Department of Earth Sciences / en Study by U of T, international researchers finds potentially harmful 'forever chemicals' in makeup: CBC /news/study-u-t-international-researchers-finds-potentially-harmful-forever-chemicals-makeup-cbc <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Study by U of T, international researchers finds potentially harmful 'forever chemicals' in makeup: CBC</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1223246569.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qeBzJCjc 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1223246569.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vYrzyMoZ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1223246569.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xm3IncML 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/GettyImages-1223246569.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qeBzJCjc" alt="Woman doing her makeup"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-06-16T12:37:57-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - 12:37" class="datetime">Wed, 06/16/2021 - 12:37</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by Carol Yepes via Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Makeup marketed as wear-resistant or long-lasting often contains synthetic chemicals that could pose a risk to human health and the environment, a new study co-authored by the ÖŰżÚζSM's <strong>Miriam Diamond</strong> suggests.&nbsp;</p> <p>Diamond, a professor in the department of Earth sciences in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, and her colleagues studied 231 cosmetic products and found the highest concentration of&nbsp;polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), a potentially toxic class of chemicals, in foundations, mascaras and lip products – especially those that were labelled&nbsp;“wear-resistant,” “long-lasting” or&nbsp;“waterproof.”</p> <p>“What's really concerning about them is that they're highly persistent,”&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/science/cosmetics-pfas-faq-1.6066147">Diamond told CBC</a>. "It'll stick around for years, actually. 
 Decades."</p> <p>Scientists often refer to PFAs as&nbsp;“forever chemicals” because they can linger in the body for so long. They have also been linked to negative health effects such as increased cancer risk, decreased immune response and decreased fertility, according to the CBC.</p> <p>The research <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00240">was published this week</a>&nbsp;in the journal<em>&nbsp;Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</em>.</p> <p>“We can’t afford to contaminate our drinking water as well as our bodies,” Diamond <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7950486/makeup-toxins-forever-chemicals/">told the Canadian Press</a>.&nbsp;“Is your beauty worth taking a risk with your health?”</p> <h3><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/cosmetics-pfas-faq-1.6066147">Read more at CBC</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 16 Jun 2021 16:37:57 +0000 geoff.vendeville 301386 at Six lessons U of T experts hope we learn from the pandemic /news/six-lessons-u-t-experts-hope-we-learn-pandemic <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Six lessons U of T experts hope we learn from the pandemic</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1210212183.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bP85K7aX 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1210212183.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ZgW6crJU 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1210212183.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zDXqZWpJ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1210212183.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bP85K7aX" alt="A solitary man walks past a sign in Parkdale, Toronto that reads &quot;we're all in this together&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-08-11T10:41:16-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 11, 2020 - 10:41" class="datetime">Tue, 08/11/2020 - 10:41</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(photo by Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sasaki" hreflang="en">Chris Sasaki</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-ethics" hreflang="en">Centre for Ethics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/citizen-lab" hreflang="en">Citizen Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geography-and-planning" hreflang="en">Geography and Planning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/political-science" hreflang="en">Political Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sociology" hreflang="en">Sociology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. However, it’s been with us long enough to clearly expose fault lines, inequities and deficiencies in virtually every sector of society. As a result, many have concluded there is a need for a “new normal” rather than a return to the status quo.&nbsp;</p> <p>But what should that new normal look like? What lessons have we learned – or should we have learned –&nbsp;from the pandemic?&nbsp;</p> <p>Writer&nbsp;<strong>Chris Sasaki</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>of the ÖŰżÚζSM’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, recently put those questions to a range of experts at the university.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="media-element file-media-original lazy" height="395" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/sylvia-bashevkin-inside.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Sylvia Bashevkin</strong>, professor in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</h4> <p>In mid-March, I wrote an op-ed for the <em>Toronto Star </em>about the challenges facing social cohesion in Canada. Four months later, our circumstances seem promising and, at the same time, threatening.