Workplace injuries and mental health issues can lead to disabilities with devastating and long-term impacts on individuals and their families. Dr. Vicki Kristman of Lakehead University's Department of Health Science is actively pursuing research to prevent injury and long term disability in the workplace and to enhance the treatment and rehabilitation for those who suffer harm.

Under the umbrella of injury epidemiology, her major research interests include how workplace factors influence disability prevention and the experiences of individuals returning to work after a motor vehicle collision. Dr. Kristman also conducts research on the prognosis of mild traumatic brain injury and is investigating the incidence and prognosis of injury within the world's Aboriginal populations.

In addition to her position at Lakehead, Dr. Kristman holds an appointment at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, where she is working with a PhD student on her dissertation titled, "The association between work ability and return to work following a traffic injury". Previous students working with Dr. Kristman have gone on to pursue further education or found employment conducting health research in institutions like the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Dr. Kristman also holds an Associate Scientist appointment at the Institute for Work and Health, a not-for-profit research organization which strives to protect and enhance the health of workers and has been referred to as one of the world's top five occupational health and safety research centres.

While much of her research is conducted to support Canadian workers, Dr. Kristman's work certainly has international relevance. In 2006, she presented her dissertation on genetic susceptibility for concussion injuries at the World Injury Conference in Durban, South Africa (and, as it was a long flight, decided to vacation afterwards and enjoy an African safari). Offering her students a powerful insight into the world of injury and work disability, Dr. Kristman continues to impresses upon them the pivotal role that research can play in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of work-related injury.

"I often ask people, how do fish smell? The response is always, "terrible"."

So begins Bill Dew's introduction to his ground-breaking and award-winning line of research. A PhD candidate in biotechnology, Dew does indeed study how fish smell; but his work pertains not to their stench, but how their olfactory systems are impacted by chemical cues in the water.

In a mere few years, his results have unearthed some pretty incredible revelations in a focus that's largely understudied. Having proved that calcium is in fact not protective against copper-induced olfactory dysfunction, Dew explains how it only takes a very small amount of copper (well below the designated 'safe level') to severely impair a fish's scent - their most vital sense.

While this doesn't kill the fish, it essentially causes the animals to suffer an 'ecological death'. "Fish depend on their sense of smell to find food, evade predators, find mates, and locate migratory routes. Without these abilities, they're unable to function in the ecological context."

This research is forcibly calling into question whether the safe levels assigned to metal contaminants are indeed that safe. And along the way, Dew has made an exciting new discovery: that specific metals actually target certain neurons. "This is a phenomenon nobody knows about and I predict it will cause somewhat of a stir when I hopefully publish my results this summer."

Currently hoping for his submitted paper to soon be published by the prestigious Environmental Science and Technology journal, Dew has had the opportunity to share his research at several conferences, while collecting many a prize. In particular, he enjoyed attending the North American Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conference in Portland, Oregon and Winnipeg's national Aquatic Toxicology Workshop.

Why did Dew choose Lakehead? He explains that he was attracted by the calibre of his supervisor and adds that the university is home to several high-ranking professors. He has also enjoyed being able to pursue studies that are largely relevant to the ecosystem and environmental policy.

Hooked on research, he's currently seeking a post-doc and aspires to work as a professor with his own research program. As a former instructor at Nippissing University, he exclaims that he loves teaching and that such a vocation would allow him to research indefinitely while passing on his passion to students.

From children and animals in the Victorian era to fan fiction in contemporary times, Dr. Monica Flegel's students enjoy great selection in terms of the literary subject -and time period- on which to focus their studies.

A Lakehead English professor, Dr. Flegel researched child abuse in the 19th century for several years before expanding this focus to analyze pets in the Victorian period. She is presently examining spinsters and their feline companions in addition to other animalities of the era.

More recently, she's begun to explore legal discourses in relation to fan fiction in a shared project with Dr. Jenny Roth from Women's Studies, focusing on issues such as copyright and cease and desist orders. "I'm interested in how fan fiction breaks the law but also how it stretches the boundaries of what should be publishable."

