Science Professor Jesse Rogerson has published a new book, Daydreaming in the Solar System (MIT Press), with co-author John Moores, a professor at Lassonde, that takes readers on adventures to distant planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Each chapter is a tale about a unique escapade, with accurate descriptions rooted in science and watercolour illustrations by York Biology student Michelle Parsons.

“In this book we tried to transport people to real places in space and give them a sense of what it would be like to be there,” explained Rogerson, who is a professor in the Division of Natural Science in the Department of Science, Technology & Society. “What would you see, hear, smell, feel and taste? The stories are science fiction in a sense, but also as real and accurate as it can get based on what we know as scientists.”

For instance, one of the chapters is about cave diving through one of Saturn’s moons, which would be made of ice and very porous. Another chapter takes the reader surfing on Saturn’s rings, “which would be like floating through a fog,” Rogerson described. In another story, the reader takes a hot air balloon trip around Venus, which has very fast winds and a similar atmospheric pressure to Earth at 60-70 km above the surface; apparently, no space suit would be required.

“The goal was to make it an accessible and exciting reading experience for a lay audience, and for readers to be able to imagine themselves being there. Space is everyone’s space, and it is still nature, so I see the book as a creative way of helping people appreciate and respect the wonders that are out there.”

The book sparks imagination through not just the stories, but also the watercolour illustrations in each chapter that are “real and surreal at the same time,” said Rogerson. They depict the reality of environments that people have never been to before.

The illustrations were done by Michelle Parsons, who previously worked as an engineer and is now a science illustrator (see ) and an undergraduate student in the Biology program at York.

“I have always loved art, and my passion for science illustration grew from trying to recreate the natural world accurately. �첥��Ƶing biology is helping me to expand my toolbox as an artist.”

Parsons worked in parallel with Rogerson and Moores, taking drafts of the chapters and developing rough sketches that were then turned into detailed paintings as the stories were finalized.

Daydreaming in the Solar System is available at the , , and other .

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A �첥��Ƶ researcher is advancing a drug initiative to give hope to millions of people around the world suffering from rare diseases for which drug therapies have not yet been developed.

Professor Conor Douglas is leading a global initiative to uncover the economic, political and regulatory barriers that prevent costly research into drugs that could treat rare diseases. The goal is to advance new approaches to drug development that could open the door to a broader range of treatments for rare diseases, not just those for more common ailments.

“The majority of rare disease patients have no kind of pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical treatment option,” said Douglas, an associate professor in York’s Department of Science, Technology & Society. “The science is in prime time; it’s ready to go. But you can have the fanciest science and technology and it’s not going anywhere unless these other issues are being addressed.”

Through the  project, Douglas is working with researchers around the world to find and advocate for changes he hopes will diversify a system that has been driven in part by profit motive and regulation.

“As a society, we’re choosing not to develop certain kinds of treatments because they might not be profitable enough,” Douglas said. “Our notion of social pharmaceutical innovation is trying to understand initiatives that are tackling these problems of availability, accessibility and affordability in a way that ensures health system sustainability, supports a private insurance system that can afford to cover cutting-edge treatments and where people don’t have to pay for them out of pocket.”

Although individually they are uncommon, rare diseases as a whole are quite common, with more than 7,000 identified today, and more being discovered as science progresses. It’s estimated that up to six per cent of people around the world suffer from rare diseases. There are up to two million sufferers in Canada alone, contributing to five to 10 per cent of the country’s hospitalization costs, according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Last year, Canada announced a  and an investment of $1.5 billion to increase access to and affordability of drugs. As part of the strategy, provinces and territories are expected to cost share through their bilateral purchasing agreements for rare disease treatments with Health Canada.

“There’s definitely a policy window right now,” said Douglas, whose innovation project is looking at more ways to ensure drugs for rare diseases are brought to market.