</p> <p>People have come together in remarkable ways to help each other. Some public officials have demonstrated insightful, principled leadership. Yet, inequalities along the lines of gender, race, Indigeneity and social class continue to drive citizens apart, making us distrust the core institutions that need to operate effectively at times of crises. We see protesters gather to deny the concept of a public good. They oppose mandatory mask rules and defend supposedly inalienable rights to haircuts and shopping.</p> <p>These elements reflect profound tensions that threaten the foundations of liberal democracy in Canada. We must remember that collective thinking and action are crucial to protecting human health and the concept of a public good.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="migrated-asset" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/sunit-das-inside.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Sunit Das</strong>, associate professor in the department of surgery in the Faculty of Medicine, faculty associate at the Centre for Ethics</h4> <p>This moment –&nbsp;of the COVID-19 pandemic, of the #MeToo movement, of Black Lives Matter – has required all of us to consider what we as a society mean by fairness and equity, to consider the possibility that our society is fundamentally built on a foundation that capriciously compromises both for many of its constituents.</p> <p>In medicine, fairness and equity are comprised by the principle of justice. Unique among the four pillars of medical ethics –&nbsp;along with beneficence, non-malfeasance and autonomy –&nbsp;justice looks beyond the individual patient before us and requires us to consider our duty as physicians as a duty to society.</p> <p>The disproportionate cost of COVID-19 to Black, Latinx, Indigenous, elderly and disabled patients is a matter of justice. It is our duty as physicians to address the forces that allowed and continue to foster the unfairness and inequity made manifest by the pandemic in society and medicine.</p> <p>As physicians, we have often proved ourselves to be upright stewards of beneficence, non-malfeasance and autonomy. We must remember that we are as bound by our duty as stewards of justice.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="migrated-asset" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/miriam-diamond-inside%20%281%29.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Miriam Diamond</strong>, professor in the department of Earth sciences&nbsp;in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</h4> <p>Returning to pre-pandemic conditions –&nbsp;without learning from it –&nbsp;will condemn us and future generations to conditions beyond those we now face due to climate change, including uncertain and precarious health, social inequities and insecurity.</p> <p>Like the pandemic, climate change is estimated to cause deaths, illness and displacement, accompanied by a very large economic price tag for both Canadians and 99 per cent of global citizens.</p> <p>The good news is that we as a society can adapt our behaviour and practices according to advice given by experts, as we have done during the pandemic. To do this, we need to acknowledge the dire threat posed by climate change and plow government and private sector funding into decarbonized technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase our global competitive advantage.</p> <p>We need to exploit the lessons learned from COVID-19 to create a sustainable and equitable new normal for all Canadians and be a beacon to the international community.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="migrated-asset" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/ito-peng-inside.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Ito Peng</strong>, professor in the department of sociology in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</h4> <p>The most important lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic are the importance of having a good long-term care (LTC) system, the value of care and the consequences of the precarious status of care workers.</p> <p>Canada’s LTC homes have done a spectacularly bad job in caring for our older citizens. We top the chart in COVID-related deaths in LTC homes, accounting for over 80 per cent of total deaths&nbsp;compared to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country average of 42 per cent.</p> <p>Years of neglect and chronic underfunding have resulted in inadequate and low-quality services for the residents and terrible working conditions for care workers. The shift towards a private, for-profit-dominated LTC market have been incentivized by bad policies and weak regulations and created low-wage and poor working conditions for care workers.</p> <p>After COVID-19, we must build a better regulated universal public LTC system that will provide better quality care and better training and pay for care workers.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="migrated-asset" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/irene-poetranto-inside.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Irene Poetranto</strong>, senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</h4> <p>Although the coronavirus does not discriminate, its consequences do. Marginalized groups that are vulnerable to prejudice have suffered disproportionately from COVID-19.</p> <p>Singapore and Thailand saw a jump in COVID-19 cases among low-wage migrant workers. Online attacks and offline harassment against LGBTQ2S+ persons increased following coronavirus infections from Seoul’s Itaewon district, a popular spot for LGBTQ2S+ people in South Korea. Remote mining sites in Indonesia and the Philippines have become COVID-19 transmission vectors, endangering local communities and Indigenous Peoples.