Branching off these literary inclinations, her students are currently exploring the human-animal divide through such texts as Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde and Black Beauty and looking at various forms of fans and fandom. One former student studied Twilight fan fiction, while another decided to complete her thesis on Sailor Moon. "That was highly enjoyable!" exclaims Dr. Flegel. "We both had to watch a lot of episodes!"

Dr. Flegel emphasizes that with every student, she offers as much free rein as possible in terms of what they decide to study. While this can provide a source of growing pains for students coming out of their undergrad, she explains that for many, it provides an opportunity to shine. Dr. Flegel also wholeheartedly encourages any student with a passion for literature and learning to consider graduate studies in English - and adds that this can lead to some very exciting (and employable) prospects.

"In my experience, if you do what you love, you will find employment...the students I went to school with are all gainfully employed from writing at the National Post and Globe and Mail to teaching in Dubai."

She adds that the communication and critical thinking skills an MA in English offers are invaluable. "In such a competitive world, those who can speak and represent themselves well have a serious advantage over those that can't."

Dr. Mirella Stroink's students aren't confined to an office. Instead, they're encouraged to actively involve themselves in the community which is central to their studies.

A psychologist and supervisor for students in public health, environmental studies, and both clinical and experimental psychology, Dr. Stroink is chiefly interested in Complex Systems Theory and how this framework can be applied to explore the strength of communities and their resilience in the face of change.

This line of inquiry has opened doors to a number of research pursuits; Dr. Stroink is currently examining the cognitive assumptions that impact environmental behaviour as well as "learning across the lifespan" and the approach that best fosters the capacity for adaptability and transformability. She is particularly interested in the elementary school curriculum and how the teaching of subjects in discrete silos impacts a student's ability to make interdisciplinary connections.

She also devotes a portion of her profession to the exploration of issues in culture, particularly with regards to bicultural identity and acculturation processes. One of her students was keenly interested in "perceived rejection" as experienced by second-generation children in immigrant families and found that these young people are often caught betwixt and between, fearing rejection by their family if they connect with mainstream culture and by their peers if they continue to uphold their family's traditional lifestyle.

Others have actively explored food security, community gardening, indigenous studies, thinking in "web-like" ways, and the resilience of Northern communities.

Through like efforts, Dr. Stroink's students have an opportunity to not only collaborate with different communities but experience the lively and potent energy at the grass-roots level. As well, they're often able to appreciate the capacity of community knowledge and resources, which, while perhaps not apparent at first glance, "rapidly bubble to the surface in face of real needs."

"Through whatever project they decide to pursue, students are studying something so powerful and relevant to the real-world: a community's inner strength and potential."

Dr. Brian McLaren's students don't just study trees.

A supervisor for Lakehead's MSc forestry and PhD forest sciences programs, Dr. McLaren encourages his students to explore the many dimensions and intricacies of natural resource management. "Within our Faculty, we've always been interested in the broader ecosystem: the animals in the forest, the use of trees in different industries, the water cycle, and how they're all connected."

And of course, Dr. McLaren adds, we can't forget the human element.

"Wildlife studies often involve human conflict and a human dimension; while I frequently describe my research as studying the behaviour of animals, my resource management work largely involves commentary on the behaviour of humans."

The applied projects he's supervised vary from describing elk and their re-introduction to northwestern Ontario to characterizing local lake sturgeon habitats. Many of these research initiatives are made possible through partnerships Dr. McLaren maintains with such parties as the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ecuador Ministry of Environment, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result, he's able to offer students some pretty incredible research opportunities. For example, students have been able to examine the hyper abundant moose problem in the scenic corner of Canada of Gros Morne National Park.

After they finish their graduate studies, Dr. McLaren stresses that students depart not only with a well-rounded knowledge-base, but also a highly marketable skill set and professional edge, which have proven to be successful in their acquiring environmental consulting work, government positions, and even entrepreneurship.

He adds that students also benefit from the extensive interdisciplinary initiatives at the university. "We can't compete in numbers, but we do provide an enhanced opportunity for students to collaborate with other disciplines, allowing them to see the bigger picture, the complete system."

This inter-departmental collaboration has provided a springboard for many novel lines of research and Dr. McLaren commends innovative students whom likewise think outside the box: "Doing the kind of science that reproduces the work of others is fair enough, but when you only live once, you'd best take the opportunity to chart your own path, create something really new."

