Researchers from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) continue to build on the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s unparalleled strengths in biomedical engineering with the establishment of the Translational Biology and Engineering Program (TBEP)—a key component of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (TRCHR).
TBEP will occupy an entire floor of the MaRS Phase 2 building in Toronto’s Discovery District beginning in fall 2015. It will be a powerful addition to the network of researchers and educators at the TRCHR aiming to accelerate treatment development and reduce the estimated $2.3-billion cost of managing moderate and severe heart failure patients in Canada.
Ten U of T researchers and their graduate students from U of T Engineering, the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Medicine will work side-by-side in the open and collaborative research space to advance clinical applications in genomic medicine, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and advanced cardiac care.
“The idea of creating an inter-disciplinary research centre focused on discovery and clinical translation in the area of cardiovascular disease is really exciting,” said Peter Zandstra (IBBME), interim scientific director at the TRCHR. “Although there are inter-disciplinary research centres in different places, one that is exclusively focused on heart failure and cardiovascular disease like this one is unique internationally and should enable accelerated outcomes and focused impact.”
Zandstra, who is the Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Bioengineering and a professor at IBBME and the Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, has been managing the start up of the TRCHR and organizing the TBEP component.
U of T Engineering researchers at TBEP
TBEP’s roster of U of T Engineering faculty includes award-winning researchers Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez (IBBME), Paul Santerre (IBBME, Dentistry) and Craig Simmons (MIE, IBBME), who will combine stem cell technology with new approaches in biomaterials, cellular and tissue engineering for the regeneration of heart muscle, coronary vessels and heart valves. All of the participating engineers are inspired by the prospect of working in a collaborative environment where researchers from multiple disciplines are engaged in a continuum of discovery and translation.
Santerre, a former director of IBBME, was central in developing U of T’s scientific research in the partnership. His research will focus on developing polymer technologies that reduce inflammation around life-saving devices such as stents and stem cell delivery systems, allowing heart cells to repair themselves and preventing longer-term complications like blood clots and fibrosis.
“If you can reduce some of the long-term management elements by allowing these cells to repair themselves better, we are reducing the burden on the health-care system in the most phenomenal way,” Santerre said.
Santerre said that in his experience, it takes about 20 years to get a treatment into clinical practice once a research idea is conceived. He believes this timeframe can be reduced by at least five years because of the cluster of experts at the Centre working together.
“To me, that’s the power of this initiative—the ability for those three institutions to lend out this brainpower that has demonstrated a unique ability to collaborate in other instances,” he said. “The resources are there to actually bring the world to Toronto on this theme.”
Simmons is collaborating with Sick Kids to develop treatments for babies born with congenital heart defects. The work involves growing tissue from stem cells taken from the baby’s umbilical cord and putting it on a “bio-scaffold” that degrades away, leaving a valve made of the baby’s own cells. The end goal is to develop a “living tissue” valve that restores normal heart function and doesn’t have to be replaced as the child grows.
Simmons said that much of his work is at the interface of medicine and engineering, so it demands collaboration—one of the Centre’s biggest strengths.
“We’re going to be imbedded on the same floor as people from the Faculty of Medicine and within a hospital research complex, so our students will be working side-by-side, exchanging ideas with one another,” Simmons said. “The interaction that will occur just because we’re physically in the same place is bound to result in new ideas, new approaches and new innovations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”
Fernandez-Gonzalez applauds the Centre’s embrace of fundamental discovery research—such as his study of fruit fly embryos to gain a better understanding of how heart cells develop or how they could be stimulated to repair themselves.
He said about 70 to 80 per cent of genes implicated in human diseases are found in fruit flies, so if researchers know which genes are key for cell repair in a fruit fly embryo, they can also gain an understanding about which genes may be important to repair the human heart.
About the Centre
The University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network announced the creation of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research in November 2014, funded by an unprecedented donation of $130 million from the Rogers family—the largest monetary gift ever made to a Canadian health-care initiative. The Centre will bring together expert clinicians and researchers from across the partner institutions, as well as graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows who represent the future of the field.
