SMU researchers look at impact of COVID-19 on communities in Nova Scotia

A glimpse at the report’s title page.

A new study from a Saint Mary’s University-based research team into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nova Scotia’s communities was released today, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. 

“What this research shows is communities coming together to help each other during a time of need,” says Dr. Tony Charles, a professor at Saint Mary’s University and the director of the Community Conservation Research Network. “The study reinforces what we already know about our communities, that they are resilient and can find community-based solutions to many problems. And for larger problems, they know the solutions needed but may need outside assistance to enact them.” 

When the pandemic came to Nova Scotia, Dr. Charles and his team were already looking at Nova Scotian communities, the issues they are facing, and their plans for the future. For each of 50 communities, they spoke to individuals in the community as well as elected municipal officials. When the pandemic appeared in 2020, the team decided to try to learn more about COVID-19 impacts and responses in communities.  

“We heard from people how very fortunate they felt to live in places that nourished them in so many ways – communities that rallied by reaching out and checking on one another, and supporting those who were more vulnerable,” adds Libby Dean, one of the researchers on the team.  

The study showed that all communities felt at least some impacts of the pandemic on their economic activities and social well-being. Sixty-seven percent of communities said they faced at least some moderate economic implications. Seventy-seven percent said there were social impacts, with 42 percent of communities feeling extremely affected by social and economic impacts. Environmental impacts of the pandemic ranged widely, with about a third of communities seeing little or no impact, a third noticing a low or modest impact, and one-third feeling environmental impacts were moderate to extreme.  

Of social impacts, the top ones identified were employment (listed by 58 percent of respondents), social and recreational activities (54 percent) and schools/schooling (50 percent). Of the top three impacts of the pandemic on economic sectors, most affected was the tourism industry (61 percent of respondents), followed by education/research (48 percent) and retail activities (39 percent). 

“The work of Dr. Charles and his team exemplifies one of the key pillars of research at Saint Mary’s University—working with our local communities to provide expert advice to address regional and global challenges,” says Dr. Adam J. Sarty, associate vice-president, Research and dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. 

“One thing that was clear from the survey was the importance of community-based groups to facilitate community solutions and responses,” says Dr. Charles. “Some of the themes noted in responses include access to services, financial aid, social connections, food security and volunteerism. In many cases, these responses were recognized as already an inherent part of the way of life in their community.”  

The community-based responses included supporting various services no longer as easily accessible, such as groceries and water, and dealing with concerns around food security and access, specifically for children and seniors. Communities also took action to address the need for social connections, such as through virtual religious services, take-out community dinners, and support for regional food banks and local community halls.  

Among the highlighted needs that communities require support to address was access to technology and, specifically, the internet. Much of what is being done now regarding education, recreation, arts, and even food services require robust and consistent internet access, which is a challenge in many -communities across the province.  

“Despite the uncertainty and the challenges, that sense of community is a strength for Nova Scotia,” says Dr. Charles. “While the forecast is not clear, strong communities help to weather all storms.”  

The research survey summary, Nova Scotian Communities & COVID-19: Challenges and resilience, was prepared by Dr. Tony Charles, Larissa Sweeney, Libby Dean, and Rebecca Zimmerman. For more information about the survey or to read the summary report, click here.

Dr. Skye Stephens receives New Health Investigator Grant from Research Nova Scotia

Dr. Skye Stephens

Saint Mary’s University researcher Dr. Skye Stephens is receiving a New Health Investigator Grant from Research Nova Scotia. Dr. Stephens is one of 21 recipients across Nova Scotia receiving funding for new health research.

The New Health Investigator Grant supports new health researchers engaged in work that aligns with Nova Scotia’s health research priorities. The grant aims to provide two years of support of up to $100,000 for researchers who are within the first five years of their academic appointment in Nova Scotia or who are new to the field of health research. For the 2020-21 academic year, funding for this grant comes from the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.

“There has never been a greater need to support new health researchers in Nova Scotia to help inform practice, policy and decision making,” says Stefan Leslie, CEO of Research Nova Scotia. “Today, we’re pleased to announce funding for these researchers and are confident their work will positively impact the health of Nova Scotians.”

Funding provided will support the establishment of independent research programs, support and expand the research productivity necessary for obtaining long-term funding from national and external agencies and expand the potential for early-career investigators to make significant contributions in their field.

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Project title: The Feasibility of a Program for the Prevention of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Project description: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a universal public health problem impacting 18% of girls and 8% of boys worldwide. Children are overrepresented as victims of sexual abuse, as 56% of police-reported sexual assaults in Nova Scotia involved victims under 18. Rates of sexual abuse in Nova Scotia are above the national Canadian average. CSA contributes to a significant disease burden, as it connects to a wide range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Effective prevention programs could stop CSA from occurring in the first place and prevent adverse health outcomes. In Nova Scotia, a significant gap in prevention programming is delivering comprehensive mental health services to individuals who may be at risk of CSA perpetration. Previous research has suggested that there are individuals who have not offended but struggle to stay offence free and experience mental health challenges. Through her research, Dr. Skye Stephens and the team aim to enhance capacity to provide CSA prevention programming in Nova Scotia by exploring development barriers. Knowledge gained during this study will lay the groundwork for developing and evaluating a prevention program that could reduce the occurrence of CSA and associated adverse health outcomes. Overall, the project could increase the health and safety of Nova Scotians by proactively addressing risk factors for CSA perpetration.