Economics professor Dr. Robert Petrunia is investigating why some firms fly while others fall.

Dr. Petrunia's spent several years of his career comparing the financial status of firms to their performance in the hopes of shedding some light on the determinants that result in their success or failure. Through his research, he has found that a firm's financial balance sheet position does indeed impact their entry/exit decisions, growth, and reallocation of inputs.

This is especially true of the young and small firms with larger financing needs, the focus of Dr. Petrunia's research. "A young and innovative firm's performance may be hurt by its inability to obtain enough funds to finance its operations," he explains. As such, temporary shocks can cause considerable and long-term damage to these firms in particular and the economy as a whole.

In the classroom, Dr. Petrunia enriches his students' learning with his many years of experience in real-world microeconomics. However, he also encourages students from early on in their studies to think independently and even to generate their own research topic. "This allows the student to be involved in the research process as soon as possible and to take ownership of his or her research."

Under this teaching philosophy, his students have flourished, going on to assume careers in the private sector with banks and investment firms as well as for the provincial and federal governments.

Several students also elect to take the co-op program after their formal coursework, which not only provides them with valuable experience as a professional economist, but also opens doors to possible permanent positions following graduation. "In my experience, economics students in the co-op program end up working at their placement after they have their degree," explains Dr. Petrunia.

He adds that another advantage of the department is the small faculty to student ratio, which allows students the opportunity to develop strong work relationships with their professors.

"There are programs in Canada which have over 100 students a year entering the MA in economics program," comments Dr. Petrunia. "Economics students at Lakehead are not just one of the anonymous mass attending class."

The need for sustainable forest management practices - and the graduates who can execute them - has never been greater.

Dr. Reino Pulkki has spent his career advocating for sound and efficient harvesting methods and systems, which will maintain Canada's healthy, abundant forests while continuing to meet demands for wood and wood products.

Forests, Dr. Pulkki stresses, are a precious natural resource. While responsible for multiple products, from yeast to postage stamps, they're also a critical player in many ecosystems, essential for maintaining soil fertility and providing fresh water, clean air, and a habitat for many woodland creatures.

But forests are also the focus of a profitable national industry, generating over $32 billion to the balance of trade - more than energy, fishing, mining, and agriculture combined. Additionally, over 800,000 Canadian jobs are dependent on the sector.

Consequently, a large part of Dr. Pulkki's job is spent preparing master's and PhD students to tackle this national dilemma as the demands for products and space continue to escalate.

His students also have an opportunity to study the global market as Dr. Pulkki regularly travels for conferences and special assignments. His adventures include a year on sabbatical at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and participation in the Global Fibre Supply Strategy in Rome at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He's also been invited to lecture at several events, including the NSERC Value Chain Optimization Summer Schools.

His students get to travel as well - in fact a few recently returned from the 7^th World Forestry Congress in Quebec. But perhaps what's most beneficial about forestry at Lakehead is the opportunity to pursue projects which, according to Dr. Pulkki, are anything but restrictive. From exploring how to use indigenous livestock to maintain cultural forest landscapes to analyzing wood supply strategies in South Africa to examining the socio-economic impact of wood biomass utilization for energy production, his students are actively engaged in solving real-world problems.

Student Craig Kainulainen is studying a powerful mathematical tool. Upon first coming to Lakehead, he found himself torn between the various subdisciplines in his area of interest. After consulting with his supervisors and giving great thought to the matter, he opted to pursue his research in statistics and analysis-and has been most pleased with the aftermath.

"Statistics is a powerful tool that can be used to rapidly communicate information and grab the attention of the general population," he explains. "It also helps us to understand past observations and predict new ones." Kainulainen particularly appreciates how the subfield can be applied throughout many diverse disciplines and used to understand concepts in populations models, economics, physics, and engineering, to name a few.

Though finding it difficult to settle upon a single topic for his thesis, Kainulainen eventually decided to analyze the average distances within convex closed regions. He is currently studying the connection to shapes in higher dimensions and calculating the Stadje numbers and dispersion constants of these regions. The applications of this research are quite broad, ranging from city planning to fighting forest fires.

