Creating an artistic representation of space use on campus

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021
A 3D map of the University of Guelph campus

Photo credit: Nadia Amoroso

By Caitlin Ford

Showing how people may gather safely on outdoor campus spaces such as Johnston Green after COVID-19 is the goal of a new University of Guelph landscape architecture project.

Dr. Nadia Amoroso, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD), and two master of landscape architecture students, Christine Pedersen and Sihao Chen, visualized these outdoor spaces using a process called datascaping – creating information-driven digital mapping illustrations – to generate maps of outdoor locations on U of G’s campus based on...

Read more: Creating an artistic representation of space use on campus

A world within a block – the impacts of COVID-19 on St. James Town

Tuesday, July 27th, 2021
Cars stopped on a street in front of an apartment building in St. James Town.

Photo Credit: Gary J Wood

By Mya Kidson

Residents of an often-overlooked Toronto neighbourhood that was hard-hit early in the pandemic have strengthened community ties and logged high vaccination rates through COVID-19 despite their challenges, a University of Guelph researcher has found.

Often called “a world within a block,” the St. James Town community is unlike any other, in the country, and has become a research focus for Dr. Lisa Kowalchuk, professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.  

Located in downtown east of Toronto, St. James Town is a highly...

Read more: A world within a block – the impacts of COVID-19 on St. James Town

Togetherness: no longer a distant memory of pre-pandemic times

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Three people wearing masks and holding puppets on an outdoor theatre set

Photo Credit: Troy Hourie

By Mya Kidson

Performance and art can bring healing and promote social interaction, especially during times of pandemic isolation. This was the focus of a recent research project from U of G.  

In the summer of 2020, Prof. Troy Hourie, from the School of English and Theatre Studies, collaborated with Puppeteers Andrew Gaboury and Colleen Snell as well as U of G student production interns Samantha Adams, Emily Brown and Liaba Nisar to create a Dom Roberto-style production called ODDITI(m)ES — A...

Read more: Togetherness: no longer a distant memory of pre-pandemic times

Mechanisms Involved In Chronic Pain Similar To Those In Memory Development, Say OVC Researchers

Friday, July 16th, 2021
A headshot of Dr. Giannina Descalzi

Dr. Giannina Descalzi

By Mya Kidson 

Chronic pain is prevalent in humans and their companion animals, but there is very little research that shows how it manifests. Department of Biomedical Sciences professor, Dr. Giannina Descalzi, investigates how the brain adapts to pain and has found that there are similar mechanistic changes that occur with chronic pain, as seen with learning and development. In a recent...

Read more: Mechanisms Involved In Chronic Pain Similar To Those In Memory Development, Say OVC Researchers

Socially responsible behaviour can protect vulnerable groups during the pandemic

Monday, July 12th, 2021
An infographic that says to wash your hands, keep a safe distance and wear face masks - graphic

By Otaiba Ahsan

People at lower risk of infection from COVID-19 are more likely to engage in socially irresponsible behaviours that put vulnerable groups at risk, says a new University of Guelph study, but a social nudge can help improve cooperation.

Dr. Tongzhe Li, a professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE), is leading a team from her department and collaborators at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

They hope to learn why certain people fail to take public health guidelines seriously and who is more...

Read more: Socially responsible behaviour can protect vulnerable groups during the pandemic

OVC Researchers Study Impact of Smog on Horse Lung Health

Monday, July 12th, 2021
People racing horses on a track in carts

Photo Credit: OVC 

By Olivia Willoughby 

University of Guelph researchers are examining the effects of outdoor air pollution, or smog, on the respiratory health of horses in the Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo area. Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi, a professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, is looking to see if the same factors that play a role in human asthma also play a role in the development of mild equine asthma (MEA) in horses...

Read more: OVC Researchers Study Impact of Smog on Horse Lung Health

The susceptibility of pets to SARS-CoV-2

Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
A black cat sitting on stairs.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Ford

By Caitlin Ford

Pets can contract SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to a University of Guelph study that will help public health departments make informed recommendations for pet isolation measures during COVID-19.

Department of Pathobiology professors Dr. Dorothee Bienzle and Dr. Scott Weese worked with departmental lab technicians David Marom and Joyce Rousseau to determine the infection status of companion animals – notably dogs, cats and ferrets – in households of people with COVID-19. 

Findings early in the pandemic showed pets in...

Read more: The susceptibility of pets to SARS-CoV-2

Bridging the gap between arts and science

Tuesday, June 29th, 2021
Two women standing next to a sign for the U of G’s Bachinski/Chu Print Study Collection

Photo Credit: Emily Reimer

By Mya Kidson

Science and art are often viewed as different disciplines — but they have always been intertwined, and today, more so than ever before.

A University of Guelph project shows that learning skills in conducting formal analysis on works of art can help professionals, even with little arts background, to improve performance in visual observation. This form of analysis examines the elements of a work of art—including line, form, shape, space, texture, and color—that form the structure of what is perceived through human eyes. 

Dr....

Read more: Bridging the gap between arts and science

Promoting resilience in the Canadian humanitarian and development sector during the pandemic

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021
A headshot of Dr. Andrea Paras

Dr. Andrea Paras 

By Mya Kidson

“The new norm” is the reality for many Canadian humanitarian organizations that rapidly pivoted their services online in response to COVID-19, U of G researchers have found.

During summer 2020, Dr. Andrea Paras, a professor in the Department of Political Science, and her research team studied the pandemic’s impact on NGOs in Canada’s humanitarian and development sector. They found that while the pandemic posed some challenges for these organizations, it also created some opportunities for adaptation and innovation. 

“These...

Read more: Promoting resilience in the Canadian humanitarian and development sector during the pandemic

U of G researchers develop, test simulation tool for fighting the pandemic

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
Dr. Danielle Gillis standing in front of a tree

Dr. Daniel Gillis

By Otaiba Ahsan

From physical distancing to phased reopening of businesses, figuring out which mitigation strategies work best for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is the goal of a novel simulation tool developed by University of Guelph researchers. 

The team is now testing the tool, designed to help policy makers gauge which public health measures will control the spread of the disease most effectively. 

“We hope to provide public health opportunities at the local and provincial levels to put into action the best mitigation strategies available...

Read more: U of G researchers develop, test simulation tool for fighting the pandemic