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This March, 快播视频's Organized Research Units (ORUs) host the first Climate Change Research Month with more than a dozen events aimed at generating awareness of climate change research and mobilizing the community to take action.

News

Hosted by various Organized Research Units (ORUs), York celebrates its first annual Climate Change Research Month this March with events taking place just every few days. Organized by Professor , director of the Centre for Feminist Research (CFR), ORUs have come together to contribute varied and broad-ranging discussions and screenings focused on various aspects of climate change.

The commitment to creating an annual Climate Change Month is another crucial step towards widespread education and another example of how York is committed to the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals.

鈥淭he climate crisis stands to impact every aspect of our lives, including areas such as employment, equity, health, and the wellbeing of our communities,鈥� says York鈥檚 Vice President Research and Innovation, Dr. Amir Asif.

Events

Gender Equality in Low-Carbon Economies: Continuities, Contradictions, Disruptions
March 3, 2022
12:00-1:30 p.m.
The Centre for Feminist Research presents a talk by Canada Research Chair in Global Womens Issues and a Professor at Western University, This presentation identifies opportunities and constraints for women鈥檚 employment in renewable and clean energy in industrialized, emerging and developing economies, and makes recommendations for optimizing their participation.  

March 4, 2022
12:00-1:00 p.m.
The 快播视频 Centre for Aging Research and Education presents a talk by , a political economist and health services researcher. This talk explores how climate change actions engage with inter-generational tropes. It highlights fault lines, raises questions about inter-generational blame and points to how we might consider inter-generational solidarity for climate action moving forward.

Pikopayin 鈥� It is Broken (Film)
March 7, 2022
3:00-4:30 p.m.
The Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages presents a documentary video project. Taking place in the oil sands regions of Alberta, P卯kopayin (It is Broken), the film foregrounds Bigstone Cree Nation members鈥� perspectives and insights on energy projects and industrial activity within Treaty 8 Territory. The video project documents Bigstone Cree Nation members鈥� experiences of resource-extraction projects and activity within the First Nation鈥檚 traditional territory.
Learn more and register.

Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Community Planetary Health in Bangladesh
March 9, 2022
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Increasing salinity induced by sea level rise is causing planetary health impacts in the world's coastal communities. The coastal area of Bangladesh is no exception; the health and well-being of communities in coastal areas in Bangladesh have been strongly affected by increased water and soil salinity. These planetary health impacts can be categorized as (1) primary (communicable and non-communicable diseases; scarcity of potable water), (2) secondary (food and nutrition security; migration and related health impacts), and (3) tertiary (adaptation-related emerging diseases; disaster-related health vulnerability). Dr. Byomkesh Talukder will explore these multidimensional health impacts and associated salinity factors and present a collective intelligence-based framework to address the challenges currently being faced by coastal communities in Bangladesh.
Learn more and register.

March 10, 2022
1:00-2:00 p.m.
The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies presents an event that addresses how can renewable energy be transformative for communities and what new research areas and opportunities this provides for current scholars wishing to pursue a just renewable energy transition in research and in practice. The event features , an associate professor at the University of Victoria's department of geography.

March 14, 2022
12:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, (University of Toronto) will deliver a talk about examining faith-based environmentalism and the ways that specific Jewish values are emphasized. His talk highlights how faith leaders and activists are increasingly vocal about environment and climate issues.

March 15, 2022
9:00-10:00 a.m.
Towards the formal launch of the Consortium of Excellence for the 17 Goals, please be invited to the organization's 2nd gathering, a.k.a. Caf茅 17, at 9-00 am EST on March 15, 2022. The topic of the conversation this time is quantifying the contribution of inclusive insurance to helping the "missing middle" avoid poverty and climb the socio-economic ladder in the era of limited data.

Host: Professor , University of Lausanne;
Special Guests:  and , International Labour Organization;
Panelists: Professors , University of Liverpool;  and , 快播视频.

March 17, 2022
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Cities cause climate change. What are we doing about it? Dr. will provide an informative and timely discussion of the issues and challenges of cities and climate change, drawing upon her experience in the Toronto area. Cities are undergoing a paradigm shift to deal with climate change through a variety of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy use and to prepare to be more resilient to climate impacts, while promising environmental justice and social equity.

