the scientific process is a a shortage of affordable housing. Dimos Polyzois,
primary goal of research pursued by civil engineering, is evaluating and testing a housing
ecologist Fikret Berkes of the Natural system made entirely of composite materials for use in
Resources Institute. Berkes, Canada northern communities.
Research Chair in Community-based
The unique materials used in the Composite Housing
Resource Management, is investigating
Project are expected to exceed R-2000 standards
the relations between societies and
for energy efficiency, be highly resistant to mould
their resources, with current emphasis
(a condition that affects commercial and industrial
on co-management, resilience and
buildings) and be rigid, durable and fire resistant.
traditional ecological knowledge.
Because buildings erected over permafrost surfaces
Terry Dick, zoology, is studying aquatic often become unstable due to temperature changes,
ecosystems to determine long-term this is no minor feat of engineering.
trends affecting fish and other organisms
in freshwater and marine environments.
He is concerned that warming trends
will affect transportation, environmental
research and monitoring, and increase
access to new marine fisheries without
clear-cut national policies on resource
management and education.
Dick, NSERC Northern Research
Chair in Aquatic Northern Ecosystems,
explains: “There is a need to train people
at the technical and research level and
to ensure that these people and the
ideas generated by them from northern
research are transferred to curriculum
development. Future researchers
require depth and specialized research
experiences, but they need to view the
environment and natural resource
management more holistically.”
David Barber, environment and geography
Renewable energy
Our homes and vehicles could soon be powered or
heated by fuels and energy derived from renewable
sources such as organic matter. Biopower generation
could use materials like hay, yard waste and sludge to
generate enough heat and power to keep communities
comfortable and energy efficient. And methane
produced through a similar process could be used
as fuel for high-efficiency automotive engines.
“Next to food production and water,
renewable energy is one of our most
important long-term societal requirements,”
says Eric Bibeau, mechanical and
manufacturing engineering. He is
working on alternative energy projects
including an anaerobic digester in which
animal waste is converted into methane
used to generate heat and light.
Eric Bibeau, mechanical and manufacturing engineering
“We have to be able to harness energy
sources to create renewable electricity
and heat to displace and replace fossil
fuels. We have technology to do this, but
we need to make the technologies more
economical now rather than wait for fossil
fuel prices to dramatically increase. We
can realistically put these systems to work
for us in this generation rather than wait
for a more uncertain future,” says Bibeau,
NSERC/Manitoba Hydro Industrial
Research Chair in Alternative Energy.
32
Down on
the farm
Advances in sustainable agriculture
will be the keys to farming in the
21st century, as long-term solutions
are needed to face economic and
environmental challenges.
Developing sustainable agricultural resources and
energy systems are among the goals of the National
An interdisciplinary team of engineers, plant
Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE).
scientists and microbiologists is studying
ways to manufacture biofuels such as “The NCLE is the only research facility where
ethanol, methanol and hydrogen from scientists will be able to study ecological interactions
agricultural products. The research program associated with agriculture practices in a total crop
uses winter wheat cultivars designed and animal production system,” says lead scientist Karin Wittenberg, animal science
specifically for ethanol production Karin Wittenberg, animal science. “There’s nothing
like it in North America.” by Martin Entz, plant science. Current
and improved fermentation processes
research projects also include a whole-
involving novel micro-organisms.
