Media releases

• Game-changing quantum research to revolutionize communication security

  Monday, April 06, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — APRIL 6, 2026 — R0034

  Information is travelling faster than ever before, connecting people across the globe at the touch of a button with the help of fibre optic cables spanning the ocean floor.  

  While the expansive systems that make the internet possible have grown in efficiency with time, security risks continue to leave sensitive data vulnerable — an issue Jianbo Gao is determined to solve. 

  The Brock University Associate Professor of Chemistry aims to address this pressing global challenge through groundbreaking research that will transform fibre optic cables into a next-generation communication technology that is ultra-secure, intelligent and capable of lightspeed global connectivity. 

  Gao is conducting this research through a collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) under the Internet of Things: Quantum Sensors Challenge program.

  The initiative connects NRC scientists with experts in universities to develop sensors for next-generation technologies. Gao — an expert in quantum materials — was awarded more than $575,000 to conduct this work. 

  Gao makes quantum dots, or lab-manufactured nanocrystals, that act as semiconductors by allowing electricity to flow and converting light into current. These dots can be used in a wide array of objects, such as solar panels. 

  In this latest research, Gao and his team are using quantum dots to make photosensing chips that will be integrated into fibre optic cables.  

  The researchers will cover the chips in a black coating that will allow them to pick up all wavelengths of light. 

  This increased amount of light, in turn, is converted to electrical signals that will “facilitate secure, reliable, lightspeed transmission of communication over long distances,” says Gao.

  “Robust communication security and cybersecurity are fundamental to our lives,” he says. “The leakage of sensitive financial information, such as credit card, banking and cryptocurrency data, can result in substantial economic and societal consequences.” 

  Current information communication uses signals that are like a heavy rainfall, Gao says. A portion of the signal, like water, can be disrupted without anyone noticing, since plenty of signal remains. In contrast, photosensing chips use and detect extremely weak signals — down to single photons — which operate more like sending one raindrop at a time. If someone tries to intercept the signal, they cannot take just a small portion without affecting it, he says. This disturbance is immediately noticeable from the receiver, making any eavesdropping attempt detectable. 

  Gao and his team are using innovative laser equipment in their Ultrafast Photophysics of Quantum Materials Lab to carry out their research.

  “This partnership strengthens Dr. Gao’s immense expertise, talent and drive for creating innovations to advance the world’s leading-edge technologies,” says Brock Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon.  “Brock University’s partnership with the NRC positions the University to play a unique role in advancing quantum technology, a transformative frontier comparable to the steam engine and electricity revolutions.” 

  Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, said the partnership with the NRC “showcases the incredible innovation taking place at Brock University and right here in Niagara.”

  “By working with the National Research Council, researchers are helping position Canada at the forefront of quantum technology, developing solutions that will strengthen communication security and support a more connected, resilient future.” 

   

   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

• Niagara children share realities of homelessness through Brock research

  Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — March 31, 2026 — R0033 

  For children, experiencing homelessness is about much more than losing the roof over their head. 

  It’s about saying goodbye to beloved pets. Changing schools mid-semester. And leaving behind a cherished toy that provides comfort when times get hard — often at a time when it is needed most. 

  These are some of the many challenges expressed by Niagara children who’ve shared insight into shelter living while participating in a research collaboration between Brock University and YWCA Niagara Region.

  The multi-year project, which saw Brock researchers connect with shelter residents aged five to 14 in an after-school program at the YWCA Niagara Region, led to the development of a report that was presented during a launch event at Brock on Tuesday, March 31. 

  “Children’s Experiences of Homelessness in Shelter Living” shares the stories of unidentified Niagara children experiencing homelessness while outlining recommendations, based on their insights, to enhance supports and meet their needs. The report was presented at the event by Professors of Child and Youth Studies Rebecca Raby and Christine Tardif-Williams alongside PhD students Erika Alegria and Frederick Oppong. 

  Brock researchers were joined by community experts from Niagara Regional Native Centre, YWCA Niagara Region, The Hope Centre and Second Story Community Homes and Services for the presentation and a panel discussion on children’s experiences, one of the least talked-about aspects of homelessness.

  From the start of the project, born from Brock’s Memorandum of Understanding with the YWCA, the driving factor was letting children speak for themselves.

  “Working with a really sensitive population, we wanted to make sure we could hear from children about their experiences,” says Raby. “We can’t always filter that through adult voices commenting on what the children are experiencing. We wanted to hear from the children directly in a way that was respectful, ethical, inclusive and on their own terms.” 

  Getting to know the children and their interests helped the researchers develop activities that encouraged them to share, such as designing a dream house to highlight what children missed about stable housing or art projects to help them talk about what was going well in their lives and what was not.  

  What emerged from the research were several themes around the challenges of shelter living, as well as overall difficulties related to family homelessness.

  But the research also highlighted strengths children frequently displayed while operating within the cohesive and predictable environment of the after-school program.

  “I was struck by how active the children were in building relationships, especially with each other in the after-school program. But they also talked with us about relationships with siblings, community members, people in the neighbourhood, people who weren’t part of the program, animals and virtual gamer friends,” says Tardif-Williams. “They actively engage in trying to build those relationships in multiple ways with different people.” 

  While the report acknowledges the need for widescale structural change, an increase in initiatives to alleviate homelessness and improved funding, it also provides recommendations to nurture children’s strengths and resiliency and to help meet their needs. 

  The report recommends shelters offer consistent, age-appropriate programming as well as computer access; consider strategies to facilitate pet-keeping or encourage interactions with therapy animals; and introduce strategies to address the stigma children report experiencing, even at a very young age. 

  For YWCA Niagara Region Executive Director Elisabeth Zimmermann, the report emphasizes the need for everyone in the community — from educators to policy-makers — to appreciate the experiences of children living in shelters and to recognize that the issue of family homelessness needs to be viewed through its own lens. 

  “When we think about homelessness, we don’t think about the fact that it’s affecting children,” she says. “The launch of this report is so important for us from our organization’s standpoint because we want to start a broader community conversation on how we support children in this experience.”

  
  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