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Changbao Wu, 2026 Statistical Society of Canada Gold Medalist
A message from Statistics and Actuarial Science.
Changbao Wu, Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo, is the recipient of the 2026 Gold Medal of the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC), the Society’s highest honour.
Professor Wu is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to survey methodology. His research has advanced the theory and practice of model calibration, empirical likelihood methods for complex survey data, and the analysis of non-probability samples. His work has been published in leading statistical journals, including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Biometrika, and the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society.
Beyond his research, Professor Wu has played a significant role in major survey initiatives, including the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. He has advised organizations such as Statistics Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the First Nations Information Governance Centre.
A dedicated educator, mentor, and leader, Professor Wu has supervised numerous graduate students, co-authored the widely used book Sampling Theory and Practice, and provided extensive service to the statistical community in Canada and internationally. He currently serves as Chair of the University of Waterloo’s Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.
Learn more about Changbao Wu and the award on the SSC website.
Dr. Andrea Edginton awarded 2026 AFPC Research Career Award
This article was originally published on the School of Pharmacy website.
Dr. Andrea Edginton, Hallman Director and Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, has been awarded the prestigious 2026 AFPC–Pfizer Research Career Award from the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada. The award recognizes research excellence among academic staff who stimulate and foster the development of research programs across all areas of pharmacy.
Dr. Edginton is the third person to hold the Hallman Director position since the School was founded at the University of Waterloo in 2008.
As a professor, Dr. Edginton has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed publications in pharmacokinetic modelling and simulation. Her academic research focuses on the development and application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and population pharmacokinetic models in pharmaceutical research and human health risk assessment. Her work examines how the physiology of specific populations, particularly underrepresented groups such as neonates, breastfeeding people and patients with rare diseases, affects drug pharmacokinetics, and how this information can be incorporated into mathematical models to optimize drug therapy.
Dr. Edginton also leads the modelling component of the Web-Accessible Population Pharmacokinetics Service – Hemophilia (WAPPS-Hemo) project, which uses advanced pharmacokinetic modelling to tailor prophylactic treatment for people with hemophilia. This free service is used by more than 850 hemophilia treatment centres in over 50 countries, providing clinicians with an easy-to-use tool to optimize medication therapy for their patients.
A successful entrepreneur, educator and researcher, Dr. Edginton is also vice-president of Design2Code Inc., a consulting company that develops and applies scientific models and software to help pharmaceutical companies answer key questions throughout the drug development pipeline. Her primary expertise is in designing pediatric clinical trials through the simulation of virtual children to support dose selection.
Read the full article on the School of Pharmacy website.
Dr. Chris Rennick wins top award for industry collaboration
This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering's website.
Dr. Chris Rennick, Engineering Educational Developer at the Pearl Sullivan Engineering IDEAs Clinic, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Isadore T. Davis Award for Excellence in Collaboration of Engineering Education and Industry, one of the top honours bestowed by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
The award recognizes individuals who make a mark in the collaborative efforts between engineering education and industry toward the improvement of partnerships that advance learning, scholarship and engagement.
"Waterloo students forge strong connections to industry through their work-term experiences, but we saw an opportunity to provide early exposure to the problems industry are tackling, and industry tools and techniques through IDEAs Clinic workshops and challenges," said Rennick. "Working with engineers in industry has been illuminating to the thousands of students who have taken part in IDEAs Clinic challenges and has greatly enhanced my abilities as an engineering educator. I'm honoured to be recognized for this work."
Rennick has led the IDEAs Clinic since its inception more than a decade ago, building it into a nationally recognized hub for hands-on learning that has logged more than 60,000 undergraduate student visits. In 2025, more than 8,600 students engaged in IDEAs Clinic activities — a record high.
Central to his work is building sustained industry relationships that put students in direct contact with practising engineers and real-world problems. He forged partnerships with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada and Brock Solutions and created the design for Toyota’s Innovation Challenge, a weekend-long design hackathon where students tackle live problems from the manufacturing sector.
