knowlEDGE

UVic knowlEDGE is a series of half-page research features published monthly in the Victoria Times Colonist, except in July and August. It is produced by University Communications + Marketing with financial support from the Vice-President Research.

Through this series we help inform the local community about the impressive range and quality of research activity at the University of Victoria, and the societal relevance and impact of this research. The series also emphasizes the critical linkage between research and teaching.

Teaching English to help Syrian refugees resettle

When the influx of Syrian refugees arriving in Canada began in 2015, Li-Shih Huang knew her skills could contribute to resettlement efforts.

Stress-testing the brain

UVic associate professor Marie-Ève Tremblay is on the leading edge of understanding what causes our brain's immune cells to change so drastically and how this affects our cognitive function.

Next generation solar energy

UVic researcher and Canada Research Chair Makhsud Saidaminov is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and materials sciences for sustainability.

Oceans link to climate change

UVic PhD student Brett Jameson is exploring where nitrous oxide comes from.

More extreme weather projected

In a warming world, most extreme weather events become even more extreme. Extremes that once happened every 50 years begin to happen more often.

Mental health impacts of COVID-19

UVic researchers Brianna Turner and Theone Paterson are working with a global team of scientists to understand the different impacts and improve the mental well-being of communities in Canada.

Uncovering hidden COVID-19 cases

UVic statistician Laura Cowen and mathematical modeller Junling Ma are working to estimate the hidden circulation of COVID-19 and predict new outbreaks.

Building energy efficiency

UVic civil engineering professor Ralph Evins is using machine learning to design energy-efficient buildings that don’t yet exist.

Raising Draco

At the intersection of health promotion, eHealth and psychology, a wee virtual dragon named Draco is in tryouts as a new tool in addressing childhood obesity in British Columbia.

Lab on a chip

A miniaturized laboratory the size of a postage stamp could one day transform how scientists test potential drug treatments and diagnose disease.

Keeping Coast Salish languages strong

UVic linguist Sonya Bird leads a team using ultrasound, acoustic speech analysis and palatography to help improve fluency in one of the most complex languages in the world, Hul'q'umi'num'.

Engaging the head and heart

Kelly Richardson is creating art reflecting our changing world and raising awareness around the plight to protect Vancouver Island's old-growth forests.

Brain burnout

Olav Krigolson has developed a unique mobile electroencephalography (EEG) system to investigate what’s happening in our brains when we’re tired, stressed, oxygen-deprived, struggling with dementia, concussed—or on Mars.

Business reboot

When Saeed Rahman set out to understand how businesses can advance sustainability efforts through better integration of ecological knowledge, he turned first to farmers. What he found was that most agricultural organizations were using a different sustainability lexicon than businesses in other industries.

Understanding the aging brain

Researchers investigate new approaches to slow loss of brain power.

Advancing the power grid

UVic chemist Dennis Hore and his research team are investigating materials they hope will make up the next generation insulators for the electrical power grid.