Now Innovating: Recent Episodes
University of Calgary
A podcast for those interested in research and innovation, from university faculty and higher education professional to industry professionals and policy experts. [now innovating] is a platform for researchers from the University of Calgary to share their failures and successes in the journey from research to implementation and public impact while demonstrating that innovation and entrepreneurship are not limited to STEM disciplines. Our conversations aim to encourage researchers, principle investigators and other highly qualified personnel to take new steps toward transforming discoveries into solutions, products, and services. Co-hosts Dr. Pritma Chattha and Jordan Witzel provide direct and credible insight into the experiences of academic peers within the innovation ecosystem, offering proof that pursuing innovation, new ventures, and non-traditional pathways to translation is valuable and worthwhile for researchers and highly qualified personnel.
In this episode, host Julia MacGregor leads a panel discussion with four guests who are making an impact in circular plastics:
- Tammy Schwass, BA'10, Executive Director, Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA)
- Dr. Rohen Prinsloo, PhD'22, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
- Dr. Daniel Castañeda Mogollón, PhD'22
- Eric Tang, Production Manager, Triple Three Trading Ltd
The panel discusses the different types of plastics, recycling methods, and the global plastics supply chain. We learn about the chemical challenges in recycling plastics, work APRA members like Triple Three Trading are doing to recycle plastics, and a student-led initiative to recycle Styrofoam used to package research equipment.
The panel also discusses actions you can take in your daily life to encourage smart plastic use, and tips and tricks for recycling plastics.
This episode was recorded live with an audience during Alumni All-Access 2025. Guests were invited by the university's Industry Liaison Office (Research), the team that facilitates and grows applied research partnerships between companies and researchers.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/h692GqtoepM
Learn more about:
- Alberta Plastics Recycling Association: https://albertaplasticsrecycling.com/
- Dr. Prinsloo's research: https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/rohen-prinsloo
- Triple Three Trading: https://triplethreetrading.com/
- What Goes Where – Calgary Residential Recycling and Disposal Search Tool: https://www.calgary.ca/waste/what-goes-where/plastic-polystyrene-foam.html
- Waste Reduction and Diversion at UCalgary: https://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability/our-sustainable-campus/waste-reduction-and-diversion
- Industry Liaison Office (Research): https://research.ucalgary.ca/engage-research/industry
- Campus as a Learning Lab: https://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability/campus-learning-lab
- UCalgary Alumni: https://alumni.ucalgary.ca/
- Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
This episode, we are exploring cybersecurity with Dr. Hadis Karimipour, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, and a Canada Research Chair in Secure and Resilient Cyber-physical Systems. We discuss cyber threats to critical infrastructure such as utility centers, transportation systems and hospital networks and how her research is using AI and quantum applications to detect and prevent these cyber-attacks. We also talk about the dark web, where these cyber threats come from and the importance to advance global policy in cybersecurity.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSTPjShxtrU
Learn more about Hadis' research in the Smart Cyber-Physical Systems Lab: https://www.scpslab.org/
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In our Season 7 premiere, we celebrate the launch of the XPRIZE Canada Hub at the University of Calgary by speaking with UCalgary and XPRIZE alum, Madison Savilow, BA’19, BComm’19, of Carbon Upcycling. This carbon capture and utilization company was a finalist team in the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition. Their process developed with UCalgary researchers, transforms C02 and industrial waste materials to create a low carbon cement replacement.
Madison takes us on a tour of Carbon Upcycling’s facility at the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre, discusses her journey with XPRIZE, shares how the company is scaling and advice for embarking on an entrepreneurial path. This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/O4eh4PICGFg
Learn more about:
Carbon Upcycling: https://carbonupcycling.com/
XPRIZE Canada Hub at UCalgary: https://io.ucalgary.ca/xprizehub
XPRIZE: https://www.xprize.org/
The Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre: https://innotechalberta.ca/facilities/alberta-carbon-conversion-technology-centre/
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode, we speak with Sue Crawford, RN, MN’20, manager of the Health Systems Transformation Initiative (HIVE) in the Faculty of Nursing and co-founder and executive director of Enable, a social enterprise that facilitates meaningful matches between people with disabilities and support workers. Sue discusses how the HIVE initiative utilizes nursing expertise to empower innovators and change agents to enhance health and health care delivery by applying transdisciplinary solutions. We also discuss nurse entrepreneurship through Sue’s experiences with launching Enable, and the role nurses play in health care innovation.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/0p31b7cnodE
Learn more about:
The Health Systems Transformation Initiative: https://nursing.ucalgary.ca/HIVE
Enable: https://enablecommunity.ca/
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Lina Kattan, PhD, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in the Schulich School of Engineering, and Canada Research Chair in Integrative Transportation Systems Through Automation and Connectivity. Lina discusses how transportation systems are key to creating smart and sustainable cities and highlights her research exploring different traffic management solutions with connected and automated vehicles. She speaks to how applied research through the Urban Alliance responds to the City of Calgary’s needs. Lina also shares how a transdisciplinary approach is key to innovation and how innovators can look to support the transformation of our Canadian Cities into smart and sustainable ones. This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEt5GRcI6c4