The TRCHR will also establish a competitive innovation fund to drive discovery and development of next-generation therapies for heart failure, and an education fund to attract the best and brightest students and postgraduates to ensure a deep pool of talent in Canada for cardiac care and research.
This story is Part 3 of an eight-part series, Engineering Experiential Learning, running throughout spring and summer 2015.
On March 30, fourth-year students from departments across U of T Engineering displayed their innovative solutions to industry challenges in the second-ever Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects (MCP) course.
The showcase was the grand finale for 20 multidisciplinary student teams who spent eight months collaborating with clients from Bombardier, Magna, Defence Research & Development Canada, Toronto Rehab and other organizations on iterative, hands-on projects.
Experience three of this year’s projects:
Students engineer new database workflows (Hamilton Professional Firefighters Association)
Students Design New Helmet that Avoids Neck Strain (Defence Research & Development Canada)
Inventing a New Portable Ramp for Mobility Scooters (Toronto Rehab)
Learn more about the Multidisciplinary Capstone Projects course:
The MCP is a unique experiential learning opportunity organized by Professor Kamran Behdinan (MIE), director of the Faculty’s Institute for Multidisciplinary Design & Innovation. Now finished its second year, the program brings together engineering students from different departments to solve challenges proposed by prominent industry partners.
Learn more about the Multidisciplinary Capstone Projects course.
If the next generation of engineers is to continue solving the world’s greatest challenges, they need both rich technical competencies and the ability to clearly communicate their ideas to others.
While U of T Engineering’s many academic courses equip students with engineering fundamentals, the Faculty’s Engineering Communication Program (ECP) enables them to learn the necessary writing, speaking and critical thinking skills to succeed in their careers.
This fall, ECP will offer the Faculty’s first academic certificate in communication. Engineering students will have the ability to develop their expertise in particular communication areas of interest. (Criteria outlined below.)
Established 20 years ago by Senior Lecturer Robert Irish (ECP, EngSci), ECP includes a robust suite of educational offerings—from one-on-one student tutoring to curriculum design and consultation. They now have five full-time senior lecturers and three dedicated sessional lecturers in key roles, as well as 37 other sessional lecturers and teaching assistants.
U of T Engineering sat down with ECP Director Deborah Tihanyi (ECP) to learn more about the program and how it benefits engineering students:
1. What does the Engineering Communication Program offer the Faculty?
ECP’s educational offerings are embedded throughout the Faculty and are available to all undergraduate students. We partner with our Engineering colleagues to develop instructional and assessment materials that will best serve students, fostering a culture of excellence that continues beyond the classroom.
Our program includes a number of curricular and co-curricular student supports, as well as guidance for faculty and teaching assistants. We lead stand-alone communication courses, co- instruct design and communication classes and assist most of the capstone design courses across the Faculty.
Outside of the core curriculum, we offer five electives designed specifically for engineering students, as well as creative writing workshops in the fall and summer. We have a Tutoring Centre that provides online and in-person sessions to assist students in their course work, graduate school and job applications and more.
2. How is the ECP improving engineering education?
There is an integral relationship between learning and communicating. We use language to teach, ask questions and express ideas. The ability to articulate ourselves aids—and even underpins—our understanding.
This is where ECP comes in. Our supports not only enable engineering students to develop as writers, speakers and thinkers, but also enhance their learning by making core engineering concepts easier to grasp. Students learn to formulate thoughtful questions and express ideas. This, in turn, lays the groundwork for success in the classroom and beyond.
3. Why are communication skills important to engineering students?
The volume of writing that is required during an engineering degree often surprises students, but effective communication is also vital for success in the real world.
Engineering is a multidisciplinary profession. A single project may involve teamwork with business specialists, psychologists and public health officials, to name a few. The ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with a diverse team, as well as express complex concepts to a non-technical audience, is an asset.