Ideas include involving patients in research and development, teaming them with clinicians to collect data on how drugs are working outside of clinical trials in an effort to move drugs through trials more quickly. In another example, companies trying to bring a treatment to market and provincial health-care systems could enter into risk-sharing agreements as a drug is tested. One such collaboration has already resulted in approval by Health Canada for enzyme replacement therapies to treat Fabry disease, a rare genetic condition caused by a missing enzyme that can attack vital organs.

Douglas said he hopes the examples of winning approaches he and his colleagues are uncovering will offer hope to those who suffer from rare diseases, many of whom struggle to get a diagnosis and then feel hopeless when they learn there is no treatment.

“Almost all of the cases that we come up against are full of often painful stories of suffering,” he said, adding that the solution doesn’t lie only with the medical scientists.

“They need help from people looking at regulatory changes. We need the patients’ input. We need collaboration from industry, and certainly we need buy-in from Health Canada and the provincial health-care systems and pharmaceutical plans. Change is underway; a different way of doing things is possible.”

Courtesy of YFile

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New faculty members further York’s scientific innovation, impact

The Faculty of Science welcomed 12 new high-calibre researchers and instructors to its five departments and one division. By recruiting talented faculty members with diverse backgrounds, world views and expertise, we are ensuring the best learning experience for our students and cultivating integrity and principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in our community.

Record growth in experiential education opportunities

Experiential education allows students to deepen their learning and apply theories learned in the classroom to hands-on, paid work experiences. Over 2022-23, the Faculty of Science’s experiential education program saw record growth, with co-op applications increasing by 180 per cent and internship applications increasing nearly 140 per cent over the previous year. As well, this past summer, 110 student opportunities were posted by 21 employers.

Leading pharmaceutical technology innovation

Our chemists are leading a team of researchers and industrial leaders in training the next generation of technologically advanced graduates for the pharmaceutical industry. Supported by a new NSERC CREATE grant worth $1.65 million, the Technology-Enhance Pharmaceutical Discovery (TEPD) program will train Master’s and PhD students with the technical and managerial skills to capitalize on disruptive technologies that aim to impact Canada’s research and development in the pharmaceutical industry.

Strengthening community engagement

The Faculty of Science’s sense of community and its ability to tackle challenges have been bolstered by our community member’s willingness to engage with each other and with our university partners centrally, through various initiatives including our year-long Community 2022 initiative; these events were attended by hundreds of faculty and staff through to the program’s conclusion in Summer 2023. More.

Canada Research Chairs position FSc at the forefront of future-defining research

The national Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program recognizes world-leading researchers in a variety of fields. The Faculty of Science gained one new and two renewed Canada Research Chairs (CRC): Kohitij Kar received a new CRC Tier II in Visual Neuroscience; Christopher Caputo received a renewed CRC Tier II in Main-Group Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry; and Raymond Kwong received a renewed CRC Tier II in Environmental Toxicology.

$4M in NSERC Discovery Grants support scientific innovation at York

More than 20 faculty members from the Faculty of Science were collectively awarded over $4 million in NSERC Discovery Grants to continue advancing scientific innovation. The funding is enabling our researchers to independently pursue long-term research programs, innovative research activities, diverse partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Science Explorations Summer Camp offers expanded opportunities for youth

Our Science Explorations Summer Camp for Grades 3 to 8 featured curricula with a greater emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including a new week-long program called Sustainable Science. Overall, our summer youth programming welcomed more than 500 students who engaged in 27 unique camp themes in the areas of environmental chemistry, space adventures, forensic chemistry, structural engineering, and more.

Faculty of Science hosts science deans from across Canada

Our Faculty hosted the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Council of Deans of Science (CCDS) to share knowledge and strengthen pan-Canadian advocacy for science education. The three-day event was attended by 30 science and associate deans from universities across Canada.

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A new program proposed by Professor Hélène Mialet of the Department of Science, Technology & Society was one of three winners of the international “Future of Being Human” competition held by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Mialet (principal investigator) will serve as co-director of CIFAR’s new program, which also includes Professor Kristin Andrews (LAPS, Department of Philosophy) as a new Fellow.

