Tag Archives: Kirsten Zickfeld

Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) provides July 31, 2025 update on upcoming virtual panels and submissions for CSPC’s Special Editorial Series

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Here are some of the high points from the Canadian Science Policy Centre’s (CSPC) July 31, 2025 update (received via email),

Register Now for Upcoming Virtual Panels

[Nature-based Solutions in Canada – policies, frameworks and multi-sector cooperation to reach Canada’s 2030 climate and biodiversity goals]

Organized by Future Earth, this panel will explore how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can be effectively designed, measured, and aligned with community and Indigenous priorities in Canada. NbS uses natural ecosystems to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss while benefiting communities. They are key to meeting Canada’s 30×30 conservation goals and reducing carbon emissions. However, clear frameworks to monitor their impact are still lacking.
 
To read more about the panel, click here.

Register (for free) Here

[Navigating Geopolitical Shifts: Canada’s Innovation Strategy for the Life Sciences Sector]

The Canadian life sciences sector is undergoing rapid and profound transformation, shaped by shifting geopolitical dynamics, evolving international partnerships, emerging health threats, and the accelerating pace of scientific and digital innovation. These forces are redefining how health technologies are developed, regulated, and distributed across borders—creating both complex challenges and promising opportunities for industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers.

This panel is the next in CSPC’s ongoing series exploring Canada’s Innovation Strategy in key sectors. We will have more sessions coming this fall so stay tuned for the details in the coming weeks.

To read more about the panel, click here.

Register (for free) Here

…

I have more details (e.g., date and time) for both panels. First, from the “Nature-based Solutions in Canada – policies, frameworks and multi-sector cooperation to reach Canada’s 2030 climate and biodiversity goals” event page, Note: I have edited the speaker list, please see the event page to access the speakers’ biography pages,

Date: Aug 19 [2025]

Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm EDT

Event Category: Virtual Session

Website: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kQQEnUr1QmCQDDMgBNLPxQ

Venue

Zoom

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to protect, manage and restore ecosystems for the benefit of people and nature. NbS are a promising avenue to meet Canada’s commitments to protect at least 30% of land and oceans by 2030 (30×30) under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and to address up to 35% of Canada’s 2030 carbon reduction commitment. But few frameworks exist to adequately monitor NbS implementation. To achieve sustained impact NbS must be co-created by multiple interest holders and align with social well-being, including priorities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This panel will dive into the topic with the questions below. Join us for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion on the future of Nature-based Solutions in Canada.

The panelists will address the following questions:

  1. What exactly do we mean by Nature-based solutions (NbS) and how to incentivize multiple sectors (academia, government, financial, civil) to move forward on solutions that are equitable for all?
  2. What is Canada doing to achieve its 30×30 targets, and why is that important in the lead-up to the next UN Climate Conference in November [2025] (COP30)?
  3. What are some examples in practice of sustainable finance investments for biodiversity or climate action?
  4. What are the economic pathways that can support equitable, Indigenous-led, and scalable NBS across Canada?

Register Here

Moderated by: Damon Matthews

Professor, Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
Interim Executive Director, Future Earth Canada Hub and Sustainability in the Digital Age

Émilie Le Beuze

Senior Advisor, Engagement for Sustainable Finance & Biodiversity, Finance Montréal

Jason Taylor

Co-Founder and CEO, Climate Finance Advisors

Stephanie Poirier

Senior Policy Analyst, Climate Change and Sustainability, Standards Council of Canada

Zahra Jandaghian

Research Officer – Nature-based Solutions Lead, National Research Council of Canada

Kirsten Zickfeld

Distinguished SFU Professor of Climate Science, Simon Fraser University

Michael Twigg

Director, Nature Economies, Smart Prosperity Institute

A strong financier/financial services presence in the first panel, eh? The second panel has a speaker list dominated by the professional class that bounces from government to for-profit enterprises to non-profit enterprises while they rove from one business sector to another.. From the “Navigating Geopolitical Shifts: Canada’s Innovation Strategy for the Life Sciences Sector” event page, Note: I have edited the speaker list, please see the event page to access the speakers’ biography pages,

Date: Sep 11 [2025]

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT

Event Categories: Innovation Virtual Series, Virtual Session

Website: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BeuZjs4XTuqE54CL6aeiMg

Venue

Zoom

This panel aims to explore how Canada’s life sciences sector can navigate the evolving geopolitical and economic landscape to foster sustained innovation and competitiveness. Panelists will discuss the key challenges that are currently limiting innovation. The conversation will delve into how both government and industry can respond strategically, with a focus on improving policy alignment, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and enhancing private sector R&D investment. The panel will also identify emerging global and domestic opportunities that Canada is uniquely positioned to leverage in this period of transformation.