ECP helps students develop into proficient writers, speakers and communicators, both in print and online. More than ever, these skills are vital to engineering leaders.
4. How is ECP different from communication programs at other engineering schools?
We are one of a very few communication programs in North America fully integrated into the engineering curriculum. We have played a pivotal role in curriculum redesign, in developing learning outcomes for our students and in shaping the learning culture at the University to be one where communication can be a core component of engineering education.
A student who graduates from engineering at the University of Toronto has had more than just a writing course. They have learned to write, speak and communicate effectively as part of their engineering education over four years.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
About the Academic Certificate in Communication
To receive the new academic certificate in communication, undergraduate engineering students must complete any three of the following courses:
- APS 281H1 – Language and Meaning
- APS 320H1 – Representing Science on the Stage
- APS 321H1 – Representing Science and Technology in Popular Media
- APS 322H1 – Language and Power
- APS 325H1 – Engineering and Science in the Arts
- APS 445H1 – The Power of Story: Discovering Your Leadership Narrative
- INI 304 H1 – Critical Thinking and Inquiry in Written Communication (Offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science)
- INI 305H1 – Word and Image in Modern Writing (Offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science)
- INI 310H1 – Editing (Offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science)
This story is Part 2 of an eight-part series, Engineering Experiential Learning, running throughout spring and summer 2015.
When Patricia Sheridan (MechE 0T9, MASc 1T1, ILead PhD Candidate) was an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering at U of T, she loved working on team projects. Most of her fellow classmates, however, were less than enthused.
That’s when Sheridan had an idea.
Now four years into her PhD in Engineering Leadership at U of T, Sheridan has turned that idea into the Team-effectiveness Learning System (TELS), a unique online tool that’s designed to enhance teamwork and leadership skills among engineering students.
TELS helps students organize, learn and practice cooperative skills during their school projects, and it also sets them up to succeed in their engineering careers in either academia or industry—both environments where successfully working in a group is essential.
“Teamwork is critical because engineering is a team-oriented profession,” Sheridan said. “Yet many technically savvy students struggle with the ‘softer’ science of how to work effectively with others in a group.”
Sheridan’s research is being conducted through the Faculty’s Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (ILead), a multidisciplinary hub that offers innovative learning opportunities that help engineering students develop critical competencies in leadership, collaboration, communication and problem solving.
Professor Doug Reeve (ChemE), ILead’s director, said what he hears from industry echoes Sheridan’s experience. Sometimes smart, technically savvy engineers fall short in their ability to translate their knowledge into a workplace setting.
“It is the ability to translate technical knowledge to real-world situations that we are developing,” said Reeve.
How TELS works
TELS creates a personalized learning environment that provides students with lessons, exercises and self- and peer-assessments throughout the duration of a project. It offers students individualized training based on their current level of competency in a range of specific team-effectiveness behaviours.
For example, TELS is used in the first year engineering design courses, where formal team projects can account for up to 75 per cent of a student’s grade. At the beginning of the project, students are introduced to TELS and different models that can be used to help facilitate effective teamwork.
Throughout the semester, students are asked to complete online assessments of themselves and others. This feedback is then shared confidentially with each team member, and they are encouraged to develop weak areas through tailored exercises that TELS provides. The instructors also get a report—called a sociogram—that shows how the different team members perceive each other’s effectiveness.
“In the [instructor’s] diagram, if you start seeing three members that are really tightly clustered together and one member that’s really far out, we’ll flag that as a team where it looks like the four members aren’t working effectively together,” she said.
The tool has already been fully integrated into several team-based courses at U of T Engineering for the last two years. This has provided data that Sheridan can analyze—such as the differences between student assessments and teaching assistant assessments—to determine how TELS is working and how to improve it in the time ahead.
National recognition
Since its development, TELS has already captured the attention of Canada’s research community. This spring, Sheridan received a scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)—an honour that is very unusual for engineers, who are typically funded through more technical-oriented funding bodies.