Mialet, along with co-directors Tarek Elhaik (University of California, Davis) and Christopher Kelty (University of California, Los Angeles), has assembled a network of 16 exceptional scholars and practitioners, including philosophers, historians, curators, conservators, artists and anthropologists from around the world to participate in the program.

Her longstanding research aims to set out an innovative methodological and empirical trajectory for the study of the human as a distributed centred-subject. This work has been foundational to the inception of the Future Flourishing program, which will explore how human exceptionalism can be reconfigured by extending the boundary and definition of the human to the living and non-living beings that make us who we are.

“The fundamental question at the core of the Future Flourishing program,” explains Mialet, “is how can we live well without human exceptionalism. How can we live well and flourish with those upon whom we depend or with whom we share a common world? The establishment of a new definition of the human will have tremendous implications for how we think about and ‘do’ politics, ethics, knowledge and morality.” In addition, she points out that “this is an important award for York. It has the potential to make profound change in how we engage with our complex world.”

Read the press release from �첥��Ƶ.

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#10 Enhanced opportunities for undergraduate research and success

Fifty-five students from Science and across the University attended our annual Summer Undergraduate Research Conference to present their summer research projects and network with their peers. The Faculty of Science also established the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Award program, thanks to a generous donation from alumnus Earle Nestmann.

#9 New international education experience programs and initiatives

We launched our 2+2/2+3 Undergraduate International Collaboration Education Programs, which allow students from participating institutions to complete their first two years of study at their home university and their last two or three years at York. We also created the York Science Hainan Learning Centre to support some of our international students currently studying online due to COVID-19.

#8 Celebrating new and renewed Chair positions

We welcomed and celebrated new and renewed Chair appointments, including Canada Research Chairs (Professors Chris Caputo, Kohitij Kar and Raymond Kwong), York Research Chairs (Professors Jianhong Wu and Jane Heffernan), the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy (Professor Sarah Rugheimer), the Guy Warwick Rogers Chair in Chemistry (Professor Cora Young), and the Mclaughlin Research Chair (Professor John McDermott).

#7 Three Science professors elected to Royal Society of Canada (RSC)

The elected three York Science faculty members: Professor Jianhong Wu, as Fellow, Academy of Science; and Professors Sandra Rehan and Sapna Sharma, as members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Recognition by the RSC is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the arts, social sciences and sciences.

#6 New professors join Faculty of Science ranks

We welcomed new faculty members Charlotte de Araujo, Kohitij Kar, Allysa Lumley, Daniela Monaldi, Gloria Orchard, Balint Radics, Kelly Ramsay, Sarah Rugheimer, and Jennifer van Wijngaarden. By recruiting talented new researchers and teachers like these individuals, we are building science for the future and making York Science a great place to learn and be a researcher.

#5 Launch of Data Science program

The Department of Mathematics & Statistics launched a new Data Science program, starting fall 2023. The program includes streams in areas of practice such as business and health, together with a capstone course where students work on real-world problems for clients.

#4 Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for new STS offerings

The Department of Science, Technology & Society (STS) revamped its roster of courses and major and minor options, including two new EDI-focused courses that offer students the opportunity to examine EDI through explorations of past and present issues and controversies in science and technology.

#3 New domes installed at Allan I. Carswell Observatory

Two new state-of-the-art, remote-controlled domes were installed at the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory, replacing the original domes from the 1960s and opening the night sky for better viewing of planets, stars, nebulae and more.

#2 $7.25M for Global South AI4PEP Network

Professor Jude Kong received $7.25 million from the International Development Research Centre to establish the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response (AI4PEP) Network. The five-year project is aimed at ensuring vulnerable and at-risk populations are included in disease outbreak management and policies.

#1 Launch of Community 2022 initiative

We launched our Community 2022 initiative, aimed at helping faculty, staff and students reconnect in person and support the return to a more robust on-campus presence. Community 2022 includes events for social reconnection, initiatives to welcome new community members, supports for in-person teaching, seminars to support researchers, promotion of health and well-being, and improvements to the Faculty’s physical environment.