</p> <p>In responding to COVID-19, governments have relied on the military and police to enforce physical distancing and used surveillance mechanisms and pervasive data collection for contact tracing – all of which heighten the risk of human rights violations.</p> <p>As the pandemic continues to turn public health into a security issue, we must ensure that the post-COVID-19 new normal is not one where a crisis of human rights and rule of law is normalized.</p> <hr> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p><img alt class="migrated-asset" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/matti-siemiartycki-inside.jpg" style="height: 234px; width: 200px;" width="337"></p> </div> <h4><strong>Matti Siemiatycki</strong>, associate professor in the department of geography and planning in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, interim director of the School of Cities</h4> <p>The pandemic has disproportionally affected lower income, racialized and crowded communities –&nbsp;for example, in the inner suburbs in the northern part of the GTA. It has revealed more clearly our affordable housing crisis, as well as the damaging impacts of precarious employment. We’ve seen transit routes in the inner suburbs that are overcrowded despite the fact transit ridership declined drastically during the pandemic.</p> <p>The pandemic has revealed –&nbsp;and in some cases accelerated –&nbsp;the shortcomings and cracks in society in terms of inequality of opportunity, public services and infrastructure that existed before.</p> <p>So, we really need to respond to those challenges and change how we’re doing things. The new normal has to be different. We need to build back better, do things differently, respond to the health challenges that have arisen from the pandemic. The housing crisis must be addressed and conditions improved for low wage workers. And we need to do things like improve bus service in the inner suburbs, invest in dedicated bike lanes and make the city more walkable and not so dominated by cars.&nbsp;</p> <p>In short, we need to rebuild a society that's more equitable, sustainable and just.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:41:16 +0000 lanthierj 165479 at U of T study finds toxic chemicals on smartphones, in bodies of smartphone users /news/u-t-study-finds-toxic-chemicals-smartphones-bodies-smartphone-users <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T study finds toxic chemicals on smartphones, in bodies of smartphone users</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-04-GettyImages-smartphone-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SN7UZonJ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-12-04-GettyImages-smartphone-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=91wOkB95 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-12-04-GettyImages-smartphone-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=I19CED1g 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-04-GettyImages-smartphone-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SN7UZonJ" alt="Photo of smarphone being handled by user"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-12-04T11:35:04-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 11:35" class="datetime">Tue, 12/04/2018 - 11:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The study by U of T researchers suggests smartphones may either be the source of the chemicals, used as flame retardants or “plasticizers,” or are an indicator of environmental exposure (photo by Artur Debat via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/arts-science-news-staff" hreflang="en">Arts &amp; Science news staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/technology" hreflang="en">Technology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Much has been written about the detrimental effects of smartphones on attention spans, stress levels and dinner table conversations. Now new research from the ÖŰżÚζSM suggests they could also be a source of toxic chemicals, or at least an indicator of the chemicals to which people are exposed.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018309656?via%3Dihub">In a study published today in <em>Environment International</em></a>, researchers at U of T found levels of several toxic chemicals on the smartphones of Canadian women aged 18 to 44 were related to levels of those chemicals in their bodies and on their hands.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is the first study to identify handheld electronic devices as a potential source of exposure to organophosphate esters, chemicals often used either as flame retardants or “plasticizers” that make materials such as polyvinyl chloride more flexible and durable.</p> <p>“We are concerned with these chemicals as they have been linked to neurotoxicity, decreased fertility and thyroid problems,” says <strong>Miriam Diamond</strong>, a professor in the department of earth sciences in U of T’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and lead author of the study.&nbsp;</p> <p>“What we don’t know for certain, though, is whether electronic devices are the source of the chemicals or an indicator of total exposure from other sources, or both.”</p> <p>The researchers found correlations between the levels of organophosphate esters on electronic devices and the levels found on hands and in urine. Further, they found levels of flame retardants and plasticizers were higher on handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets than on non-handheld electronics such as televisions and desktop computers. That suggests handheld devices like smartphones may be sources of some of these compounds, but may also provide an indication of chemical exposure across the different environments where people spend time each day – for example, their homes, cars and workplaces.