Innovation Leaders

Tell us about your research: Our visual system uses changes in contrast in the visual scene as one of the cues to delineate an object from its background. So I am currently trying to understand how contrast information is processed by our visual system and the neural circuit behind it. I am using the technique of electrophysiology and computational modeling to study this processing at a single neuron level in the visual cortex.

How do you feel about winning a Vanier Graduate Scholarship ? I feel honored to have received this prestigious award, particularly after coming all the way from India for my graduate studies. It is a recognition of my achievements so far and a big morale boost for my future goals. This award will help reduce my financial burden and allow me to focus on my doctoral research and try innovative ideas. It will allow me to attend international conferences and learn about recent developments in the field, also I can attend international summer schools to learn cutting edge techniques without financial worry. 

Tell us about your research: Infectious diseases have joined habitat loss and bushmeat hunting as a major threat to wildlife populations. Recent research also suggests that diseases are jumping from wildlife to humans living in contact with these animals at an increasing rate. I am investigating disease dynamics in wild primates; in particular, I am studying the impact of primate behavior on simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) dynamics in sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) in Taï Forest, Ivory Coast. This virus has recently made the jump to surrounding human populations leading to new strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mangabeys represent the original host so may have evolved resistance to this virus. Currently the viral diversity present in this population is largely unknown. Ultimately, I hope this work will provide insights into genetic resistance in this population, the impact of behavior on disease dynamics, a better understanding of viral evolution in the wild, and an understanding of the disease risk faced by populations living around this park. 

What are your plans for the next three years? I will be spending a year in the Ivory Coast, in Taï forest, studying sooty mangabeys in the wild. I will also be conducting laboratory analyses at the Robert Koch Insitute in Berlin under the guidance of Dr. Fabian Leendertz; an expert in non-invasive monitoring of wildlife populations, where I hope to learn genetic methods for studying viral evolution. I will also be collaborating with Dr. Roman Wittig at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology to study the behavior of sooty mangabeys and examine social networks of these terrestrial group-living primates. I plan to integrate next-generation sequencing methods into my research to study the microbiome of these primates to better understand other factors impacting primate health.

How do you feel about winning a Vanier Graduate Scholarship – what difference will this make to your research path or your contribution to the global community? This scholarship has enabled me to focus exclusively on my research and spend time abroad in Germany and the Ivory Coast without having to worry about securing other sources of funding. Ultimately the Vanier Graduate Scholarship has provided me the opportunity to bridge disciplines and expertise from three continents to tackle a difficult set of problems. 

Tell us about your research: With today’s advanced technologies, it should be possible to design and build violins that equal or surpass the standards of the famous old ones, such as those made by Stradivari and Guarneri. My research is aimed at combining mechanical/acoustical measurements, computational models, and perceptual analyses to better understand what distinguishes “good” from “bad” violins and to apply this information to the design of new or improved instruments. In particular two questions are expected to be answered in the course of my study: What features make one violin “better” than the other? And, what will happen to the sound of a particular violin if we change some particular detail of its construction?

I received the prestigious Vanier scholarship in mechanical engineering discipline, but I’m working on my PhD in the Music technology area of Schulich school of music. This is evidence of the truly multidisciplinary nature of my work. This project will benefit from access to state-of-the-art scientific research equipment available from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) as well as professional-level musicians, which is a major asset when confronting the perceptual aspect of the project. This project is also being performed in close collaboration with our colleagues in the engineering department of Cambridge University.

What does winning the Vanier mean to you? The great monetary value of this award gives me the freedom to choose the direction of my research and to focus on my studies without being worried about financial concerns; that is particularly valuable in my case as I’m an international student working on a music related project. I know many students in a similar situation who are not as privileged. Also it calls more attention to our field of research and similar research groups throughout the country. Besides the financial matters, being recognized in this capacity adds to my confidence and credibility and presents me with new opportunities. This is certainly not something that ends at graduation -I’ll have it with me through my future career as well. I’m extremely grateful and humbled to be among those selected and will do my best to make this tremendous investment on my work worthwhile.