Monday, March 3, 2025

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• Changes to campus cleaning protocols
• Prof uses Artificial Intelligence for on-the-spot cancer diagnosis platform
• Campus Wellness welcomes Indigenous staff
• ENS system will be tested tomorrow
• Senate meets today as the notes March on

Changes to campus cleaning protocols

A message from Plant Operations.

As a result of the ongoing efficiency review within Plant Operations and to align services to support ongoing operating budget reductions, the custodial team will be adjusting cleaning frequencies throughout campus. Cleaning priorities will be determined based on need, ensuring that essential areas receive appropriate attention while optimizing our operational capacities. Cleaning frequency reductions will primarily impact offices and classrooms, while high-traffic and student-centric areas will continue to receive regular attention to provide a safe and clean environment with the resources available.

We appreciate the understanding and cooperation from our campus partners as we navigate these new schedules. Any concerns can be submitted as a work request or by email at pltops.maintenance@uwaterloo.ca.

Prof uses Artificial Intelligence for on-the-spot cancer diagnosis platform

By Elizabeth Kleisath. This article was originally published on the Faculty of Science website.

This year, approximately 3,300 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their brain or spine. Of these patients, 79 per cent will die from their central nervous system (CNS) cancers, due to the limitations of our current treatment options. Dr. Scott Hopkins, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo, is working to improve these survival rates.

CNS cancers include many different types of tumours. In current treatment methods, patients undergo neurosurgery to remove the tumour, which is then sent for post-operative analysis to determine the tumor type. However, different types of CNS cancers have individual surgical guidelines based on how aggressive they are. This means that during this initial surgery, doctors do not know which guidelines to follow to balance removing the tumour and preserving all the healthy tissue, and patients must then undergo multiple neurological surgeries to meet the treatment guidelines.

Hopkins, in partnership with collaborators at Princess Margaret Hospital, is developing a new diagnostic tool that can identify the CNS cancer type in just 10 seconds. With this short time frame, it could be used mid-surgery to provide surgeons with accurate information. Their project has just been selected as the winner of the Cancer Digital Intelligence (CDI) Grand Challenge: Responsible Artificial Intelligence, and the team has been awarded $250,000 in resources to implement this project.

“This is a really exciting new technology that will provide surgeons and pathologists with real-time diagnostic feedback during surgeries,” says Hopkins. “Our hope is that one day the AI-driven PIRL-MS technology will improve cancer patient outcomes across Canada.”

Hopkins will collaborate with Dr. Arash Zarrine-Afsar, co-inventor of the picosecond infrared laser mass spectrometry (PIRL-MS) diagnostic tool, to develop an AI that identifies biomarkers specific to a variety of cancers. For example, PIRL-MS can obtain a “fingerprint” of fatty compounds known as lipids in the tumor mass, which are altered in cancer patients and are thus biomarkers of the disease. These fingerprints are then compared to known tumour samples for identification. This process itself is not new—researchers can currently differentiate cancers with 95 per cent accuracy—however, for use in clinical settings, the accuracy must be improved to over 98 per cent.

Hopkins is improving the accuracy by integrating machine learning into PIRL-MS. By developing a new classification model for CNS cancers, the artificial intelligence can help manage the complex datasets, provide insights into rare cancer types, and use decision tree relationships to diagnose the cancer type and provide accurate treatment recommendations.

The team’s proof-of-principle has already provided diagnosis for 156 brain cancer specimens, and the team is curating their extensive library of over 21,000 cancer “fingerprints” for integration into new machine learning algorithms.

“We are grateful for the support from Cancer Digital Intelligence,” says Hopkins. “Leveraging the power of AI with the fast and accurate molecular fingerprinting afforded by PIRL-MS will transform our ability to treat brain cancer.”

This innovation in biomedical technology seeks to meaningfully improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase healthcare equity by enabling more accurate diagnosis which can lead to single-surgery care and tailored treatments.For those inspired to contribute to this crucial work or other cutting-edge advances in health research currently being pursued in the Faculty of Science, we invite you to connect with the Director of Science Advancement to learn how your generosity can make a meaningful impact. Philanthropic support is transformative in advancing scientific research and enabling groundbreaking discoveries that can change lives.​

Campus Wellness welcomes Indigenous staff

A message from Campus Wellness and the Office of Indigenous Relations.

Campus Wellness and the Office of Indigenous Relations held a special celebration on February 10 in the Health Services building marking the welcoming of two new Indigenous staff members: Dr. Sarah Connors, Indigenous Naturopath, and Brad LeBarron, Indigenous Student Wellness Navigator.

The gathering featured remarks including the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address by Dakota Rohrer and a Mi’kmaq welcome song performed by Melissa Ireland, Ryan Dwight MacTavish, and Wanda Kidd. Those in attendance enjoyed refreshments, mingling, and a ‘meet and greet’ with Sarah and Brad.

Both Sarah and Brad bring unique perspectives and an unwavering commitment to enhancing wellness and advancing reconciliation on our campus. Their presence represents a meaningful step forward in creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for our students, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will undoubtedly have on our campus community.

