{"id":49335,"date":"2018-02-13T16:57:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T21:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=49335"},"modified":"2021-04-16T08:48:24","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T12:48:24","slug":"student-research-highlighted-in-national-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2018\/02\/student-research-highlighted-in-national-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Student research highlighted in national competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Seven Brock University entries have made the first cut in a national competition that showcases science research being done across the country.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca\/ScienceAction\/index_eng.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Science, Action!<\/em><\/a> features student-produced, 60-second videos on research projects funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), one of Brock\u2019s major research funders. This year&#8217;s competition includes 75 entries from all over Canada.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_49336\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/VideoContest.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49336\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-seenandheard wp-image-49336\" src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/VideoContest-300x191.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-49336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictured front row from left: Taylor Lidster and Jina Nanayakkara. Middle row: Sarah Henderson, Dana Harris and Zakia Dahi. Back row: Brent Thorne; Joe Viscek and Matthew Mueller.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Between now and Friday, March 2, the 25-most viewed videos will make it to the next round, where a panel of judges will then select the Top 15 for prizes.<\/p>\n<p>Brock University\u2019s research videos are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o2Vg5Jxr8zM&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Cell Talk<\/strong><\/a> (Matthew Mueller, Biological Sciences)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7hx9B66gBZk&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>DNA: A Mobile Molecule<\/strong><\/a> (Zakia Dahi and Jina Nanayakkara, Biological Sciences)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=khPC-4R1q5Y&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jack Pine Growth, NT<\/strong><\/a> (Dana Harris, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fDeVyS2D-EQ&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Memory and Intent<\/strong><\/a> (Sarah Henderson, Psychology and Biological Sciences)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NEPInOo5J4I&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Old Crow&#8217;s New Arctic<\/strong><\/a> (Brent Thorne, Earth Sciences)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yT44MfGOaf4&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>On the fly<\/strong><\/a> (Taylor Lidster, Biological Sciences)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ct71h_ubZOY&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Wildfires of Yellowknife<\/strong><\/a> (Josef Viscek, Earth Sciences)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re very proud of our students\u2019 videos in the NSERC national competition,\u201d says Brock Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon. \u201cThe quality and number of Brock entries attest to the talent and ambition of our students, and the central role that research plays in their education. It also indicates the strength of the research mentorship they receive from Brock faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here are more details of the videos:<\/p>\n<p><em>Cell Talk<\/em>, by Matthew Mueller, says that the root cause of several diseases today is a disruption in communication between cells and examines the language that cells use to talk to one another, and how this changes in diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s and cancer.\u00a0\u201cIt can sometimes be a challenge to share my research with others in an understandable way. For me, this competition means that more people can simply see and understand what I do at the lab and why it is important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o2Vg5Jxr8zM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>DNA: A Mobile Molecule<\/em>, by Zakia Dahi and Jina Nanayakkara, explores how DNA sequences that move around \u2013 called jumping genes&#8221; \u2013 copy and paste themselves into different parts of our genomes. The research aims to understand how \u201cjumping genes\u201d have led to human variation and disease. \u201cHighlighting our work through a short video in this competition has helped\u00a0us to get our family &amp; friends excited about what we do,&#8221; says Nanayakkara.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7hx9B66gBZk\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>Jack Pine Growth<\/em>, NT, by Dana Harris, shows the role of weather on the production of cells (xylogenesis) of jack pine in the taiga shield of the boreal forest. The aim of this research is to better understand cell production rates of jack pine in high latitude regions of Canada and define the climate-growth relationship of this species. \u201cBeing able to share my research across Canada in a simple short 60 second video is amazing, especially to the residents of the northern regions I work in; I I have already received feedback from community members who are looking forward to hearing more about what research is taking place in these regions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/khPC-4R1q5Y\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>Memory and Intent,<\/em> by Sarah Henderson, explores how we experience both spontaneous and intentional memories as we age. In investigating the brain activity associated with both types of recall, we are hoping to counter common stereotypes of aging by\u00a0showing that some aspects of memory are preserved with age. \u201cHaving my research be a part of NSERC&#8217;s Science Action contest is hugely important to me because it will allow me to get people thinking of aging in a more positive light which has been shown to promote positive mental and physical health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fDeVyS2D-EQ\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Old Crow&#8217;s New Arctic<\/em>, by Brent Thorne, shows the impacts that land cover (ie vegetation, soil, and permafrost) have on lake and river water chemistry in Old Crow Flats, Yukon. This research is crucial for understanding how lake rich Arctic regions will continue to change in response to longer warming periods as well as providing key insights to the local Vuntut Gwitchin community who live off of the land. \u201cThis competition provides my research an opportunity to increase resources spent on acquiring larger datasets which ultimately provide better insight on our study region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NEPInOo5J4I\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>On the fly<\/em>, by Taylor Lidster, shows how the fruit fly is used to study inflammation in the gut. The researchers use genetic techniques and microscopy to see any changes in the gut environment, good or bad. \u201cHaving my video in the top 75 is extremely exciting because I am proud of my research and I enjoy explaining it to others, making it in the top 25 would be nothing short of amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yT44MfGOaf4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<em>Wildfires of Yellowknife<\/em>, by Joe Viscek, focuses on the Yellowknife, Northwest Territories region\u2019s increasing wildfires in recent decades. The research involves monitoring how wildfire and drought conditions may be impacting the hydrology of northern boreal lakes. \u201cThe NSERC video contest is a great opportunity for us to showcase our Brock scientific research in an informative, one-minute promo that everyone can understand and appreciate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ct71h_ubZOY\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seven Brock University entries have made the first cut in a national competition that showcases science research being done across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":49337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36,39,40,7,3319,188,55,37,41,1,4,5,38],"tags":[6291,49,150,296,884,522,68,4703,4201,3187,9749,4999,6292],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49335"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49335"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71719,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49335\/revisions\/71719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}