Articles by author: Brock University

• Cybersecurity, extreme heat research given federal funding boost

  Friday, October 10, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – OCTOBER 10, 2025 – R0118

  Brock University researchers are accelerating their efforts to address pressing social challenges thanks to a federal funding boost.

  Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Glaucio Haroldo Silva de Carvalho and Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel have received more than $120,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

  Announced Friday, Oct. 10, the investment by the Government of Canada through CFI supports research infrastructure, such as lab equipment.

  “We are very grateful for CFI’s support, which enables Brock researchers to take their work to the next level,” says Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon. “Dr. de Carvalho and Dr. Mündel’s research addresses critical problems that arise for people and institutions around the world.”

  In his Cybersecurity and Critical Intelligent Infrastructure (C²I²) Lab, Silva de Carvalho and his team aim to strengthen the resilience of digital infrastructure across Canada through research and education.

  “Through hands-on learning and applied research projects in the C²I² Lab we can increase students’ readiness to meet the growing Canadian and global demand for cybersecurity professionals,” says Carvalho.

  With the JELF funding, the team will leverage advanced computing resources to conduct simulations that mimic critical infrastructure environments, such as intelligent transportation systems. They will also develop artificial intelligence models to advance their research.

  Carvalho, Associate Professor of Computer Science Robson de Grande and their students have also established industry collaborations to address cybersecurity challenges in critical infrastructure, such as assessing vulnerabilities and detecting attacks. These systems keep sectors such as telecommunications and transportation operating safely and efficiently.

  Mündel’s JELF funding will be used to advance his research on the health impacts of extreme temperatures.

  The Canada Research Chair in Extreme Human Environments studies how heat affects women’s physiology, examines who might be at greater risk of heat stroke or other vulnerabilities to the heat, and explores technologies, such as wearable sensors, to protect the body against extreme heat.

  Central to Mündel’s research is the thermoregulation system, which includes sweat glands, the circulatory system, skin and a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus. He specializes in studying how estrogen and progesterone, the primary ovarian hormones in women of reproductive age, affect responses and adaptation to heat.

  Part of his research involves analyzing participants’ blood samples. In some cases, this analysis can happen a year after being collected. The JELF funding will enable Mündel to purchase a microplate washer and reader and an ultra-low temperature freezer to do this work.

  Mündel will also acquire a metabolic cart, which is used to measure the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in research participants’ breath while under heat stress. This gives a good indication of their metabolism in hot conditions, he says.

  “This current infrastructure fund completes my Exercise and Environmental Physiology Laboratory, a vital part of operationalizing my research at Brock,” he says. “My trainees and I can now forge ahead with projects aimed at understanding and protecting an underrepresented group — women — from heat stress.”

  Mündel’s and de Carvalho’s research build on key government areas of concern, says Member of Parliament for St. Catharines Chris Bittle.

  “The destructive impacts of cyberattacks and climate change continue to be felt in Canada’s communities and around the world,” says Bittle. “Dr. Mündel and Dr. de Carvalho’s research projects are aimed at fostering Canadians’ health, well-being and security in the midst of these challenges.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

   – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases

• Walking soccer: Brock experts on a new way to play the beautiful game

  Thursday, October 09, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY – OCTOBER 9, 2025 – R0117

  A group of Canadian seniors will be hitting the pitch this month to play the game they love on the global stage — albeit at a slightly modified pace.

  The sport? Walking soccer.

  In this version of the game, being played at the upcoming 2025 Federation of International Walking Football Associations’ (FIWFA) World Nations Cup in Spain, it’s against the rules to run, jog, push, tackle from behind or have the ball travel higher than players’ heads.

  Although walking soccer is slower paced than its running equivalent, Brock University Associate Professor of Kinesiology Sean Locke says the sport is no stroll in the park.

  “If you’ve ever seen speed walking as an Olympic event, that’s similar to what some of the players are doing,” he says. “Even recreational leagues are faster paced and more competitive than you might expect.”

  He says the walking version of soccer has been modified to accommodate changes to older adults’ cardiovascular system, breathing capacity, movement of joints and other body functions, making the sport more accessible.

  Alterations to mainstream sports should be fun, he says, but “still preserve the essence of the game,” especially for those who previously played soccer but couldn’t continue for different reasons.

  That was the case for retired Brock Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film Nicolas Baxter-Moore, who had given up his involvement in soccer following multiple knee surgeries. He then discovered walking soccer in 2023 and will now join Team Canada at the World Nations Cup beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

  A modified mainstream sport could also attract people who might otherwise feel too intimidated to join in, says Associate Professor of Sport Management Michele Donnelly.

  She says most adult sport leagues assume players have previous experience, relevant skills and knowledge about the rules of the sport, which makes it challenging for those without this background to play.

  “In a ‘new’ sport such as this, all players start with the same amount of experience; that is, everybody is new or has limited experience, even if they have previously played soccer or other sports,” says Donnelly. “When everybody is learning together, a sport can feel more accessible for adults who have limited sport experience.”

  She says the rules of walking soccer make it possible for more players on the field to be actively involved, building a sense of teamwork.

  Social connection is particularly important for older adults, especially those who experience loneliness or social isolation, says Professor of Kinesiology Kimberley Gammage.

  In addition to boosting mental and physical health, sports can help older adults cope with the loss of muscle mass and strength, weight gain, decreased balance and mobility, and other age-related changes, she says.

  “Playing a sport like walking soccer helps people focus on the function of their bodies, rather than appearance, which is a critical aspect of positive body image and learning to appreciate what your body can do,” says Gammage.

  Brock University Associate Professor of Kinesiology Sean Locke, Associate Professor of Sport Management Michele Donnelly and Professor of Kinesiology Kimberley Gammage are available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases