Science

By Lindsay Charlton

In a two-acre greenhouse dedicated to research and development at JEM Farms in Kingsville, Ont., Shahpour Alirezaee is working on advanced technology to help growers improve plant pollination. 

Dr. Alirezaee, a University of Windsor engineering professor specializing in mechatronics and robotics, is developing an autonomous robotic pollination system. 

By Sara Elliott

With every turn of their pedals across the Gordie Howe International Bridge next year, cyclists will be forging new paths — linking two cities, two countries and a shared story of place and possibility.

A new report, co-authored by University of Windsor visiting scholar John Hartig, explores how the region can harness this opportunity to grow cross-border trail tourism and build connections through shared experiences.

By Sara Elliott

Lindsey Boshart

Lindsey Boshart packed her undergraduate years full of experiences inside and outside of the classroom, earning herself a gold Faculty of Science LEAD medallion on graduation day.  

Local health and academic leaders have pledged another five years to sparking innovation and advancing critical research.

Representatives of the University of Windsor, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital signed a five-year memorandum of understanding Monday at Ambassador Golf Club reaffirming their partnership in the WE-Spark Health Institute.

A mechanical engineering graduate student took first place in the annual Three Minute Thesis competition with research that pokes holes in three-dimensional printing technology by exploring the flaws left in printed parts.

Dora Strelkova impressed the judges with her presentation, titled “You wouldn’t want a pie filled with holes, so why should we accept 3D printed parts with them?” Her thesis project, which she has been working on for the past two semesters, began as a new hobby she developed during pandemic lockdowns.

Eager students lined the aisles at the Advanced Computing Hub, the School of Computer Science’s downtown campus, ready to pitch their programming projects to staff, faculty and industry partners.

Undergrads, computer science graduate students and Master of Applied Computing (MAC) students showed off their CS Demo Day Winter 2025 pitches ranging from detecting sign language to agri-tech, and from crime prediction to education-focused platforms aimed at supporting student learning.

Your eating patterns could be throwing off your circadian rhythms. Biomedical sciences professor Phillip Karpowicz says this negatively affects your health — specifically your gut health — which could result in an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour physiological changes that include sleep-wake cycles, metabolic changes, hormone oscillations, and cycles of feeding-fasting. These are driven by the circadian clock, a molecular timer that enables our cells to anticipate daily events.

Thirteen future physicians are tackling pressing health challenges — from cancer care to vaccine hesitancy — through hands-on research projects grounded in the Windsor-Essex community. 

Supported by the Schulich-UWindsor Opportunities for Research Excellence Program (SWORP), these innovative projects give first- and second-year medical students early exposure to research while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with University of Windsor faculty and clinical leaders. 

By Sara Elliott

Nigel Hussey’s shark research takes him around the world where he sees first-hand the critical nature of conservation work.  

Now, as part of a massive international study looking at the movement of threatened, large marine animals, he says we can see the harsh reality of global marine conservation.  

“The study shows we’re not protecting habitat for key functions for these species,” he says.  

Ironworkers from both sides of the border made history this summer by connecting the Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River, marking a pivotal moment years in the making.