Agents for Change: Facing the Anthropocene
March 21, 2022
11:00-12:30 p.m.
Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts and Technology presents a curated and artist talk featuring Liz Miller, Jane Tingley and Nina Czeglady.
The presenters are  (Feminist Media Lab, Concordia),  (Leonardo Network) and  (SLO Lab, AMPD).  A listening booth will also be set up to show Liz Miller鈥檚 work The Shore Line (2017) that week, an interactive Documentary that features over 40 collaborative videos made with individuals who are confronting the threats of unsustainable development and extreme weather with persistence and ingenuity. 

March 22, 2022
11:30-1:00 p.m.
The 快播视频 Centre for Asian Research presents a talk featuring speakers: Teti Argo and . In the wake of the failure of talks at COP 26, scholars and activists have taken grassroots actions to build for communities an alternative infrastructure they need for climate change adaptation. This talk presents a discussion about what we can learn from the local residential knowledges of residing alongside rivers in Jakarta; how the residents develop their own sense of risk and coping mechanism in and through social media; how they work at the local level with scholars, designers and activists to provide a shared structure of knowledge and practice below the formal system of adaptation and mitigation plan.

UN World Water Day - Human Environmental Health, Engagement with Indigenous Communities, and Engineering Scientific Solutions 
March 22, 2022
9:00-12:00 p.m.
Co-hosted by CIFAL York and the Office of the Provost, in partnership with the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, 快播视频 and part of CIFAL York鈥檚 In-Focus Knowledge Exchange Series for Nature, Climate, and People.

The impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation are experienced by local communities regionally and around the world. These experiences are exacerbated by underlying social inequities. World Water Day is an opportunity to contextualize research that sheds light on these experiences against the backdrop of global efforts to boost ambition on adaptation action, and strengthening inter-regional and cross-boundary adaptation to the impacts of planetary stressors  鈥� e.g., food systems, water, agriculture and fisheries, and energy 鈥� with special focus on human and environmental health. This one-day event will have presentations from convenors Drs. 鈥�and 鈥� and a keynote address from鈥�Dr. James Orbinski. As well, Dahdaleh Institute鈥檚 Global Health and Humanitarianism Fellow Dr. Syed Imran Ali (and many others) will engage in discussions on the science and governance of freshwater, including Human and Environmental Health; Local Actors and Communities; and Engineering Scientific Solutions. 
Learn more and register.

March 23, 2022
9:00-12:30 p.m.
As part of the commitment to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, Risk and Insurance Studies Centre at 快播视频 is delighted to invite everyone to a one-day workshop that brings together renowned international scholars from distinct disciplines and influential leaders from the private sector, aimed at generating awareness of climate change risks and mobilising the community to take action.
Presenters , Mathematics, University of Liverpool, UK; , Biology, 快播视频, Canada; , Finance, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; , Engineering, 快播视频, Canada.
Panel lead: , Canadian Business Coalition for Climate Policy.

Children鈥檚 Brain Development in a Changing Climate
March 24, 2022
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
LaMarsh Centre for Child & Youth Research will be hosting a climate change seminar on "Children鈥檚 Brain Development in a Changing Climate". Brain development in the early years lays the foundation for lifelong cognitive function, productivity, and mental health. How does the changing climate threaten children's brain development globally? This presentation will provide an overview of impacts on child health and development of both the sudden climate change effects, including extreme weather events, extreme heat, and effects on natural systems; and consequences of the changing climate, such as displacement, migration, and social instability. Some key challenges towards to studying and modelling these impacts will be shared. Finally, action and commitments to protect children from climate change will be highlighted. The session concludes with reflections in small groups.
Learn more and register.

March 28, 2022
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas features a special event with , , . Marcondes Coelho is a forest engineer and holds a Master's degree in Environmental and Forest Sciences. Dr. Chrislain Eric Kenfack's research is at the heart of the critical issues of our times. His questions concern the grounds for solidarity among social movements. Balikisu Osman is finishing her PhD in Environmental Studies at 快播视频. Her doctoral research focuses on climate risks, household responses and sustainable food security in northern Ghana. 