This unique facility involves animal scientists, farm analysis of energy, examinations of
The team’s goal is to design an innovative food scientists, plant scientists, soil scientists, the inputs and economics of cropping
system that converts biomass, or organic microbiologists, biosystems engineers and systems, soil and environmental
matter, into energy fuels. agricultural economists, along with federal and assessments, and studies on greenhouse
private partners. Livestock production can be gas emission and carbon sequestration
“Winter wheat’s superior biological
examined from every angle to develop the most measurements taken at various landscape
potential, combined with earlier maturity
productive, humane, sustainable and environmentally positions.
and lower cost production make it an ideal
friendly production practices. Researchers can also
candidate for the wheat-based ethanol A third aspect of sustainable agriculture
conduct assessments of everything from manure
production,” says Anita Brûlé-Babel, a focuses on post-harvest technology and
additives to alternative energy sources.
plant scientist and winter wheat breeder. preservation. Digvir Jayas, biosystems
For example, Richard Sparling, microbiology, is engineering, and Canada Research
While some researchers search for
examining the biosynthetic processes that allow Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems,
new ways to harness renewable energy, Digvir Jayas, biosystems engineering
certain bacteria to produce methane — a potential notes: “Sustainable agriculture will feed
others are focused on making sure
fuel — as an end product. our increasing world population with
these technologies are environmentally
University researchers are also working with minimal negative impact on soil, water or
friendly. For example, Rick Baydack,
the Manitoba Zero Tillage Research Association air quality. Preserving this food effectively
environment and geography, is
(MZTRA) to investigate sustainable crop systems. will also significantly reduce the negative
investigating new strategies to lessen
The MZTRA operates a non-profit, producer- impact on the environment because less
the impact of wind power facilities on
directed research farm that conducts zero tillage- food will have to be produced, reducing
wildlife and wildlife habitats.
related research and demonstration activities, like the area of cultivated land required and
the long-term crop rotation study being conducted needing less fertilizer, water and fuel.”
Protecting Our Environment
Renewable energy
Our homes and vehicles could soon be powered or
heated by fuels and energy derived from renewable
sources such as organic matter. Biopower generation
could use materials like hay, yard waste and sludge to
generate enough heat and power to keep communities
comfortable and energy efficient. And methane
produced through a similar process could be used
as fuel for high-efficiency automotive engines.
“Next to food production and water,
renewable energy is one of our most
important long-term societal requirements,”
says Eric Bibeau, mechanical and
manufacturing engineering. He is
working on alternative energy projects
including an anaerobic digester in which
animal waste is converted into methane
used to generate heat and light.
Eric Bibeau, mechanical and manufacturing engineering
“We have to be able to harness energy
sources to create renewable electricity
and heat to displace and replace fossil
fuels. We have technology to do this, but
we need to make the technologies more
economical now rather than wait for fossil
fuel prices to dramatically increase. We
can realistically put these systems to work
for us in this generation rather than wait
for a more uncertain future,” says Bibeau,
NSERC/Manitoba Hydro Industrial
Research Chair in Alternative Energy.
32
Down on
the farm
Advances in sustainable agriculture
will be the keys to farming in the
21st century, as long-term solutions
are needed to face economic and
environmental challenges.
Developing sustainable agricultural resources and
energy systems are among the goals of the National
An interdisciplinary team of engineers, plant
Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE).
scientists and microbiologists is studying
ways to manufacture biofuels such as “The NCLE is the only research facility where
ethanol, methanol and hydrogen from scientists will be able to study ecological interactions
agricultural products. The research program associated with agriculture practices in a total crop
uses winter wheat cultivars designed and animal production system,” says lead scientist Karin Wittenberg, animal science
specifically for ethanol production Karin Wittenberg, animal science. “There’s nothing
like it in North America.” by Martin Entz, plant science. Current
and improved fermentation processes
research projects also include a whole-
involving novel micro-organisms.