Team members: Etta Brodersen, Loren Klein, Angela Connors, Christina Shaffer, Amy Ornstein, Ray MacNeil, Ian McPhail, Jamie Livingston & Ainslie Heasman

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Research projects span a broad range of topics, including diabetes, cancer and dementia care, pre-term infant gut health, and food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a complete list of recipients and projects, visit https://researchns.ca/new-health-investigator-grant-recipients/.

Engineering student Emily Veinot wins the 2020 Montreal Women’s Memorial Scholarship

Emily Veinot

Congratulations to Emily Veinot, the winner of the 2020 Montreal Women’s Memorial Scholarship at Saint Mary’s University. Typically this award is presented at a ceremony on campus to observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.

Awarded each year to a female Engineering student, the scholarship honours the memory of the 14 women who were killed on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique, the engineering school at the Université de Montréal. At the time it was the deadliest shooting in Canada, and gunman killed only women in the anti-feminist attack.

“As a woman in engineering but also as a Francophone,
I believe it is extremely important that we remember and honor the lives and goals of the women who were lost on that day,” said Emily.

“This award is an important reminder of the vital role that women play in scientific fields, and that there is still work to be done to reach the goal of gender equality in all disciplines,” said Dr. Lori Francis, Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s.

“Congratulations Emily on achieving this honour, your enthusiasm for engineering is inspirational, and I’m so proud that your hard work has paid off.”

Emily grew up in the Acadian community of Clare on the south-western tip of Nova Scotia and attended École Secondaire de Clare. She was athletic, playing soccer and track and field, and was very interested in environmental work, doing a volunteer study with a teacher and professor from the University of Saskatchewan, looking at human infrastructure influences on wildlife.

With a diesel mechanic father who taught her how to how to change tires and the oil in her car, Emily grew up around cars, and says she has always found mechanical and technological systems complicated and exciting.

“I’ve been around machinery my whole life. That sparked my passion for problem-solving and led me to pursue a career in mechanical engineering,” she said.

“My parents are proud,” she said. “If I was ready to do it, they were ready to support me.”

Now in her second year of study, Emily has an impressive 4.04 GPA. She has won a number of academic awards and bursaries, including a renewable entrance scholarship to Saint Mary’s, the Dr. Robert and Suzanne Van Den Hoogen Bursary, and a Nova Scotia Future Engineers Award.

“I always loved math and physics and design…calculus is a good time for me,” she laughed. My first year I really loved it, and during Design I we built boats and I thought that was so cool… I thought “I’m doing mechanical, that’s so fun.’”

Along with her studies, Emily is a Teaching Assistant for the Design I class. She is a member of the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students and the Atlantic Council of Engineering Students. As the bilingualism commissioner for the Atlantic Council of Engineering students, she provides French representation so it’s more linguistically diverse, and appreciates learning from her colleagues, most of whom are in their fourth year of study.

Next year she plans to attend Dalhousie University to complete her degree in Mechanical Engineering, and has applied to the co-op program to further develop her professional skills.

Emily says that while she’s happy to have been born at a time with a lot more gender equality, “it’s still an uphill battle, and there’s still a lot of underrepresentation of women in sciences and engineering. I think a lot of women are intimidated and talked out of it, and I think that’s so unfortunate. It’s never going to change if we don’t make the change.”

Dr. Linda Campbell wins Professional of Distinction at the 2020 Discovery Awards

Dr. Linda Campbell

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce that Dr. Linda Campbell has won the Professional of Distinction award at the 18th annual Discovery Awards, held virtually on November 26, 2020.

Dr. Campbell, a Professor and senior research fellow in Environmental Science at Saint Mary’s University, has risen to the top of her field in environmental research, conducting and coordinating research groups across four continents. Her research and teaching at SMU focus on contaminants in the environment, as well as on sustainability and resilience issues with emphasis on aquatic ecosystems and water resources.

“Dr. Campbell is most certainly a professional, and person, of distinction. Dr. Campbell is recognized as a leader in environmental science research and is known as a scientist whose work increases our understanding of the impact of humans on the natural world,” said Dr. Lori Francis, Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s. “Her remediation work illustrates her drive to use new approaches to remedy historic contamination problems.”

“We here at SMU are proud of the work that she does and so very impressed by her desire to share her knowledge with the many students she has mentored.”

Her leadership was recognized early in her career; she received the W.B. Pearson medal for her PhD research, and building on this, her early career accomplishments were rewarded with a Canada Research Chair and a Canada’s Top 40 under 40 award in 2009. She is the recipient of over $10 million in funding for research, and despite working in environmental remediation, which often involves non-peer reviewed work, she has authored over 75 papers, given 150+ presentations around the world, and has supervised more than 20 graduate theses, and 30 undergraduate theses/projects. 

