Extraordinary. Outstanding. Remarkable. These are just some of the of the many ways that this year’s recipients of the President’s Research Excellence Awards have been described.
Established in 2018, these awards recognize the research achievements of Dalhousie University faculty members at all stages of their careers. The award for Emerging Investigators recognizes early-career researchers (within seven years of their first academic appointment), while the award for Impact celebrates researchers at any career stage who are having substantial, current impact in their field.
“Congratulations to all the recipients of the President’s Research Excellence Awards,” says Alice Aiken, vice-president research and innovation. “Dalhousie has a rich history of research excellence, and we are pleased to celebrate such a stellar group of individuals who have helped make us the hub of world-leading research and innovation we are today.”
More information about the President’s Research Excellence awards can be found here.
Emerging Investigator awards
Dr. Zhenyu Cheng (Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine)
Dr. Cheng leads an internationally-recognized laboratory that works on host microbial interactions using cutting-edge technologies that enhance our fundamental understanding of cellular and molecular processes in infectious diseases. His research pioneers the investigation of both bacterial virulence and multiple host responses to P. aeruginosa infections.
Dr. Noreen Kamal (Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
Dr. Kamal’s research in Improving and Optimizing Health Systems provides a foundational basis to
transform health systems through trialing quality improvement methodology, developing models, and developing visual data analytics tools. Her research to date has focused on improving outcomes of stroke patients by optimizing the acute stroke treatment process, because in stroke “time is brain” and minutes matter.
Dr. John Frampton (School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculties of Engineering and Medicine)
Dr. John Frampton’s lab works at the intersection of materials science, cell biology and clinical research to design next-generation technologies for: (1) understanding fundamental biological processes; (2) understanding how diseases work and improving diagnosis; and (3) developing therapies using advanced natural and synthetic materials. The tools his team develops are applied to understanding the physiology of the lung, the nervous system, skin, muscle tissue and a variety of other organs, as well as for treatment of traumatic injuries to the tissues of the body.
Dr. Adelina Iftene (Schulich School of Law, Faculty of Law)
Dr. Iftene’s research and writing revolve around issues related to vulnerable prison populations, prison policies, criminal law, health, and undercover investigations. Her major work, started during her doctoral studies at Queen’s University Faculty of Law, looks at the experiences and access to justice of incarcerated older individuals.
Dr. Floris Goerlandt (Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
Dr. Goerlandt focuses his applied research in developing frameworks, models, and decision support tools for better understanding, analyzing, assessing, and controlling marine risks, focusing on safety and environmental risks of shipping, and shipping as a resource for the resilience of coastal communities.
Dr. Melanie Zurba (School of Resource and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Management)
Dr. Zurba’s research program is highly interdisciplinary and is focused on equity, values and participation as they relate to environmental policy and governance. She has worked with Indigenous and marginalized communities in Canada and abroad on projects focusing on co-management of species and protected areas, shared forest tenure agreements, Clean Environment Commission hearings for water regulation, renewable energy systems, land use and occupancy mapping studies, food sovereignty, health promotion and wellbeing, and land-based learning and curriculum development.
Research Impact awards
Dr. Paul Bishop (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
The overarching vision of Dr. Bishop’s research is the design, development and commercialization of advanced light-weight materials for use within the automotive sector. Specifically, he and his team target aluminum-based alloys that are processed through the energy-efficient manufacturing technologies of powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing (3D printing).
Dr. Jeremy Brown (School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculties of Engineering and Medicine)
Research in Dr. Brown’s laboratory is focused on the design, fabrication, and testing of ultrasonic frequency piezoelectric transducers and associated electronic hardware for medical applications. Specifically, he is focused on developing miniaturized ultrasound imaging endoscopes and miniaturized ultrasound therapeutic devices, using an in-house micro-fabrication facility targeting minimally-invasive surgical applications.
Dr. Jenny Chen (Rowe School of Business, Faculty of Management)
Dr. Chen’s research uses analytical methods to investigate the problems that arise from marketing-operations interface. Much of her work focuses on customer returns, which is becoming an increasingly important marketing and operations decision for companies. Her papers systematically study how factors (channel structure, competition, pricing strategy, etc.) impact a company’s product returns policies.
Prof. Joanna Erdman (Schulich School of Law, Faculty of Law)
Prof. Erdman’s research focuses on reproductive health and justice. She studies the ways in which the right to decide whether and when to have children, the right to survive pregnancy and childbirth, and the right to raise children with respect and support, are critical to building just and inclusive societies.