The panelists will address the following questions:

  1. Considering the geopolitical shift, tariffs and a new dimension into the Canadian economy, what are the top three challenges currently hindering innovation in your sector?
  2. How should the government and industry respond to these challenges to enable long-term innovation and competitiveness?
  3. How can Canada enhance private sector R&D investment and capitalize on emerging opportunities in this sector?
  4. What new opportunities or advantages should Canada exploit in this sector despite (or because of) the changing global landscape?

Register Here

Moderated by: Dr. Jason Field

President & CEO Life Sciences Ontario

Karimah Es Sabar

Canadian Life Sciences Leader/Corporate Director/Strategic Advisor

Wendy Zatylny

President & CEO, BIOTEC [s.b. BIOTECanada; BIOTEC is a company in Thailand]

Stephanie Michaud

President & CEO, BioCanRx

Alexandre Le Bouthillier

Founding Partner & CEO, Linearis

Bethany Moir

VP Partnerships, AdMare [also known as, adMare BioInnovations]

Wendy Hurlburt

President & CEO, BC Life Sciences [also known as, Life Sciences British Columbia or Life Sciences BC]

Anne Stevens

VP of Business Development, AbCellera

Now for the call for editorial submissions. From the Canadian Science Policy Centre’s (CSPC) July 31, 2025 update, *ETA August 11, 2025: The deadline for submissions has been extended to September 5, 2025,*

Only Three Weeks Left Until 
Deadline for Editorial Submissions 

Only three weeks left to submit your editorials for CSPC’s Special Editorial Series. Canada’s defence spending is set to rise significantly—reaching NATO’s 2% target by 2025–2026 and projected to hit 5% by 2035. This historic shift presents a unique opportunity to strategically align defence investments with research, innovation, and economic development goals.
 
CSPC invites editorials on how this investment can strengthen Canada’s innovation ecosystem, research capacity, and economic growth. Contributions from researchers, policymakers, and industry experts are welcome. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 22 [2025]. *ETA August 11, 2025: Thedeadline for submissions has been extended to September 5, 2025*

For more information on editorial guidelines and to submit an editorial, click the button below!

Submit an Editorial

From the “2025 Special Editorial Series” webpage, Note: Submissions are accepted in either English or French,

Defence spending as a catalyst for R&D, innovation, and economic growth in Canada

The Canadian government has committed to increasing defence spending, reaching NATO’s 2% GDP target ahead of schedule by 2025–2026, with spending projected to rise to 5% by 2035. Given the research-intensive nature of the defence sector and its heavy reliance on new technologies and scientific innovation, this marks a historic shift in Canada’s defence framework and opens up new opportunities for strategic investments in research and development (R&D). Many technologies in everyday public use today were originally developed through defence-related funding, highlighting the sector’s broader impact on technological advancement.

The CSPC invites editorials on how this increase could be strategically aligned with investments in R&D, drawing from international examples where defence spending has driven innovation. How can this shift bolster Canada’s innovation ecosystem, strengthen our research capacity, and contribute to long-term economic growth? What policies and practices from other countries could Canada adopt to make the most of this historic opportunity for innovation and economic development?

We welcome analyses from researchers, policymakers, and industry experts on how to leverage defence funding to advance science, innovation, and national prosperity.

Editorial Guidelines

Editorial Format & Requirements

  1. Word Count: Editorials should be 600–1000 words (some may range up to 1200 if needed).
  2. Original Work: Submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and should not have been published in any other media outlet.
  3. If any AI tools are used during preparation, please see below for more details.
  4. Submission Platform: Editorials must be submitted through the designated online form.
  5. Figures: You may include up to 3 high-quality figures to support your editorial. Submit figures as separate files (in addition to embedding them in the text) to ensure high-resolution publishing.
  6. Please provide artist credit where applicable.
  7. CSPC will not be accepting articles, which are promotional in nature (E.g., promoting a product, innovation, or service) or which include profanity of any form.

AI Usage Policy for CSPC Editorials

CSPC editorials must reflect the original thought and voice of the author(s). However, we recognize the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in content creation, research, and productivity.

Authors may use AI tools (e.g., for idea generation, drafting assistance, editing, summarization, or image generation) to support their writing process. All final editorial content must be written, reviewed, verified, and approved by the author(s) to ensure accuracy, clarity, and integrity.

If AI tools are used in any part of the editorial process, authors must include an acknowledgment indicating the use of AI.

CSPC does not permit editorials to be entirely generated by AI without human authorship, accountability, and oversight. Our goal is to promote transparency while supporting responsible and ethical use of technology in science policy dialogue. We are looking forward to presenting and highlighting your thoughts and perspectives on various topics for readership by a Canada-wide audience.