Learn more about:
Lina’s research: https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/lina-kattan The Urban Alliance: https://research.ucalgary.ca/urban-alliance
The Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship: https://research.ucalgary.ca/research/transdisciplinary
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Christopher Clarkson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment in the Faculty of Science, who received the 2024 Synergy Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Chris discusses his research with the Tight Oil Consortium, which develops new technologies and methods for sustainable resource development in collaboration with industry and government to enhance the extraction efficiency of Canada's unconventional hydrocarbon resources. He speaks to how these technologies and methods are now being adapted to transitional energy applications and shares his experiences working with and in the energy industry. Finally, Chris shares how the energy research landscape has evolved in Alberta and at the University of Calgary.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL-CP3xs8TI
Learn more about:
The Tight Oil Consortium: https://www.tightoilconsortium.com/
Dr. Clarkson’s NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/Synergy-Synergie/Profiles-Profils/Clarkson-Clarkson_eng.asp
UCalgary’s Energy for the Common Good research strategy: https://research.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/4/GES/22-OPR-237100-Energy%20Research%20Strategy-2023-web.pdf
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Eleanor Dickinson, PhD, a 2024-2025 Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Eleanor discusses One Health, and how her work in the Kutz Research Group utilizes different strategies to develop new approaches for Arctic wildlife health monitoring and management for caribou and muskoxen. She speaks to the importance of building partnerships and relationships for research. She describes how she is working with academic and non-academic partners, local communities, and patrons of Arctic conservation to communicate the findings into practice. She also teaches us the difference between caribou and reindeer, and the importance of recognizing the innovation in your work. Learn more about:
The Kutz Research Group in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: https://vet.ucalgary.ca/groups/arctic-wildlife-health
The Faculty of Sciences’ Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowships: https://science.ucalgary.ca/research-innovation/innovation/innovation-postdoctoral-fellows
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
Subscribe to Now Innovating and other videos from the University of Calgary here: https://www.youtube.com/c/UcalgaryCa
Catch-up on previous episodes of Now Innovating: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQYTr0P7HNUEI6AqLnpoC-mgzL1kUAHQg
Explore additional short-form content from Now Innovating: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQYTr0P7HNUEqT-Oz-iDuFs1h4SSyLt3U&si=oiiaN3mjRYZLJ-xX
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Greg Welch, PhD, Professor in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Chemistry, and one of the inaugural Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship’s Academic Co-Leads in Energy Futures. Greg discusses transdisciplinary scholarship at the university and how this connects to innovation. He also shares an example of a transdisciplinary research project from his lab and thoughts on supporting innovation at all levels within academic institutions.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/J5KGaMAbzrY
Learn more about:
The Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship: https://research.ucalgary.ca/research/transdisciplinary
The Advanced Functional Materials and Coatings Laboratory: https://welchlab.wixsite.com/website
In our season 6 premiere episode, we speak with Dr. Kelly Dean Schwartz, a registered psychologist and associate professor in the Werklund School of Education, about the Family First Responder project. This research project has led to the development of a social innovation to provide mental health supports for first responder families.
This episode, we will learn more about his research with the Social Development Research Team, discuss what led to the start of the Family First Responder project and the development of the Re: Building Families program. We also discuss the potential impacts of the program, and the scalability of this social innovation. We also hear briefly from one of Kelly’s collaborators, Scott Cowan, battalion chief for the Calgary Fire Department, who speaks to the value of this mental health programming for first responder families.
A big thank you to Carol Henke and Scott Cowan at the Calgary Fire Department for allowing the Now Innovating team to visit and record this episode at Station 16.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/sOLWYvEG0KU
Learn more about:
The Family First Responder project and Re: Building Families program: https://familyfirstresponder.ca/ The Before Operational Stress (BOS) program: https://www.beforeoperationalstress.ca/
The Social Development Research Team in the Werklund School of Education: https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/research/social-development-research-team/social-development-research-team
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
For our season five finale, we explore a startup’s journey through the UCalgary Innovation ecosystem that led them to the Creative Destruction Lab – Rockies.
We speak with Dr. Dion Kelly, a UCalgary grad and Co-Founder & CEO of Possibility Neurotechnologies.
Her research in neuroscience to develop brain-computer interface technologies is creating opportunities for children with severe neurological disorders to achieve greater independence and quality of life. Dion and Erica Floreani, Co-Founder and CTO, provide a demo of their Think2Switch device, and we will also hear from Heather Marshall, site lead of CDL-Rockies at the Haskayne School of Business to learn more about the program and its impacts.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NurO_vpy5Rk
Learn more about Possibility Neurotechnologies: https://www.possneuro.com/
Learn more about CDL-Rockies: https://creativedestructionlab.com/locations/calgary/
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode we speak with Dr. Stephen Larter, UCalgary’s outgoing Associate Vice-President (Research and Innovation), and a Professor in the Department of Earth Energy and Environment in the Faculty of Science.