Climate Change in the Caribbean: The Role of Capital in the Climate Crisis and the Movement for Climate Justice
March 31, 2022
6-7:30 p.m.
The Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) is pleased to present and to discuss Climate Change in the Caribbean. Join us for an important and timely presentation that will discuss the role that capital plays in the Climate Crisis and the movement towards Climate Justice in the Caribbean. Malene Alleyne is a Jamaican human rights lawyer and founder of Freedom Imaginaries with a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School and a Master of Advanced Studies degree from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva. Dr. Esther Figueroa is a Jamaican independent film maker, writer, educator and linguist with over thirty-five years of media productions.

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is a podcast about academic research and why it matters. Join podcast host (professor of Accounting at Schulich School of Business) for a special 10-part series featuring extraordinary researchers and creators at 快播视频 and their innovative methodologies and approaches. A new episode is launched every month.

Podcast or Perish is supported by 快播视频鈥檚 Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with Schulich School of Business.

Episodes:

, of 快播视频鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, holds a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice. Her work examines the problematic jurisdictional reality that shapes the transition to a green economy, as Canadian mining companies seek to develop resources on land belonging to the First Nations.

 of 快播视频 studies motherhood from a profoundly feminist perspective. Deconstructing the taken-for-granted, culturally normative image of mothers has led her to publish over 20 books on mothering. Her most recent work explores the inordinate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mothers.

, of the Faculty of Education at 快播视频, studies the impact that the core beliefs and values of teachers have on classroom practice. She talks here about the emotional experience of online learning and how this has affected teachers and students during the pandemic.

, Chair of the Department of Dance at 快播视频, is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentaries capture the beauty of motion and the dreams of possibility among dancers in the Philippines. His work is gorgeous and human, with carefully framed images and haunting, evocative soundtracks.

, Canada Research Chair in Supply Chain Management at the Schulich School of Business, is a leading expert on the subject of supply chain disruptions. His research on quality management, mass customization, and supply chain relationships has helped supply managers and public policymakers minimize disruptions.

, of the School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health, studies the emotional, psychological, and contextual factors that shape how healthcare workers do their jobs. Her research has helped thousands of oncologists and neurosurgeons understand how they process grief and how their emotional connection to patients influences life-or-death decisions that they face every day.

, James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering at Lassonde School of Engineering, studies emerging contaminants in wastewater. She creates the techniques to identify new pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds that are hazardous at extremely low concentrations, and then eliminate them in ways that contribute positively to the ecosystem.

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How does government coordination in the strategic sectors affect the impact of relational resources on firm intellectual property (IP) development in emerging economies?

A research team led by Professor Justin Tan of 快播视频鈥檚 Schulich School of Business attempted to address this question by investigating innovative performance in China鈥檚 high-speed train sector.

The research, reported in a new paper recently published in the Journal of International Business Studies, challenged some widely held conventional wisdom. For instance, contrary to prior findings that international joint ventures (IJVs) lead technological innovation in the emerging economies, IJVs under-perform in IP development in the context of China鈥檚 high-speed train sector, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms out-perform.

The authors argue government coordination in the strategic sector has escalated cross-border competitive tension but facilitated domestic collaborative innovation. Hence, IJVs face relational liabilities that hinder IP breakthrough, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms can leverage relational assets for innovation. The authors further examine the effects of ego-network density in the innovation network, which captures the degree to which a firm relies on partners to innovate. Consistent with this theory, innovation network density hampers IP development for the IJVs but promotes it for the government-affiliated domestic firms.

The findings, based on comprehensive proprietary panel data from 1993 to 2014, offer actionable insights for innovation managers and policymakers in the strategic sectors. Firm managers should consider the potential influences from government coordination when acquiring relational resources for innovation. Policymakers should keep in mind how government actions may influence both inter-firm collaboration and competition when building an innovation network. Given the significant role, Canadian companies such as Bombardier have played in the development of the Chinese rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry, and many other key suppliers who are customers, suppliers, research and development partners, and competitors, this line of research has profound implications for vital Canadian economic interests.

The research paper, titled 鈥淩elational Assets or Liabilities? Competition, Collaboration, and Firm Intellectual Property Breakthrough in the Chinese High-Speed Train Sector,鈥� was co-authored by Aurora Liu Genin (PhD, Schulich), assistant professor of management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S.; Tan, professor of management and the Newmont Chair in Business Strategy at the Schulich School of Business in Canada; and Juan Song, professor of management at Central South University in China. It is part of a comprehensive research project about governance reform, innovation and technology development in the rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry. Another research paper from the project was also published in the Journal of International Business Studies in 2021 (鈥淪tate Governance and Technological Innovation in Emerging Economies: State-Owned Enterprise Restructuration and Institutional Logic Dissonance in China鈥檚 High-Speed Train Sector鈥�).