</p> <p>These new findings come amid calls for increased focus on the environmental and human health impacts of electronics. Existing electronics industry standards cover thermal, electrical, optical and even acoustic product safety, but do not specify how materials should be screened for possible toxicological impacts.</p> <p>“Earlier this year the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission granted a petition to ban the use of certain harmful flame retardant chemicals in electronics and other products,” says Diamond. “The organophosphate esters identified in this new study are often used as replacements for the banned chemicals, and increasing evidence indicates that these replacement chemicals are harmful as well.”</p> <p>Diamond says that, given the ubiquity of these devices that are in so many people’s hands all the time, from kids to adults, periodically wiping down your smartphone should lower the levels of these toxic chemicals on the device and hence on your hands. She also adds that “we need to be aware of – and try to reduce – how much we use our handheld devices, especially by kids.”</p> <p>The findings are described in the study “Are cellphones an indicator of personal exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers?” Support for the research was provided by the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda, Canada's Chemicals Management Plan, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada&nbsp;and the Canadian Cancer Society.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 04 Dec 2018 16:35:04 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 148416 at U of T PhD student brings first-ever Women in Planetary Science conference to Toronto /news/u-t-phd-student-brings-first-ever-women-planetary-science-conference-toronto <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T PhD student brings first-ever Women in Planetary Science conference to Toronto </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Sara-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Noe4kg7h 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Sara-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7HMwwYNC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Sara-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9Dwy8JBJ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Sara-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Noe4kg7h" alt="Photo of Sara Mazrouei"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-16T00:00:00-05:00" title="Friday, February 16, 2018 - 00:00" class="datetime">Fri, 02/16/2018 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Sara Mazrouei, a U of T PhD candidate in the department of earth sciences in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, is one of the conference organizers (photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/astronomy" hreflang="en">Astronomy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/stem" hreflang="en">STEM</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This isn’t your average scientific conference.</p> <p>The inaugural <a href="http://wpse2018.ca/">Women in Planetary Science and Exploration</a> conference, being held at the ÖŰżÚζSM on Feb. 17 and 18, is not only highlighting the research of women across multiple scientific disciplines but is also creating dialogue about issues that have been dominating headlines, such as&nbsp;sexual harassment, sexuality and race.</p> <p>“These are issues that are really important that affect pretty much all of us on a day-to-day basis, but there's never a chance to really talk about them,” says <strong>Sara Mazrouei</strong>, a U of T PhD candidate in the department of earth sciences in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and one of the conference organizers.</p> <p>Mazrouei, along with David Hamilton, a space physicist and professor at Conestoga College, and Tanya Harrison, director of research for Arizona State University’s Space Technology and Science Initiative, founded the conference to provide a place for women to showcase their work and to create opportunities for collaboration. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The conference, which Mazrouei says is the first of its kind, has attracted scientists from all over Canada and the United States.</p> <p>“As soon as we started advertising for it, there was a lot of interest and a lot of positive feedback,” she says, adding that she was surprised so many people were willing to brave Toronto’s frigid winter temperatures.</p> <p>The conference is a chance for students to rub shoulders with some of the leading women in the field&nbsp;and listen to them talk about opportunities inside and outside of academia, says Mazrouei.</p> <p>“It's going to be less formal and they're going to see people that look like them and get a chance to talk to them and build the networking aspect,” she says.</p> <p>After reaching out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, the conference organizers say they received personalized messages from both leaders to pass on to attendees, stressing the importance of the topics of discussion and supporting women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).</p> <p><strong>Tanya Kizovski</strong>, an earth sciences PhD student and one of the conference's presenters, will talk about a Martian meteorite and how it formed on Mars.</p> <p>“It’s all about looking for when there could have been habitable climates on Mars in terms of looking for life, which is the ultimate goal in terms of studying Mars,” she says.