Within the university community she has served on Senate and is currently on the Board of Governors at Saint Mary’s University while also serving as a Trustee of Gallaudet University in Washington DC. This experience builds on her three terms as a Board member of the Canada Hearing Society from 2006-17. These accomplishments clearly demonstrate her leadership is sought at all levels, from local to international.

Dr. Campbell and her team at the Dynamic Ecology and Environmental Health Research (DEEHR) Group provide expertise and technological infrastructure to the study of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Her research extends to aquatic food webs, invasive species, terrestrial wildlife and human consumers of aquatic food.

As a researcher, she is shaping a new path for the study of environmental contamination in Nova Scotia. Her more recent work has uncovered new vectors for human-aquatic ecosystem interrelationships.

Along with her significant contributions to the scientific world, Dr. Campbell, who has been Deaf since birth and communicates in American Sign Language (ASL), has spent hours building awareness of accessibility in society. She has received a Nova Scotia Human Rights Award, as well as the Mel Hebb Hourglass Action Award as part of the Bill-59 Community Alliance. She has also worked closely with ASL-English interpreters to develop collaborative scientific and academic interpreting.

Successful in breaking ground in media accessibility, Dr. Campbell has worked with arts communities to introduce environmental issues to new audiences. In 2016 she led the development of an ASL movie detailing the impact of the Halifax Explosion on the children and staff at the Halifax School for the Deaf.  

Dr. Campbell has demonstrated time and again, that situations many would consider obstacles, can in fact be moments of opportunity. She is a role model whose passion, values, commitment to community, selflessness, and ability to overcome obstacles make her an invaluable asset to Saint Mary’s community, and Nova Scotia.

The Discovery Awards celebrate the outstanding achievement of scientists and innovators in Nova Scotia. Along with the Professional of Distinction category, awards were presented for Emerging Professional, Innovation, Science Champion, a Youth award, and Hall of Fame.

Saint Mary's Faculty Collaborate to Make New Pet Wellness Products

Dr. Christa Brosseau

When Baie Run Pet Products, a health and wellness pet company focused on dogs and cats' wellbeing, wanted to improve their pet supplements, they turned to Saint Mary's experts for advice.

The Nova Scotia-based company, a branch of United Pet Supplements, makes anti-bacterial and wound healing products. Those products contain Colloidal Silver, a popular and top-selling product in the pet industry that helps heal wounds, hot spots and other dermatological issues for pets.

The company worked with Dr. Christa Brosseau and Dr. Clarissa Sit to develop a manufacturing process for colloidal silver that the manufacturer could follow.

Brosseau, a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Sustainable Chemistry and Materials and full professor at Saint Mary's, developed a silver colloidal manufacturing process that improved the quality of the products that included colloidal silver while working within Health Canada's Guidelines. Her entire team has extensive knowledge of colloidal silver preparation and characterization, working in this field for over a decade.

"As a chemist, it is certainly a great feeling to know that you helped develop a safe and effective product which people can actively use," says Brosseau.

Sit and her research team tested the antimicrobial efficiency of the products. The company has implemented the combination of results from both Brosseau and Sit's teams into their operations. Safe, stable and effective products that contain silver colloidal are available to purchase.

"Working with Dr. Brosseau and her team was an incredibly rewarding experience," says Farah Socran, President United Pet Supplements. "Her commitment to the success of the project was unwavering. We are so proud of the results and hope to be able to work together in the future."

The collaboration resulted in a comprehensive literature review, peer-reviewed scientific report, and plans for the optimal preparation for Baie Run's purposes. It was possible thanks to funding from the National Research Council (NRC) – Industrial Research Assistance Program and Nova Scotia Business Inc. Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program.

Thanks to this collaboration's success, Baie Run's new formula for pet products has been implemented, and the company's commercialized silver colloidal pet products are now commercially available online.

Undergraduate Students Spend Summer Conducting Paid Scientific Research

This summer, another crop of Science undergraduate students had the opportunity to conduct research with their professors at Saint Mary’s – despite unusual circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

These awards, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), a Government of Canada agency, and the Dean of Science Office at Saint Mary’s University, are awarded to undergraduate students. They are intended to help students develop their potential for a research career in the natural sciences and engineering, and often lead to students pursuing graduate work in their chosen fields.

Across campus a total of 34 awards were granted from a pool of more than 200 applicants. These were 12 or 16-week terms, and each student was been approved by a supervising faculty member.

Applications for these awards are open to undergraduate students who have strong marks in their studies, and who have completed at least one year towards a bachelor’s degree. Students work for 16 weeks on a full-time basis. Click here for more details, a full list of this year’s award winners, and watch this space for opportunities to apply for next summer’s awards.

Congratulations to the award winners. Here is a selection of the projects our students worked on this summer:

Humaid Agowun, Mathematics/Computing Science (Supervisor: Dr. Hai Wang)

During my research my main task was to optimize a segmented linear regression algorithm. The algorithm is used for business intelligence research and helps find relationships between two variables. We used algorithm design principles to speed up the algorithm execution so that it could realistically be used on larger datasets.

Tanaka Akiyama, Engineering (Supervisor: Dr. Adel Merabet)

This summer I continued to work on a project for the Laboratory of Control Systems and Mechatronics from last summer. I helped program the vision system for an autonomous retail robot for inventory management. I specifically worked on counting the number of products on a shelf. 