This unique facility involves animal scientists, farm analysis of energy, examinations of
The team’s goal is to design an innovative food scientists, plant scientists, soil scientists, the inputs and economics of cropping
system that converts biomass, or organic microbiologists, biosystems engineers and systems, soil and environmental
matter, into energy fuels. agricultural economists, along with federal and assessments, and studies on greenhouse
private partners. Livestock production can be gas emission and carbon sequestration
“Winter wheat’s superior biological
examined from every angle to develop the most measurements taken at various landscape
potential, combined with earlier maturity
productive, humane, sustainable and environmentally positions.
and lower cost production make it an ideal
friendly production practices. Researchers can also
candidate for the wheat-based ethanol A third aspect of sustainable agriculture
conduct assessments of everything from manure
production,” says Anita Brûlé-Babel, a focuses on post-harvest technology and
additives to alternative energy sources.
plant scientist and winter wheat breeder. preservation. Digvir Jayas, biosystems
For example, Richard Sparling, microbiology, is engineering, and Canada Research
While some researchers search for
examining the biosynthetic processes that allow Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems,
new ways to harness renewable energy, Digvir Jayas, biosystems engineering
certain bacteria to produce methane — a potential notes: “Sustainable agriculture will feed
others are focused on making sure
fuel — as an end product. our increasing world population with
these technologies are environmentally
University researchers are also working with minimal negative impact on soil, water or
friendly. For example, Rick Baydack,
the Manitoba Zero Tillage Research Association air quality. Preserving this food effectively
environment and geography, is
(MZTRA) to investigate sustainable crop systems. will also significantly reduce the negative
investigating new strategies to lessen
The MZTRA operates a non-profit, producer- impact on the environment because less
the impact of wind power facilities on
directed research farm that conducts zero tillage- food will have to be produced, reducing
wildlife and wildlife habitats.
related research and demonstration activities, like the area of cultivated land required and
the long-term crop rotation study being conducted needing less fertilizer, water and fuel.”
Protecting Our Environment
Bioproducts:
safer, cleaner, better
As the Earth’s resources are depleted, the search for
alternative fuels, foods and building materials has
become increasingly important. One solution may be
the development of bioproducts.
Innovative crop research has long been
a tradition at the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Baldur Stefansson conducted plant
breeding work on rapeseed here from
1952 to 1985. He worked with a team
of plant scientists to develop the first
double low rapeseed (canola) variety
in 1974, dramatically changing the
Canadian agri-food industry. He also
developed the world’s first HEAR (high
erucic acid, low glucosinolate rapeseed)
variety, Reston, in 1982.
Internationally recognized plant breeder
Peter McVetty, NSERC Industrial Research
Chair in HEAR research and development,
who worked with Stefansson, is continuing
to search for bioproducts such as HEAR
varieties with increased seed yields, higher
erucic acid content and herbicide tolerance,
and improved disease resistance.
He explains: “HEAR oil has unique
properties that make it excellent
lubricating oil in industrial applications
or as a chemical feedstock used to make
cosmetics, nylon 13-13 and slip agents.”
McVetty, plant science, notes that if a
container of industrial oil made with
HEAR oil rather than petroleum oil
is spilled or leaked, cleanup is much
easier and poses much less threat to the
environment since vegetable oils are
biodegradable.
34
McVetty and associate NSERC Industrial
Research Chair Genyi Li, plant science, are
further developing the commercialization
of HEAR varieties using new techniques
involving genomics. They hope to
produce new superior HEAR varieties
with high seed yield, good seed quality
and excellent disease resistance for
production in Western Canada.
Another application of bioproducts is
in building construction. Biosystems
engineering at the University of Manitoba is
the only department in Canada with a well-
defined mechanism to conduct agricultural
buildings research. Here researchers are
studying unconventional construction
methods including stack walls, timber
frames and straw bale housing. Straw bales
can be coated with stucco and used as
building blocks in a variety of agricultural,
residential and light-commercial structures.
Kris Dick, biosystems engineering, is
experimenting with materials to create
wall systems that provide an insulation
value of approximately R50 — two and
one half times greater than a newer home.
Raghavan Jayaraman, mechanical and
manufacturing engineering, is applying
his research on polymer composites Peter McVetty, plant science
to alternative building materials, or
biocomposites, made out of renewable
biomass such as canola, hemp and flax.
Protecting Our Environment
 Bringing
research to life.
University of Manitoba Research Review

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