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Several members of the University of Windsor community took part in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build connections with the Royal Canadian Navy: the Canadian Leaders at Sea (CLaS) program.

Held Feb. 6 and 7 at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, the event was co-ordinated by the HMCS Hunter, a land-based naval training unit located in Sandwich. Participants enjoyed a day sail aboard Windsor’s namesake vessel, a long-range attack submarine.

The program reflects growing ties between the University and the HMCS Hunter under commanding officer and UWindsor alumnus, Lieutenant-Commander Chris Elliott.

“The CLaS program is a unique experience to showcase the people and platforms of the Royal Canadian Navy, with opportunities to see the skills and abilities of the people who serve our country,” Elliott says. “Windsor was extremely well represented with our community leaders visiting our namesake submarine. They join the ranks of a very few Canadians to ever dive in a navy submarine.”

Participants experienced first-hand naval training and life aboard a submarine, gaining insight into the day-to-day operations of the Royal Canadian Navy and deeper appreciation for role of the navy in protecting Canadian sovereignty and interests at sea, both at home and abroad.

The UWindsor contingent included three alumni: Elliott, honorary colonel Keith Henry and petty officer second class Hash Sameem; history student Ricardo Racz, a corporal with the Windsor Regiment reserves; and director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, Mike McKay.

“In my day-to-day work at GLIER, I regularly interact with the Canadian and U.S. Coast Guards in the Great Lakes, so have some appreciation for naval customs and have come to respect their work supporting the maritime sector in these freshwater oceans,” Dr. McKay says. “This appreciation was reinforced through my interactions with the sailors at CFB Halifax and with HMCS Windsor.

“In particular, I gained deep respect for their attention to detail that was evident in all aspects of operations from planning to execution, all necessary for mission success.”

The institute plans to host a visit by the commander of HMCS Windsor in April, when he will be in town for events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.

PhD student AboBakr Emara’s physics research achievements won him the seventh annual Tom and Mylo Drake Physics Research Prize.

Established by professor emeritus Gordon Drake in honour of his parents, the scholarship supports and encourages graduate students who demonstrate excellence in their academic and research pursuits.

“This prize holds significant meaning for me as it acknowledges my efforts and contributions to experimental physics,” says Emara.

“Such recognition not only motivates me to keep pushing boundaries in my research but also reinforces the importance of advancing physics to answer fundamental questions about our universe.”

Emara started his studies in Fall 2023 at in the Department of Physics under the supervision of professor Caio Licciardi. His research focuses on designing and testing a device to detect and measure radon gas at extremely low levels.

“Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can interfere with experiments searching for rare particle interactions, like neutrino-less double beta decay,” he says.

“By improving how we identify and reduce radon backgrounds, my work helps ensure the accuracy of these experiments, which aim to uncover fundamental properties of particles and the universe. This work aims to push the boundaries of our understanding of particle physics and contribute to the global effort in the search for neutrino-less double beta decay.”

The award is for $1,300. Emara says its financial support will be invaluable in advancing his academic journey by assisting with educational and living expenses.

Emara has participated in the Three Minute Thesis competition and was selected as one of the top 10 finalists, bringing more recognition to the Department of Physics. He presented a poster of his research at the 2024 Canadian Association of Physics congress in London, and he was recognized among the top six posters, earning an honorable mention.

“Bakr is a highly successful researcher, graduate teaching assistant, and student in the physics department,” says department head Steven Rehse. “He has excelled in all of his classes and has been deeply involved with Dr. Licciardi’s experimental physics research at SNOLAB and here in Windsor.”

The Department of Physics has awarded fourth-year undergraduate Sareen Sabra the eighth annual Lucjan Krause Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics.

The scholarship was established by Dr. Krause’s family in his name to recognize deserving undergraduate students in any physics program who, through their academic and scientific endeavours, bring recognition and honour to the University of Windsor’s Department of Physics. The award is for $1,500.

Sabra says the award is a physical reminder that the work she has done has made an impact.

“Most of the time, whether I’m doing research or helping out in the department, I do it because I genuinely enjoy it — I love talking, doing and thinking about physics. Winning this award wouldn’t have changed that, but it’s definitely encouraged me to keep going and keep doing what I enjoy,” she says.

“It’s also nice that this award was created by a former department head. It shows how much the department cares about its students and supports their growth and achievements, which makes it feel even more meaningful.”

Sabra is currently president of the Physics Club.

“Sareen is a highly successful student and has made many valuable contributions to the physics department,” says Steven Rehse, head of the Department of Physics.

“Along with carrying a GPA of 95, she has been a very active and proactive president of the Physics Club. She has made it her mission to strive for both fun and excellence as a student-led club, winning the Science Society “departmental association of the year” award, and to reach out to as many junior physics students and other students across campus as possible.”