A copy of the study can be found听.

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From there, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) expanded independently into Africa and Europe creating seven separate geographically and genetically distinct evolutionary lineages traceable back to Western Asia.

The western honey bee is used for crop pollination and honey production throughout most of the world, and has a remarkable capacity for surviving in vastly different environments 鈥� from tropical rainforest, to arid environments, to temperate regions with cold winters. It is native to Africa, Europe and Asia, and was recently believed to have originated in Africa.

The research team sequenced 251 genomes from 18 subspecies from the honey bee鈥檚 native range and used this data to reconstruct the origin and pattern of dispersal of honey bees. The team found that an Asian origin 鈥� likely western Asia 鈥� was strongly supported by the genetic data.

鈥淎s one of the world鈥檚 most important pollinators, it鈥檚 essential to know the origin of the western honey bee to understand its evolution, genetics and how it adapted as it spread,鈥� says corresponding author Professor听听of 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Science.

The study also highlights that the bee genome has several 鈥渉ot spots鈥� that allowed honey bees to adapt to new geographic areas. While the bee genome has more than 12,000 genes, only 145 of them had repeated signatures of adaptation associated with the formation of all major honey bee lineages found today.

鈥淥ur research suggests that a core-set of genes allowed the honey bee to adapt to a diverse set of environmental conditions across its native range by regulating worker and colony behaviour,鈥� says 快播视频 PhD student Kathleen Dogantzis of the Faculty of Science, who led the research.

To learn more, watch these videos:  and .

This adaptation also allowed for the development of some 27 different subspecies of honey bees.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to understand how locally adapted subspecies and colony-level selection on worker bees, contributes to the fitness and diversity of managed colonies,鈥� says Dogantzis.

The sequencing of these bees also led to the discovery of two distinct lineages, one in Egypt and another in Madagascar.

The researchers hope their study finally lays to the rest the question of where the western honey bee came from so future research can further explore how they adapted to different climates and geographic areas.

The paper,听鈥�,鈥� was published today in the journal听.

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Canada鈥檚 stringent eligibility screenings for medical transition 鈥� to prevent 鈥渞egret鈥� or detransition 鈥� ignore transgender people鈥檚 gender-related perspectives and experiences, says York Professor听, lead author of a new study.

It鈥檚 impossible for anyone to know with 100 per cent certainty how they will feel after transformative medical interventions such as gender-affirming hormones, says MacKinnon. 鈥淪o, the common narratives that a trans person who detransitions is a failure, or is in a botched or medically harmed body, or was never really trans, reflect cisgender misunderstandings about trans people.鈥�

According to the study, 鈥溾�� published in the December issue of Elsevier鈥檚 Social Science & Medicine journal, there is little evidence that detransition is caused by medical failure, at the same time, clinical assessments suggest clinicians鈥� fear of liability.

The study highlights that the medical standards were created in the 1960s by cisgender doctors who largely feared lawsuits by patients seeking medical transition; and the eligibility checklists that health care providers use today are reflective of this history.

Another concern identified in the study is that some surgeons send their transgender patients for additional psychiatric assessments, and the psychiatrist acts as an added security blanket to assuage worries about transition regret and malpractice lawsuit. These practices erroneously cast transgender people as more 鈥渞isky鈥� patients, the study reveals.

Since transgender identity is conflated with mental illness, double standards in surgical decision-making arise, notes MacKinnon, who is in the School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. 鈥淐isgender women, for instance, are never required to get a psychiatric capacity assessment for breast implants. Cisgender men do not require a capacity assessment to have chest implant surgery. But transgender people have to go through 鈥榤ental readiness鈥� assessments.鈥�

The study also highlights that there are barely any quality peer-reviewed studies to substantiate the claim that regret/detransitioning is on the rise.