Abigail Battson, Astrophysics (Supervisor: Dr. Vincent Hénault-Brunet)

I worked on a problem involving the models of globular clusters, which are massive, dense, spherical balls of stars which orbit galaxies like the Milky Way. The current predictions overestimate the clusters’ ratio of mass-to-light produced, compared to the mass-to-light ratio from the observations of stars. This overestimation is significant, and is for the clusters containing the largest amounts of elements heavier than helium. Globular clusters lose mass over time, which is incorporated into the models, however the models may not accurately match which stars are primarily being lost, which are the lowest mass stars. 

My work involved figuring out if properly accounting for the loss of these low-mass stars from the clusters could decrease the prediction vs. observational discrepancy, as the loss would decrease the mass-to-light ratio of the clusters. Accounting for this loss of low-mass stars did improve the discrepancy, however there are still other factors which can be updated or incorporated to improve residual discrepancies.

Samantha Bennett, Environmental Science (Supervisor: Dr. Erin Cameron)

This summer, I worked with Dr. Erin Cameron on the study of earthworm distribution and invasion potential. The purpose of this research is to see how human activity above soil level will impact the distribution of earthworm species around the globe and how it will impact the distribution of invasive earthworm species around the globe. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the project was limited to literary review, during which I read various papers and worked on a database system that lists the earthworm species present in every individual country.

Adina Gherman, Psychology (Supervisor: Dr. Veronica Stinson)

This summer I had the amazing opportunity of working as a Research Assistant for the Victim Research Lab of the Psychology Department. I have read and coded from scratch about 190 sentencing rulings in English and French and filled the dataset for missing variables for over 500 rulings. I have also conducted research as a group and presented the results at the first Canadian Forensic Psychology Virtual Conference, at Saint Mary's. Our research focused on the relationship between victim impact statements and offenders' expression of remorse and apology. My work for the Psychology Department is ongoing; I am participating in weekly meetings to plan the next steps for various research projects and I am volunteering as a research assistant.

Sahana Kanabar, Environmental Science (Supervisor: Dr. Erin Cameron)

For the first part of the summer I collaborated on a global meta-analysis examining the effect of drivers (such as climate change, nutrient enrichment, etc.) on soil invertebrate biodiversity. The latter part of the summer was dedicated to planning my Honour projects, which is examining the impact of road salt on local lakes and the surrounding soil.  

Lindsay MacDonald, Biology (Supervisor: Dr. Anne Dalziel)

This summer Lindsay conducted research for her honours thesis topic on the mechanisms that lead to different breeding colouration in stickleback—small fish living across the northern hemisphere. In particular, we have a species that is only found here in Nova Scotia that becomes bright white when breeding, while closely related populations of fish become a blue/green/brown. Lindsay studied the pigment cells in the fish skin to determine what leads to these differences in breeding colouration.

Lindsay also played varsity soccer for four years while completing a very time-intensive degree.

Seamus MacInnes, Computing Science (Supervisor: Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri)

I received an NSERC USRA to continue research into different methods of modelling and tracking human movements with 3D cameras. The key aspect of the research was that the user would not be wearing any sensors or reflectors. Most of my time was spent developing the code that would model, render and mimic the position of the user.  

Jen McArthur, Psychology (Supervisor: Dr. Meg Ternes)

Worked on a variety of interesting projects with Dr. Ternes:

• Deceptive motivations – how personality variables relate to the reasons people lie. Jen analyzed data for this project and took the lead on writing a manuscript for submission to a journal

• Juror Instructions regarding the credibility of jailhouse informants – developed and collected data for this project, with plans to complete data analysis and writing this project even after the work term is over

• Deception behind a mask – how the deceiver/truth-teller wearing a mask affects our ability to detect deception – helped to develop this project, data collection will begin in September

• Alibi believability – how the strength of the alibi and the race and SES of the suspect affect the believability of an alibi –developed this research idea and project – we have recently gotten ethics clearance and plan to collect data in September.

Maiti McGrath, Astrophysics (Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Gallo)

My research this summer was a precursor to my honours thesis. I developed a few analysis techniques to be performed on a sample of radio loud black holes. With these analysis techniques and samples, we hope to see patterns in radio and x-ray emission that could potentially give us some insight into what processes could be the same across these similar sources.

Kaleigh McLeod, Chemistry (Supervisor: Dr. Christa Brosseau)

Kaleigh researched how to make an all wood-pulp N95 respirator as part of our COVID-19 project with Port Hawkesbury Paper. She is continuing the project on for the rest of this academic year as her honours project in Chemistry.

Mayara Mejri, Biology (Supervisor: Dr. David Chiasson)

After spending the first month reading scientific papers and reviews about the legume-rhizobia symbiosis, I spent the rest of my summer in the lab, applying the concepts that I learned, which was both exciting and overwhelming. I had the chance to work with DNA and plasmids, and I learned a lot of things related to genetics and microbiology. My experience was extraordinary;  I learned that the research community is so diverse yet united, as labs all over the world are working together to produce a “result,” for example, to sequence or synthesize a gene. I also felt that the research community is very welcoming. 