Steve takes us back to 2004, talking about the state of innovation from when he first arrived at the University of Calgary twenty years ago to how the ecosystem has connected and grown. We also discuss what is currently happening in the innovation space, and what he hopes to see within the next five years. We also take the opportunity to get to know Steve better by playing a game together.
This episode is also available as a fully captioned and transcribed video that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/xyrglrt2-1w
Listen to the previous Now Innovating podcast episode with Steve Larter on the culture of innovation, available on all podcast services: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/now-innovating/id/20162039
Learn more about Ahead of Tomorrow - UCalgary’s 2023-2030 Strategic Plan: https://www.ucalgary.ca/about/ahead-of-tomorrow
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem: https://ucalgary.ca/innovation
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ryan Peters, PhD, an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Human Performance Lab. His research explores the neural control of balance and mobility that has led to the commercialization of a wearable technology to support balance impairments in older adults, athletes, and astronauts.
We learn more about our neural systems and how they affect our control of movement, and discuss Ryan’s innovation journey, including the patent process and overcoming the fear of failure in academia.
This is one of two episodes this season spotlighting research-to-impact within the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology, one of the top sport-science schools in North America. Thanks to a generous $20 million donation from the Taylor Family Foundation, the Faculty of Kinesiology will expand and elevate its human performance, movement and sport science research and education program. __
Neursantys
Participate in research studies at UCalgary.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem.
This episode is also available as a video that you can watch here.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Nicole Culos-Reed, PhD, a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and director of the Health and Wellness Lab. Her research is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those impacted by cancer through the development of movement-based programs.
We learn more about her research in the Health and Wellness Lab with the ACE and EXCEL programs to make exercise part of standard cancer care. We discuss the development and operation of the Thrive Centre, a social innovation which offers evidence-based exercise oncology programming for pediatric, young adult, and adults living with cancer, and their support persons. We also touch on what it means to be a social innovator, being open to learning new things, and that “your ego is not your amigo.”
This is one of two episodes this season spotlighting research-to-impact within the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology, one of the top sport-science schools in North America. Thanks to a generous $20 million donation from the Taylor Family Foundation, the Faculty of Kinesiology will expand and elevate its human performance, movement and sport science research and education program.
---- Yoga Thrive Participate in research at UCalgary.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem.
This episode is also available as a video that you can watch here.
In this episode, we speak with founders from three startup companies that were part of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking’s inaugural Summer Accelerator cohort: TurnCO2, MLCan and MHCombiotic. The Summer Accelerator is a 12-week program designed to help UCalgary community startups continue to build and develop their companies, validate their business, and leverage resources in the UCalgary ecosystem.
The three startups featured in this episode are comprised of UCalgary graduate students, alumni, and a former postdoctoral scholar. We will learn more about the research behind each of their companies, and the potential impacts of their technologies on their respective industries. We will also explore how the UCalgary innovation ecosystem has supported them on their entrepreneurial paths, including Hunter Hub resources such as the Summer Accelerator, Innovation Sandbox, and the Academic Entrepreneurs in Residence Program.
Listen to Now Innovating Season 4, Episode 4 to learn more about Molecular Organic Frameworks and the technology behind TurnCO2 with Dr. George Shimizu.
In this episode, we explore the experiences of the Parex Resources Innovation Fellowships that provide resources for UCalgary faculty researchers to concentrate on innovative projects that positively impact society. This spans a wide spectrum, including technological advancements, social initiatives, and novel approaches to addressing complex challenges.
We speak with Belinda Heyne, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, and a former Parex Fellow about her innovation journey to advance a discovery, the risk she took to pursue a startup company, and how she has applied these learnings to her current research and teaching practices.
We will also hear from Houston Peschl, a current Parex Fellow in the Haskayne School of Business, about his research in regenerative agriculture, and Pierre Kennepohl will tell us more about the opportunity the Parex fellowships can provide to all UCalgary faculty.
In our season 5 premiere, we are celebrating UCeed, a series of early-stage investment funds, backed by philanthropic support from the University of Calgary and managed by Innovate Calgary.
We speak with Lorian Taylor of LyfeMD, an evidence-based application to support diet and lifestyle solutions developed by health professionals. This social enterprise out of the University of Calgary has received investment from UCeed’s social impact fund.
We will also hear from Pete Santosham to learn more about UCeed and the impacts it has had in only three short years.
Learn more about the LyfeMD application.
Learn more about UCeed.
The main interview for this episode was recorded at Innovate Calgary’s Social Innovation Hub. To learn more visit:
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the UCalgary innovation ecosystem.
This episode is also available as a video that you can watch here.
In our season 4 finale, we chat with Dr. Chris Hugenholtz, PhD, and Thomas Barchyn from the Faculty of Art’s Department of Geography. They are behind the technology and the research program for PoMELO, a vehicle-based methane emissions management system for the upstream oil and gas sector. They discuss how their research and technology for detecting methane emissions, a greenhouse gas, is an important step to help mitigate climate change. We also discuss their innovation journey and the decision to license their technology through the university versus creating a startup company.
