Research &amp; Innovation

Department of Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence

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Geoffrey Hinton (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Geoffrey Hinton, a University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto, has been named one of five recipients of the 2024 VinFuture Grand Prize.

The US$3-million prize is presented by the Vietnam-based non-profit VinFuture Foundation in recognition of scientific advances that support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Hinton, widely regarded as the "godfather of AI," was recognized for his research on neural networks and deep learning algorithms. He shares the VinFuture Grand Prize with Université de Montréal's Yoshua Bengio, Stanford University's Fei-Fei Li, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun (Jensen) Huang and Facebook AI Research scientist Yann LeCun.

In a video message, Hinton said he was honoured to share the award with such an esteemed group of researchers – including his fellow A.M Turing Award-winners Bengio and LeCun. “The three of us spent our whole lives developing the technology of neural networks,” Hinton said. “I’m very happy to see that the VinFuture Prize recognizes the contributions of Jensen Huang in developing the kind of compute and software required for artificial intelligence, and Fei-Fei Li in providing the big data that was needed to prove that it worked.”

The recognition comes on the heels of Hinton receiving the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

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Stephen Scherer receives Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:49:53 +0000

Stephen Scherer receives Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 12/04/2024 - 14:49

Department of Molecular Genetics

Hospital for Sick Children

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Stephen Scherer (supplied image)

Stephen Scherer, chief of research at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and professor in the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, has received the Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine.

Presented by the University of Debrecen in Hungary, the award recognizes scientists who have made significant advancements in the field of molecular medicine, and whose pioneering research has had a profound impact on modern patient care.

Scherer, the director of the Centre for Applied Genomics and senior scientist in the genetics and genome biology program at SickKids, was recognized for his contributions to the discovery of genome-wide copy number variation and its role in influencing genes implicated in numerous medical conditions, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

“I am deeply grateful to the University of Debrecen for this award and remain dedicated to deciphering the complexities of the human genome, both for the advancement of genomic research and for the ultimate goal of enhancing patient care,” says Scherer, who is also the director of the McLaughlin Centre at Temerty.

Ronald Cohn, president and CEO of SickKids and professor of molecular genetics at Temerty, said Scherer's work has had a "profound impact" on the scientific community and patients around the world. "His scientific leadership and commitment to translational research to support clinical diagnostics and therapeutic development has not only bolstered our institution’s global reputation in genomic science but also underpins our Precision Child Health movement," Cohn said.

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Louis Busch recognized with SSHRC's 2024 Talent Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 19:21:24 +0000

Louis Busch recognized with SSHRC's 2024 Talent Award

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 11/25/2024 - 14:21

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Louis Busch (supplied image)

Louis Busch, a PhD candidate in the department of leadership, higher and adult education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), has received the 2024 Talent Award from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

One of SSHRC’s annual Impact Awards, the Talent Award recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of a SSHRC doctoral scholarship, fellowship or postdoctoral fellowship holder.

Busch, a Bear Clan Member of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, was recognized for his work and influence at the intersection of mental health and Indigenous healing practices, while emphasizing the importance of culture.

“It’s an incredible moment,” says Busch. “My journey of learning what it means to be a helper has been mostly on the frontlines, on locked psychiatric inpatient units, in jails, shelters and group homes. But I've always been really interested in systemic change, in the kinds of change that impact communities.”

Associate Professor Jennifer Wemigwans, Busch’s doctoral advisor, says the recognition highlights the importance of centering Indigenous knowledge in the academy.

"I'm so proud of Louis because I think that this is what a great community collaboration can do when you have Indigenous professors in institutions like �Թϱ�� who are able to advocate for their students and say, ‘Recognize this work, recognize this student,'" Wemigwans says. “This advocacy and support are very important for Indigenous students and for our communities.”

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42 �Թϱ�� researchers receive new or renewed Canada Research Chairs

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:37:11 +0000

42 �Թϱ�� researchers receive new or renewed Canada Research Chairs

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 11/15/2024 - 11:37

Mississauga

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Canada Research Chairs

David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

OISE

Rotman School of Management

�Թϱ�� Mississauga

�Թϱ�� Scarborough

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Forty-two faculty members from the University of Toronto have been awarded Canada Research Chairs in support of their research.

Awarded by the Government of Canada, Canada Research Chair positions are designed to reinforce academic research and training excellence with a view to improving depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthening Canada’s international competitiveness and helping to train the next generation of highly skilled people.

“I’m delighted to congratulate all the University of Toronto faculty members who have been appointed Canada Research Chairs or had their positions renewed in the Fall 2024 cohort,” said Leah Cowen, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From molecular psychiatry and causal machine learning to mental health and homelessness in Indigenous women and two-spirit people, these �Թϱ�� scholars are advancing knowledge in important areas and generating solutions to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.”

