Western University Appoints Six New Canada Research Chairs

It comes as no surprise that Western music professor adam patrick bell’s office is full of musical instruments, like the mandolin resting on top of an organ, or the electronic drum kit hooked up to headphones so he can play without the sound reverberating through the fourth floor of Talbot College.  

But one of the most meaningful pieces in his office isn’t an instrument; it’s a brightly coloured painting featuring two men playing guitar. The canvas was a gift from a client-turned-friend who inspired bell’s passion for making music inclusive. 

That spark grew into a body of work that’s propelled bell to a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Music, Inclusion and Accessibility, one of six Western professors named to the prestigious program on March 13.

The multi-million dollar investment recognizes some of “the world’s most accomplished and promising minds.”

“I’m feeling really grateful because Western’s music education department is one of the best in the world, and I get this rare privilege to focus on researching pressing issues in my field. I am also a bit nervous and anxious, but in a good way; like before playing a concert, I feel ready to embrace the opportunity because I’ve prepared for it,” bell said of his CRC. 

He is the first CRC in music to be named at Western.

The drummer and guitarist will share approaches to stamp out ableism in the design, development and teaching of music education. 

He’s building the Western Accessible Instruments Lab, which will facilitate the design of customized musical instruments for those with disabilities and provide space for “meeting and music making.” Influenced by the Drake Music Lab, or DMLab, a not-for-profit organization in the U.K., the Western lab will give others the opportunity to explore music the way bell helped his client do years ago. 

It all began in his 20s, when bell worked and volunteered for Community Living, a social support agency serving people with disabilities, in Owen Sound and Kingston.

“I started working with one man who was into music and wanted to play guitar. We started looking into guitar modifications to make it work for him. That was the beginning,” bell said. 

The Western Accessible Instruments Lab is in the early stages. The first step is ordering accessible furniture to design a space without barriers. Then a small collection of accessible instruments designed to be inclusive of musicians with disabilities will be purchased to allow for hands-on workshops with music teachers and community members. 

“The big thing is that you can talk about stuff, but it’s more meaningful to try it out. We want people to be able to experience it,” bell said. 

His work is collaborative, with researchers in other fields including computer science, education and social work. Disability arts organizations are also at the centre of the work. Teamwork is essential for this research, bell stressed. 

“Together, we aim to do three things: make accessible instruments, mentor accessible music-making communities, and manifest disability perspectives on access to music-making.” 

Katarina Grolinger, Faculty of Engineering
CRC in Engineering Applications of Machine Learning 

Make life better by making systems smarter. That’s the bottom line for the research engineering professor Katarina Grolinger is championing: responsible machine learning that can be used in large-scale smart systems such as smart cities or smart manufacturing. Those holistic solutions will leverage the vast amount of available data to continuously learn, adapt to their environments and improve.  

“My research envisions next-generation machine learning systems that can be applied to a variety of engineering problems, from smart cities to wearable devices. We aim to break the barriers to the wider use of machine learning in engineering and deliver social benefits and economic opportunities through responsible machine learning,” Grolinger said. 

Her goals include better management of resources, improved infrastructure design and more sustainable practices. 

She called the CRC appointment “an incredibly exhilarating moment.”  

“It is a recognition not only of my past contributions but also a testament to the potential for future advancements in this field. I am deeply honored to receive such acknowledgment and excited about the opportunity to further explore the intersection of engineering and machine learning,” she said. 

“The responsibility that accompanies this role is immense, but it is also a source of motivation to push the boundaries of research and innovation.” 

 

Yanping Li, Faculty of Science
CRC in Climate Change Risk and Resilience 

Professor Yanping Li, who specializes in physics and Earth sciences, will develop an advanced numerical simulation system to investigate connections between climate change, extreme weather events leading to disasters and their impacts on agriculture and ecosystems. 

This system will feature an advanced model capable of providing realistic representations of climate physics and various ecosystems. It will enable detailed analysis of crop systems, agricultural strategies, and the interactions among different systems.

“My goal is to mitigate climate change risks and enhance ecosystem resilience by researching the physical sciences of climate change and sustainability,” Li said.

