January 15, 2019 – Greg Price was a young, physically fit mechanical engineer living in Alberta when he first told his doctor he was concerned about one of his testicles during a routine medical examination. After some tests, the doctor said he didn’t see anything unusual and told Greg to come back in a year, or earlier if anything changed. A year later, in early 2012, Greg visited his doctor again and after examining him, the doctor suggested that Greg see a specialist. The doctor wrote a referral and assumed the examination would take place soon. Greg didn’t hear from the specialist until 93 days later when his testicular cancer had already spread to his abdomen. This would be one of many missteps during Greg’s short, tragic journey through the Alberta health care system.

Greg died a little more than three months after his doctor said he should see a specialist. During that short period of time, he was passed between eleven different doctors with very little, or no, communication between them. He was told time and again to sit tight, that they would be in touch soon, and then never hear anything. When he finally went in for surgery to remove his testicle, the surgeon questioned Greg as to why it had taken him so long to get the procedure, placing the burden on the patient’s shoulders rather than on the system.  Greg died three days after his surgery, mere hours after being sent home by Dr. #11 who brushed off Greg and his father Dave’s concerns about his swollen legs and increased abdominal pain.

Photo: Greg Price

Greg’s unexpected and sudden death resulted in the Continuity of Patient Care Study Report published by the Health Quality Council of Alberta. The report outlines Greg’s case and found four breaks in continuity of care. Professor W. Ward Flemons was the Study Lead for the report and he developed a relationship of trust with Greg’s family, in spite of their frustrating interactions with the healthcare industry. At the time, Professor Flemons taught the importance of teamwork and communication to first year medical students at the University of Calgary and suggested that Greg’s family pursue telling Greg’s story through film. He thought a film could be a very effective and powerful learning tool for his students. Greg’s family worked with a talented production team, including a director and actor from CBC’s Heartland, to create the short film Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story.

“When we initially agreed to the project, we had imagined that it had the potential to be an important teaching tool for future doctors,” says Greg’s sister Teri Price, “but because of the team that became involved in the film project and the quality of the short film, we now know the film can and will have an impact on audiences well beyond the medical school classroom.”

Teri is the Executive Director of Greg’s Wings Projects, a not-for-profit organization established in honour of her brother. Teri and the rest of Greg’s family believe that Greg would want something positive to come out of this sad story. They have screened the film to over 130 audiences and hope to continue to reach as many people as possible. Their hope is the film will inspire improvements in the healthcare system with fewer lives being lost.

“Every time a plane crashes, it makes front page headlines,” says Professor Michael W. Carter who teaches healthcare engineering at the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE),”but [the health care system is] killing way more people.”

Professor Carter is the former director of the Centre for Research in Healthcare Engineering, now called the Centre for Healthcare Engineering, and teaches engineering students about how to improve healthcare information and communication systems. He first saw Falling Through the Cracks when Teri and Dave screened the film at U of T’s Faculty of Medicine. He knew he wanted to show the film to his MIE students as he sees many of the issues in the healthcare system as engineering questions. “I’m a firm believer that real change doesn’t come through educating individuals,” says Professor Carter, “real change comes from changing the system.”

MIE will host a screening of Falling Through the Cracks followed by a panel discussion on Tuesday, January 29 at 12 pm. The panel will include Teri and Dave Price, Professor Carter, Professor Ross Baker from U of T’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and Dr. Michael Rachlis from U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Posted by Pam Walls, January 15, 2019

Kirti Saxena (MechE Year 1) wins 2018 Ontario Provincial Championships in the Juvenile Division. (Courtesy: Kirti Saxena)

October 2, 2018 — For many students starting university, a question lurks in the back of their minds: how will they conquer this new challenge? For Kirti Saxena (MechE Year 1), thriving under pressure is just part of hertraining.

Saxena is a seasoned wrestler who has represented Team Canada at several world championships. Now, she’s ready to apply the work ethic, determination and perseverance she’s developed over years of practice and training to her next challenge: first year in U of T Engineering.

Saxena sat down with U of T Engineering News to share her plans for the year ahead — both in and out of the gym — and her approach to managing the demands of both training and school.

Why did you choose to join Mechanical Engineering at U of T?

I always preferred understanding how a problem was solved, rather than memorizing the the solution. I specifically chose mechanical engineering because in addition to being more science- and math-oriented, I am big on art and design. I’ve always wanted to be able to create and learn not only a design, but the mechanics and underlying factors that are crucial to the functioning of any structure or system.  

What has been your most memorable moment in your sporting career to date?

I represented Canada internationally throughout most of my high school years [at Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont.], trained and competed in many tournaments around the world. My most memorable moment would have been when I competed in the Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. I was still a year younger than the qualifying age for a Cadet, so there were no expectations on me — it was more for the experience. I ended up performing the best out of everyone on Team Canada that year and qualified for the bronze medal match — I finished the tournament with the official placement of fifth in the world. Because of this I also received the award for “Best Cadet Wrestler” in all of Canada. 

Kirti Saxena winning her bronze medal match qualifier 10-0 in Tbilisi, Georgia at the Cadet World Championships against Bulgaria. (Courtesy of Kirti Saxena)

What are you most looking forward to about athletics at U of T?

I’m looking forward to the experience of being on a university team and being able to bring in some school pride by competing.

Will you continue wrestling for the national team during school?

If I qualify, I hope to be on one or two Team Canada teams for two different age groups —Under 19 and Senior-All. I train two to three times a day, and my ultimate goal is to compete and place at the Olympics. I intend to wrestle at the trials for 2020, but since I will still be fairly young and am currently recovering from knee surgery, the more realistic goal would be 2024 and various world championship medals throughout the years.

Can you share your approach to balancing school with competitive sport?

Time management, dedication and perseverance. Being able to strictly follow a pre-determined schedule is a must. There are certain times to eat, go to lectures, do homework and attend practice, and it’s vital to follow the schedule, even when you would rather stay at home wrapped in a blanket, sleeping all day.

Being able to follow such a busy and intense schedule calls for dedication, especially in a high-demand program such as engineering. Spending so much time working towards something so physically and mentally draining; it’s not an easy thing. Sometimes it takes away from being completely 100% during other aspects of your life, but the important thing is learning how to find the balance — or for all the engineers out there, the equilibrium. That’s when perseverance plays its part. You always have to be ahead of the game, especially academically. Procrastination is never an option, and preparing when you can is crucial, because you never know when you may miss a whole week of class due to a training camp abroad.

This story originally appeared on U of T Engineering News. The interview has been edited and condensed for length.

September 28, 2018 — Professor Scott Sanner is among eight U of T Engineering researchers named Vector Institute Faculty Affiliates.

The Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence brings together leading researchers in deep learning, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) generally, from across Ontario.

Affiliates from U of T Engineering are:

• Jason Anderson (ECE)
• Vaughn Betz (ECE)
• Tom Chau (IBBME)
• Jonathan Kelly (UTIAS)
• Alex Mihailidis (IBBME)
• Andreas Moshovos (ECE)
• Scott Sanner (MIE)
• Angela Schoellig (UTIAS)

Affiliates were selected based on recommendations from a committee of Vector Faculty members who reviewed applicants based on the strength of their research contributions and the alignment of their research interests with the Vector Institute. Professor Brendan Frey (ECE) is a founding member of the Vector Institute.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to work closely with some of the top minds in the artificial intelligence community through the Vector Institute,” said Anderson, whose research group is looking at implementing machine learning algorithms on reconfigurable integrated circuits called Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to achieve higher energy efficiency than standard processors.

“Bringing together researchers working in software, hardware, theory and industry will be a benefit to each of us individually, but more importantly will help to maintain and grow Canada’s leadership in artificial intelligence as a whole.”

The Vector Institute was founded in 2017 to attract, retain and train talent in the field of artificial intelligence. Vector Faculty Affiliates will play a key role in developing, growing and diversifying knowledge and research within the AI community, including both researchers and industry. Faculty Affiliates will have access to the Institute’s programming and are appointed for two-year terms and nominations are considered annually.

This story originally appeared on U of T Engineering News.