Terrell Roulston, Biology (Supervisor: Dr. Jeremy Lundholm)

This summer I helped complete a survey of insect pollinator (bees, wasps, hoverflies, etc.) populations on tidal saltmarsh and dykes in the Bay of Fundy dykelands. Surveying included laying pan traps to collect specimens to be identified in the lab; I also recorded other surrounding biotic and abiotic factors on each study sites. The objective was to compare the abundance and diversity of insect pollinators between these landscapes to better understand how each contributes to pollination services of adjacent agricultural land.

This project is part of a number of joint projects run by TransCoastal Adaptations; a collaboration of Saint Mary’s and other universities working to build a comprehensive list of ecosystem services (ES) that these dykelands provide.

These ES have implications for government and private stakeholders to make informed adaptation decision when facing potential dyke re-alignment and/or dyke breach as well as saltmarsh restoration as we continue to face rising sea levels. These ES surveys are also a part of a larger national strategic network (NSERC ResNet) across Canada. This is my third year being awarded the NSERC URSA and without these awards I would not have been able to have this amazing research experience.

Jacqueline Shaw, Psychology (Supervisor: Dr. Kevin Kelloway)

Over the summer, I worked with Dr. Kelloway and his research group to study organizational response to the Covid-19 outbreak. As part of the multi-study project, I helped gather, recode, and theme data, read papers for literature reviews, and interviewed participants. Additionally, with help from my supervisors I developed an experimental study to explore the effect of psychopathy on responses to workplace incivility (and is awaiting ethics approval).

Sophia Waddell, Astrophysics (Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Gallo)

This was my fourth summer working with Dr. Luigi Gallo, studying some of the most extreme, energetic, and massive objects in the known Universe supermassive black holes. In particular, we used the Japanese Suzaku satellite to look at X-rays, which come from the innermost regions of accreting supermassive black holes, known as active galactic nuclei (AGN). By studying the X-ray light, we can understand the geometry, composition and structure of the material closest to the black hole. We studied two different classes of AGN to search for similarities and differences in the X-ray light they emit. We found several differences, including some new and unexpected ones, which strongly suggest that the geometry and structure of the inner region is significantly different between the two classes. Our scientific article about this result was recently accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Main Journal. 

Sophia is now a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. 

Conor Waterfield, Subatomic Physics (Supervisor: Dr. Rituparna Kanungo)

This summer I worked on a project that is searching to find or rule out the existence of a tetraneutron state. My work was developing a computer simulation of the experiment using the Monte Carlo method. The result of my simulation will be compared to the real experimental data to determine if a resonant tetraneutron state is observed in the data or not. This work will be part of my honors thesis which I will complete this year.

Mac Zinck, Biology & Psychology (Supervisor: Laura Weir)

For my research on “Mate Value on Dating Profiles,” I examined how individuals displayed their mate values on dating profiles according to identified gender and the type of arrangement they were seeking (a relationship vs. no commitment). Specifically, I looked at how subjects displayed dependency, meaning whether they showed that they had a dependent (like a pet or child) as a potential advertisement of their quality as a long-term mate.  

Such traits are attractive in a mate as they are expected to increase the likelihood of survival and later reproductive success of their offspring.  We found that males and females seeking relationships displayed their dependents with similar frequency, and more than members of the same sex seeking no commitment.  

I would like to do more of this work as it ties into parental investment theory which is the basis of my thesis for this fall.

Two Saint Mary’s University scientists receive $795,000 in research funding

Two researchers in the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s have received a total of $795,000 in funding from two government organizations.

Dr. Erin Adlakha and Dr. Erin Cameron will have their work, on hydrothermal ore mineral deposits and soil invertebrates, respectively, funded in equal parts by grants from Canadian Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund and from Research Nova Scotia.

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Dr. Erin Cameron : “Global change impacts on soil invertebrates”

A researcher in the department of Environmental Science, Dr. Cameron’s work focuses on increasing understanding of the impacts of climate change and land use on below-ground ecosystems.

Dr. Erin Cameron

“Much of our understanding of these impacts in terrestrial ecosystems is based on aboveground organisms,” explained Dr. Cameron. “In contrast, although soils support high levels of biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services such as decomposition and carbon storage, we have a limited understanding of global change effects below ground.”

Her research seeks to address this gap in our knowledge by examining how climate change, land use change, and invasive species (earthworms) affect communities and ecosystem services (e.g., carbon dioxide flux) in Nova Scotia, Canada's North, and globally, using a combination of field observations, experiments, lab analyses, and modelling.

In Nova Scotia, her work will focus on examining how human disturbances may be affecting soil biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by soil in forests, and on examining the spread and effects of non-native earthworms. This work will increase understanding of impacts of global change on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and inform effective management of climate change and invasive species in Canada.

Read more about Dr. Cameron’s recent cover story in the prestigious Science Magazine, in which she studies the global diversity and biogeography of earthworms.

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Dr. Erin Adlakha: “Characterizing Alteration Footprints of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits Using Super Light Element Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence” 

A faculty member and researcher in the Department of Geology at Saint Mary’s, Dr. Adlakha’s research focuses on hydrothermal ore mineral deposits, which we mine for the metals that we use in everyday life. Part of Dr. Adlakha’s research is to understand the source of fluids and metals, and identify the chemical or physical “traps” that cause ore deposition.