Sabra performs theoretical physics research with professor Jeffrey Rau. She is the recipient of the Baylis Research Internship and two Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Awards. She is currently writing up the results of her work and hopes to have a publication produced this year before she graduates.

She has disseminated her research results by attending the Canadian Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics and the Canadian Association of Physicists annual congress, giving an oral presentation entitled “The Spreading of Chaos in Systems with Long Range Interactions.”

The Faculty of Science has named Jeff Dason as its 2024-2026 research chair.

“I’m thrilled to receive this chair, as it will allow me to further expand my research program,” says Dr. Dason.

The associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Science started at the University of Windsor in 2017. The award comes with a two-year grant of $40,000. The new position will allow him to further develop his research into the nervous system disease, Fragile X syndrome (FXS).

“Fragile X Syndrome is a heritable neurodevelopmental condition that affects one in 3,000 to 6,000 individuals and is the leading contributor to intellectual disability and autism,” he says.

“FXS is characterized by altered synaptic structure and function that results in various behavioural effects, including cognitive deficits.”

No effective treatments for FXS currently exists even though the underlying cause of many of its symptoms is tied to altered metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling at synapses. Studying the fruit fly, Dason investigates communication between neurons and the formation of synapses.

“The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has yielded many insights into virtually all biological processes and it continues to be an important model system for biomedical research. Drosophila models of FXS can mimic many aspects of FXS in humans, thereby allowing us to take advantage of the power of Drosophila genetics to rapidly learn new things about FXS,” he says.

“We propose to look at a potential target for this disease in a fly model of FXS. This will allow us to better understand how this protein functions at synapses and whether altered levels of this protein are responsible for some of the impairments seen in FXS.”

These findings, he says, will provide mechanistic insights to the synaptic effects reported in FXS.

“We anticipate that our findings will assist in developing new therapeutic strategies to improve the treatment of FXS,” says Dason.

Dason also currently holds a NSERC discovery grant for researching how lipids regulate synaptic function and a CIHR project grant looking at pain mechanisms.

 The goal of the Faculty of Science research chair program, says dean of science Claudio Verani, is to increase research funding and capacity, while fostering new partnerships and research directions by growing existing research programs and supporting outstanding faculty researchers.

“Research like this constitutes an important first step to understanding of the basic mechanisms of life, and a fundamental move to imagine and enable future therapies that benefit humankind,” says Dr. Verani.

“The creative and innovative thinking by our students, staff, and faculty like Dr. Dason is the reason why the Faculty of Science is the research powerhouse of the institution, and why we attract more than half of all the extramural funding at the University of Windsor.”

The University of Windsor has earned top academic standings, recognized in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject in engineering, business and economics, computer science, and psychology.

Placing in the 301-400 range of nearly 2,000 universities worldwide, these results reinforce the University's growing reputation for innovation, student success, and industry collaboration.

“These rankings are a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” says provost Robert Aguirre. “At the University of Windsor, we are committed to fostering a transformative learning environment that empowers our students to address the most pressing challenges facing our communities and beyond.”

Engineering innovation and global engagement

The University of Windsor’s engineering programs reflect its commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning, preparing students to tackle emerging challenges by working with cutting-edge researchers and partners in various sectors. By integrating teaching, research, and industry partnerships, the University equips students with the skills needed to excel in rapidly evolving fields. UWindsor’s International Outlook score of 86.0 underscores its expanding influence and success in attracting top talent and fostering research collaborations around the world.

“Our faculty and students are engaged in groundbreaking work that extends beyond campus walls,” says Shanthi Johnson, vice-president, research and innovation. “These rankings highlight our leadership in interdisciplinary research and our commitment to advancing knowledge that drives meaningful change.”

Business and economics: real-world impact

UWindsor business and economics programs continue to gain recognition, offering experiential and work-integrated learning opportunities that connect students with regional and multinational industries. The University’s emphasis on community partnerships and interdisciplinary programming ensures graduates are well-prepared to adapt to an increasingly complex economic environment and contribute to innovation in their fields.

Excellence in computer science

The University’s recognition in computer science highlights its commitment to digital transformation and advanced computing for sector transformation. With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, UWindsor provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics. A low faculty-to-student ratio and access to state-of-the-art computing resources ensure that students receive the support they need to succeed in an evolving technological landscape.

Advancing psychology research and education

UWindsor psychology programs continue to make an impact, with strengths in clinical training, mental health research, and behavioural science. The University offers hands-on learning experiences through research labs, community partnerships, and applied placements that prepare students for careers in psychology, health care, and related fields. Faculty-led research explores key areas such as cognitive development, mental health interventions, and psychological resilience, ensuring students engage with current and meaningful research working alongside various partners.