He also co-created the Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship, a nine-week internship that brings together engineering students from Waterloo, Harvey Mudd College, Tecnológico de Monterrey and Khalifa University, alongside municipal engineers and city stakeholders to tackle pressing real-world sustainability challenges. .
Read the full article on the Faculty of Engineering's website.
Unlocking disease-linked protein changes using AI
This article was originally published on Waterloo News.
A new algorithm could drive breakthroughs in understanding cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other potentially fatal conditions.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo developed the machine learning algorithm, called RNovA, to detect changes in the proteins in human cells.
Proteins do much of the work inside cells, and after they are made our bodies can chemically modify them in many ways. These changes, known as post-translational modifications, or PTMs, help regulate many cellular functions. Changes in PTMs have been linked to multiple serious diseases.
“Identifying PTMs in biological samples is expensive and technically challenging,” said Zeping Mao, a PhD candidate in computer science and lead author on the study. “This has traditionally been done in a lab using equipment like mass spectrometers. Using an algorithm is much faster and cheaper.
Existing methods for identifying PTMs are most effective when researchers already know what they are looking for after consulting either a reference protein database, predefined list of modifications, or labeled training data.
“If a modification is rare, unexpected or missing from the database, existing methods can overlook it,” Mao said. “It’s like trying to solve a puzzle but only being able to see a few pieces.”
RNovA can quickly and accurately identify new PTMs that aren’t already in databases. This means the model can detect unexpected modifications without being retrained for each new PTM, and without starting from a predefined list of identified PTMs.
The team hopes that the discovery will lead to advances in diagnostics while also expanding the capabilities of machine learning in basic biological research.
“Expanding the PTM list may help researchers find new cellular modifications and new markers for cancer and other diseases,” Mao said. “It’s a very powerful tool that will help biologists to broaden their horizons.”
The research, Zero-Shot De Novo Peptide Sequencing with Open Post-Translational Modification Discovery, appears in Nature Biotechnology.
Office Closure
The Human Resources office will be closed today from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a departmental meeting.
When and Where
The Campus Wellness Student Medical Clinic offers healthcare visits with Physicians and Nurse Practitioners to current undergraduate and graduate students. Services include: vaccinations, immunity testing, naturopathic services and more. Counselling Services offers appointments with counsellors in person as well as via phone and video. Students can book appointments for these services by calling Campus Wellness at 519-888-4096.
The privately-run Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is now offering new COVID booster shots and flu shots. Covid booster shots are available by appointment only – please call ext. 33784 or 519-746-4500. The Student Health Pharmacy’s summer hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Naloxone kits are still available – pick them up in the pharmacy at no charge.
The Waterloo Eye Institute optometry clinics in Waterloo and downtown Kitchener offer comprehensive eye exams and eyewear, including glasses and contact lenses, with the Waterloo location offering various specialized services including urgent eye care. Discounts apply for University of Waterloo students and employees. The Waterloo Clinic is at a nearby interim location, 419C Phillip St, during construction at the School of Optometry and Vision Science. The Kitchener Clinic remains at the Health Sciences Campus, 10B Victoria St. S. Book online or by phone at 519-888-4062.
Warriors Youth Swim Lessons, registration is now open for LTS Child/Youth Preschool 1 – Swimmer 9. Group and private lessons available. Register today!
Warriors Summer Youth Camps, registration is now open for multi-sport and games, baseball, basketball, eSports, football and hockey camps for boys and girls ages 5 to 18. Register today!
Using GenAI to Enhance Student Learning - In Person (CTE7552) Thursday, June 25, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., MC 2036
Mature Student Coffee Chat, Thursday, June 25, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Renison Link Inclusion Lounge (REN 1401)
Pride in Film Movie Night, Thursday June 25, 4:30 to 7 p.m., MC Comfy
Critical Tech Talk presents The Last Best Place on the Internet: Wikipedia's Role in an AI World, Friday, June 26, noon to 1:30 p.m. MC 2065 and online.
Tuning nanoscale self-assembly and morphological transition in amphiphilic blends, Monday, June 29, 2026, 2 p.m., C2-361 (Reading Room)
WCMR Research Symposium, Tuesday July 7, 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., DC 1301
Upcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website.