Dr. Erin Adlakha

“These deposits precipitate from fluids (e.g. seawater, meteoric water, magmatic fluids) that circulate through Earth’s crust along structures — faults, fractures, mineral grain boundaries —and dissolve metals from the rocks that they pass through,” explained Dr. Adlakha. “When the fluids encounter a chemical and/or physical change, a reaction may occur that triggers the precipitation of economic minerals.”

“I am also interested in the mineralogy and chemical variation of un-economic alteration minerals that form as different fluids circulate through Earth’s crust, as they guide exploration geologists to find new deposits,” she added.

This CFI award will be used to purchase a Super Light Element Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer to characterize the complex ore and alteration systematics of different ore systems, including polymetallic Co deposits in Nova Scotia, Canada; W skarn deposits of the Canadian Cordillera; and polymetallic deposits of the Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories.

“The results of this research will be used to develop deposit models that describe how hydrothermal ore deposits form, and provide exploration vectors for these deposits, thus contributing to the longevity and sustainability of Canada's exploration and mining programs,” said Dr. Adlakha.

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About the Canadian Foundation for Innovation

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) was built on the ideals of thinking big and investing in areas that matter to Canadians. Since its creation in 1997, the CFI has ensured Canadian researchers have the tools — the cutting-edge labs, facilities and equipment — they need to push the frontiers of knowledge in all disciplines, and to contribute to the full spectrum of research — from discovery to technology development.

The John R. Evans Leaders Fund enables excellent researchers to undertake leading-edge research by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure required to be or become leaders in their field. In turn, this enables institutions to remain internationally competitive in areas of research and technology development, aligned with their strategic priorities. 

Research Nova Scotia

Research Nova Scotia (RNS) is a not-for-profit corporation established to enhance research capacity and align research funding with provincial priorities. RNS invests in research that builds and translates knowledge to help ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for Nova Scotia. This support for the research community in our province helps to advance strategic growth in Nova Scotia, and contributes to innovation in the healthcare system in Nova Scotia. 

SMU Chemistry students, faculty help create rapid test kit for COVID-19

(L-R): Jacob Hoare, Thomas Steele, Olivia Singer, Kalei Crowell, and Jacob Campbell.

When students and faculty at Saint Mary’s were starting the winter 2020 term in January, the plan was for a normal busy university term of classes and labs. Two months later students, faculty and staff were adjusting to the new normal of working and studying from home during a quickly-evolving global pandemic, and the world looked very different by April.

That same month, a small team of Chemistry researchers, including undergraduate students, was quickly formed at Saint Mary’s to start working on a vital contribution to a rapid, point-of-care, Covid-19 test kit created by a startup company in Dartmouth, NS.

Sona Nanotech was creating a new test kit for the direct detection of the virus responsible for Covid-19 and required ready access to a critical precursor. Thanks to a chance conversation about chemistry at a student conference last summer, Sona Nanotech found their expert at Saint Mary’s, namely researcher and professor Dr. Rob Singer.

Dr. Singer has known Dr. Gerry Marangoni, a Scientific Advisory Board member at Sona Nanotech and Professor of Chemistry at St. Francis Xavier University, from previous collaborations. Dr. Marangoni knew that his colleague had the capability to create the critical precursor that Sona Nanotech needed to produce their inexpensive, point-of-care, rapid-response test kit in a matter of minutes.

A partnership was quickly formed between the company and the university, and within days testing and production of this critical material began in a Saint Mary’s lab. The work was also made possible by Springboard Atlantic, which contributed funding towards the research.

Crediting the collaborations that come from working within a small university for the success of this venture, Dr. Singer explained how beneficial it was to work with a local startup and collaborators. “It was so efficient, and most importantly, we were able to get undergraduate students involved right from the start.” he explained. “These students are involved in relevant, potentially world-changing research here at a small university.”

The team at Saint Mary’s, including undergraduate students Jacob Hoare and Olivia Singer, recent alumni Kalei Crowell and Jacob Campbell, and PhD candidate Thomas Steele, have so far created just over 6 kilograms of the critical precursor, and they have the ability to keep producing at this industrial level as needed. “Of course, we were going to help when they asked. Our mentality was that we were going to assist this company as much as, and in any way, we possibly could.” said Dr. Singer.

Sona Nanotech’s test uses its proprietary nanotechnology in a disposable lateral flow test platform to create a new rapid, point-of-care test kit for the direct detection of the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19. It works in a similar way to home pregnancy tests, by identifying the presence of a biological marker, but the technology can also be used to detect a range of viruses and infectious diseases including hepatitis, HIV and Ebola. This method is faster and cheaper than other testing technology, and could be used for in-home testing and by medical staff, and to screen people in large gatherings. Click here to read more.

Saint Mary’s research in psychology, management, and history receives federal funding

Saint Mary’s University researchers have received federal funding for projects totaling $300,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Insight Grants competition.

