News for Research

Thursday, May 28, 2020

How atomic physics is central to the new definition of the kilogram

Alan Jamison

Standard measurement units like the meter and the kilogram used to be defined by physical objects, such as a prototype bar and a platinum cylinder. As of May 2019, all measurement units are now defined by the cesium atom and the fundamental constants of the universe.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Seed fund backs $2.8M in new quantum ideas at the University of Waterloo

Improving thermal medical imaging of the eye with a new quantum camera and new class of semiconductor quantum materials are among the goals of six projects recently supported by the Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF).

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Beyond the Bulletin interviews microbiologist Trevor Charles about COVID-19 on surfaces

Beyond the Bulletin with 2 vintage microphones on a yellow background.

Trevor Charles, a professor from the Department of Biology and Director of the Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research, visited the Beyond the Bulletin Podcast to talk about COVID-19’s potential to persist on surfaces, ways to mitigate the risk and testing that could help officials monitor the level of infection in communities (9:22 to 27:47). 

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

New research shows that diabetes medications could treat COVID-19 in diabetes patients

Stock image of diabetes medications and blood sugar testing machines.

Medications used to treat type-2 diabetes could be effective in stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus in people with diabetes – a population with a much higher risk of infection and a much higher probability of complications from the virus.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Life of a pharmacist on the front lines

Sadaf Faisal, shown in her her pharmacy.

Being a grad student is tough – there’s course work, comprehensive exams and research to balance on top of managing personal commitments and teaching duties. When you add working at a pharmacy during a global pandemic into the mix, the days only get busier.

But that’s precisely what Sadaf Faisal (pictured above), Waterloo PhD student and pharmacy owner, has been doing.