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Ever since Ravinder Singh took the Faculty of Science course Mysteries of Everyday Materials (NATS1830), taught by Stephanie Domenikos, he has been a strong believer in wearing sunscreen.

“I was never big on sunscreen, but we looked at different brands with different SPF levels under ultraviolet lamps in the lab,” said Singh, a recent �첥��Ƶ graduate who works for BDO Canada as a tax accountant. “It really opened my eyes; I realized it actually mattered to my skin.”

That’s exactly the impact Domenikos, an assistant professor and environmental chemist, hopes to have on the students in her course.

“This is a science course for non-science majors and it teaches the students how everyday materials work,” said Domenikos. “I try to give my students enough of a science background to allow them to answer life’s simpler questions. It’s also a great opportunity to get non-science students into a lab setting.”

The course, which was previously delivered solely as a lecture, hadn’t been offered for a while, but when Domenikos joined York in 2018, she overhauled it to include lab experiments. Then came the pandemic, and she was reduced to doing demonstrations on Zoom for her students, which “is not the same experience.” This year, students are back in the laboratory.

“At first, students were intimidated by the word ‘lab,’” Domenikos noted. “Many of them actively avoided science in high school and found it daunting to have labs, but they realized that it isn’t complicated; it’s just an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in lecture and to use their hands. They began to enjoy it, said they felt like scientists and were proud of themselves.”

Singh was initially intimidated by the prospect, but quickly changed his mind.

“I had just transferred to York from Sheridan College and this was my first class,” he said. “I took it just because there was a science requirement. I didn’t remember anything about chemistry from high school, but Stephanie told us she would teach us everything from scratch. I’m so lucky, because she was a great professor.”

There are 10 lab periods in the two-semester course and the students work with the same partner throughout. The experiments they conduct complement the lectures Domenikos delivers in class. The lectures explore questions such as how batteries work, how fireworks get their colours, how soap cleans hands and how gasoline engines work.

The battery lecture, for example, is followed by a lab where students create their own batteries from wire and various solutions. They also test the conductivity of various foods, such as tomatoes and lemons, to see if these items allow electricity to pass through them.

Singh fondly remembers measuring the amount of fat in potato chips, causing him to realize that “I really shouldn’t be eating these things.

“We discussed Advil and ibuprofen and what they actually do to stop pain; how non-stick cooking pans work; and how microwaves operate – little things you never think about.”

Domenikos says the labs allow them to see the application of the lectures and the experience “stays with them. It worked really well to change their mindset. A lot of my students come into the course with a ‘hate science’ mentality.” She believes science knowledge is important no matter what career path her students are pursuing.

“This is our next generation. They will be our voters and our policymakers. An understanding of science will help them make more informed decisions. York wants to produce well-rounded students who can be active participants in society.”

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One of the newest courses, Science, Technology and Racial Social Justice (STS 2333), was created last year, with the first course to be offered in the Winter 2024 term. The course was built following York’s University Academic Plan (UAP), the Faculty of Science strategic plan and an equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) curriculum, which is an important part of the STS program.

“We are such a uniquely situated department, with an opportunity to speak about the relationships between science, technology and society in the Faculty of Science,” said Chair of the Department of STS Vera Pavri. “We’re also the only program in Canada housed in a science Faculty able to do so.”

There has been growing enthusiasm for this type of STS program because it’s not only accessible to both science and non-science students, but it also tackles critical social issues, including themes of ethics, sustainability and EDI, among other topics. There are two EDI courses currently offered: Exploring Gender in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Science, Technology and Racial Social Justice (STS 2222 and STS 2333). Both courses highlight EDI, science and technology content to science and non-science majors. Covering topics such as EDI in science enhances a student’s learning experience, especially for science students unfamiliar with these topics.