Learn more about PoMELO.
Learn more about Innovate Calgary’s Energy Transition Centre.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
This episode, we chat with Dr. Viola Birss, PhD, a professor emerita in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Chemistry andco-founder of SeeO2 Energy. She is joined by collaborators, Chengying (Arlene) Ai and Dr. Anand Singh, PhD, whose research with Viola has led to the creation of two start-up companies, Momentum Materials Solutions and BlissEarth Energy Research. They discuss how their research in electrochemistry and nanomaterials has led to applications that support clean energy transition, including the conversion of CO2 to clean fuels and chemicals, and green hydrogen and natural gas utilization.
Learn more about SeeO2 Energy.
Learn more about Momentum Materials Solutions.
Learn more about BlissEarth Energy Research.
Learn more about the University of Calgary’s future-focused programs, world-class energy research, and opportunities to engage with us at the 2023 Global Energy Show.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
This episode, we chat with Dr. Anderson Hoff, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science. Anderson discusses how his research in new organic compounds and large-area coating of functional films has led to advanced printing techniques for flexible organic photovoltaics (or solar cells). He shares about the potential impacts of this technology for the energy industry and how it has started him on an innovation journey towards commercialization.
Learn more about Dyes Materials Energy.
Learn more about the University of Calgary’s future-focused programs, world-class energy research, and opportunities to engage with us at the 2023 Global Energy Show.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
This episode, we chat with Dr. Sandra Davidson, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing. As a registered nurse, professor, and creative innovator, she understands the important role Canadian nurses play in innovating for good. Sandra discusses the culture of innovation in the practice of nursing, and what nurses have to offer in the realm of health care innovation, and how they can become leaders in this space. Sandra also discusses the importance of continuous innovation in education programming and speaks to the graduate programs at the Faculty of Nursing and how they are offered online to increase access for practicing nurses and clinicians to support evidence-based practice in health care.
Learn more about the Faculty of Nursing’s graduate programs.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
This episode we chat with Dr. Kathleen Sitter, PhD, an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, and a Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Research and Knowledge Translation. Kathy discusses centering accessibility in her research, and the social innovation model she has implemented into the community to create inclusive digital stories. She also shares the thought behind the design of the future Multisensory Research Storytelling Studio and the impact this space will have on conducting inclusive research and for the disability community.
Visit the Multisensory Studio website.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
This episode we chat with Dr. George Shimizu, PhD, a professor of inorganic chemistry in the Faculty of Science. George discusses how his research led to the development of a unique carbon capture technology and how its impact was demonstrated through research partnerships with industry. He also shares his experience with licensing his technology, mentoring students to encourage innovative ideas and finding the right partners for both.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
Learn more about UCeed’s early-stage start-up investment funds.
Learn more about the university’s research partnership support offered by Industry Engagement.
This episode we chat with Dr. Chad Bousman, PhD, an associate professor in the Cumming School of Medicine and CEO and Founder of Sequence2Script. Chad discusses how his research and entrepreneurial paths aligned for his innovation journey, the mentorship programs that have supported him, and finding the market for his digital innovation that translates pharmacogenomics data for better prescribing practices.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
Learn more about Sequence2Script.
Learn more about the Academic Entrepreneurs in Residence program.
To explore participation in the PGx-SParK study or other research studies at the University of Calgary, visit: ucalgary.ca/research/participate.
This episode we chat with Julia Imanoff, a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Nursing, and co-founder and COO of the Brief Crisis Therapy Institute. Julia discusses how her passion for supporting mental health is forefront of her clinical practice and research, which led her to pursue social innovation. She shares her insights into what success of a social innovation looks like. She also provides advice and supports for others looking to have an impact outside of their clinical practice and research to address a social problem.
Learn how to move your research-to-impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
Learn more about the Brief Crisis Therapy Institute.
Learn more about Innovate Calgary’s Social Innovation Hub.
Learn more about UCalgary’s Campaign for the United Way.
Recorded at the University of Calgary's Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics (ACAD), we chat with Dr. Stephanie Bishop, PhD, & Dr. Mehdi Mohammadi, PhD, post doctoral associates in the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science. They share their innovation journey of how their research and expertise in metabolomics led to the creation of their company, Fluidome.
Learn how to move your research to impact in the Innovation@UCalgary ecosystem.
Learn more about Fluidome.
Learn more about ACAD.
Some 200,000 Canadians are diagnosed annually with bloodstream infections. About 8,000 of these patients will die from sepsis and other complications. With treatment timelines often being a factor, Faculty of Science biochemist Dr. Ian Lewis, PhD, is leading a team of researchers to develop a rapid diagnostic tool. The team hopes to reduce diagnostic timelines in order to get life-saving treatment to people faster. Ian shares his insight into this work being done in his lab.