Outside of class, Kainulainen frequents the talks offered by former students and colleagues of the faculty, who regularly present on their current research in a number of different mathematical areas. "As much as I can, I attend these colloquiums, which reveal what sort of opportunities may be available in the future." Additionally, he is looking forward to an upcoming conference on statistical studies being held in Ottawa.

While Kainulainen has enjoyed the engaging classes and the various opportunities afforded by his program, he is particularly grateful for the friendly and welcoming environment in which he conducts his studies. He explains that there's a lot of extra effort put into building a solid community within the department that simply makes it a great place to study and work for everyone. "It does not take long to become fully immersed in the lifestyle and everyone makes it a very easy transition to get comfortable with your surroundings."

English professor Dr. Scott Pound studies rhetoric and poetry or "the arts of persuasion and literary creativity" and their place in a fast-paced, technologically-based society.

"The study of rhetoric and poetics teaches us how to manage human attention and memory via language. These skills are vital to art and culture, but equally so to life in general."

Dr. Pound has enjoyed many inspiring experiences related to these interests, including his participation in SUNY-Buffalo's Poetics Program with Robert Creeley, Charles Bernstein, and Susan Howe - some of the continent's most celebrated contemporary poets. "Studying with poets very much shaped my understanding of poetics as an important cultural location and allowed me to pursue scholarship that addresses how poets understand their craft with reference to media and technology."

Several years down the road, he's now finishing a book which examines the relationship between 20th-century poetics and new media and preparing for the soon-coming launch of "amodern", a scholarly journal he's designed to facilitate the study of media, culture, and poetics. On the side, he helps out with the Artery, Lakehead's literary magazine, and frequently touches base with his graduate students.

"I like to work closely with students, especially in the early stages of a project-this tends to be the stage when students have the most to gain from close supervision."

Particularly since Lakehead's offering of the creating writing graduate option, Dr. Pound has overseen many projects within his own focus of interest. His first creative student came out with an award-winning project on a Metis gothic novella and is presently a PhD candidate at the University of New Brunswick. Another student is currently seeking to combine life writing and photography so as to examine themes of gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality.

In addition to this unique option, Dr. Pound cites another program plus as the fact that every faculty member is both a committed teacher and an active researcher. As well, English at Lakehead offers a healthy range of options from which students can develop and explore their individual ideas and passions.

Sapanbir Thind chose his university well.

With a keen interest in nano particles and structures, Thind opted to pursue his PhD studies at Lakehead, where his current supervisor is a Canada Research Chair in Materials and Environmental Chemistry - and a well-renowned researcher in nanotechnology.

Through his program, Thind is actively contributing towards his field of interest and has already published three papers on his research, the design of titanium dioxide-based nanoparticles for environmental applications. He's also looking forward to presenting at the upcoming Canadian Symposium on Catalysts in Quebec. Recently, Thind successfully synthesized a new titanium dioxide-based photo catalyst for waste water treatment, which is powered by sunlight and able to clean up organic pollutants in the water. Thind explains that as the risks posed by water pollutants only escalate with time, the demand for such nano-characters is quite high.

That being said, the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology now spans several industries and nano particles are being utilized in a high number capacities. As the market for these technologies approaches the expected $1 trillion dollar mark in 2015, Thind explains that everything in the world continues to "go nano". As an example, Thind describes how his supervisor recently used these particles to create a glucose biosensor for diabetics.

"People today want small-sized materials because they're easier to handle. Products everywhere are getting smaller." As his field is acutely aligned with this pattern, Thind reasons that nanotechnology and material science will continue to enjoy incredible success and popularity into the future.

After finishing his program, Thind aspires to attain a faculty job and exclaims that he loves to teach. In fact, prior to coming to Canada for his PhD studies, Thind lectured for two years at a college in India and continues to hone this skill set as a Lakehead TA for organic chemistry. And of course, he hopes to continue on in his exciting (and highly lucrative) field of choice.

"Synthesizing nanoparticles and using them in the abatement of pollutants from the ecosystem is an incredible experience... They're so small yet they can accomplish so much"