Sheridan said she hopes the SSHRC award will not only elevate the status and credibility of her research, but also the status of ILead and U of T Engineering “as a place that conducts world-class leadership research, in particular, on engineering and about engineers.”
Using findings from TELS trials and other activities, the team at ILead is also designing a resource kit for instructors to help them teach teamwork more effectively and develop more confidence in teaching effective teamwork. This project is being funded through the Faculty’s Engineering Instructional Innovation Program and has been underway for nearly one year.
Programs like TELS have great value, said Reeve, because they help students learn how to become leaders by developing self-awareness and increasing their capacity to apply their knowledge.
“And that’s important not only for the success of the individual engineer, but also for the success of the enterprises they join, for the country, and for that matter, the world,” said Reeve. “We have a lot of issues to deal with in the world and engineers are extremely well placed to bring solutions to those challenges—but they need an additional set of skills beyond the technical.”
Learn more about the Team-effectiveness Learning System.
This story is Part 1 of an eight-part series, Engineering Experiential Learning, running throughout spring and summer 2015.
An invaluable new perspective came to engineering student Cassandra Rosen (Year 4 EngSci + PEY) when she was deep in the heart of a nuclear power plant: “There’s something about getting to walk through it, seeing each part in action and how they relate to each other, that’s way more powerful than reading about it in a book.”
From May 2013 to May 2014, Rosen worked at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, operated by Ontario Power Generation. One of her responsibilities included making sure that the emergency coolant injection system was working as expected, which involved monitoring tests and developing a response strategy if something went wrong.
“Having to defend your ideas in front of senior executives can be intimidating,” she said. “You really have to learn confidence in what you’re doing.”
While she loved the practical aspect of her job, Rosen says it was the multidisciplinary background she brought to the role through her major in Energy Systems Engineering that added value for her employers. “Energy systems is a bit of mechanical engineering, a bit of civil and a bit of electrical,” she said. “That’s exactly what this job required.”
Each year, hundreds of students enrol in U of T Engineering’s Professional Experience Year (PEY). While many universities offer co-op placements or four-month summer internships, PEY is different: it’s a full-time job lasting one year or more. It is the largest paid internship program of its kind in Canada. In 2014-15, more than 720 students participated in PEY—the largest cohort in the program’s 35-year history.
Employers include well-known international firms like Apple, Tesla Motors and IBM, as well as nimble start-ups in medical technology, social media and other emerging fields. Despite their differences, all of these companies benefit enormously from the energy and fresh perspectives PEY participants. Their positive experience keeps them coming back, and many hiring managers maintain their ties with PEY as they move between companies; in some cases, those same hiring managers were once PEY students themselves.
Some PEY students choose to work abroad. In 2014-15, more than 60 PEY students secured paid international placements in the U.S., China, Bermuda, Germany and Peru, among others***.
“The breadth of opportunities available through PEY are a big part of what makes our undergraduate experience so unique,” says Thomas Coyle, vice dean, undergraduate studies at U of T Engineering. “It gives students a new perspective and prepares them to be innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow.”
As for Rosen, upon graduation she will begin a Master of Science in Systems Engineering at MIT—a program that combines practical knowledge of engineering with a focus on public policy. She hopes one day to help governments make smarter decisions around electricity systems. “Having worked in a nuclear plant is something that will always stay with me; it’s a unique perspective I couldn’t have gained any other way.”
What other students are saying about PEY:
Dimpho Radebe (Year 4 IndE + PEY)
“PEY was an amazing experience,” said Dimpho Radebe (Year 4 IndE + PEY), who spent the 2013-14 year as a process analyst for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). “It not only helped me launch my professional career with confidence, it also enabled me to improve my communication and networking skills.”
At CIBC, Radebe applied her technical knowledge to analyse existing processes within the bank, such as how transactions are managed. She identified areas for improvement, coordinated testing of a new system and performed statistical analysis to see how the changes improved overall performance.