The latest cycle of Canada Research Chair appointees from �Թϱ�� includes 20 new and 22 renewed positions:

New Canada Research Chairs

Husam Abdel-Qadir at Women’s College Hospital and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Outcomes
Claudia dos Santos at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Accelerated Translation for Critical Care
Mikaela Gabriel at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Indigenous Women & 2-Spirit Mental Health and Homelessness
Christina Guzzo in the department of biological sciences at �Թϱ�� Scarborough – Tier 2 in Single Virus Particle Analyses
Clement Hamani at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Translational Research
Kristin Hope at University Health Network and the department of medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Leukemic Stem Cell Biology
Stephen Hwang at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Homelessness, Housing and Health
Angela Jerath at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Acute Care Health Technology and Practice Innovations
Jude Kong in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Community-Oriented Artificial Intelligence & Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases
Deepa Kundur in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 1 in Cybersecurity of Intelligent Critical Infrastructure
Azadeh Kushki at Bloorview Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Neurodiversity and Personalized Health
Enid Montague in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Human-Centered Automation
Kathryn Rozen-Gagnon in the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Arbovirus Infection and RNA Biology
Ahilya Sawh in the department of biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in 4D Genomics
Helen Tran in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 2 in Polymer Chemistry
Andrea Tricco at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 1 in Knowledge Synthesis for Knowledge Users
Linbo Wang in the department of computer and mathematical sciences at �Թϱ�� Scarborough – Tier 2 in Causal Machine Learning
Amy Yu at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Data-driven design of stroke systems
Nur Camellia Binte Zakaria in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health – Tier 2 in Mobile Health Solutions
Yu Zou in the department of materials science and engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments

Renewed Canada Research Chairs

Jeffrey Ansloos in the department of applied psychology and human development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) – Tier 2 in Indigenous Studies of Health, Suicide, and Environmental Justice
Martin Beaulieu in the department of pharmacology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Molecular Psychiatry
Jennifer Campos at University Health Network and the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 2 in Multisensory Integration and Aging
Arthur Chan in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Atmospheric Chemistry and Health
Warren Chan at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 1 in Nanobioengineering
Leah Cowen in the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Microbial Genomics and Infectious Disease
Maria Drout in the department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 2 in Time-Domain and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics
Natalie Enright Jerger in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Computer Architecture
Michael Garton at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Synthetic Biology
Maria Hupfield in the department of visual studies at �Թϱ�� Mississauga – Tier 2 in Transdisciplinary Indigenous Arts
Noah Ivers at Women’s College Hospital and the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Implementation of Evidence Based Practice
Jonathan Kelly at the �Թϱ�� Institute of Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Collaborative Robotics
Vincent Kuuire in the department of geography at �Թϱ�� Mississauga – Tier 2 in Immigrant Well-being and Global Health
Hyun (Kate) Lee in the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 2 in Biomolecular Phase Transitions
Heather McFarlane in the department of cell and systems biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science – Tier 2 in Plant Cell Biology
Sharmistha Mishra at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine - Tier 2 in Mathematical Modeling and Program Science
Dilip Soman at the Rotman School of Management – Tier 1 in Behavioural Science and Economics
Yu Sun in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 1 in Micro and Nano Engineering Systems
Michael Thaut in the Faculty of Music – Tier 1 in Music, Neuroscience, and Health
Neil Vasdev at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) and the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Tier 1 in Radiochemistry and Medical Imaging
Kimberley Widger in the Faculty of Nursing – Tier 2 in Pediatric Palliative Care
Ding Yuan in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Tier 2 in Systems Software

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Milica Radisic receives NSERC's John C. Polanyi Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:52:42 +0000

Milica Radisic receives NSERC's John C. Polanyi Award

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 11/14/2024 - 12:52

Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

John C. Polanyi Award

NSERC

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Milica Radisic (photo by Sylvie Li / Shoot Studio)

Milica Radisic, a professor in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has received the 2024 John C. Polanyi Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

The award is given to an individual or team whose research has led to a recent outstanding advance in any NSERC-supported field of the natural sciences or engineering. It is named in honour of John Charles Polanyi, University Professor Emeritus in the department of chemistry and recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize.

Radisic was recognized for her groundbreaking advancements in organ-on-a-chip technology. Her research aims to revolutionize drug testing and tissue engineering by creating lifelike human tissues outside the body.

“This award will advance our goal of understanding the structure-function relationships that shape our native tissues, and continue developing ways to replicate them in the lab,” says Radisic, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Organ-on-a-Chip Engineering. “Polymer chemistry and microfabrication enable us to precisely tailor the mechanical properties and microstructure of our devices to get the cells to grow in a certain orientation or behave in certain ways. That’s what enables our devices to catalyze drug discovery and the study of complex diseases.”

“Through rich collaborations with experts in medicine, polymer science, cell biology and many other fields, Professor Radisic’s work is advancing new ways to diagnose and treat disease, improving the quality of life for people all over the world,” says Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

“On behalf of the entire faculty, I warmly congratulate her on this well-deserved honour.”

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Alison McGuigan recognized with NSERC’s Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:19:00 +0000

Alison McGuigan recognized with NSERC’s Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 11/14/2024 - 12:19

Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

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Alison McGuigan (photo by Sylvie Li / Shoot Studio)

Alison McGuigan, the Erin Edward Hart Professor of Chemical Engineering in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has earned an Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

The Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships recognize early-stage academic researchers in the natural sciences and engineering to enhance their research capacity so they can become leaders in their field. NSERC awards up to six fellowships each year to researchers from across Canada.