鈥淓ven if detransition rates are increasing, we don鈥檛 know the proportion of those who truly regret this outcome, versus those who have a positive outlook,鈥� says MacKinnon. 鈥淎dding to the problem are disproportionate media representations which amplify only negative or 鈥榬egretful鈥� detransition stories, while excluding detransitioners who experience their transition outcomes as neutral or even positive.鈥�

The research team included Florence Ashley, Faculty of Law and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto; Hannah Kia in the School of Social Work, University of British Columbia; J. S.H. Lam, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Yonah Krakowsky, Division of Urology, University of Toronto; and Lori Ross, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Based on this research, MacKinnon is leading a follow-up study, which aims to develop better guidance for care providers who work with transgender, detransitioned and other gender diverse populations who stop transitioning or change the direction of their gender transitions.

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This year鈥檚 DARE recipients produced meaningful work across all disciplines offered in LA&PS. Over the summer, each student played an integral role in coordinating projects that added valuable scholarly inquiry to the social sciences, humanities, and professional studies.

Each recipient was awarded $5,000 and paired with faculty members to explore urgent research subjects, including health care, work policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital data collection practices, issues impacting diaspora communities and more.

To commemorate the experiences from this year鈥檚 competition, LA&PS developed a virtual gallery showcasing each student and the DARE Project descriptions of the instructor-led research objectives.

鈥淒ARE is a wonderful opportunity to nurture mentorship and collaboration between instructors and students,鈥� says Ravi de Costa, associate dean of Research & Graduate Studies. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 research projects demonstrate the range and quality of the work taking place in LA&PS. Our faculty is dedicated to supporting creative and impactful work across all of our disciplines, and the DARE competition continues to expand on these efforts.鈥�

For the award recipients, the projects serve as key stepping stones to future endeavours 鈥� whether in their respective fields beyond the university setting or continued academic research. Through their reflections, many of this year鈥檚 winners cited the unique hands-on experience as their favourite aspect of the process.

Fourth-year political science student, Kiana Therrien-Tomas, was pleased with the practical skills she acquired.

Looking back on the time spent working with Department of Politics Professor听Simone Bohn听on a project titled, 鈥淐ollaborating with the state: a double-edged sword? The Brazilian Women鈥檚 Movement under the Workers鈥� Party administrations,鈥� Therrien-Tomas explains, 鈥渢his experience has听been听a great addition to my learning and professional development. It is an听honour听to receive this award.听I can now听proudly听state that I have taken part in all stages of the research process, and apply听the knowledge gained from听this experience towards the completion of my undergraduate degree and my听endeavours听in law school.鈥�

Fourth-year Disaster and Emergency Management student, Tiana Putric, echoed these positive sentiments when detailing the experience working with Department of Communication & Media Studies Professor Jonathan Obar on the DARE project, 鈥淭he Future of Big Data: Understanding Digital Service Data Retention Policies and Implications for Online Privacy.鈥�

鈥淒ARE听was a transformative experience that left me with several new skills and insights,鈥� said Putric.听鈥淚 gained experience collecting, analyzing, and summarizing听data听retention policies and contracts from global digital service providers, learned how to evaluate policies against privacy laws and normative regulatory philosophies, and contributed to the听data听retention body of knowledge.鈥�

In congratulating this year鈥檚 recipients, LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry was delighted to see how far the award has come.

鈥淭his competition offers an excellent opportunity for students to examine, discover, critique and create with leading researchers in their fields,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ver the past four years, DARE has exemplified the truly diverse and global scope of the research being done in LA&PS. Once again, our students have exceeded expectations.鈥�

The 2021 DARE gallery can be viewed on the听LA&PS website.

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Most recently, the team published two articles, 鈥�,鈥� and 鈥�,鈥� based on their research focusing on volcanic risk assessment and emergency evacuation simulation, and visualization for the island.

Coincidently, the research is gaining attention and provides useful resources as the island鈥檚 volcano is becoming more active during the past month. On Nov. 22, the mayor of Vulcano, Marco Giorgianni,听听of nearly 300 people and banned tourists due to increased volcanic activity and gases near the La Fossa crater.

鈥淭his island hosts a number of active volcanic systems,鈥� says Asgary, an expert in disaster, emergency and business continuity management and associate professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. He explains the term 鈥榁ulcanian eruption,鈥� derived from the island of Vulcano, located in Sicily鈥檚 Aeolian archipelago, generally involves moderate explosions of gas laden with volcanic ash.