In addition to the technical work, Radebe also discovered a passion for understanding people and a desire to further develop her leadership skills. Upon her return, Radebe became the president of the U of T chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. She also hopes one day to start a not-for-profit organization focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for elementary and high school students.
“What surprised me the most was how I could use these skills in other aspects of my life,” she said. “I would highly recommend that students participate in PEY.”
Priya Anandakumaran (EngSci 1T3 + PEY, IBBME MASc Candidate)
In addition to work in industry or commerce, many PEY placements offer students the chance to advance scientific research in emerging fields. For Priya Anandakumaran (EngSci 1T3 + PEY, IBBME MASc Candidate), it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Before PEY, I was sitting in a classroom reading scientific papers about various concepts in biomedical engineering,” she said. “Six months later, I was doing the same kind of experiments that I was reading about, at the very institutions were many of these concepts were first discovered.”
Anandakumaran spent her PEY year in Professor Jeffrey Karp’s advanced biomaterials and stem cell-based therapeutics laboratory at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology. Her research focused on exploring the therapeutic properties of stem cells, which could help grow new tissues to treat heart disease, bone defects and other conditions.
Outside of the lab, Anandakumaran enjoyed the opportunity to explore a new city. “Boston is a beautiful city that has discovered a fine balance between nature, rich history, and modern architecture,” she explained. “Boston’s spirit and livelihood is also very contagious—after three months I was slowly turning into a Red Sox fan!”
Anandakumaran now works with U of T Engineering professor Molly Shoichet (ChemE, IBBME), conducting research in stem cells and tissue engineering. She credits her time in the Karp Lab with influencing her career path. “Working in the Karp Lab was an unforgettable experience. It was the first time I envisioned myself doing research long-term,” she said. “Most importantly it made me really excited for my future in biomedical engineering.”
Gordon Dri (Year 3 CivE + PEY)
“The PEY program interested me because it offered me a real-life experience of what I have learned in school for the past three years,” said Gordon Dri (Year 3 CivE + PEY). For Dri, who is enrolled in the Engineering Business minor, that means applying engineering techniques like data analysis to make corporate operations more efficient.
Dri is currently interning at Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Ltd., which owns, manages and operates commercial real estate across Canada. Working in the Operations department, he tracks various building metrics: everything from the average temperature and energy usage to the number of service calls.
He then synthesizes this data into reports that are used to make decisions around property management. For example, an increase in energy usage might indicate that certain equipment should be replaced, while a low number of service calls might be a selling point for potential tenants.
Dri aims to continue this type of work after graduation. “My future career plans are to work in analytics, leveraging big data to propel companies forward,” he said. “In any industry or discipline, there are always problems to be solved. This is what engineering teaches you.”
Christopher Sun (EngSci 1T3 + PEY)
Adjusting to the rhythm of working life left a big impression on Christopher Sun (EngSci 1T3 + PEY). “In University, students are in charge of their own projects and timelines, or work in much smaller groups,” he says. “In industry, I was part of a much larger and more intricate team. The methodologies used to keep track of progress were new and surprising to me.”
As a Quality Assurance Analyst, Sun was in charge of testing website features and ensuring that they were functioning properly. Sun’s employer, Indigo Books and Music, used “daily scrum” meetings that connected his team with other working groups from across the company, including those focused on product development and branding. The goal was to track all the projects being worked on and the estimates for completion, allowing for greater synergy. “During those scrums, it was nice to see how other people relied on your work,” says Sun.
Today, Sun is an MASc candidate in the lab of Professor Timothy Chan (MIE) where he works on modeling and optimizing health care systems, including those that manage service delivery and work flow. His PEY experience as part of a large team still influences his thinking.