…

Where to Submit

We thank you for your submission. Please add editorial@sciencepolicy.ca to your contacts so that we can make sure any follow-up messages reach you.

If you have any questions about writing an editorial for CSPC, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Committee at editorial@sciencepolicy.ca.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSION FORM (ENG)

EDITORIAL SUBMISSION FORM (FR)

With the extraordinary emphasis on economic benefits, it sometimes seems like it’s the Canadian Science Moneymaking Policy Centre rather than the Canadian Science Policy Centre.

*ETA August 11, 2025: The deadline for submissions has been extended to September 5, 2025.*

Simon Fraser University (SFU; Vancouver, Canada): Nobel Lectures and Café Scientifique February and March events

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I got a February 4, 2022 notice via email that three SFU Science events are planned over the next several weeks.

Nobel Lectures

From the February 4, 2022 SFU Science notice,

Nobel Lectures

Wednesday February 16, 2022, 5:00-7:00 pm [PST] via live stream

Celebrate the 2021 Nobel awardees with us as our faculty members present the awardees’ work as it relates to their own research. Rob Britton from Chemistry, Edgar Young from Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Kirsten Zickfeld from Geography [likely acting as the host/interviewer] will present at this year’s event.

Register here.

I found some information about the SFU presenters and the work being recognized on the SFU Nobel Prize Lectures 2022 eventbrite webpage,

Dr. Robert Britton completed his PhD at UBC with Professors Edward Piers and Raymond Anderson in 2002 studying natural product isolation and synthesis, and was then an NSERC [Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada] Postdoctoral Fellow in Cambridge working with Professor Ian Paterson on the synthesis of structurally complex marine natural products. He then joined the Merck Process Chemistry Group in Montreal before beginning his independent research career at Simon Fraser University in 2005. He is currently a Professor at SFU and his research program focuses on reaction discovery, natural product synthesis, medicinal chemistry and radiopharmaceutical chemistry.

Topic: The catalysis of chemical reactions has historically relied on expensive and often low-abundance metals such as gold, palladium and platinum. The discovery that inexpensive and naturally occurring organic molecules can catalyze the same reactions has caused a paradigm shift that has led to more environmentally friendly and economic processes, and served as an enabling tool for scientific discoveries.

Dr. Edgar Young is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry at SFU. His research lab investigates ion channel proteins that switch their structure in response to electrical and chemical signals, producing complex behaviour in the cardiac and nervous systems.

Topic: The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, for their discovery of key molecules in our nervous system that enable our sense of touch. In this talk, we’ll see how these molecules called ion channels work as electrical switches to convey sensations of pressure, pain, heat and cold — and we’ll explore the prospects for medical benefit.

From Nobel Prize Lectures 2021:

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2021 was awarded “for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems” with one half jointly to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann “for the physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming” and the other half to Giorgio Parisi “for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales.”

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2021/summary/

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was awarded jointly to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.”

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2021/summary/

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 was awarded jointly to Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.”

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2021/summary/

SFU Café Scientifique for February and March 2022

From the February 4, 2022 SFU Science notice,

February 17 & March 24 via Zoom

Engage with award-winning researchers from SFU Science for a series of informal discussions connecting research to important issues of interest to the community.

Aging actively: Why choose to move?

Thursday February 17, 2022, 5:00-6:30 pm

Dr. Dawn Mackey, SFU Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Discover the benefits of regular movement for older adults, explore what they want out of physical activity and find out how to create sustainable habits.

Register here.

[from the eventbrite registration page,

Choosing to move can be as simple as moving more, and moving more often – it doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. In this interactive cafe, Dr. Dawn Mackey from SFU’s Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology Department will explain the benefits of regular physical activity for older adults, as well as some risks of not being active enough. We will also explore what older adults want to get out of physical activity, and ways to make physical activity a sustainable habit.]

From the South Pole to the edge of the universe, and back to the coast of British Columbia

Thursday March 24, 2022, 5:00-6:30 pm

Dr. Matthias Danninger, SFU Physics

Learn about neutrinos and how British Columbia may soon hold a dominant role in neutrino astronomy.

[from the eventbrite registration page:

What is a neutrino? What can we learn from neutrinos about the Universe? Dr. Matthias Danninger from the Department of Physics will discuss answers to these questions and how British Columbia could play a dominant role for neutrino astronomy in the near future.]

Register here.

Hmmm

I have some comments about both SFU Café Scientifique presentations.

