USask researchers receive more than $8.7 million in NSERC funding
SASKATOON - University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers from a variety of colleges and departments have received funding for projects through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants program.
NSERC Discovery Grants are intended to award funding to creative and innovative long-term research programs in instalments over a period of five years.
Below is the list of 36 USask researchers who received a total of more than $8.7 million in 2023 NSERC funding. In addition, seven researchers received a $12,500 supplement to start their projects as early-career researchers.
Asmahan AbuArishAnatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology (APP) – College of MedicineDeciphering the molecular basis of water transport in mammalian airway epithelium using quantitative confocal imaging$200,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
Justin BotterillAnatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology (APP) – College of MedicineA dentate gyrus circuit that regulates novelty, cognition, and affective behaviours$165,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
L. Dean ChapmanAnatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology (APP) – College of MedicineX-Ray Optics for Synchrotron Biomedical Applications$230,000
Yifei DongBiochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology (BMI) – College of MedicineUnderstanding how macrophages respond to oxidized phosphatidylcholines$165,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
Angelica LangCanadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health – College of MedicineFunctional movement and scapular kinematics: exploring best practice methods from calibration to application$165,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
Neeraj DharVIDO – College of MedicineSingle-cell analysis of two-component systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis$165,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
Bill BiligetuPlant Sciences – College of Agriculture and BioresourcesUncovering salt-tolerance mechanisms in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)$195,000
James BensonBiology – College of Arts and ScienceModeling approaches towards improved cryopreservation$225,000
Som NiyogiBiology – College of Arts and SciencePhysiological and neurobehavioural effects of trace elements in fish$195,000
Nicole WebsterBiology – College of Arts and ScienceDevelopment and regulation of molluscan biomineralization: a morphological novelty$165,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
Mitch WeegmanBiology – College of Arts and ScienceUnraveling demographic consequences of environmental drivers and individual decisions in migratory birds$255,000
Yangdou WeiBiology – College of Arts and ScienceThe Cellular and Molecular Basis of Penetration Resistance to Fungal Pathogens in Arabidopsis$295,000
Ajay DalaiChemical and Biological Engineering – School of Environment and SustainabilityApplied Catalysis Research for Renewable Liquid Fuels and Light Olefins Production and Glycerol to Chemicals$490,000
Jafar SoltanChemical and Biological Engineering – College of EngineeringDevelopment of novel heterogeneous catalysts and processes for treatment of polluted indoor air$250,000
Lope TabilChemical and Biological Engineering – College of EngineeringPreprocessing, Pretreatment and Characterization of Biomass for Bioenergy and Bioproducts$195,000
Michel GravelChemistry – College of Arts and ScienceSynthetic Studies on Medium-Sized and Large Annulenes$260,000
David PalmerChemistry – College of Arts and ScienceEnzyme catalysis: structure-function relationships, inhibition, and biocatalysis$335,000
Grant FergusonDepartment of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering – School of Environment and SustainabilityDeep Groundwater and the Hydrologic Cycle$250,000
Carl GutwinDepartment of Computer Science – College of EngineeringImproving User Performance and Expertise in Interactive Visual Workspaces$345,000
Nathaniel OsgoodDepartment of Computer Science – College of EngineeringStocking Hygeia’s Toolbox: Compositional Methods for Modeling Health & Infectious Disease$205,000
Chanchal RoyDepartment of Computer Science – College of EngineeringSciClone: A Scientific Workflow based approach for studying the change, similarity and redundancy in Software$295,000
Safa KasapElectrical & Computer Engineering – College of EngineeringAmorphous Semiconductors for Optoelectronic Applications: Photodetectors & X-Ray Detectors Based on Multilayer Doped Selenium-Alloys$295,000
Xiaodong LiangElectrical & Computer Engineering – College of EngineeringA Multi-dimensional Framework for Distribution Grid Modernization$295,000
Christopher EskiwFood and Bioproduct Sciences – College of Agriculture and BioresourcesGenome reorganization in response to cellular nutrients and nutrient sensing$200,000
Yuanming PanGeological Sciences – College of Arts and ScienceTrace elements and radiation-induced defects in minerals and Earth materials: From planetary evolution to sustainable development$235,000
Carey SimonsonMechanical Engineering – College of EngineeringHeat and moisture exchangers for energy-efficient buildings: frosting, fouling and contaminant transfer$295,000
Wenjun ZhangMechanical Engineering – College of EngineeringDeveloping a Computational Design Approach for Soft Machines$295,000
Janeen LoehrPsychology and Health Studies – College of Arts and ScienceThe sense of agency in joint action: Cognitive and neural mechanisms$295,000
Timothy JardineToxicology Centre – School of Environment and SustainabilityTracing the fluxes of low- and high-quality foodweb subsidies in freshwater ecosystems$220,000
Yanping LiGlobal Institute for Water Security – School of Environment and SustainabilityCanadian Prairie croplands and wetlands under a changing climate$235,000
Saman RazaviGlobal Institute for Water Security – School of Environment and SustainabilityModelling and Management of Water Resources Systems Under Uncertainty$250,000
Angela Bedard-HaughnSoil Science – College of Agriculture and BioresourcesPedogenesis and Predictive Soil Mapping in the Prairies$175,000
Daniel MacPheeDepartment of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences – Western College of Veterinary MedicineThe Importance of the Chaperome in Uterine Smooth Muscle Function during Pregnancy$225,000
Baljit SinghDepartment of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences – Western College of Veterinary MedicineMechanisms of Lung Inflammation: Biology of Pulmonary Intravascular Macrophages$255,000
Janet HillDepartment of Veterinary Microbiology – Western College of Veterinary MedicineDefining factors affecting population dynamics of closely related bacteria in microbial communities$225,000
Sarah WoodDepartment of Veterinary Pathology – Western College of Veterinary MedicineMechanisms of antimicrobial resistance of foulbrood bacteria in Canadian beekeeping operations$200,000Discovery Launch Supplement for Early Career Researchers recipient - $12,500
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