Blog

Stuart Schussler investigates how universities can build more accountable and collaborative relationships with community organizations at the heart of social movements. His interdisciplinary research explores new models of service learning that bridge academic and grassroots spaces, equipping students to engage meaningfully with movements driving social change.

Anny Leudjo Taka develops novel polymer nanobiocomposites with biodegradable and recyclable properties for use in organic electronics and water desalination. Her interdisciplinary research bridges chemistry, nanotechnology, and sustainability to advance clean water, energy security, and environmentally friendly materials aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Dalal Daoud examines how ruling Islamist governments in the Middle East and North Africa navigate relationships with ethnic minorities. Her research challenges conventional narratives by revealing that strategies toward minority groups shift over time based on coalition-building dynamics and regional contexts, rather than purely religious or ideological motivations.

Samuel Gyamerah develops mathematical models to design weather derivatives that help smallholder farmers and agricultural stakeholders hedge against extreme and unpredictable weather. His interdisciplinary research bridges statistics, actuarial science, and climate risk to support more resilient agricultural practices in Ghana and across Africa.

Shoronia Cross designs novel multiferroic nanomaterials that could revolutionize data storage technologies by enabling higher storage densities, faster processing speeds, and lower power consumption. His interdisciplinary research bridges chemistry, nanotechnology, and quantum information to advance next-generation magnetoelectric devices with global technological impact.

The end of the constitutional protection of abortion rights in the United States has catalyzed a re-examination of the role of the state and international organizations in the regulation of abortion.

Newly-imposed restrictions have drawn attention to self-managed abortions (SMA) — the termination of pregnancy outside of medical settings — and recently, this practice has largely taken place using abortion pills (e.g., mifepristone and misoprostol) through the support of telehealth services, the use of which is recommended by the World Health Organization (2022). SMA activism has mitigated the negative effects of anti-abortion laws and has proven that illegal abortions can be safe, offering important lessons for the provision of abortion care.

Creating painless, minimally invasive, and rapid techniques for identifying biomarkers like antibiotics and cancer-related indicators holds significant importance in the fields of personalized medicine and clinical utilization. In the course of my research, I am dedicated to the innovation of microneedle-based patches with the capability to discern the existence and levels of diverse biomarkers. This approach enables the simultaneous monitoring of multiple biomarkers through these patches. Additionally, we are actively engaged in pioneering methodologies for detecting biomarkers by converting their presence into an electrical signal.

In my research project, I delve into the health and safety consequences related to digital labour platforms for domestic workers engaged in direct or indirect caregiving tasks. The global surge in demand for paid care services has triggered the swift emergence of digital labour platforms, acting as intermediaries between various users like businesses, workers, and consumers. My objective is to examine how the work organization within the digital platform-based care economy influences the safety, health, and overall welfare of domestic workers

The project is focused on the development of point-of-need bioanalytical methods for the quality control of food and water.  Currently, quality control is performed in laboratories using sophisticated and expensive methods. The high cost of testing, extended analysis time (2-3 hours), the requirements of bulky stationary equipment, and qualified personnel restrict the applications of these methods only to professional laboratories.  Our goal is to bring quality control of food and water to the users at point-of-need.

My research sets out to examine adaptation among first-year students at the University of Waterloo. Providing a better understanding of successful adaptation to postsecondary life is key to Canada’s future competitiveness on both a local and global stage. This work is equally critical from an equity perspective as certain segments of the population have greater difficulties adapting relative to others. Findings from my research can inform programs and policies that can be tailored to better support those in need to facilitate a sustainable and diverse community at UW. As a result, this research can disrupt historical patterns of inequities evident in higher education.