Impact of Production Method on Metal Content in Sparkling Wines<\/a>, highlighted her current thesis research on the Maillard reaction. Focusing on the Niagara region, the goal of this portion of her research is to establish the metal ion composition of commercially available sparkling wine. Metals in wine play important roles in flavour, stability and fermentation, and can be used as a regional \u201csignature\u201d based on the metals originating in the vineyard soil. This is part of a larger Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council\u00a0of Canada (NSERC)-funded research program.<\/p>\nWendy Ward, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, offered her congratulations for Charnock\u2019s achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so proud of Hannah for using the recent COVID-19 quarantine to build new skills and find ways to share her research,\u201d she says. \u201cHannah\u2019s project is a shining example of the high quality of research being conducted by our graduate students. That this research can benefit many stakeholders in the Niagara region and beyond is also impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charnock is an MSc candidate in Biological Sciences and is completing her research under the supervision of grape and wine experts at Brock\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institutive (CCOVI). Belinda Kemp, CCOVI Senior Oenologist and adjunct professor in Biological Sciences, and Gary Pickering, CCOVI Researcher and Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology, are her co-supervisors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are extremely proud of Hannah’s achievement,\u201d says Kemp. \u201cShe put so much work into learning new skills and much thought into the audience she was presenting her research results to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charnock\u2019s ability to remotely convey her research in an accessible and interesting format also highlights opportunities to better use video for future elements of the research process, Kemp added.<\/p>\n
Charnock welcomed the opportunity adapt to changing times and share her work in a new way\u2014while also learning to use video editing software for the very first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis competition facilitated an opportunity to present my research, learn a new medium, and build conference presentation experience,\u201d she says. \u201cI learned valuable skills about how to improve the accessibility of conference presentations and scientific research as a whole\u2014a lesson that I am hopeful will be a positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially within academia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charnock hopes she will be able to attend the conference in person next year, however, and looks forward to presenting more of her findings to an international audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recognition of this research is so rewarding, and I hope that it encourages the grape and wine industry to keep an eye out for future publications from our lab group,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n