The award will enable McGuigan and her research group to scale up their work on disease modelling and tissue engineering, which includes creating in-vitro “tissue-in-a-dish” models that can mimic how diseases progress and respond to potential treatments.

“I am a big proponent of team science and I am privileged to be part of an interdisciplinary team trying to solve these hard problems in regenerative medicine – a field that is constantly changing,” says McGuigan, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and Disease Modelling. “I am deeply appreciative of the opportunities the fellowship will provide, especially being able to have this time to focus and plan how to take my research to the next level, where it can contribute to saving lives.”

“Professor McGuigan’s innovative disease modelling and tissue engineering research is a remarkable example of our faculty’s commitment to finding new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent illness,” says Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “On behalf of the entire faculty, congratulations on this national recognition and well-deserved honour.” 

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Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:50:09 +0000

Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 10/16/2024 - 10:50

Department of Chemistry

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Andrei Yudin (supplied image)

Andrei Yudin, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been recognized with a 2025 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The annual award recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of organic chemistry that have become apparent during the preceding half-decade.

“Since 2006, my research group has been involved in the study of amphoteric molecules. They show both electrophilic and nucleophilic reactivity,” said Yudin. "This chemistry has allowed us to prepare a broad range of structures with useful properties. It is our work in this area that is being recognized.”

Yudin, who will accept the award and deliver a lecture about his work at the 2025 ACS National Meeting in Washington, D.C. next summer, said he finds inspiration in the elegance of chemical structures and the diverse ways in which they react with one another. “I like the inherent logic of organic chemistry," he said.

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Geoffrey Hinton wins 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:54:37 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton wins 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 10/08/2024 - 16:54

Department of Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence

Vector Institute

landscape

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Geoffrey Hinton, a University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Awarded since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Physics is one of five prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel and honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field.

Hinton, widely regarded as the “godfather of AI,” shared the prize with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.

Hinton was recognized for his use of the Hopfield network – a neural network invented by his co-laureate – as the foundation for a new network called the Boltzmann machine that can learn to recognize elements within a given type of data.

“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I am absolutely delighted to congratulate University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton on receiving the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics,” said �Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler. “The �Թϱ�� community is immensely proud of his historic accomplishment.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded Hinton for being both “a stalwart in the field” of AI and an “outspoken advocate” for its responsible use. “Canada is at the forefront of AI technology thanks to trailblazers like Dr. Hinton,” Trudeau said in a statement. “His curiosity for discovery and contributions to innovation will inspire generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.”

Hinton, who joined �Թϱ�� as a professor of computer science in 1987, said he was "flabbergasted" at the accolade. “I had no expectations of this,” said Hinton, who is also chief scientific adviser at the Vector Institute, which he co-founded. “I am extremely surprised and I'm honoured to be included.”

Hinton's Nobel Prize is the latest in a long list of honours which includes the Association for Computing Machinery’s A.M. Turing Award in 2019 – widely considered “the Nobel Prize of computing” – alongside collaborators Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Royal Medal from the Royal Society, Companion of the Order of Canada and Fellow of the Royal Societies of Canada and London.

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15 �Թϱ�� faculty members elected fellows of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:52:49 +0000

15 �Թϱ�� faculty members elected fellows of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 10/07/2024 - 11:52

Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

Mississauga

CAMH

IHPME

Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Mount Sinai Hospital

The Hospital for Sick Children

�Թϱ�� Mississauga

University Health Network

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Fifteen faculty members from �Թϱ�� have been elected fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) for 2024 in recognition of excellence in health sciences.

Election to CAHS fellowship is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community.

“Election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences acknowledges outstanding contributions to the health sciences,” said Trevor Young, �Թϱ��'s vice-president and provost and the president of CAHS, in a press release. “We are proud of these fellows’ accomplishments, and we are honoured to welcome them to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.”

The �Թϱ�� scholars elected to 2024 CAHS fellowships are:

Jordan Feld at the University Health Network and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Eleanor Fish at the University Health Network and the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Liisa Galea at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Susan George at the University Health Network and the department of pharmacology and toxicology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Pamela Goodwin at Mount Sinai Hospital and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Masoom Haider at Mount Sinai Hospital and the department of medical imaging in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Cynthia Hawkins at the Hospital for Sick Children and the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Robert Inman at the University Health Network and the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Jonathan Irish at the University Health Network and the department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
David Juurlink at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Tina Malti in the department of psychology at �Թϱ�� Mississauga
Milos Popovic at the University Health Network and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Jennifer Stinson at the Hospital for Sick Children and the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
Walter Wodchis of Trillium Health Partners and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Nicole Woods at the University Health Network and the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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Nabeel Shah recognized with Donnelly Centre Research Thesis Prize

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:07:36 +0000

Nabeel Shah recognized with Donnelly Centre Research Thesis Prize

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 10/02/2024 - 10:07

Alumni

Department of Molecular Genetics

Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research