Research

Aiping Yu is one step closer to her dream of establishing a world-leading carbon nanotechnology centre at the University of Waterloo after winning a prestigious award for highly promising researchers.

The chemical engineering professor is one of six nation-wide recipients of 2020 E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships announced today by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Q and A with the experts: COVID-19 and the insurance industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of life in Canada – and that includes the insurance we pay.

The repercussions of COVID-19 and worsening climate change are among the issues that will impact the insurance industry, according to Tony Wirjanto, University of Waterloo professor.
 
Wirjanto, working as a curator in Insurance and Asset Management for the World Economic Forum (WEF), identified eight key issues poised to influence the insurance industry in the recently released WEF Transformation Maps.

Two classes of drugs commonly prescribed to people with hypertension, diabetes, kidney and heart disease may increase COVID-19 infection severity.

Despite this, researchers recommend that people with those conditions continue to take their medications in consultation with their physician.  

Martha Lenio’s eclectic career has included working as a photovoltaic process engineer, an entrepreneur, a fake astronaut (and a potential real one) and her current role as an Arctic renewable energy specialist.

With our world turned upside down by a deadly health crisis, Waterloo Engineering experts are working to make a difference.

It is no exaggeration to say that the silent, unseen coronavirus has turned our lives, institutions and systems upside down and inside out.

Assessing the social, economic and psychological fallout of changes that are both big – millions of people suddenly working from home – and small – elbow bumps instead of time-tested handshakes – will no doubt keep academics busy for years.

For months, we’ve relied on the outdoors to enable us to gather with others in relative safety. Slow streets, expanded bike lanes, and extended patios, as well as access to quality open spaces, trails, and parks made the COVID-19 experience more tolerable. 

Researchers have created a portable version of a tiny, powerfullaser device with potential applications in fields ranging from medical imaging to detecting hidden explosives.

In a project involving the University of Waterloo and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), scientists developed a quantum cascade laser capable of operating at temperatures much higher than previously possible.

As we enter the winter months in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, we are exploring the idea of time.

Some people say it feels as though time is passing more slowly. Is this a common phenomenon? We asked Waterloo psychology PhD candidate Lydia Hicks for her thoughts on the passing of time, why it’s important to our mental health, and what strategies people can use to cope.

How has the pandemic shifted the way people experience the passing of time?