</p> <p>Kizovski says she is looking forward to participating in a conference that empowers women in science.</p> <p>“It's going to be great to learn from and hear from people who are not only in your field, but maybe have had the same or very similar experiences to you in a professional sense,” she says.</p> <p>With widespread accusations of sexual harassment and assault across many industries, and the rise of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, it has become clear that the STEM fields are no exception.</p> <p>The <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017JE005256/full">results of a survey published in 2017</a> show the widespread gender-based harassment taking place in astronomy and related fields, especially for women of colour. About 44 per cent of women say they have experienced verbal harassment based on their gender and 40 per cent of women of colour say they feel unsafe at work because of their gender.</p> <p>Mazrouei recognizes that the conference’s panel discussions about sexual harassment, LGBTQ+ issues and race “won’t solve everything. 
 They’re just 45-minute panels to get the discussion started with the hope people will carry on the talks and conversations when they go back to their institutions.”</p> <p><strong>Cailin Gallinger</strong>, an earth sciences master’s student, will be participating in a panel discussion about LGBTQ+ issues in STEM and hopes to have a meaningful conversation about how open people feel they can be about their sexuality in their discipline and about the importance of addressing intersectionality. &nbsp;</p> <p>When discussions like this take place at scientific conferences, they're&nbsp;usually attended only by a small group of people, Gallinger says. But she hopes this conference will expose a wider audience to different perspectives.</p> <p>“People who aren’t directly affected by these issues are able to come and listen to women and non-binary people talking about these issues and having a dialogue not just within themselves but with other people in these communities and STEM fields who otherwise are not likely to hear about or be able to talk about these issues,” Gallinger says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Mazrouei and her colleagues hope the conference will become an annual event and&nbsp;say&nbsp;Arizona State University&nbsp;has already offered to host it in 2019.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 16 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Romi Levine 129502 at U of T researchers discover 508-million-year-old worm /news/u-t-researchers-discover-508-million-year-old-worm <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T researchers discover 508-million-year-old worm</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-23-worm.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xYB4ccxG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-01-23-worm.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MifEMJZF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-01-23-worm.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7S_Dn3yS 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-23-worm.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xYB4ccxG" alt="bristle worm"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-01-23T16:14:34-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 16:14" class="datetime">Tue, 01/23/2018 - 16:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A new species of bristle worm, 'Kootenayscolex barbarensis', has been described for the first time from fossils found in the Marble Canyon site at the Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies (illustration by Danielle Dufault / ©Royal Ontario Museum)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-ecology-evolutionary-biology" hreflang="en">Department of Ecology &amp; Evolutionary Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/royal-ontario-museum" hreflang="en">Royal Ontario Museum</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A 508-million-year-old species of bristle worm, <em>Kootenayscolex barbarensis</em>, has been described for the first time from fossils found in the Marble Canyon site at the <a href="https://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca/">Burgess Shale</a> in the Canadian Rockies.</p> <p>The results, published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(17)31652-4"><em>Current Biology</em></a>, help&nbsp;explain the origin of the head in annelids, a highly diverse group of animals that includes modern-day leeches and earthworms.</p> <p>“While the diversity of annelids in terms of their anatomies and lifestyles makes them ecologically important and an evolutionarily interesting group to study, it also makes it difficult to piece together what the ancestral annelid may have looked like,” said lead author <strong>Karma Nanglu</strong>, who is a PhD candidate in the department of ecology &amp; evolutionary biology in U of T's Faculty of Arts &amp; Science&nbsp;and a researcher at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).</p> <h3><a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/508-old-bristle-worm-found-172141283.html">Read more at Yahoo News</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7352 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2018-01-23-bristle-worm-fossil.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>'Kootenayscolex barbarensis' is part of a group of animals called annelids (or the ‘ringed worms’). It had a pair of long sensory structures called palps on its head, with a small medial antenna between them. Its body was covered in fleshy appendages called parapodia which bear bristles called chaetae. These structures are used for movement&nbsp;(photo by&nbsp;Jean-Bernard Caron / © Royal Ontario Museum)</em></p> <p>Although annelids are found all over the world – from the bottoms of oceans and lakes to mountain glaciers – their early evolutionary history is confounded by a poor fossil record, with few species described from well-preserved body fossils near the evolutionary origins of the group.