Julia Robertson, Katherine Yu, Ashna Maredia, and Zach Hong are third year students in their undergraduate medical education at the Cumming School of Medicine. The team of innovators joins the podcast this week to discuss their online tool that is designed to help immigrant patients prepare for their doctor’s appointment. Through recent focus groups, the team learned that communicating with a doctor can be one of the most difficult parts of navigating the healthcare system for those who are new to Canada. Their tool is the result of these findings.
Read more
Craig Elias shares details of the upcoming Virtual Startup Weekend hosted by 150 Startups. The event is intended for those looking to find success in business. Attendees will take part in an online learning weekend where they will be placed on teams and led by some of Alberta's most promising first-time entrepreneurs to learn how to validate business ideas. Participants will also compete in a pitch competition for prizes.
Register here
Equity seeking groups can contact Craig at 403-874-2998
Dr. Henry Penn, PhD, shares details of the upcoming growing season at an off-grid hydroponic food production unit located at the Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS) 200 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon. This will be the second growing season at Ag1054, which provided 300+ kg of fresh produce for sale to local communities in 2021. Henry's team has made some improvements to the Ag1054 unit in advance of this second growing season, including a updated HVAC system to better align with the temperatures experienced at KLRS. Henry describes the innovative processes that have shaped the evolving research project.
Read more
Researchers, postdocs or students interested in research opportunities at Ag1054 can contact Dr. Henry Penn at henry.penn@ucalgary.ca.
Dr. Eddy Lang, MD, is an emergency room doctor and the department head of Emergency Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine. He is helping plan a major international conference on overdiagnosis coming to Calgary June 9-12, 2022. The conference will include international experts in the field of over-diagnosis and is open to the general public. Dr. Lang shares his thoughts on the innovative processes unfolding in regards to medical overdiagnosis while discussing what to expect at the Preventing Overdiagnosis conference.
https://www.preventingoverdiagnosis.net/
Applications are currently open for two innovation fellowships. The Parex Resources Innovation Fellowships are open to researchers from across the university who are immersed in academic research and community partnerships leading to start-ups or technology advancement based on new discoveries, insights, and innovation. The Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded to postdoctoral fellows with a track record of innovation activities. Innovation activities refers to translating research results into societal impact. Working with non-academic research partners, creating a start-up, working with innovation organizations and engaging with government and not for profit organizations on policy development are all examples of innovation activities. Pierre Kennepohl, Interim Associate Dean for Innovation and Strategic Programs in the Faculty of Science, joins us with details for those interested in applying.
https://science.ucalgary.ca/research-innovation/innovation/parex-innovation-fellows
https://science.ucalgary.ca/research-innovation/innovation/innovation-postdoctoral-fellows
Questions? Contact Pierre:
pierre.kennepohl@ucalgary.ca
We speak with Shelley Kuipers in the final episode of season 2. Shelley is an activist in business, entrepreneurship and investment and is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The51. The51 is a financial feminist platform that brings together women-led capital for women-led businesses to build mutual wealth and community impact. This includes the Financial Feminism Investing Lab at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Shelley shares how her team to trying to further bolster the financial feminist economy.
In episode 19 we speak with Keri Damen, Executive Director of the Hunter Hub at UCalgary. In this role, Keri leads mentorship in entrepreneurial thinking at UCalgary. She is dedicated to connecting and growing the university's entrepreneurial thinking and innovation community to ensure students from all disciplines have the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the next economy. Through this, UCalgary is creating the ventures of the future. The Hunter Hub is also set to host the first Entrepreneurial Thinking Week at UCalgary, taking place from March 28 to April 1, 2022. For more information on events visit:
https://www.ucalgary.ca/hunter-hub
In episode 18, we revisit many of the incredible conversations we have had on [now innovating]. We launched this podcast from the Office of the Vice President (Research) in the fall of 2021 with the intention of engaging incredible changemakers in our community. We believe conversations with those who have both failed and succeeded in innovation and entrepreneurship can help the next generation of changemakers move into this space with confidence. The idea this week is that we return to some of the best advice we’ve heard from our guests to date. Call it a greatest-hits episode but this is advice worth revisiting!
In episode 17, we speak with Dr. Adam Pidlisecky, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Geoscience at UCalgary and the Associate Department Head of Strategy and Innovation. Adam is leading the Academic Entrepreneur in Residence (AEIR) program as a pilot opportunity for those researchers in the early stages of innovation and entrepreneurship. The AEIR program is aimed at making it easier for researchers to develop innovation concepts while helping them engage with the broader innovation ecosystem available at the University. Adam discusses what it takes to overcome fears of risk in entrepreneurship and outlines how interested individuals and teams can get involved with the AEIR program.
