Local startup founded by U of A graduates teaches basics of programming in more than 30 Edmonton-area schools
U of A graduate students are teaching Edmonton elementary students how to write computer code for simple games and apps. The coding may be simple – just a few instructions enabling a computer to calculate whether it’s too cold for recess, for example – but the logic is the same as you find in more…
U of A research is first to show that growth rate of adult trees is linked to fungal networks colonizing their roots
Being highly connected to a strong social network has its benefits. Now a new University of Alberta study is showing the same goes for trees, thanks to their underground neighbours. The study, published in the Journal of Ecology, is the first to show that the growth of adult trees is linked to their participation in fungal…
U of A research sets the stage for imminent human trials of B-cell lymphoma treatment
Scientists have identified the mechanism of action behind a new type of precision cancer drug for blood cancers that is set for human trials, according to research published recently in Nature Communications. The University of Alberta research team led by Luc Berthiaume, cell biology professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, spent four years working to…
U of A computing scientist Omid Ardakanian is working on software to make buildings more comfortable while cutting emissions, lowering costs
For most of us, office cooling and heating systems are like wallpaper: you only really notice them if they catch fire. For Omid Ardakanian, office buildings offer potential energy savings on a skyscraper scale. “My obsession, if you want to call it that, comes from the sensors in these buildings,” said Ardakanian, a computing science professor…
U of A health law professor Ubaka Ogbogu advises that policy-makers focus on clear information and ensuring equitable access to vaccines
Canada should have a mandatory vaccination policy for childhood infectious diseases where vaccines are freely available, but not for influenza or COVID-19, according to a University of Alberta health law expert. “I still encourage vaccination,” said Ubaka Ogbogu, a professor in the faculties of law and pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. “There’s no one-size-fits-all vaccination policy, and policy-makers have to…
Artificial intelligence can do a lot to help businesses, but its dynamic, complex nature can also make it challenging to learn – which is where Stephanie Husby loves to step in. As a machine learning educator for the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), the University of Alberta graduate teaches the AI for Strategy and Management course, helping non-technical managers…
U of A specialist identified gaps in care as patients age, developed app on his own time to ‘make a difference’
A University of Alberta family doctor has developed an app that he hopes will improve medical care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Kyle Sue, clinical assistant professor of developmental pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, built the app with the help of a friend to present family physicians with the best treatment…
U of A professor says COVID-19 crisis has provided much-needed public education in how vaccines can prevent deadly viruses
A pharmacy researcher predicts more of us will roll up our sleeves for the influenza vaccine this fall thanks to the crash course we’ve all had recently on viruses and how to prevent them. “Because of COVID-19, people are becoming a lot more aware of how susceptible they are to viruses and virus-caused infections, especially…
U of A computing scientists working with Edmonton company to find out if applying AI to water treatment is a financial, environmental win-win
A pilot project leveraging the University of Alberta’s artificial intelligence expertise to improve the process of making drinking water safe is up and running in Drayton Valley, Alta. The U of A’s Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lab, along with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, an Alberta not-for-profit institute with U of A affiliations, Edmonton infrastructure technology…
A sugar-based response in the lungs caused by invading influenza viruses can act as a signal for when a patient has a severe risk of dying, according to an international team led by University of Alberta glycomics researchers. The researchers are now envisioning a new set of targets that could help flatten flu mortality rates…