With regard to the “Aging actively: Why choose to move?” event in February 2022, it seems to be oriented to students, i.e., future gerontologists and other professionals focused on geriatrics. I can’t help but notice that the presenter (assuming this photo is relatively recent) is not any danger of being described as aged or as a senior,

Dr. Dawn Mackey [downloaded from https://balancefalls.ubc.ca/people/dawn-mackey]

There is nothing inherently wrong with having a youngish professional share work focused on seniors. The problem lies in the fact that presenters for events/talks/conferences/etc. on older folks are almost always young or youngish. I expect that as these professionals age they will find they are no longer participants in the conversation but the objects of the conversation.

As for “From the South Pole to the edge of the universe, and back to the coast of British Columbia,” this claim seems a little optimistic, “… British Columbia may soon hold a dominant role in neutrino astronomy.”

The centre for neutrino and dark matter physics in Canada is the SNOLAB. (There was a talk about the work at the lab in my June 6, 2019 posting Whispering in the Dark: Updates from Underground Science a June 12, 2019 talk in Vancouver …, another mention of the lab in May 12, 2021 posting about a former SNOLAB executive director, TRIUMF [Canada’s national particle accelerator centre] welcomes Nigel Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on May 17, 2021and …, and, most recently, a September 6, 2021 posting about an art/science exhibit where SNOLAB was a partner, ‘Drift: Art and Dark Matter’ at Vancouver’s … .)

British Columbia will soon be dominant? There was this in 2015 (from the SNOLAB’s Awards and Recognition webpage),

The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics
2015-10-06
Arthur B. McDonald was co-awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics with Takaaki Kajita for the contributions of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Collaboration and Super-Kamiokande Collaboration for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass. The discovery changed our understanding of the innermost workings of matter and proves crucial to our view of the universe.

While I have doubts about the stated goal of being dominant soon, I look forward to being proved wrong. If that happens.

Learn to love spiders and their silk as they may help you beat global warming

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Most of the research I’ve seen on spider silk has focused on its strength not its thermal conductivity. From the March 5, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

Xinwei Wang had a hunch that spider webs were worth a much closer look. So he ordered eight spiders – Nephila clavipes, golden silk orbweavers – and put them to work eating crickets and spinning webs in the cages he set up in an Iowa State University greenhouse.

Wang, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State, studies thermal conductivity, the ability of materials to conduct heat. He’s been looking for organic materials that can effectively transfer heat. It’s something diamonds, copper and aluminum are very good at; most materials from living things aren’t very good at all. …

What Wang and his research team found was that spider silks – particularly the draglines that anchor webs in place – conduct heat better than most materials, including very good conductors such as silicon, aluminum and pure iron. Spider silk also conducts heat 1,000 times better than woven silkworm silk and 800 times better than other organic tissues.

The March 5, 2012 news release from Iowa State University provides this detail,

The paper [about the discovery,  “New Secrets of Spider Silk: Exceptionally High Thermal Conductivity and its Abnormal Change under Stretching” – has just been published online by the journal Advanced Materials] reports that using laboratory techniques developed by Wang – “this takes time and patience” – spider silk conducts heat at the rate of 416 watts per meter Kelvin. Copper measures 401. And skin tissues measure .6.

“This is very surprising because spider silk is organic material,” Wang said. “For organic material, this is the highest ever. There are only a few materials higher – silver and diamond.”

Even more surprising, he said, is when spider silk is stretched, thermal conductivity also goes up. Wang said stretching spider silk to its 20 percent limit also increases conductivity by 20 percent. Most materials lose thermal conductivity when they’re stretched.

That discovery “opens a door for soft materials to be another option for thermal conductivity tuning,” Wang wrote in the paper.

And that could lead to spider silk helping to create flexible, heat-dissipating parts for electronics, better clothes for hot weather, bandages that don’t trap heat and many other everyday applications.

Here’s a look at one of Wang’s Golden Silk Orbweavers,

Photo courtesy of the Xinwei Wang research group.

Given that global warming is increasingly described as a certainty, (Simon Fraser University [located in Vancouver, Canada] March 4, 2012 news release,

Warming of 2 degrees inevitable over Canada

Even if zero emissions of greenhouse gases were to be achieved, the world’s temperature would continue to rise by about a quarter of a degree over a decade. That’s a best-case scenario, according to a paper co-written by a Simon Fraser University researcher.

New climate change research – Climate response to zeroed emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols — published in Nature’s online journal, urges the public, governments and industries to wake up to a harsh new reality.

“Let’s be honest, it’s totally unrealistic to believe that we can stop all emissions now,” says Kirsten Zickfeld, an assistant professor of geography at SFU. “Even with aggressive greenhouse gas mitigation, it will be a challenge to keep the projected global rise in temperature under 2 degrees Celsius,” emphasizes Zickfeld.

The geographer wrote the paper with Damon Matthews, a University of Concordia associate professor at the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment.

This discovery about spider silk and its possible applications is very welcome.