Contact Adam: adampid@ucalgary.ca
We speak with Dr. Craig Ginn, PhD, in episode 16. Craig is a Professor of Metis ancestry in the Department of Classics and Religion at the University of Calgary. His Songs of Justice Project more recently evolved into the Animal Kinship Project. This socially innovative work has taken Craig into the Evolve to Innovate (e2i) program at Innovate Calgary (more information on this program can be found in episode 11 with John Wilson). Craig shares details on how his perspective on audience has changed since being a part of e2i. He also shares insight into how his perspective of himself and his work has evolved since being in the program. Those songs heard on the podcast are Wonders of the Sky and Travel Without Me.
https://www.songsofjusticeproject.com/
In this episode, we speak with Derrick Hunter, President and CEO of Bluesky Equities. Derrick is an active champion for entrepreneurial thinking, chairing the external advisory committee of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking and a member of the external advisory committee of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Calgary. He sits on the board of directors for Platform Calgary and serves on the Dean’s Board at the Haskayne School of Business. Derrick's dedication to entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem has been acknowledged through awards like the Management Alumni Excellence Award from the Haskayne School of Business in 2018. He was also named Canadian Angel Investor of the Year by the National Angel Capital Organization in 2019, and Technology Investor of the year by Start Alberta in 2019. Derrick shares his insight into the partnerships between academia and the broader community, discussing opportunities for entrepreneurship and measurements for success in the innovation economy.
In this episode, we speak with Alice Reimer who is the Site Lead at Creative Destruction Labs Rockies (CDL) in Calgary. Alice is a successful entrepreneur, previously co-founding Evoco which has become the standard construction management system for global retailers including Walmart, Home Depot, and Staples. Alice has also served as CEO of Chaordix, a pioneering software leader in the crowdsourcing and open innovation space, with global clients including LEGO, Procter & Gamble, KPMG, and IBM. Alice was the recipient of PROFIT’s W100 designation as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs and was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People for 2013. Alice shares her insight into what type of team is well suited to join the program at CDL and how these teams should approach the scaling up phase.
Episode 13 features a conversation with Headversity CEO Dr. Ryan Todd. Headversity is a workplace mobile platform that allows organizations to put the mental health of employees back into their hands. Dr. Todd's entrepreneurial business stands alongside his many other endeavours which collectively aim to redefine how psychiatric services are provided in Canada. He shares his insights into taking on entrepreneurship fresh out of medical school and offers advice gained from his own failures and successes.
Dr. Scott Kraft and Nicola Quiggin join the podcast to share details of the current application process for the third SPARK Calgary cohort. The SPARK program is based at the W21C Research and Innovation Centre. SPARK Calgary supports academic digital health innovators move their projects forward into clinical practice, with the primary aim of benefitting patients. It is a one year program with a 5 hours/month time commitment. Participants receive expert advice, education, and connections to resources.
The application information session is being held online on February 4 from noon to 1:00pm. Register for the session here: w21c.org/spark
In episode 12, we speak with Carlene Donnelly who is the executive director of CUPS. Founded in 1989, CUPS works to help Calgarians escape poverty and overcome trauma. The charity's mission is to build resiliency in people through integrated healthcare, education, and housing support. Carlene's team believes in partnerships with government, research organizations, local businesses, places of worship and other charities to strengthen the broader community. One such partner is UCalgary’s Social Innovation Initiative led by Karen Benzies. Carlene talks about the importance of making decisions based on this research partnership.
UCalgary researchers Dr. Taylor Chomiak, PhD, and Dr. Tamas Füzesi, PhD, share details of the tool they have created to help their team identify patterns embedded in digital data. Local Topological Recurrence Analysis (LoTRA) is a simple machine learning model capable of outperforming deep-learning models in detecting Parkinson’s disease from digitized handwriting samples. The researchers also foresee broader applications for the tool in the future.
We begin season 2 by speaking with John Wilson, President and CEO of Innovate Calgary. Innovate Calgary is the innovation transfer and business incubator at the University of Calgary. Its mission is to help individuals and teams form companies and gain licensing. John shares details of how Innovate Calgary provides intellectual property management, commercialization guidance, technology and innovation marketing, and connections with industry partnership. He also provides insight into two major programs offered through Innovate Calgary; UCEED and Evolve to Innovate (e2i).
The UCalgary ecosystem is poised to lead the energy transition with an investment announced this week from the Government of Canada. Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is investing $2,140,205 to support the Energy Transition Centre (ETC) in downtown Calgary. The ETC is a collaboration between the University of Calgary, Innovate Calgary, Avatar Innovations, and the energy industry. This episode features that announcement from the Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Daniel Vandal and acknowledgement of the investment by UCalgary President Ed McCauley, Avatar Innovations CEO Kevin Krausert and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
Dr. Morteza Chehel Amirani, PhD, shares details of his UCalgary chemistry team's work with Katal Energy. Morteza joined the company as Research Lead in 2017, with the goal of developing a cleaner burning diesel fuel (Katal Green Fuel - KGF). That goal is now being realized. Recent testing in a diesel-burning ocean vessel is allowing Katal energy to tout KGF as being able to immediately reduce carbon and NOx emissions from diesel-fueled equipment.
