Understanding the Universe, the Planet and our Place

Advancing Canada’s research infrastructure

kvd1 — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 16:37:36 +0000

On Friday, at SNOLAB, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, recognized the key role of research infrastructure by announcing more than $628 million to support 19 research infrastructure projects at institutions across the country, including two research facilities affiliated with Queen’s University.

Research Funding

The SNO+ Detector

kvd1 — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:16:20 +0000

Alex Wright for the SNO+ Collaboration

The SNO+ experiment studies the fundamental properties of neutrinos. The detector consists of an active volume of 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator housed within a 12-metre diameter acrylic vessel that is held in place by ropes and viewed by an array of about 10,000 photomultiplier light detectors. In this image, taken by a camera embedded in the photomultiplier array, the detector is illuminated only by light from the clean room at the top of the vessel neck, producing a beam effect. The SNO+ experiment is currently collecting data, carrying on the work of the Nobel-prize winning Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

Location of photograph:

SNOLAB, Sudbury, Ontario

Submission Year:

2022

Extending the lifespan of metals

kvd1 — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:07:44 +0000

Queen's researcher and Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Coatings Dr. Cathleen Crudden has received $24 million from the Government of Canada to develop coatings that could preserve metals against deterioration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S5LTavJGGQ

NSERC research award renamed after Queen’s University Nobel Laureate

kvd1 — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:42:07 +0000

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has named a national prize in honour of Queen’s University Nobel Laurate Arthur McDonald.

Research Award

Tags:

Nobel Prize

Art McDonald

Arthur McDonald

Arthur B. McDonald

Research Award

Early-Stage Researchers

Early-Career Researchers

Funding

Capturing the Art of Research: Celebrating the 2020 prize recipients

MLR7 — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:52:42 +0000

The Queen’s Art of Research photo contest celebrates its fifth year, with the selection of ten stunning winning images.

Explore photos from Queen's researchers with the Art of Research as they take you behind-the-scenes of their #QueensuResearch

Watch the Discussion: Conversations Confronting COVID-19: Innovation Pivots

kvd1 — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:15:02 +0000

Launched on Wednesday, June 24, the first installment of the monthly series will focus on the theme of Innovation Pivots and feature members of the Queen’s community who have effectively pivoted their research and programs to come up with creative and innovative solutions to the pandemic.

Confronting COVID-19

Tags:

Provincial Government

Ontario

Africa

MasterCard Foundation

The Wiring of the Brain

kvd1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:03:52 +0000

Donald Brien

An example of Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) from Queen’s new Prisma Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Some of the most beautiful images generated by MRI are created by imaging the diffusion (movement) of water throughout the brain. From this diffusion, we can generate maps of the neuron connections that are responsible for carrying messages from one area of the brain to another. Seen here, they are coded by direction, such that blue tracts move from foot to head, red tracts move from left to right in the head, and green tracts move from the front to the back of the head. There are 30,000 tracts displayed in this image. By adulthood, the average person has ~160,000 km total length of these tracts.

Location of photograph:

Centre for Neuroscience Studies, MRI Facility, Queen’s University

Prize name:

Art in Action

Submission Year:

2019-20

Porous Plastic Particle

kvd1 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:34:57 +0000

Ross Jansen-van Vuuren

The photograph is of a water-swollen hydrogel particle created in our chemistry laboratory, taken with an instrument called a Scanning Electron Microscope, which allows us to zone in and see important details on the surface of the hydrogel. A hydrogel is essentially a plastic material that is able to absorb very large volumes of water (up to 800 times its weight!) – much like a baby diaper, swelling as it does so. From the image, the surface of the hydrogel is seen to possess large, distinctive pores, which help us understand how and why hydrogels absorb so much liquid.

Location of photograph:

Bruce Hall, SEM Lab, Queen’s University

Prize name:

Invisible Discoveries

Submission Year:

2019-20

Will Kymlicka receives SSHRC Gold Medal

kvd1 — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:08:08 +0000

The award, one of the highest honours for the social sciences in Canada, is given to an individual whose sustained leadership and dedication have inspired students and colleagues alike. Dr Kymlicka was recognized for his groundbreaking work on the link between democracy and diversity which has advanced knowledge on models of citizenship and social justice within multicultural societies.

Research Award

Tags:

Starting a scintillating search: SNO’s second act looks for neutrinos closer to home

moonr — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:39:31 +0000

Over the last decade, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) has reinvented itself as SNO+. Led by Mark Chen, the Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, the project has taken advantage of a unique piece of research infrastructure and set out on a new mission.

Over the last decade, SNO+ has taken advantage of a unique piece of research infrastructure and set out on a new mission.

A Nobel pursuit

moonr — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 18:03:00 +0000

Connor Stone, PhD Candidate (Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy)

Stone specializes in galaxy physics and is the coordinator of the Queen’s Observatory and says that he is honoured to have been given the opportunity to meet and speak with so many of the world’s top minds in physics.

Student Research

Art McDonald: 2015 Nobel Prize In Physics

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 19:55:27 +0000

Queen’s professor Arthur B. McDonald, along with Takaaki Kajita of the University of Tokyo, has been awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Dr. McDonald and a team of Canadian and international scientists worked deep underground unlocking the mysteries of neutrinos, fundamental building blocks of nature.

Their revolutionary work redefined the basic laws of particle physics and confirmed the detailed understanding of how the sun burns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMEcxMEuYIE

Azza Sharkawy: Making elementary science education more accessible

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:46:35 +0000

Azza Sharkawy describes her research on making elementary science education more accessible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQuhq5vamP8

Art McDonald: Path to the Nobel

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:00:16 +0000

Discover how Queen’s Professor Emeritus Dr. Arthur McDonald, a team of Canadian and international scientists, and SNOLAB unlocked the mysteries of neutrinos, redefined the basic laws of particle physics and won a Nobel Prize in the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RBg7uvn63k

Wrinkled Flame

kvd1 — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 19:40:12 +0000

Gabriel Ciccarelli

This a photo taken of a flame propagating (left to right) through a blockage in a square cross-section area channel filled with a mixture of hydrogen-air. The photo is captured using planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) that makes the combustion products visible (gray area). The flame surface resembles the topology of a human brain. The photo was taken using a state-of-the-art Princeton intensified-camera.

Location of photograph:

Combustion Lab, McLaughlin Hall, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2015-16