“Research in the social sciences and humanities is a fundamental element of how society understands and interprets itself, providing the insight needed to critically explore the true impact of our established institutions, both positive and negative,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, dean of Graduate Studies and associate vice-president of Research at Saint Mary’s University. “These grant recipients are all challenging key aspects within our culture – from the criminal justice system, to sexual abuse cover-up within the Catholic Church, to workplace incivility, to examinations of medical malpractice. I am very proud of our recipients for their willingness to challenge conventions and engage in this research that enriches both our local and global communities.”

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The following is a list of Saint Mary’s Insight Grant recipients:

Recipient: Dr. Meg Ternes (Psychology)
Title: Lie Detection in the Criminal Justice System: Exploring Deception Cues in Field and Laboratory Studies

Dr. Meg Ternes

Description: Most of us are not good lie detectors; lie detection accuracy is usually at chance level. Yet, lies accompanied by powerful emotions and false emotional displays can have major consequences, especially in the criminal justice system where the perceived credibility of an alleged victim’s distress or an offender’s remorse can inform decisions concerning verdicts, sentencing, or parole. For this project, Dr. Ternes and her team will examine the efficacy of nonverbal, verbal, and facial cues to deception (together and separately) using laboratory and field research approaches. The laboratory study will consider emotionally-laden lies and truths told by undergraduate students under controlled conditions, while the field study will consider lies and truths told by criminal suspects in police interviews. The results of these studies will improve our understanding of which combinations of cues contribute the most to deception detection. These results will be shared with professionals in the criminal justice system who have to make these important credibility judgements on a regular basis.

Dr. Cathy Driscoll

Recipient: Dr. Cathy Driscoll (Management)
Title: Exploring Collective Moral Disengagement in Cover-up of Sexual Abuse in the Roman Catholic Church

Description: The broad aim of my research project is to better understand, and effect change in, organizations that are engaged in potentially contradictory practices to their principles, mission, and values. Specifically, this project will focus on institutional and leader moral disengagement in the context of the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse (CSA) of minors in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Using content and discourse analysis, I will study current and historic RCC leader discourse from 1990 to 2020 across four countries. Better understanding insights into the organizational dynamics and discourse strategies in this context can provide valuable applications to the RCC with an estimated 1 billion members, as well as to other organizations’ crises, control dynamics, corruption, and misconduct issues (e.g., banks and public sector).

Recipient: Dr. Camilla M. Holmvall (Psychology and Management)
Title: Examining how workplace incivility impacts leader well-being: The moderating role of leader gender

Description: Workplace incivility has been highlighted as highly prevalent in organizations and also highly damaging to employee attitudes, behaviours, and well-being. Research has focused predominantly on mistreatment directed from supervisors toward subordinates, and between coworkers. However, supervisors, managers, and leaders can also be targets of disrespect. Understanding how, and when, leaders’ well-being is impacted by workplace incivility has significant implications, in part due to leaders’ influence on the achievement of the objectives of the organization as well as on their followers’ performance and well-being.  In this 5-year mixed-methods grant, we draw on relevant theory (e.g., selective incivility, stereotype activation and threat) to examine the possible different experiences of male and female leaders in terms of both their likelihood of experiencing incivility as well as on its impacts on their well-being. 

Recipient: Dr. Blake Brown (History)
Title: A History of Canadian Medical Malpractice Law, 1935-1980

Description: This research will break new and exciting ground in historical research in Canada. It will produce the first history of medical malpractice law in English Canada from 1935 to 1980. One of the most contentious areas of law in the mid twentieth century, malpractice law developed in significantly different ways in Canada than in the United States. The project will explain key changes and trends, and also consider the impacts of technology and the roles of gender, ethnicity and race in shaping the results of malpractice lawsuits. The study ends in 1980, by which time Medicare and the emergence of professional self-regulation complaint systems altered how governments, the medical profession, and individuals approached negligence issues. Focusing primarily on actions against physicians and surgeons, the research will also explore how hospitals and other medical professionals became entangled with litigation. This research will interest historians and also legal scholars, medical professionals, lawyers, policy makers and the general public, since medical malpractice is an important and pressing policy issue.

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The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Insight Grants support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Funding is available to both emerging and established scholars for research initiatives of two to five years. Stable support for long-term research initiatives is central to advancing knowledge. It enables scholars to address complex issues about individuals and societies, and to further our collective understanding.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. By focusing on developing talent, generating insights and forging connections across campuses and communities, SSHRC strategically supports world-leading initiatives that reflect a commitment to ensuring a better future for Canada and the world.

The work SSHRC supports encourages the deepest levels of inquiry. It spurs innovative researchers to learn from one another’s disciplines, delve into multiparty collaborations and achieve common goals for the betterment of Canadian society. Research outcomes are shared with communities, businesses and governments, who use this new knowledge to innovate and improve people’s lives.

Saint Mary’s researcher to study the effect of COVID-19 on dating, romance and sex

Dating can be difficult at the best of times, and social distancing requirements, face masks, and limited access to restaurants and bars during a global pandemic make finding new romantic partners even more difficult.

This issue has inspired a new survey that looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has potentially changed how we feel about ourselves in terms of dating and romantic relationships. Respondents will be asked to complete a series of surveys examining their attitudes about sexuality, how many sexual partners they have had or wish to have, how they feel about themselves, and how much money they have recently spent on items related to appearance.

