For 15 StFX students, receiving an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research (USRA) Award opened a world of new opportunity, provided them a chance to explore their academic passions, and, for some, played a key role in continuing to graduate school.
The NSERC-USRA award provides student recipients with $8,500 for up to 14 weeks employment under the supervision of a StFX faculty member. Recipients this year include Keely Ralf, Lydia Taylor, Lauren Pictou, Shannon Wallace, Tanner Clow, Carter Clifton, Brooke Lawrie, James Hanlon, Max MacNeil, Hudson Forance, Lauren Gatto, Simon Maltby, Gabriel Cozzi, Luke Gosse, and Hunter Johnson.
GRATEFUL FOR OPPORTUNITY
“The chance to carry out an independent research project is not something everyone has the chance to do. Therefore, I am very grateful to have had this opportunity. This grant allows me to continue exploring my passion for environmental physiology,” says Tanner Clow of Summerside, PEI, who graduated in May 2024 with an honours biology degree.
Under the supervision of Dr. Tammy Rodela, he investigated how mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) responds to multiple environmental stressors. “In their natural mangrove habitats, these fish are often exposed to the simultaneous presence of low oxygen and high environmental ammonia. Last summer, I found that these fish will modify the structure of their gills in an attempt to combat these stressors. Building on that research, this summer, I explored other mechanisms these fish might use to mitigate the stressors. More specially, I looked at the gene expression of several transport proteins that are involved in excreting ammonia.”
Mr. Clow is now pursuing a MSc in biology at the University of Waterloo. “The skills I have learned throughout my undergrad research career will help me immensely in graduate school. In fact, the skills I have acquired throughout my two years as an NSERC undergraduate student researcher directly aided in my success in securing an NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship for my master's,” he says.
“The support of my supervisor, Dr. Tammy Rodela, is something that always stands out to me. This experience would not be the same without her unwavering support, encouragement, and guidance.”
NURTURE CURIOSITY
Keely Ralf, a physics student from Jasper AB, says summer research gave her the opportunity to nurture her curiosity in physics “and learn beyond what I can in the classroom with support from a professor who is eager to share their passion of the subject, allowing me to build up my skill set. This experiences really boosted my confidence and understanding of physics going into fourth year.
“Carrying out research has enhanced my problem-solving skills and critical thinking. I
enjoyed methodically working through computer code and drawing conclusions based
on the behavior of the model. My research experience also provided a network of
extraordinary people around me pushing me to be my best self,” says Ms. Ralf, who is supervised by Dr. Peter Poole.
She says a phase transition occurs when a substance transforms from one state to another, such as when liquid water boils into a gas. In her project, they sought to clarify how best to observe the proposed liquid-liquid phase transition in supercooled water, water that is formed below 0° C. “In this transition water transforms from a high-density liquid to a low-density liquid.” The project used the Ising model to mimic phenomena that occur during this phase
transition. They used the Ising model to recreate effects that occur during recent experiments that have been conducted of the liquid-liquid phase transition in water.
“The part about research that I think is unique is the ability to participate in conferences throughout the year. Being able to share my work with others and network with professors and students from other schools opens doors and helps clarify the path I want to pursue after graduation,” she says.
OPENED WORLD OF RESEARCH
Carter Clifton of Antigonish, NS, is a second year student completing joint honours in mathematics and computer science. Working with Dr. Ryan Lukeman, he conducted a literature review on opioid use during the pandemic. “Using this information along with a model, I predicted how fatality varied based on numerous factors prior to, and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” he says.
Mr. Clifton says the opportunity opened his eyes to the world of research, and how mathematics can be used to model a wide array of phenomena. “This has made me consider going on to do a post-graduate degree and continue to do research as a career. This experience has shown me the importance and joy of conducting research and learning. It sparked my interest and built confidence in my research abilities, which I plan to continue to develop in my future years at StFX.”
Mr. Clifton says as a student just finishing first year, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet other like-minded students so early in his studies. “It helped me envision future possibilities and opportunities.”
A GREAT ASSET
“This opportunity has allowed me to work under a professor, in a lab, and explore a new area of biology, which have all been invaluable experiences. The skills I have learned while doing research and the experience itself will be an asset in the future when I apply for medical school,” says Lauren Pictou, a third year honours biology student from Yarmouth, NS, who conducted research in gastropod neuroanatomy.
Working under the supervision of Dr. Russell Wyeth, she used two techniques, Immunohistochemistry and in situ Hybridization Chain Reaction. “These techniques allowed us to describe neuron types in the brain of Lymnaea stagnalis, a pulmonate freshwater pond snail. I concentrated my work on labeling neurons which express choline acetyltransferase, which is the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Ms. Pictou says this opportunity has expanded her research, communication, and problem-solving skills, while she has also formed connections and learned from researchers in various fields. “I have certainly enjoyed being a part of the process of trying protocols, accumulating and analyzing results, then deciding what to try next. Even when the protocols have not worked, this process has been extremely rewarding.”
EXPERIENCE MEANT A LOT
“This project has meant a lot in furthering my experience in academia. It was a fulfilling experience to get a look at the research side of university, and it has taught me skills that I believe will help me in future projects/careers,” says Hunter Johnson, a fourth year chemistry student from Potlotek First Nation, who conducted research to understand how aeroallergens (cockroach allergen Bla g 1) impact the surfactant in the lungs that helps prevent them from collapsing.