The University of Windsor’s continued success reflects its commitment to student achievement, impactful research, and community engagement. By prioritizing innovation, inclusion, and collaboration, the University is paving the way for transformative contributions that extend far beyond the campus.

“We are committed to building on this success and further elevating Windsor’s profile on the global stage,” says Dr. Aguirre. “These achievements showcase the collective strength of our faculty, students, and partners in shaping a better future.”

For more information about the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, visit Times Higher Education.

Otis Vacratsis won the Teaching Excellence award at the Jan. 18 Science Society charity gala.

The biochemistry researcher was nominated by undergraduate science students for the award that celebrates a professor in the Faculty of Science for excellence in teaching, research, and mentorship.

“I am appreciative of the students for nominating me for this award,” says Dr. Vacratsis.

“However, I am more appreciative of the opportunity to teach and engage with our science students. I’m constantly impressed by their abilities, enthusiasm, and passion for learning. I also want to commend the Science Society for organizing a fantastic evening — celebrating their association and raising funds for such an important cause.”

This year’s gala raised funds for the Ronald McDonald House.

Have global warming rates increased recently? What changes are we seeing in the Earth’s hurricanes and tropical cyclone frequencies? How is snow cover changing on our planet?

Robert Lund, professor of statistics at the Baskin School of Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, will consider these questions and more in a colloquium hosted by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics on Jan. 30.

In his presentation, “A Statistical View of Some Climate Change Controversies,” Dr. Lund will analyze data and satellite pictures of the Earth to reach findings both good and bad for humanity.

Lund is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and served as chief editor of its journal from 2005 to 2007. He has published more than 110 refereed papers and has graduated 26 PhD students.

His talk is free and open to the public. It will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday in Room 200, Anthony P. Toldo Health Education Centre. Find more information on the event website.

Using a combination of cutting-edge tools from biology and computer science, a Faculty of Science led research project will explore ways to improve treatment outcomes for the extracranial childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

“In the neuroblastoma tumour, we know there are populations of cancer stem cells, immature cells that drive the aggressiveness and therapy resistance, and our lab focuses on the biology of those cells — especially cell cycle regulation,” says biomedical science’s Dorota Lubanska.

“With this project we will be addressing different aspects of therapy resistance by collaborating with computer science.”

Biomedical science researchers will grow novel 3D organoid models, or tumours, in a dish, with live-cell imaging. The study will focus on understanding cell cycle regulation in cancer stem cells, specifically how proteins like Spy1 influence the behaviour of these cells within the tumour.

“We can manipulate those tumours easily; we can introduce genetic changes to study cell cycle and trace progression of tumour in a dish over time,” says Dr. Lubanska.

“Cell cycle uses dynamic signalling, and intricate mechanisms are lost when you have to take the tumour out and section it. Using the organoid model, we can in real time look at changes over the time of the tumour progression without disrupting any signalling networks.”

She says they will apply diverse types of treatment to this 3D organoid model to see how certain cells in the microtissue respond to current therapies and their combinations.

“This is a complex approach; we’ll deal with a lot of imaging and a huge output of imaging data which requires someone with expertise to create bioinformatics tools to quantify those changes.”

With the copious amounts of data collected, computer science researchers led by professor Alioune Ngom will implement bioinformatics and deep learning methods to rapidly create cell cycle characterization models to aid prediction of tumour behaviour and predict response to treatment.

“The collected 3D data will be analyzed to assess whether regions of the organoid are exhibiting difference in cell cycle activity in the presence or absence of Spy1 and under therapy pressure in developing microtissues,” says Dr. Ngom, project lead researcher.

“This interdisciplinary approach, to access novel bioinformatics tools, will also have a broader impact in fundamental health science by contributing to better understanding of tumour biology and to strengthening of current expertise in our community and will lead to direct outcomes for patients with neuroblastoma.”

Biomedical science alum Antonio Roye-Azar, who also has a computer science degree, will liaise between the two disciplines. The findings are expected to address critical gaps in current tumour models and provide new strategies for more effective neuroblastoma treatment.

The project was awarded a 2024 WE-Spark Igniting Discovery grant funded by ChildCan, an agency designed to support families affected by childhood cancer.

Suzanne Elliott, ChildCan’s executive director, says it funds research because without research, there is no hope.

“Started in 1974, ChildCan provides financial, emotional and social support to those families who have just heard the horrible words, ‘your child has cancer’,” she says. “This project is an excellent fit for our community because so many children are diagnosed with brain tumours, which are a complex diagnosis to treat.”

Lubanska says this seed money is deeply appreciated.

“This community support inspires us and gives us lots of motivation because it shows community trust in advancing fundamental local cancer research.”