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/new-508-million-year-old-fossil-found-at-b-c-s-burgess-shale-1.3770255">Read more at CTV News</a></h3> <p>“While isolated pieces of annelid jaws and some mineralized tubes secreted by the animals are well known, preservation of their soft tissues is exceedingly rare,” said co-author <strong>Jean-Bernard Caron</strong>, an&nbsp;associate professor in the departments of ecology &amp; evolutionary biology and Earth sciences at U of T and a senior curator of invertebrate palaeontology at the ROM.</p> <p>“You need to look to truly exceptional fossil deposits like those found in the Burgess Shale to find well-preserved body fossils. Even then, they’re quite uncommon and many of the currently described species there are still poorly understood.”</p> <h3><a href="/news/find-a-story?query=burgess%20shale&amp;field_topic_tid=All&amp;date_filter%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=&amp;date_filter%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=">Read more about U of T research and researchers working in the Burgess Shale</a></h3> <p>One key feature of the new worm is the presence of hair-sized bristles on the head.</p> <p>“<em>Kootenayscolex</em> possesses paired bundles of hair-sized bristles spread along the body. This is one of the diagnostic features of this group of animals,” said Nanglu. “However, unlike any living forms, these bristles were also partially covering the head, more specifically surrounding the mouth.</p> <p>According to researchers, this new species seems to suggest that the annelid head evolved from posterior body segments which had pair bundles of bristles, a hypothesis supported by the developmental biology of many modern annelid species.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7353 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Nanglu.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 267px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">“The fine anatomical details preserved in <em>Kootenayscolex</em> allow us to infer not only its evolutionary position, but also its lifestyle, said Nanglu (left, at the Burgess Shale). “Sediment preserved inside their guts suggest that, much as their relatives do in modern ecosystems, these worms served an important role in the food chain by recycling organic material from the sediment back to other animals that preyed on them.”</p> <p>The new annelid’s species name,<em> barbarensis</em>, honours Barbara Polk Milstein, a ROM volunteer and long-time supporter of Burgess Shale research.</p> <p>“Though many species from the Cambrian Explosion possessed structures that were unlike their modern relatives, coupling new fossil discoveries such as <em>Kootenayscolex </em>with a deeper understanding of developmental processes presents a powerful tool for investigating these unique morphologies and, ultimately, the origin of modern animal diversity,” added Caron.</p> <p>Funding for the research was provided by the Royal Ontario Museum, the ÖŰżÚζSM and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The specimens of <em>Kootenayscolex </em>curated at the Royal Ontario Museum were collected under research and collection permits provided by Parks Canada.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 23 Jan 2018 21:14:34 +0000 ullahnor 127893 at Airing dirty laundry: Students develop new way to measure plastics released in environment while washing clothes /news/airing-dirty-laundry-students-develop-new-way-measure-plastics-released-environment-while <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Airing dirty laundry: Students develop new way to measure plastics released in environment while washing clothes</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-11-washingmachines-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3rthHdvf 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-01-11-washingmachines-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nfUcYMj5 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-01-11-washingmachines-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4e5j9gQr 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-11-washingmachines-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3rthHdvf" alt="Photo of washing machines"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-01-11T11:42:23-05:00" title="Thursday, January 11, 2018 - 11:42" class="datetime">Thu, 01/11/2018 - 11:42</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Andee Duncan via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/peter-boisseau" hreflang="en">Peter Boisseau</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-ecology-evolutionary-biology" hreflang="en">Department of Ecology &amp; Evolutionary Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/environment" hreflang="en">Environment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Two undergraduate students researching pollution have helped develop a new way to measure&nbsp;how much plastic is released into the environment from laundering clothes&nbsp;– which&nbsp;may be contributing to plastic pollution choking&nbsp;the world's oceans.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Hayley McIlwraith</strong> and <strong>Jack Lin</strong>, both second-year students, have been working on a Research Opportunity Program (ROP) project with <strong>Chelsea Rochman, </strong>an assistant professor in the department of ecology &amp; evolutionary biology, and <strong>Miriam Diamond,</strong> a professor in the department of&nbsp;Earth sciences, to study the effectiveness of two different kinds of contraptions meant to trap microplastic fibres in the washing machine.