We are celebrating and raising the profile of scholarly milestones and research impacts from across the SFU research community.
Examples of Scholarly Impacts can include:
- Publishing a paper in a high-impact journal;
- Patenting an invention;
- Debuting a new performance piece;
- Publishing a monograph or book and/or;
- Changing a government policy
We expect most of the publications that are featured to be recent impacts—however, we will also publish a transformative impact from the past, from time-to-time.
As part of SFU's Scholarly Impact of the Week, selected researchers will work with a member of the VP Research and Innovation Office's communications and marketing team for support. We will also work with researchers to discuss how we can mobilize knowledge on their work by submitting to The Conversation Canada—one of the world's most trusted independent sources of news and views from the academic and research community, delivered directly to the public.
Be sure to keep up-to-date on the latest published Scholarly Impact and other research news by following SFU Research on Twitter (X).
If you have any questions, please reach out directly by emailing vpri-communications@sfu.ca.
SFU's Scholarly Impact of the Week series does not reflect the opinions or viewpoints of the university, but those of the scholars. The timing of articles in the series is chosen weeks or months in advance, based on a published set of criteria. Any correspondence with university or world events at the time of publication is purely coincidental.
For more information, please see SFU's Code of Faculty Ethics and Responsibilities and the statement on academic freedom.
Leading global efforts to protect deepwater sharks and rays
Nick Dulvy
Faculty of ScienceSFU Distinguished Professor of Marine Biodiversity & Conservation Nick Dulvy collaborates with scientists worldwide to address global environmental challenges like the effects of climate change and overfishing on marine biodiversity.
His compelling research is consistently the within the most widely read from SFU, particularly his work on the status of sharks and rays.
His recent paper, Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks & rays, made the cover of Nature when published in spring.
Cool new discoveries about watermelon snow
Lynne Quarmby
Faculty of ScienceOn mountains all over the world and on Arctic and Antarctic snow, swaths of orange, green, or watermelon-red algal blooms appear on the icy landscape.
SFU molecular biology and biochemistry professor Lynne Quarmby is a leading expert on watermelon snow, an interest arising from her deep engagement with the climate crisis. Using innovative approaches to sequence the genome of red snow algae, Quarmby and her research team are making cool new discoveries.
Enriching environmental education through Two-Eyed Seeing
David Zandvliet
EducationSFU education professor and UNESCO Chair in Bio-cultural Diversity and Education David Zandvliet uses a Two-Eyed Seeing approach in his teaching and research, a concept developed by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall.
His recent paper, A Two-Eyed Seeing Teaching and Learning Framework for Science Education, with Connie Cirkony and John Kenny from the University of Tasmania outlines ways to integrate the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing with the strengths of Western science into a pedagogy that benefits students, communities and the planet.
Handbook explores essential role of ethnic media
Daniel Ahadi
Faculty of Communication, Art and TechnologyAhmed Al-Rawi
Faculty of Communication, Art and TechnologyCanada’s ethnic media plays an essential role in uniting minoritized immigrant, ethnic and racial groups, and over time has evolved from analog to digital, while remaining relevant across generations. They play a vital part in shaping democracy by providing a voice and platform for underrepresented groups.
The Handbook of Ethnic Media in Canada, by communication professors Daniel Ahadi and Ahmed Al-Rawi with alumnus Sherry Yu explores the crucial role of ethnic media in the nation’s public sphere.
Research rewind: How a nuclear physicist broke new ground for archaeology research
Erle Nelson
Faculty of EnvironmentMike Richards
Faculty of EnvironmentIn 1977 nuclear physicist Erle Nelson and colleagues published a paper suggesting the use of accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) to date archaeological artifacts. Almost five decades later, AMS is still used today to learn about past climates and cultures, in crime scene investigations, and more.
SFU professor and Canada Research Chair in Archaeological Sciences Mike Richards, and a former student of Nelson's, talks about the impact of this innovation and how it is used today.
Designing technology to support wellbeing
Alissa Antle
Faculty of Communication, Art and TechnologyAlexandra Kitson
Faculty of Communication, Art and TechnologySFU School of Interactive Art and Technology professor Alissa Antle and postdoctoral researcher Alexandra Kitson are using the power of virtual reality and imagination to help young people learn emotional regulation. Their breakthrough research is changing how we think about technology and helping improve mental health.
Using health data to predict the course of Alzheimer's
Mirza Faisal Beg
Faculty of Applied SciencesJiguo Cao
Faculty of ScienceWhat does it mean to be diagnosed with dementia caused by Alzheimer’s? Will the disease advance rapidly over a few years or more moderately over decades?
SFU engineering science professor Mirza Faisal Beg and statistics and actuarial sciences professor Jiguo Cao analyzed the data of over 400 individuals in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database to predict time-to-conversion for DAT.
This is the first known study that performs a comprehensive survival analysis for subjects in various stages of the disease.
Why do animals outrun robots?
Max Donelan
Faculty of ScienceBiomedical physiology and kinesiology professor and chair Max Donelan co-leads SFU's WearTech Labs, a state-of-the-art Core Facility that researches and develops wearable technology to improve lives. His recent collaboration, Why animals can outrun robots, discusses why biology outperforms engineering in all aspects of movement.
Decoding the genome to predict the clinical course of lymphomas
Ryan Morin
Faculty of ScienceKostiantyn Dreval
Faculty of ScienceSFU molecular biology and biochemistry professor Ryan Morin uses cutting-edge molecular and computational methods to study the genetic architecture of cancer.
For a recent study led by SFU postdoctoral fellow Kostiantyn Dreval, researchers at the Morin Lab used machine learning to identify two genetically distinct subgroups of patients. This important finding can help better predict the risk and progression of malignancy using genetic testing.
Groundbreaking scholarship on gender and the military
Megan MacKenzie
Faculty of Arts and Social SciencesDespite the global #MeToo and #TimesUp movements highlighting the impact of sexual violence, within many western militaries sexual violence is still a significant problem.
Megan MacKenzie is a world leading expert on gender and the military, and over the past decade her research has shaped the debate on gender integration and military culture.
Her recent book provides insights into how patriarchy operates in the militaries of Canada the United States and Australia and offers recommendations on how to address, reduce and prevent military sexual violence.