鈥淲e have been running annual emergency exercise training and field investigations on this island for more than a decade and have developed a number of risk assessment models, emergency evacuation simulations and virtual reality applications to help local and national emergency managers, and the public to better prepare for possible future eruptions,鈥� says Asgary.

The studies contain research focused on evacuation planning and management, representing a key aspect of volcanic crises. Evacuation is a very complicated decision process and operation when it comes to volcanos. Effective evacuation allows for the protection of people from hazards while minimizing potential impacts on the economy and livelihood.

One research article explains, the 鈥渁ssessment of evacuation scenarios that consider human and economic impact is best done in a pre-disaster context as it helps authorities develop evacuation plans to make informed decisions outside the highly stressful time period that characterizes crisis.鈥�

The team developed an intergrAteD VolcanIc risk asSEssment (ADVISE), focusing on two temporal dimensions that authorities must address in a volcanic context: short-term emergency management and long-term risk management.

鈥淥ur research team has done extensive analysis of hazards and vulnerability and the overall risks of volcanic activities in the island by creating various maps and models that can be used to identify high-risk areas regarding different volcanic hazards such as lava flow, ballistics, tsunami, ash accumulation, lahar, CO2 gassing and more,鈥� says Asgary.

The team鈥檚 ADVISE model addresses the potential physical, functional and systemic damage determined by combining the available information on hazard, exposed systems and vulnerability.

鈥淭hroughout this period, we have been working very closely with experts from Civil Protection Italy and the INGV (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) in particular. We have also worked with the local school and the community members to raise awareness,鈥� says Asgary.

The last eruption on Vulcano was more than 130 years ago and lasted from Aug. 2, 1888, to Mar. 22, 1890. Volcanic regions that represent tourist attractions and where tourists are allowed to go very close to hazardous areas are especially risky.

The island of Vulcano is home to nearly 800 permanent residents. During the midst of tourism season (April to October), the island could see up to 28,000 per month.

鈥淚t would be interesting to see which scenarios we have been examining during the past 10 years will unfold if an eruption occurs. Considering we are currently in the low season when the total population of the island is already low, and that the volcano鈥檚 activity is rising slowly, and by taking initial proactive measures, fortunately, we can minimize human impacts in case of an eruption. However, the impacts on the properties and infrastructure will remain to be seen if an eruption occurs,鈥� says Asgary.

In previous years, Asgary would invite two students from York鈥檚  program to join a group of international trainees and supervising professors to participate in a training program, to study the island and conduct field research. Students would learn about various volcanic hazards, vulnerability and risk assessment, emergency management and evacuation planning.

Asgary mentions any future visits and training on the island will depend on the type and length of the possible eruption.

By Alysia Burdi,听YFile听communications officer

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Predicting the success of cancer treatment strategies is paramount for clinicians to provide the highest standard of care to patients. While predicting these treatment outcomes is a difficult science, Lassonde School of Engineering Professor  has been making significant progress in doing just that.

Sadeghi-Naini, an associate professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department and York Research Chair in Quantitative Imaging and Smart Biomarkers, has been working in concert with clinicians from Sunnybrook Hospital to improve the standard of care for cancer patients.

Brain metastases, a cancer in the brain resulting from a primary cancer in another part of the body that has spread, represent an underdeveloped yet critical area in cancer treatment. While whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is a treatment option, it is associated with negative side effects such as cognitive dysfunction. This is what has triggered a paradigm shift in radiotherapy, moving towards more precise irradiation of tumors known as stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT).

A recently published study in  entitled, 鈥溾�� by Sadeghi-Naini and his team has outlined a methodology to predict how patients will respond to SRT based off of standard-of-care imaging. Clinicians can use this information, at pre-treatment, to facilitate the best plan for patients.

Using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Sadeghi-Naini鈥檚 team can predict whether a patient鈥檚 tumor is likely to be controlled by SRT or if the treatment is likely to fail.

鈥淎ll patients undergo MRI and CT as part of their standard-of-care treatment planning,鈥� explained Sadeghi-Naini. 鈥淭herefore, this method has the benefit of not requiring anything additional from the patient side, but it has the potential to improve their treatment plan.鈥�

These images are acquired prior to the treatment and, through quantitative analysis, the morphology and heterogeneity of the tumor can be characterized. Specifically, Sadeghi-Naini is concerned with quantifying the heterogeneity within the tumor site and its surroundings as these varied features are shown to strongly correlate with treatment outcomes. His machine learning (ML) models have demonstrated improved accuracy and sensitivity compared to existing methods.