</p> <p>&nbsp;“It’s not easy to count fibres, so most people have measured contamination by weight, but what these students have done is develop a novel method for counting that we can use to project how many fibres are being released into the environment,” says Rochman.</p> <p>“We aim to publish our work to share our findings and new method, and we’ve also talked about writing a policy brief to share with people at Queen’s Park.”</p> <p>Plastic pollution is a huge environmental problem, with approximately eight million metric tonnes entering the oceans each year. How much of that is microfibres from laundering textiles has yet to be determined, Rochman notes, making the students’ work all the more important.</p> <p>Demonstrating the effectiveness of various mitigation technologies will inform government, industry and consumers. The hope is&nbsp;to make filters on washing machines standard, as they are in other parts of the world such as Japan.</p> <p>“If you scooped up a handful of water from Lake Ontario, it is likely that it would contain microfibres,” says Diamond.</p> <p>“I think what’s interesting about the project is that it has direct policy implications. There are concrete actions that can be taken by individuals, government and industry.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7269 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-01-11-plastics-resized2.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>From left,&nbsp; Professor Miriam Diamond, Hayley McIlwraith, Assistant Professor Chelsea Rochman and Jack Lin (photo by Diana Tyszko)</em></p> <p>The research being done by the students is part of a larger collaboration with federal and provincial departments, industry groups and <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/">the non-profit Ocean Conservancy</a>, which contributed funds to help buy a special washing machine to test the filters.</p> <p>Diamond says the broad partnership behind the research project increases the potential to move the results and findings from the university into a broader public forum.</p> <p>Using fleece blankets as a test material, the students developed a method to collect the fibres in the wash water in small samples and then count them to determine the total amount.</p> <p>“Instead of weighing the fibres – which doesn’t give an accurate amount – we put the samples on filter paper, took individual images and stitched them together, and then we counted the fibres in the overall image, giving us a count,” says Lin.</p> <p>“It’s really amazing to be part of something like this that will have a real life impact.”</p> <p>McIlwraith expected her second-year studies would involve reading textbooks and memorizing material, not collecting data and doing original research.</p> <p>“This is an experience I didn’t expect to have so soon, and I really love it. In class we have labs, but the methods are already established, and we just follow the instructions. To develop an experiment from scratch is really special.”</p> <p>The work being done by the students under this project demonstrates the opportunities available to undergraduates at the ÖŰżÚζSM, adds Rochman.</p> <p>“We have lots of different versions of ROP programs, and in the typical case, a student comes in and works with a grad student and follows a recipe. But Jack and Hayley have really led this project, and these opportunities exist for other students as well.”</p> <p><a href="http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/rop">Eligible students will have their next chance to participate</a> in the Research Opportunity Program when courses for the 2018 summer term and 2018-19 fall-winter terms are announced next month.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 11 Jan 2018 16:42:23 +0000 noreen.rasbach 127104 at Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announces $52.6 million for U of T scientists /news/foreign-affairs-minister-chrystia-freeland-announces-526-million-u-t-scientists <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announces $52.6 million for U of T scientists</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-08-freeland-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ok-VsrhB 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-08-freeland-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0O8hNdic 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-08-freeland-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Dl7WGorM 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-08-freeland-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ok-VsrhB" alt="Photo of Chrystia Freeland with U of T officials"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rasbachn</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-08T14:45:00-04:00" title="Friday, September 8, 2017 - 14:45" class="datetime">Fri, 09/08/2017 - 14:45</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> (From left) Elizabeth Boston of NSERC, Professor Miriam Diamond, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, U of T Vice-President of Research and Innovation Vivek Goel, and U of T President Meric Gertler (photo by Jennifer Robinson)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Jennifer Robinson</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/science" hreflang="en">Science</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The secret contaminants lurking in your home, from the water in the washing machine to the dust bunnies collecting under the bed, are providing an amazing wealth of information for <strong>Miriam Diamond</strong>, an earth sciences professor at the ÖŰżÚζSM.