“I think the experience has served me well and will benefit my scientific writing and thought process in the future, be it research papers in future projects, or lab write ups in future courses,” says Mr. Johnson, who was supervised by Dr. Alex Foo.
MANY BENEFITS
Lydia Taylor of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories is a fourth year student completing joint honours in physics and math. Under the supervision of Dr. Peter Marzlin, she worked in theoretical quantum mechanics. The project was an effort to study the transition between quantum and classical physics.
“In classical mechanics, position and momentum can be measured simultaneously. The math required in quantum mechanics is more complex, so historically they can only be looked at individually. The goal of my project was to use a technique, developed in part by my supervisor, to measure them together for particles called fermions, such as the electron. So, overall trying to make a quantum system have a more classical representation,” she says.
“This experience benefits me as I have grown in my physics skills, explored a new area, and have gotten to do the work required for my thesis. I will be taking classes in quantum mechanics this year and have had the opportunity to already learn the math and physics involved. I would say what stands out most to me is that I've learnt new techniques and software tools for research. This will help me out in grad school. Additionally working with my peers in physics and getting to talk and collaborate about each of our projects was a highlight.”
HELPING ENSURE CLEAN DRINKING WATER
Brooke Lawrie of Erin, ON is a fourth year student completing an advanced major in chemistry and a minor in biology. This summer she worked on developing a method for the photo thermal degradation of PFAs, a class of chemicals deemed "forever chemicals," and fipronil, an insecticide commonly used for ticks. “All of these compounds are toxic to humans and alarmingly, making their way into our drinking water sources. I functionalize silver nanoparticles with blue LED light in the presence of a radical precursor to catalyze the degradation of these compounds.”
Ms. Lawrie was co-supervised by Dr. Erwan Bertin and Dr. Geniece Hallett-Tapley.
“This opportunity has been such a rich learning experience. I have had the opportunity to use new instruments, develop an experiment and learn so many new problem-solving techniques. Both of my supervisors are just so full of ideas and expertise, I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn from each of them,” she says. “This experience has led me to learning lots of skills that are very applicable to my next steps in education and in my future career. No matter the specific field I work in, the problem solving and data analysis skills I honed this summer will benefit me in the future. Also, this experience allowed me to go to a conference and make connections with many other chemists which was a great opportunity as well.”
Ms. Lawrie says the best part was the people she worked with. “My supervisors, professors, lab instructor and colleagues never failed to provide advice and assistance when it felt like my whole experiment was going sideways! This experience has taught me how important collaboration can be in academic research. Our chemistry department is so lucky to have such wonderful faculty.”
EXPERIENCE WORKING IN PARTICLE PHYSICS
Maxwell MacNeil of Rothesay NB is a fourth year student completing an advanced major in physics with a Diploma in Engineering. He studied the properties of muons, which are subatomic particles that are created in the upper atmosphere and are constantly raining down onto the surface of the earth.
“I am looking into how different factors, especially elevation, impact the flux of muons. I did this using both the Physics Department's manufactured muon detector, as well as a new muon detector that we built this summer as part of this project. It is important to study the properties of muons because of their potential large scale imaging applications. Muons have been used to determine the internal structures of large objects such as pyramids, volcanoes, archeological ruins and more,” says Mr. MacNeil, who is supervised by Dr. Hossain Ahmed.
“This opportunity has been extremely significant for me as a learner with an interest in physics and engineering,” he says. “It has given me experience working in particle physics, while also applying skills I have learned in my engineering classes. I have learned so much from working on my own project and through discussions and collaboration with my fellow research students.”
He gained experience in data analysis, coding, radiation detection and measurement, and working with printed circuit boards. “Through applying all these skills, I have gained insight into what I enjoy the most, which will be helpful for exploring career choices in the future.
“I really enjoyed the process of building the muon detector and through this effort, learning how each section of the detector worked,” he says. “This was both challenging and fun! I was able to leverage both the physics and engineering aspects of my degree, and I learned so much more about how the detector works from the building process.”
LEARNING ABOUT VOTER TURNOUT
“I really appreciate being given the opportunity to learn and conduct research. I have learned a lot about myself and what I would like to do going forward. I want to continue sharing my love for learning with others,” says Simon Maltby of Port Hastings, NS, who graduated from StFX in the spring with an honours math degree and has now started in the Bachelor of Education program.
He began a spatiotemporal analysis of the change in voter turnout for the Nova Scotia provincial elections across time, trying to identify the factors affecting voter turnout and forecast how voter turnout will change going forward. Mr. Maltby was supervised by Drs. Kyran Cupido and Darien DeWolf.
“I want to thank my supervisors for their patience and guidance over the summer and the past few years. They have motivated me to be the version of myself.”
LEARNING ABOUT LOBSTER BEHAVIOUR
James Hanlon of Cambridge, ON, a fourth year honours biology student, worked with Dr. Russell Wyeth and studied juvenile lobsters. He travelled to beaches across the southern Gulf of St Lawrence placing baited underwater cameras on tripods to record juvenile lobsters in their natural habitat to assess population changes over time and analyze their behaviour. When not at the beach, he was at J. Bruce Brown Hall counting and measuring lobsters found in the recordings, of which eight terabytes has been collected so far.
The opportunity he says allowed him to conduct research to write his thesis and to gain experience working in a research setting that will be invaluable to his future endeavours.