Dr. Ranita Manocha, MD, is increasing knowledge and awareness of the proper fitting and use of walking aids through an innovative mobile app she designed. Launched in November, the ICanWALK© app is an interactive platform designed for patients, caregivers, and clinicians. It incorporates videos and short questions to teach and evaluate fitting walking aids and how to use them, depending on the type of injury or impairment and where a patient is in their recovery journey. Dr. Manocha’s goal is to increase the accessibility and sustainability of the app for all Canadians. Her hope is that in the future, when someone receives crutches, they are seamlessly provided with information and assistance on fitting and use directly through their smartphone.
UCalgary alumnus Dr. Rowan Cockett, PhD, tells us about his text editor platform Curvenote, developed for modern science. Curvenote is a tool to help scientists, researchers and engineers accelerate the speed of scientific discovery by easing the methods by which sharing, thinking and writing is linked to data and computation. Curvenote allows users to create living documents for collaboration amongst teams. Rowan has recently brought the project to CDL-Rockies for assistance in scaling up.
https://curvenote.com
Dr. Jim Dewald, Dean of the Haskayne School of Business, discusses how meaningful this week's funding announcement for the Creative Destructive Lab (CDL-Rockies) is for entrepreneurs at the University of Calgary. CDL-Rockies brings together experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and subject matter experts to expedite the growth of early-stage science and tech-focused companies. CDL-Rockies charges no fees for participation and takes no equity from participating companies.
Dr. Bruce Barton, PhD, is the Director of the University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Bruce shares his insights into the innovative ways in which the performing arts community has reimagined its relationship with the audience through the COVID-19 pandemic. The SCPA recently re-opened its doors to live audiences for the 2021-2022 performing season, with students and faculty adapting in innovative ways.
Dr. Angelique Jenney, PhD, shares details of a project she is leading that intends to educate students from the faculties of Law, Social Work and Nursing on how to address childhood exposure to domestic violence. The project aims to develop a virtual gaming platform for use by these students to practice and improve their client-interaction skills in a low risk environment. The project represents an innovative collaboration between professors from the faculties of Law, Social Work and nursing at the University of Calgary.
Dr. John Conly and Dr. Herman Barkema share details of the collaborative effort their UCalgary teams led to develop a smartphone app that helps veterinarians combat antimicrobial resistance in a a variety of animal species. The novel tool aims to promote and assist the optimal use of antibiotics with the hope of reducing antimicrobial resistance.
Season 1 of [now innovating] wraps up with a conversation with Dr. Stephen Larter, PhD, and Jeff Ryzner. Stephen Larter is an Associate Vice-President (Research and Innovation) in the office of the Vice-President (Research) and a Professor of Petroleum Geology. Jeff Ryzner serves as the Innovation Program Specialist alongside Stephen. Dr. Larter says impact-related outcomes should be an important metric for universities. He also stresses the importance of researchers and innovators sharing their stories of failure. Jeff Ryzner echoes this sentiment, suggesting researchers and innovators should not fear being associated with failure. Jeff offers solutions for normalizing failure.
Dr. Stephen Larter has been a cofounder of numerous technology startup companies, including Gushor Inc. (now part of Schlumberger), and he currently advises several university-based student, postdoctoral, and faculty startups. A recipient of numerous academic and civil awards, Professor Larter is a fellow of the Royal Society, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Jeff Ryzner supports the Innovation portfolio in the Vice President (Research) office, working closely with Stephen Larter. His work contributes to growing innovation levels and achieving UCalgary's vision of becoming Canada's most entrepreneurial university.
In this episode we speak with Dr. Aleem Bharwani, Director for Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships with the Cumming School of Medicine, and the lead for Public Policy at the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. Dr. Bharwani shares his insights into bridging difference toward positive change in our community. He is interested in solving ways of bringing people back together in a world where community trust is declining.
Dr. Bharwani is a specialist in internal medicine with graduate training from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in public policy and public administration. He also actively serves as the Scientific Director for the Office of Leadership Development at the Cumming School of Medicine. He was a recent resident of the Venture Incubation Program at the Harvard Innovation Lab. In addition to annually winning teaching awards, he has been recognized for his leadership by two international societies (American College of Physicians and Society of General Internal Medicine). Dr. Bharwani remains an active community citizen, serving on a variety of community and corporate boards.
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Shelly Russell-Mayhew, a registered psychologist and professor at the Werklund School of Education. She calls herself an accidental innovator and shares her perspective on innovation as being an action that transcends entrepreneurship. Dr. Russell-Mayhew is focused on having an impact on community by reshaping the language used in health and nutrition messaging.
Dr. Russell-Mayhew's work in the Body Image Lab has become a national standard in mental health research and translation, bridging the gap between the eating disorder and obesity fields to find integrative and preventative interventions. Recently, she addressed parents in Alberta about concerns regarding a proposed Kindergarten to Grade 6 school curriculum that was viewed to pose harm to children’s relationship with their bodies. Many school boards have since rejected the curriculum in part because of Shelly's work.
