Three members of the Faculty of Science have been awarded funding as part of the latest John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) competitions. The announcement was made Thursday, August 20 at Trent University in Peterborough.
The JELF supports institutions in recruiting and retaining outstanding researchers. It’s offered through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, a non-profit with a mandate to increase the capability of Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research organizations to carry out high-quality research.
Learn more about the projects funded by this award.
Natoya Peart | Multimodal Imaging System to Investigate mRNA Processing Dysfunction in Cell Identity Determination
$115,000
Dr. Natoya Peart, Biology, focuses on the role of post-transcriptional RNA processing in regulating cell behaviour by investigating how RNA interacts with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) under specific conditions and how these interactions affect epithelial cell function. This funded project investigates changes within the RNA itself by examining how RBPs mediate an epithelial cell-specific program of alternative splicing and cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNAs. Insights gained from this research may help aid in developing and optimizing tools and treatment for chronic non-communicable diseases related to epithelial dysfunction.
David Sychantha | Developing Tools for Studying the Essential Enzymes that Synthesize, Degrade, and Tailor the Bacterial Cell Wall
$125,000
Dr. David Sychantha, Chemistry, aims to advance the capacity to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by uncovering how antibiotic-resistant bacteria build and remodel their protective cell walls, which are essential processes for their growth and survival. Using new biochemical methods and three advanced analytical systems, this project will produce defined cell wall fragments and characterize the enzymes that act on them. These tools will identify new molecular targets and guide the design of next-generation antibiotics for hard-to-treat infections, such as MRSA.
Conrard Giresse Tetsassi Feugmo | GPU-powered Physics-informed ML for Next-generation Electrochemical Interface Design
$125,000
Dr. Conrard Giresse Tetsassi Feugmo, Chemistry, is working to advance state-of-the-art computational methods for clean-energy applications, including small modular reactors, solid oxide electrolysis cells, and solid-state batteries. This project integrates machine-learning interatomic potentials, classical density functional theory, and physics-informed neural networks to model reactive transport, degradation, and long-term material behaviour, with GPU computing enabling large-scale simulations.