Research stories

Our investments support research that benefits Canadians

In CFI-funded labs and facilities across the country, researchers in all stages of their careers are making discoveries, supporting a robust innovation ecosystem and helping solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

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Taking research to the next level with artificial intelligence

How researchers in Canada are turbo-charging their research with artificial intelligence to solve problems, from traffic jams to climate change to discovering new pharmaceuticals
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A graphic of a DNA strand lit up with data points.
article
British Columbia

How Canada is at the forefront of unpacking the potential of DNA data storage

Could “DNA origami” offer a way to store some of the world’s 149 trillion gigabytes of information and help solve big data’s big storage problem? At UBC Okanagan, Will Hughes is exploring the possibilities.
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Portrait of a person wearing large earrings and a dark blue jacket with pale blue, rose and burgundy stripes.
podcast
Quebec

Pooneh Maghoul: Working at the forefront of geotechnical engineering

Can our critical infrastructure withstand the effects of climate change?
All podcasts
video

Transforming research instincts into a successful business (March webinar)

Part of our Future You webinar series. This webinar features a new generation of researchers who share their challenges and successes as they made the move from researcher to entrepreneur. Watch the video to gain insights and receive valuable tips on how to start your own business.
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Daniella Niyonkuru poses with line drawing illustrations around her.
video
Ontario

Helping more young women choose engineering and computer science

Carleton University graduate, Daniella Niyonkuru, leads by example. As a successful computer engineer and devoted mentor, she is showing girls that a career in tech is within reach
Emmanuel Alabi poses with line drawing illustrations around him.
video
Ontario

A better way to measure pain in children

PhD student, Emmanuel Alabi, is looking for a way to objectively rate pain to help those who can’t communicate
Postdoctoral fellow Shabnam Jabari posing for a photo over a red background.
article
New Brunswick

Helping rescuers save more lives

Postdoctoral fellow, Shabnam Jabari, has developed an algorithm that creates a more accurate before-and-after picture to aid in recovery after a disaster
PhD student Austin Lee posing for a photo over a purple background.
article
British Columbia

A better quality of life for people with diabetes

PhD student, Austin Lee, is commercializing a smartphone device he invented to help diabetics monitor their blood sugar
Research associate Luis Alejandro Coy posing for a photo over a green background.
article
Alberta

Greener fuels for a better future

Research associate, Luis Alejandro Coy, is making a name for himself globally by developing nanocatalysts for more environmentally friendly oil upgrading
A house demolished by a hurricane.
article
Ontario

Houses that hold up in a hurricane

A state-of-the-art research facility at Western University has found that a few dollars can make our homes much safer in extreme storms
A two-lane highway viewed from a windshield with a car ahead and several digital markers overlain on the image
article
Ontario

Intelligent cars change everything

Once the domain of traditional robotics, the future of self-driving cars now lies in artificial intelligence, where Canadian researchers like Raquel Urtasun have serious clout
Many symbols and letters forming an algorithm written on a blue screen
article
Saskatchewan

It’s all in the algorithm

Making machine learning more affordable by tweaking how the machine interacts with the data sources that teach it
A white-haired woman holds a tomato wedge with a cooking pot on a surface in front of her
article
Quebec

What if your stove could learn your bad habits?

How artificially intelligent devices could make living at home for longer a safer option for seniors
Illustration of four men in business suits rowing a vessel shaped like an arrow. A fifth man, standing in front of them, shouts from a megaphone.
podcast

Episode six: The way forward

The final episode of our podcast series takes stock of where the CFI is today and where innovation in Canada needs to be 20 years from now
Floor to ceiling solar panels simulate a sunny day in a concrete research facility.
video
Quebec

Off-the-wall energy for self-sufficient buildings

Concordia University researcher Andreas Athienitis’ thermal solar wall technology can provide enough heat and electricity to take whole buildings off the grid
Three rows of round icons display a variety of bacteria and virus illustrations.
podcast
Ontario

Keeping antibiotics ahead of infectious diseases

Gerry Wright talks about the problems with promiscuous bacteria and how antibiotics resistance could affect the future of medicine