Shane Saunderson (MIE PhD candidate)

September 7, 2018 — Shane Saunderson, along with five other U of T Engineering doctoral students, been named 2018 recipients of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. Worth $50,000 a year for three years for a total of $150,000, the funding supports leading-edge doctoral research, including projects on human-robot interaction, therapeutic applications of reversing blindness, and investigating chronic pain, among others.

The Vanier Scholarship recognizes doctoral students at Canadian universities who demonstrate excellence academics, research impact and leadership.

Under the supervision of Professor Goldie Nejat, Saunderson’s research looks towards a future where social robots become nearly ubiquitous and are required to take on a variety of roles that collaborate with humans. He is currently investigating how interactions with robots influence and affect humans, particularly in roles involving trust, persuasion, and empathy.

“The word ‘humbling’ doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt upon receiving my acknowledgement,” he said. “Knowing the exceptional academic talent across Canada, I feel both an immense honour and a good bit of pressure to ensure that I make good use of this opportunity. Moreover, I view this scholarship as validation that my intuition and passion around Human-Robot Interaction are equally valued by the Vanier community and viewed as a critical to Canada’s social and economic future.”

This story in its entirety first appeared on U of T Engineering news.

U of T Engineering students Paul Seufert (second from left) and Carol Yeung (third from left) are among four U of T students participating in a fellowship program organized by Sidewalk Toronto. (Credit: Romi Levine)

August 29, 2018 — Carol Yeung (Year 4 IndE) along wtih fellow U of T Engineering student Paul Seufert (Year 4 EngSci) and are about to head back to school after having an unforgettable summer spent travelling the world. But what’s unusual about their experience is that their time abroad has the potential to influence urban policy for years to come.

They are among 12 post-secondary students from across the GTA, including four from U of T, who have been participating in a fellowship program organized by Sidewalk Toronto – a partnership between Waterfront Toronto, a government-led initiative to develop Toronto’s waterfront, and Sidewalk Labs, the subsidiary of Alphabet (which also owns Google) that seeks to use technology to improve urban living.

Sidewalk Toronto is in the early stages of proposing a new community in Toronto’s Quayside, an undeveloped waterfront location that will be a testing ground for what a “smart city” could look like.

That’s where the Sidewalk Fellows come in.

The 12 students were selected from a group of over 650 applicants and come from a range of disciplines, including engineering, architecture, health sciences and urban planning. They’ve been tasked with writing a report for Sidewalk Toronto with recommendations on how they would envision Quayside’s future, to be published in October.

Sidewalk Toronto wanted the fellows to take cues from cities around the world when crafting their report – so they sent them across North America and Europe to meet with innovative city builders and gain insights on creating effective solutions to urban issues.

Their travels took them to Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Boston, New York and Vancouver.

Sidewalk Fellows spoke with city builders in New York City as part of their North American trip (photo via @SidewalkToronto on Twitter)

The fellows met with the Sidewalk Labs team in New York City, saw how well-designed European waterfronts could bring people to public spaces, and learned about the different ways Vancouver was innovating to provide more affordable housing.

“It was seeing those on the ground insights – it felt like I learned so much more than I would if I went there by myself for even months and months,” says Seufert.

For Yeung, the experience has made her realize the importance of public engagement and consultation – a practice she hopes Toronto’s city builders will continue to improve upon.

“That’s a culture I want to find in Toronto if it already exists or build up if it’s in its starting stages because that was very interesting to see,” she says.

The fellows will be presenting their findings to Sidewalk Toronto’s senior leadership in October and will help to inform the Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP), says Megan Wald, director of design and communications at Sidewalk Labs.

“The University of Toronto fellows have brought a passion for their city and curious intellect that contributed to critical research on, and exploration of, how urban technologies can create more sustainable, affordable and liveable cities,” she says.

This drive to build better cities will make for a report that could have influence beyond the Quayside development, says Pamela Robinson, the Sidewalk Fellows’ academic adviser as well as a Ryerson University associate dean in Faculty of Community Services and an associate professor at the School of Urban and Regional Planning.

“There’s a lot of runway left of this project to both make a contribution to the planning of Quayside but also the conversations about city building in Toronto as a whole,” she says. “This is the first smart city project of its scale in Toronto but we will see other projects that try to bridge the technology-urbanism divide over the next years to come.”

This story originally appeared on U of T News.