"This is a fascinating time to conduct research because people are having to adjust, to be creative in the way they date," said Dr. Maryanne Fisher, the Saint Mary's University researcher conducting the study. "Online dating websites are reporting a surge of membership enrollments and messages between users, which indicates people are trying to make connections, and potentially different types of connections, than ever before. I'm really intrigued by how we view ourselves as mates has changed due to the pandemic."

Dr. Maryanne Fisher, a researcher and professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's, has been studying these issues since 2017 and is tracking changes over time. She is an expert on the evolutionary foundations of human interpersonal relationships. Her primary research areas include the evolutionary foundations of human interpersonal relationships and women's mating strategies and indicators of female physical attractiveness.

This survey on the effects of COVID-19 on dating and romantic relationships, as well as perceptions of self-worth and attractiveness, will require about 20 minutes to complete. We have removed the collection of IP addresses in an effort to anonymize the responses, and you will not be asked your name or other identifying information. We are seeking volunteers 18+ to complete the confidential now.

Click here to take the survey.

Exploring ways to help Nova Scotian pulp mills produce medical-grade pulp for N95 respirator production

Dr. Christa Brosseau (left)

A Saint Mary’s University researcher is leading a project to help address a key support needed for the COVID-19 pandemic: personal protective equipment and their components.

“As a result of COVID-19, there is a massively increased global demand for N95 respirators,” says Dr. Christa Brosseau. “New technologies are urgently needed to help manage impending shortages, ideally with ’home-grown’ solutions.”

Dr. Christa Brosseau is a professor in Saint Mary’s University’s Faculty of Science and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Chemistry & Materials. Her project will explore innovative chemical strategies to help determine if Nova Scotian pulp mills can produce medical-grade pulp for N95 respirator production. A recent grant from Research Nova Scotia will help propel this work forward.

N95 masks are typically composed primarily of synthetic polymer materials (polypropylene, polyester) with cellulose sometimes incorporated into one of the many layers that make up the respirator. At present, a single mill in Canada is producing medical grade pulp and they are struggling to keep up with the increased demand.

“Over the years, there has been an increased interest in making N95 respirators using only wood pulp”, says Dr. Brosseau. “However, wood pulp typically lacks certain properties that translate into effective respirator material.”

Dr. Brosseau’s team, in collaboration with the pulp and paper industry in Nova Scotia, will develop and test chemical additives that can address key challenges in the production of medical-grade pulp from thermomechanical pulp. Using combined expertise in the areas of chemical synthesis, materials characterization and process development, they will work towards an innovative “made-in-Nova Scotia” approach for creation of a product similar to the Western red cedar formulation currently produced in British Columbia.

If successful, this project could help meet the needs of frontline healthcare workers by supplying adequate PPE protection from COVID-19 while also supporting the Nova Scotian pulp and paper industry. The research team will work collaboratively with Port Hawkesbury Paper Mill who will provide thermomechanical pulp for experimentation.

“Although this research project was identified through our COVID research response initiative, it could also have a positive impact on the Nova Scotia forestry sector”, says Stefan Leslie, CEO of Research Nova Scotia. “As we pursue both a sustainable forestry industry and a response to the COVID pandemic, the research community is demonstrating its creativity and initiative.”

Note: This story originally appeared on the Research Nova Scotia website.

New international research study asks: Is COVID-19 changing the way we cook and eat?

It might sound familiar: flour, pasta and yeast are more difficult to find than in the past, and you cannot ignore the photos of homemade bread or desserts circulating on social media. It seems for many that the approach when it comes to meals is completely different than before the emergence of the coronavirus. This has not escaped the notice of several researchers, either.

This change in cooking habits has led to a partnership between Saint Mary's University and the Food, Media & Society (FOOMS) at the University of Antwerp in Belgium to launch a research study into the matter. The Corona Cooking Survey is a large-scale international survey study into the impact of COVID-19 on how people deal with food and food-related media. This study allows the shifts brought on by the coronavirus in terms of buying, cooking and eating habits, to be identified. More than 30 countries have already confirmed that they will participate in the research project. 

Dr. Maryanne Fisher

"This is a really exciting project to be involved with for many reasons. Academics around the world have very quickly come together to explore one of the most basic parts of our daily life: eating," says Dr. Maryanne Fisher, a professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's and part of the study's project team. "The number of people who have turned to baking bread - one of the most basic skills that has endured for centuries - is simply amazing. But how did they learn how to make that bread, and what prompted them to do so?"

In Belgium, the survey has received more than 6,000 respondents in less than two weeks.

"We know from previous research that family and friends play an important role in people's relationship with food. Just think of the typical "family classics" or all the tips that friends and colleagues share about food," says Dr. Charlotte De Backer, an Associate Professor at the University of Antwerp and the study's project leader. "Other sources, such as influencers on social media, celebrities on television or recipes in magazines also have an impact on our food choices. That's why we want to use this study to investigate whether our habits have changed since the preventative measures were taken, and what role various media and people play in these changes."

Interested in participating in the survey? Click here.