Li’s research aims to achieve a level of detail unprecedented over such a large geographic area. By integrating her numerical simulation program with existing Earth system models – which simulate physical, chemical and biological processes from the atmosphere, ocean, land, ice and biosphere to show the state of the climate – she seeks to enhance the accuracy of model-based decision-making processes. 

“By addressing the response of the Earth system to pivotal climate changes that influence decision-making processes, I aspire to contribute to solving sustainability and resilience challenges.”

Li’s joint appointment between the department of physics and astronomy and the department of Earth sciences will facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations. The research will bridge the gap between the scientific community and decision makers. The study’s outcomes are expected to have significant implications for disaster mitigation, water resource management, food security, ecosystem sustainability, and economic considerations. 

 

Lindsay Nagamatsu, Faculty of Health Sciences
CRC in Activity for Brain Health and Aging 

Imagine a personalized exercise prescription to help you age well.

Kinesiology professor Lindsay Nagamatsu, director of the Exercise, Mobility and Brain Health Lab at Western, studies lifestyle interventions – specifically physical activity – to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia in older adults.  

The research about how to age healthily is crucial, because using the benefits of exercise to boost quality of life and independence can help older adults – the fastest growing demographic worldwide – reduce illness and death.  

So, how exactly does physical activity alter brain health, and do the benefits change depending on gender, health conditions and other factors? 

Nagamatsu will investigate the relationship between mobility and cognitive health, probing the specific mechanisms by which exercise impacts brain structure and function. 

“My research will progress the field towards personalized exercise prescriptions that will provide older adults with clear guidelines on the type, intensity, and duration of exercise that will give them the best results for promoting brain health,” Nagamatsu said. 

“Through this work, I hope to transform aging for older adults in Canada and beyond by setting the stage for future prevention and treatment strategies.” 

 

Angela Roberts, Faculty of Science & Faculty of Health Sciences
CRC in Data Analytics and Digital Health in Cognitive Aging and Dementia 

It was risky and out-of-the-box to study the full spectrum of aging – from patients with neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to typically aging people to “SuperAgers” with “robust memory abilities” – when Angela Roberts began doing it. It was the same story investigating biomarkers in speech and language that sometimes showed up for patients even before physical. 

Now named a CRC, the health sciences professor said the appointment feels a bit like affirmation. It legitimized her unique work and ability to think beyond boundaries. 

“When I look at my fellow research chairs at Western, I’m so proud. I think all research chairs share that vision and ability to see patterns and experiences and phenomena that others may not, and then put really robust science behind it. We are all patient, persistent and resilient – if we weren’t, we would have given up on these ideas long ago, for all the times people told us, ‘Why are you doing this?’” 

Her research aims to improve cognitive aging outcomes by using digital health technologies to study real-world behaviours in daily life. Roberts expressed immense gratitude to those upon whom her research is based.  

“We’re just revealing what people who live this journey every day actually know. People who are aging, and their families, have to be at the centre of it. Without their inspiration, belief and support, it just doesn’t happen. For my work and how I do my work, they carry this research chair.” 

 

Ayan Sadhu, Faculty of Engineering
CRC in Smart and Sustainable Civil Infrastructure 

Drones, robots and cameras. Virtual reality or augmented reality and laser light scanners. High-tech tools and AI are all part of the “smart” and cost-effective infrastructure inspection system being designed by engineering professor Ayan Sadhu. 

As director of the Smart Cities and Communities Laboratory at Western, Sadhu wants to level up new and aging civic assets with a ‘4R’ monitoring system that is rapid, remote, real-time and robust. The research could transform construction and maintenance work for important infrastructure by ensuring those structures are more sustainable and resilient amid modern challenges like worsening natural disasters and a growing population. 

“This recognition and opportunity will help my research team and me to undertake cutting-edge research and solve the grand challenges of the next-generation smart, civil infrastructure of our society, positioning Canada at the forefront of global asset management,” Sadhu said.  

He intends to deploy modern technology to meet the needs of industry and society. 

“The proposed technology will revolutionize our capacity to protect aging infrastructure, make them more resilient against natural disasters, and keep them sustainable during their entire lifespan in today’s world.”