“In quality assurance, if you miss anything, it ends up being deployed out to the public and there can be serious repercussions for both the customers and company,” he said. “Health care is like that too. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” By leveraging his first-hand experience in industry, Sun aims to find efficiencies that will improve the quality of the health care system for everyone.
What employers are saying about PEY:
“An intern that is available for up to 16 months is very attractive to us. In most cases, it can take up to 3 months for a new hire to be fully trained and to feel productive. Having them on the team for longer allows them to get more out of the experience and to add more value to the team and to the business.”
– Natalie Murray, Technical Recruiter, Demonware, Inc.
“I first learned about the PEY program as an Engineering Science student many years ago. PEY students contribute like full-time engineers and are treated that way. We also get to “try before you buy” a number of outstanding engineers. We are very pleased that so many have returned to join us full-time after graduation.”
– Terry Borer, Manager, Altera Corporation
“Our organization has benefitted dramatically from our PEY experience. We’ve been lucky enough to get students with a fresh eye on our business model who contribute new ideas from day one. With every new skillset acquired, we’ve received insight into at least one new technology or approach. We’ve also found that the students that we’ve hired bring an energy and enthusiasm that is unparalleled in the job market today. It’s something you just can’t find in external internships or even new external hires.”
– Adil Sardar, Lead Developer, WaveDNA, creator of Liquid Loops software
* Active employers: those that have posted positions through PEY in the last two years
** Approximate
*** In order to participate in an international placement, students have to be eligible to work in those countries
Sasha Gollish (CivE MEng 1T0, EngEd PhD Candidate) is not a superstitious person. But when she had to run a 1000-metre race on Friday the 13th this past February, the Pan Am hopeful was not feeling particularly inspired.
“I said to my coaches, Ross Ristuccia and Carl Georgevski, ‘I don’t feel well. I feel so heavy and slow.'”
With a little coaxing, Gollish laced up for the race at the Spire Invitational meet, and then delivered the 2014-15 performance she’s most proud of: a time of 2:39.70. This set a meet record and ranked her sixth in the world.
This remarkable time was just one of a series of other standout finishes that helped to take the Blues women’s track team to the top of the CIS podium and earned Gollish the titles of both the CIS Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year and U of T Female Athlete of the Year for 2015.
“Sasha Gollish is a genuinely home grown University of Toronto developed student-athlete,” said Georgevski. “She started in our junior development track program back in 1996 and was rookie of the year as a first-year U of T student athlete in 2000.”
Gollish stands out among past winners of the athlete of the year honour because of the multiple and complex and demands she’s met while racing.
“I am an engineer by trade. The foundation of undergrad is learning how to multitask,” she said. “I can work well this way.”
She not only works well, but thrives with a full plate. A PhD student, Gollish works as an engineering consultant while studying engineering education at U of T – and is racing against students who are often 10 to 15 years her junior.
“Sasha is an extremely bright, talented and compassionate woman,” Georgevski said. “From a coach’s perspective she is the total package—a fierce competitor on the track and a true teammate and leader off the track.”
“They keep me young,” the 33-year old said of her teammates, with a light-hearted laugh. “Things have changed between when I first competed and now—what matters most to me is different.”
Over the years Gollish has fine-tuned what brings out her optimal performances. For example, her school work and sessions at the gym suffer without adequate sleep, so she won’t compromise on that; she is also very mindful of her diet. And beyond that, she’s able to manage expectations and stress better.
“My perspective is different,” she explained. “If I have a bad work out, for example, I get over it really quickly. Before, it would eat me up for a couple of days. I appreciate that I have more wisdom now.”
Georgevski is confident that her experience and skills will take her to the next level. “Here we are in 2015 and it’s already been a big year; she is the CIS Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year, U of T Female Athlete of the Year and we’re not done yet. We still have the Pan Am Games in her sights.”
Gollish is currently in California racing to quality for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games and the World Championships. Like her track and field peers, she will know if she makes the cut in late June. For updates, check out her website. You can also watch Gollish featured as CityNews Athlete of the Week for April 6.