Current medical practice for evaluating treatment outcomes revolve around clinical follow-ups post-treatment, but if the treatment is not successful, as it is for at least 20 per cent of all patients, this process poses a major issue. With clinicians knowing the likelihood of treatment success in advance, they can make more informed decisions and potentially improve the rate of successful outcomes for patients.

鈥淭he features identified with machine learning (ML) algorithms are not easily interpreted by clinicians and, at a glance, individuals can only describe them in terms of heterogeneity,鈥� said Sadeghi-Naini. 鈥淯sing ML, we can differentiate these features and create a model with statistics that we can provide to clinicians to enable them to make the most informed decision possible.鈥�

Going forward, Sadeghi-Naini is aiming to acquire data from larger cohorts of patients to further optimize and validate these methods. While his model is already a major improvement from existing methods of prediction, his team is investigating other ML solutions such as deep learning approaches to enhance the model.

Working within this interdisciplinary field is a long journey of practice, as the jargon and terminology varies drastically between medicine, engineering and computer science. Sadeghi-Naini has worked with clinicians for years and currently holds a cross appointment as a scientist at Sunnybrook Hospital. The willingness of his collaborating clinicians to work closely with him has allowed students from Sadeghi-Naini鈥檚 team to gain unique experiences working with clinicians and in clinical environments.

鈥淢y students have the opportunity to spend time regularly at [Sunnybrook] hospital, acquiring the data, observing the processes and working directly with clinicians,鈥� said Sadeghi-Naini. 鈥淭hese worlds of engineering and medicine are very different, so this is a great opportunity for students to see how interdisciplinary projects are run and learn from both perspectives.鈥�

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The study, published in the journal听Sociology of Health & Illness, considers progress to reduce health inequalities through public policy action is difficult in Canada, and though researchers and advocates provide data on the sources of these inequalities and means of reducing them, it does not provoke action.

Conducted by researchers from 快播视频 and Ontario Tech University, the study states the causes of health inequalities 鈥� particular groups in Canada coming to sicken and die due to their living and working conditions 鈥� have been neglected by governing authorities. Despite numerous studies suggesting public policies that would address these causes, little if anything is being done.

In this inquiry, researchers examined whether polemics and anger mobilization 鈥� usually absent in health inequalities research and advocacy 鈥� could influence Canadian governing authorities to address health inequalities through public policy action.

Usually, terms such as health inequalities, health inequities and adverse health outcomes are used to describe these processes. To move the health equity agenda forward, the research explores the potential use of high-valence terms 鈥� such as structural violence, social death and social murder 鈥� to force government to understand, and act upon, the sources of health inequalities

鈥淲e conclude by outlining the potential benefits and threats posed by polemics and anger mobilization as means of promoting health equity.

Previous studies show there are two primary approaches taken by Canadian researchers and advocates to create impetus for action: providing statistical data that reflects the extent and sources of health inequalities; and, documenting the lived experiences of those encountering these adverse health outcomes. It has also been reported that researchers who undertake critical analysis of the structures and processes contributing to adverse health dispute the view that providing information to governing authorities will, by itself, provoke action.

鈥淚n this paper, therefore, we explore the value of making explicit the adverse health effects of what the World Health Organization (2008) terms 鈥榓 toxic combination of poor social policies and programmes鈥� by adding terms such as structural violence, social death and social murder to health inequalities discourse,鈥� the study states.

The researchers are documenting the frequency of use of terms such as structural violence, social death and social murder in the academic literature as well as in mainstream and social media, and will investigate the reactions these terms elicit from researchers, advocates and students.

鈥淭hese inquiries will help determine whether polemics and anger arousal are productive ways of provoking public policy responses to health inequalities or, instead, lead to the dismissal of researchers鈥� and advocates鈥� arguments, thereby creating an additional barrier to reducing health inequalities. Evidence of initial success in Canada would see the placing of health inequalities on the public policy agendas of governing authorities,鈥� the study states.

Read the study听.

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