</p> <p>“We mop up literally what people are exposed to and then we try to find the sources of the chemicals, the pathways by which they move and ultimately human and ecological exposure,” she explained.</p> <p>These chemicals – like flame retardants and plasticizers from a sofa or computer – have been linked to a number of adverse health effects, including reduced fertility rates, as well as lower IQs and attention deficit disorder-like effects in children. Ultimately, Diamond says the purpose of her research is to find ways to lessen the exposure of Canadian households to these chemicals.</p> <p>Today she is one of almost 350 researchers at the ÖŰżÚζSM receiving $52.6 million in funding from the Canadian&nbsp;government through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).</p> <p>Their fields of research range from understanding how galaxies and planets form&nbsp;to making drinking water safer to improving deep neural networks, which are driving the global artificial intelligence boom.</p> <p>“I want to commend all of today’s recipients, particularly those at the ÖŰżÚζSM, who can use these funds to expand their research horizons,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who took a break from North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations to attend the funding announcement held today at U of T’s downtown Toronto campus.</p> <p>“By giving scientists the opportunity to pursue the answers to some of their most profound questions, our government is investing in a wealth of new knowledge and innovation that will help us build a bolder, brighter future for all people,” she added.</p> <p>The U of T funds are part of a larger $515-million announcement for fundamental research made earlier today in Victoria by the federal government.</p> <p>The funding, NSERC’s largest annual investment, provides researchers with financial support though scholarships, fellowships, research supplements and equipment grants.</p> <p>Although the federal funding announced today is substantial, it remains important for the federal government to act on all 35 of the recommendations made by the Canada’s Fundamental Science Review panel, said U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler.</strong><br> <br> <a href="/news/why-federal-budget-should-act-all-naylor-report-recommendations-u-t"><strong>Read more about U of T's position on the Naylor report</strong></a></p> <p>Public funding and support for science is vitally important to ensure the “brilliant women and men” at U of T can continue to explore “new horizons of discovery” in globally important areas of research, the president said.</p> <p>His comments were echoed by <strong>Vivek Goel</strong>, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation: “We’re extremely proud of the students and faculty who are among the recipients of this year’s NSERC grants. Not only are they current and future leaders in their fields, their research is also a major reason for why the ÖŰżÚζSM is consistently ranked one of the top research universities in the world.”</p> <p><b>&nbsp;</b>Diamond, who is a core member of the Canadian Chemical Management Plan Science Committee, said Canadians are concerned – and rightly so – about toxic chemicals and their health effects.</p> <p>“I believe basic research is important,” she said. “And I feel a responsibility to ensure my research speaks to issues that are of high importance to the public.”</p> <p>One of those issues is looking at our everyday laundry. Chemicals accumulate in our clothes, too, and some of these chemicals come off in the washing machine and then are carried into the outdoor environment from treated waste water along Lake Ontario. Other chemicals stay put in fabric, which is also a potential health concern.</p> <p>“It’s about looking at things in a new light that are literally right under our noses,” Diamond said with a laugh. “It comes from being a mom.”</p> <p>“That’s why discovery and advances in knowledge can’t be planned. That’s what research is – research is discovery,” she said. “The reason why so many Canadian researchers are effective in their fields of expertise is that the NSERC program provides us with relatively stable funding for exploration.”</p> <p>The federal funding is also making it possible for her to start work with a fellow researchers in Nigeria on the impact of e-waste – old electronics shipped as junk from North America and Europe – and the young children in Lagos who work to strip these old computers for reusable materials.</p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 08 Sep 2017 18:45:00 +0000 rasbachn 115092 at Noranda Earth Sciences Library /node/8499 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Noranda Earth Sciences Library</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-01-07T15:47:11-05:00" title="Thursday, January 7, 2016 - 15:47" class="datetime">Thu, 01/07/2016 - 15:47</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">URL</div> <div class="field__item">https://earth.library.utoronto.ca</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above clearfix"> <h3 class="field__label">Tags</h3> <ul class="links field__items"> <li><a href="/news/tags/noranda" hreflang="en">noranda</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/libraries" hreflang="en">Libraries</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/department-earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Department of Earth Sciences</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-campus field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Campus</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6953" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> </div> Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:47:11 +0000 sgupta 8499 at