“Students studying science might be interested in these issues but might not have had the opportunity to explore them before,” Pavri noted. “Now they can minor or even major in STS and be exposed to this type of curriculum, so it’s exciting.”

A part of the program reform was to offer interesting content that would be relevant to students’ degrees. While STS courses are pertinent to science students, they are also advantageous to students in other disciplines from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, who are studying in science- or technology-related fields. The STS program helps students distinguish their degrees.

“Rather than graduating with just a degree in science, students are enhancing their critical thinking and communication skills, which are highly valued by employers. STS courses such as Introduction to Science, Technology and Society (STS 1411) also provide important content and experiential education opportunities,” said Pavri.

Introduction to Science, Technology and Society shows students the reasons why STS matters, before introducing them to the theories of STS. In reforming the program, one of the department’s main goals was to help its students see the connection of STS to their real-life activities. This relevance is also emphasized through the STS website and in promotional materials, highlighting the different study and career pathways students can take.

The STS program also allows for a uniquely tailored learning experience. A student can combine their minor with another discipline or switch to a major in STS. In this way, the program is also a great pathway for individuals without a background in science or technology, who may be hesitant to explore scientific and technological issues. Bringing together non-STEM and STEM students creates “a diverse and interesting classroom in which people can draw on knowledge – not just from the professors but from each other,” Pavri said.

The , housed within the Department of STS, but distinct from the STS program, allows non-science students to explore the sciences. Their first field course, Plants in the City (NATS 1665) will be offered in Summer 2023 term, and will provide students with an experiential education opportunity as they discover urban ecosystems at York.

“Plants in the City is intended to help reduce plant blindness. We’re moving around in a green world and yet people on average can identify far fewer organisms, particularly plants, than in previous generations,” said Robin Marushia, the creator of the course and an assistant professor (teaching stream) in the Division of Natural Science. She adds there is also a strong need among city dwellers to know more about ecology.

Marushia said, “The Keele Campus offers opportunities in identifying common plant species, looking at different types of ecosystems and learning about the ecosystem functions, which green spaces provide in urban landscapes.” Like STS, natural science also aims to increase public knowledge about science, creating more active and engaged citizens.

The STS program furthers the study of science with many career possibilities. Individuals interested in computer or program design taking STS courses will become more aware of issues such as persuasive technologies or technology addiction. For those interested in pursuing government or public health, this program also helps in understanding topics like policy frameworks, pharmaceutical regulation and consulting. Non-traditional pathways, such as social and green entrepreneurship are emerging as well.

“As an example, a biology student who wants to get into medical school can distinguish their degree by minoring in STS. In interviews with universities, this gives them an opportunity to speak about the communication skills they’ve developed,” said Pavri. “Their ability to communicate with individuals who are skeptical or afraid of science is especially important in a post-COVID world.”

In fact, addressing anti-science movements was another aim of the STS program. STS courses educate students about misinformation and disinformation surrounding issues in science and technology, whether it be related to vaccines, climate change or artificial intelligence. Pavri thinks of STS students as “future ambassadors, equipped to educate others about why so much misinformation exists while tackling distrust of science through strategic communications, aimed at understanding and engaging with these audiences.”

With the backlash against the scientific community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been noted in the STEM field that sharing only the facts and relevant data is not enough. Data can be misconstrued or manipulated, but strategic communications help those in STEM understand these communities so that they can provide more effective and impactful awareness of science.

Being the only STS program in Canada to offer a major or a minor in the Faculty of Science, it is also distinct in that it focuses on three core areas: seeing science and technology in action; standing for science; and learning about science, technology and social justice.

“One of the elements of our program that appeals to students is that an STS degree allows them to better communicate the real-life impact and social repercussions that science and technology have on groups in society,” said Pavri. “We also talk about the idea of standing up for science and how an STS degree helps students understand anti-STEM movements. Finally, we have a focus on EDI, which offers students the opportunity to examine EDI in a unique way through explorations of past and present issues, and local, national and international controversies in science and technology.”

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