Information Box Group
Fall 2025 Event Recap
Eye-tracking and cardiac monitoring in everyday social contexts
November 13, 2025
with Dr. Lauren Fink
Research investigating experiences and interactions within live social contexts has traditionally been constrained by high costs, proprietary tools, and limited access to specialized equipment and data. In this talk I will provide an overview of our open-source tools for social event research, both in-person and online. From music performances to art galleries to political debates, we have deployed these tools in diverse contexts, enabling insights into joint attention and social interaction. For in-person audiences, we have built frameworks for remotely controlling, synchronizing, and analysing data from mobile eye-trackers and open-source smart watches. For online audiences, we have developed tools for audiovisual research and event livestreams, as well as end-to-end webcam-based eye-tracking pipelines. Findings from recent events will be highlighted with focus on how these tools facilitate understanding of multimodal attention in real-world environments.
Physiological response of climate change and contaminants on arctic seabirds
October 23, 2025
with Dr. Emily Choy, Assistant Professor Department of Biology
Dr. Choy’s research program focuses on the effects of anthropogenic stressors on avian wildlife and other predators to monitor broad-scale environmental change. Her lab conducts field research in temperate and Arctic ecosystems to examine the impacts of climate change on avian fitness.
along with guest speaker, Julianna Colafranceschi (Ph. D student, Choy Lab) discussing “Avian conservation, ecophysiology, & ecotoxicology: An introduction to avian field work”
SCIENCE 1SA1 Colloquium Series - Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Science
September 10, 2025
"Conjugated Polymers on Carbon Nanotube Surfaces – From Fundamentals to Applications"
October 2, 2025
with Dr. Alex Adronov
This research talk will inform students about organic synthesis of novel polymeric structures, used in the functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). Focus will be on the therapeutic and diagnostic imaging applications.
SCIENCE 1SA1 Colloquium Series
September 25, 2025
with Sydney Valentino, Sehrish Zehra, and Brandon Aubie
Winter 2025 Event Recap
Student-Led Science: Agency for Exploration Watch the Full Seminar!
March 20, 2025
with Dr. Sara Smith
The beneficial impacts of conducting research during an undergraduate degree are well established, and while course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide essential exposure to research, they typically require some level of constraint around the scope and scale of the projects to ensure completion within an academic context. Allowing undergraduate students to drive their science forward with limited restraints provides an experience more similar to what they they will encounter in their post-graduation careers in every aspect of the scientific process, from roadblocks to successes. It also provides students the opportunity to evaluate their interest in actually doing science, as opposed to learning about science in the classroom. This seminar presents the work conducted with McMaster’s Office of Undergraduate Research in providing research experiences to McMaster undergraduates off-campus, and previews the proposed student-led research program for summer 2025.
"Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging Coronary Artery Disease.”
March 6, 2025
with Dr. James Inkster, Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Abstract: Early disease diagnosis is essential for effective treatment. The Radiochemistry and Radiopharmaceuticals Research Group specializes in developing radiolabelled probes targeting molecular biomarkers expressed by disease and infection to detect pathology early. Radiolabelled molecular probes are detected throughout the course of disease by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or Single Photon Emission Computed tomography (SPECT) for accurate staging leading to improved treatment.
This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with exciting research on campus and network with faculty.
"Good Fungi-Bad Fungi" with Dr. J.P. Xu, Professor Department of Biology
January 29, 2025
Fungi are an important part of soil biodiversity, and this diverse group of organisms can help tackle global challenges, including climate change and hunger.
Fungi can do lots of different things. And they include everything from mushrooms, to yeasts, to the mold growing on your shower curtain.
Interested in learning about research on the main roles these fungi play within natural ecosystems and in the context of serving a particular purpose to human societies: as model species, as edible species, as decomposers, as toxic species, as medicinal mushrooms, as symbionts and as pathogens.
This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with exciting research on campus and network with faculty.
Fall 2024 Event Recap
DNA Fingerprinting
November 29th, 2024
"Understanding and Predicting Infectious Disease Epidemics with Mathematical Models" with Dr. David Earn
Nov 26, 2024
“Understanding and predicting infectious disease epidemics with mathematical models” with Dr. David Earn, Professor Mathematics & Statistics
An excellent opportunity to get acquainted with exciting research on campus and network with faculty!
McMaster Public Health Student-Led Conference (MPHSLC)
Nov 26, 2024
"Don't Burn Up! Mitigating boreal peat fire carbon and smoke emissions in an era of climate change" with Dr. Mike Waddington
Nov 12, 2024
Chloroplast DNA Extraction
Oct 25, 2024
Science Colloquium: Where have all the wetlands gone—oh when will we ever learn?
Oct 1, 2024
Great Lakes coastal wetlands are rich with biodiversity and provide many ecosystem services. Their importance is known to ecologists and Indigenous peoples, but are also recognized as being nature based solutions that can help buffer against the harmful effects of climate change. Unfortunately, most of the coastal wetlands in southern Ontario are lost and recent provincial legislation has severely weakened wetland protection for the remaining. The practice of offsetting developed wetlands with restored or created wetlands will not work. Restoration projects can only bring back a fraction of the ecosystem services they are meant to create. For the sake of our children’s children, we need to return to protection of wetlands as a priority.
Cell Staining and Microscopy
Sep 27, 2024
Conduct a hands-on Gram staining activity to differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and observe and interpret the results of Gram staining under a microscope.
Accessing and Evaluating Academic Literature
Sep 23, 2024
An opportunity to get acquainted with sourcing and analyzing academic literature whether you are a Level 1 student or taking upper year research practicum and thesis courses.