Details about the services Dr. Sarah provides can be found on the Student Medical Clinic landing page. Students can book an appointment with Dr. Sarah by calling Campus Wellness at 519-888-4096 and selecting ‘1’ for Health Services, or by visiting the Health Services building to schedule at the reception counter. Brad will be focusing on supporting Indigenous students through cultural teachings, wellness programming, and resources.

Students can get in touch with Brad by calling Campus Wellness at 519-888-4096 and selecting ‘2’ for Counselling Services, or by visiting Counselling Services to schedule at the reception counter.

ENS system will be tested tomorrow

On Tuesday, March 4, the emergency notification system (ENS) provided by Regroup will be tested on a campus-wide basis.

The test will include the following communications channels:

• SMS/text
• Email
• X (formerly Twitter)
• Regroup Mobile (safety app)
• Desktop Alert

Please ensure that you have:

1. downloaded Regroup Mobile to your device and follow the login and recommended settings steps,
2. ensured your cell phone number is up to date either in the app if you are staff, or in Quest if you are a student,
3. downloaded and installed the Desktop Alert tool onto your computer if your computer is not managed by the University.

If you have any questions about the upcoming test, or about how to make sure Regroup’s app and desktop alert are installed properly on your devices, email ens@uwaterloo.ca.

​Senate meets today as the notes March on

The University's Senate meets today at 3:30 p.m. in NH 3407 and online. Among the many, many agenda items:

• A motion to approve major modifications to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Planning – Water, MA in Geography, MES in Geography, MSc in Geography, PhD in Geography, MES in Sustainability Management effective 1 May 2025;
• A motion to approve major modifications to the PhD in Public Health Sciences and Master of Health Informatics (MHI), effective 1 May 2025;
• A motion to approve major modifications to the PhD and MSc in Biology Graduate research fields, effective 1 May 2025;
• A motion to  approve  major modifications for Conrad Grebel University College, including retiring two specializations and creating three new specializations, as part of a larger program revision, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve major modifications for the Department of Fine Arts: Three-Year General Visual Culture, Honours Visual Culture, and Visual Culture in a Global Context Minor, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the deletion of the Digital & Public History Specialization, and major plan modifications for the International Studies Minor, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the major plan modifications to the Financial Leadership Specialization, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve  regulation changes for the Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements, Assessments: Scheduling Parameters, and Arts: Courses and Classes, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the new Diploma in Society, Technology and Values, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve two new specializations and major plan modifications within Environmental Engineering, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the regulation changes for Averages and Academic Standings, and Courses and Classes for the Faculty of Engineering, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve two new plans for the Knowledge Integration Diploma and Sustainable Finance Specialization, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve major modifications to the Applied Mathematics with Scientific Computing and Scientific Machine Learning (Bachelor of Mathematics - Honours) and new CS-Game Design Specialization, effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the new Ecology and Environmental Biology Option for the Bachelor of Science (Science), effective September 1, 2025;
• A motion to approve the requirement of the inclusion of course materials costs directly into course outlines;
• A motion to approve the list of required and recommended elements to be included in a course outline;
• A motion to approve an update to the boilerplate text for Accessibility and Mental Health Supports;
• A motion to give second reading to amendments to Senate Bylaws 1, 2, and 3, and, to approve that the current governance year be extended to end on August 31, 2025 to facilitate a transition year, and, to approve the extension of the terms of elected senators and of members of Senate committees and councils to be congruent with the revised year, as appropriate, with all approvals subject to final approval of the proposed bylaw amendments by Senate;
• A motion to amend section 4.7 of the Guidelines for Visitors to Senate Meetings;
• A motion to delegate its authority to the Secretary of Senate for the execution and approval of editorial amendments to Senate bylaws and to Senate-approved guidelines for a fixed period from the date of approval to March 31, 2026 inclusive; and, that for all such amendments executed by the Secretary of Senate there shall be a report made to the next Senate meeting; and, that Senate reserves its authority to rescind amendments so executed through majority vote at a properly constituted meeting; and
• A motion to appoint the COU Academic Colleague 2025-28.

Senate will also receive a report on the 2025-2026 Senate election results, Co-operative and Experiential Education's annual reportand an update on policy activity. The presidents of the faculty association, WUSA and the GSA will also give annual reports.

The full agenda and background package, which clocks in at a hefty 428 pages, is available on the Secretariat's website.

With Ash Wednesday just around the corner, St. Jerome's University has announced that it will be offering a full mass with the distribution of ashes beginning at 12:15 p.m. in the Notre Dame Chapel on the ground level of SJ1. "All students, staff and faculty across the greater University are welcome to attend," writes Director of Campus Ministry Sean Hayes. "The service should conclude around 1:00 p.m."

Are you a woman or non-binary-identifying individual passionate about research partnerships, commercialization, or entrepreneurship? Or simply curious to dive into these fields? "In celebration of Women's History Month, the Inclusive Innovation team is thrilled to invite you to the brand-new Moving Forward Together mentorship program, running from March 17 to March 25," says a note from the Inclusive Innovation Team. "This is your opportunity to connect with like-minded colleagues and leaders in commercialization, entrepreneurship, and research partnerships."

The program is available to staff, faculty, student, and other Waterloo-affiliated community members. Note that this cohort is limited to 15 to 20 people. Register online. The deadline to register is Friday, March 7.