In episode 7, we speak with Dr. Aaron Phillips who is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, as well as Clinical Neurosciences at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cardiac Science at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute at the University of Calgary. Aaron shares his approach to ensuring forward progress in ongoing projects. Dr. Phillips also speaks to the opportunity available to investors in Canada when it comes to funding early research.
Dr. Aaron Phillips was trained in Experimental Medicine, Biosciences and Mathematics. His appreciation of the elegant interactions between the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and his understanding how these systems are disrupted in the presence clinical conditions, has driven his research into the development of novel therapies for people with neurological health issues. He has received the Brain Canada Future Leader Award and The Arthur Guyton Award in Excellence in Physiology from the American Physiological Society.
We speak with Dr. Ian Lewis in episode 6. He is the Principal Investigator with the Lewis Research Group and an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. Dr. Lewis acknowledges that struggling through work and failure is part of the human condition, but credits his support systems for the success he has found. He discusses the evolving barriers his team has faced throughout years of lab work while explaining how the collaborative Alberta Precision Exchange Program (APEX) grew from overcoming many of those early barriers.
The emergence of diverse drug resistant pathogens has made finding new antimicrobial therapies both a Canadian and global health priority. Dr. Lewis's laboratory investigates the connection between metabolic adaptation and virulence of human pathogens. The ultimate goal of his research is to develop new diagnostic methods to identify high risk patients and novel antimicrobial therapies to control infections.
In episode 5, we speak with Dr. Karen Benzies who has recently been appointed the Director of Social Innovation in the Office of the Vice President (Research). Karen is also a professor in the Faculty of Nursing and adjunct research professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary. Karen shares details of her new role in leading the Social Innovation Initiative at UCalgary.
The Social Innovation Initiative (SII) was developed to enable faculty to engage in social innovation by scaling existing academic experience, disciplines, and expertise to advance their efforts. The SII complements existing structures and processes by linking with social innovation-based activities, programs, support services, resources, and funding providers, including the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Innovate Calgary, Knowledge Engagement, the Office of Sustainability, Trico Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Centre, W21C, and the broader UCalgary community.
View the SII website: https://research.ucalgary.ca/innovation/social-innovation
We welcome Dr. Lawrence Korngut in episode 4. He is the Director of Innovation and Commercialization at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Associate Professor of Neurology at the Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Korngut is honest in admitting he spends a lot of time in the burnout zone, but stresses the importance of taking a step back often to see the bigger picture in your work. Dr. Korngut shares his approach of serendipity surface area, whereby helping others comes back to you exponentially.
Dr. Korngut's research has focused on accelerating new medical therapies in hopes of shortening the temporal gap between research and development. His start-up Lumiio (previously Dataffinity) specializes in real-world data collection services that help patient organizations, academic research groups, and pharmaceutical companies design world-class digital health programs. Some of Dr. Korngut's other work is focused on treating acute asthma by identifying new neurological pathways of the disease.
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Kristina Rinker, a professor in both the Shulich School of Engineering and the Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Rinker is also the lead on the Early Cancer Detection Initiative at the University of Calgary. Dr. Rinker explains how collaborative research led to a breakthrough method of detecting breast cancer. She describes how prioritizing the next critical step in any path toward innovation can help keep momentum within a research team.
Dr. Rinker is actively involved in technology development and commercialization through university spin‐off companies and industrial and governmental partnerships in the areas of cardiovascular and cancer detection and treatment. Her research is highly collaborative locally and internationally and focuses on how fluid flow affects cell and nanoparticle behavior with relevance to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Joel Reardon, a 2019 Peak Scholar, from the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary. Dr. Reardon explains how companies like Google have made changes to their data collection policies in part because of his research efforts. Reardon acknowledges his success in impacting policy change but says he doesn't know where to go next. Joel's team wants to connect directly with private companies who could benefit from developing acceptable privacy policies for the data they collect.
Dr. Joel Reardon focuses his research on security and privacy issues related to smart phones, shining a light on the monetization of private user data and behaviour profiling. His work has contributed to on-going regulatory actions against major companies.
In this first episode, host Jordan Witzel introduces us to co-host Dr. Pritma Chattha who stresses the importance of nurturing collaborations in order to cultivate new beginnings in innovation. The wrong network can become a barrier. Impact can be inspired in a field where a researcher least expects their work to lead. Pritma says the best approach is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable while admitting to the things you don't know.
Dr. Pritma Chattha is a Yale educated nurse executive and serial entrepreneur with 18 years of healthcare experience advocating for patients at the bedside and in the boardroom. She currently serves as Co-Founder of Lavender, Co-Founder of Bombay Beauty Loft, and former Co-Founder of Healthgig (acquired in 2020 by Apploi). Pritma has worked in a variety of clinical settings across the life-span; and over the last decade has honed her expertise in health informatics, building and improving digital health technologies. As Adjunct faculty at the University of Calgary and University of Victoria, Pritma enjoys mentoring aspiring students and contributing to innovations in healthcare curriculum. Pritma is passionate about rethinking healthcare to provide safer, better and more accessible care for all.