TORONTO, July 4, 2002 -- Strategic research at York University got a federal funding boost today from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in the fields of health science and geographical information technology for satellite monitoring of urban sprawl in the GTA.
The CFI and Minister of Industry Allan Rock announced the latest round of funding for new researchers at universities across Canada for the advanced equipment they need to continue their work in areas considered vital to Canadian society and Canadian competitiveness. "These investments will help Canada move from 14th place to among the top five leaders in innovation worldwide," said Minister Rock. "These recipients will help to train the next generation of outstanding Canadian researchers, ensuring Canada’s prosperity continues." York University’s new recipients are:
Prof. Jennifer Mills
Eating disorders and the effect of thin body media images on dieting behaviour
Jennifer Mills began her research in the psychology of eating disorders with the paradox that while exposure to idealized body images is assumed to make women feel worse about their own bodies, fashion and beauty magazines are still hugely popular with young women who are chronic dieters. The treatment resistant nature of eating disorders has been puzzling and frustrating for clinicians, says Mills. "Given the already elevated body dissatisfaction of chronic dieters, it was reasonable to ask why they would want to expose themselves to media images of ultra-slender models." Through controlled psychological experiments she has been able to demonstrate that women in this group actually feel thinner after looking at idealized images of the thin body, and this motivates them to diet. She is now exploring the thinspiration effect on the psychology of dieters to understand the shifts in self-perception that occur when women decide to diet to lose weight. Her results have already changed the way researchers think about and study these processes in the laboratory, and will have important theoretical applications in other areas of social, personality and abnormal psychology. "If we can isolate the conditions under which women are vulnerable to worsened body image and increased propensity to diet, we are closer to understanding and preventing eating disorders." Contact: 416-736-2100, ext. 33153, email jsmills@yorku.ca.
Prof. Yifang Ban
Satellite Monitoring of changing landscapes
Like many of the world’s large cities, urban expansion and sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with the most rapid change taking place where city meets country. It is predicted that unless the current rate of development in the GTA is slowed, the amount of land developed in the next 20 years will double that of the past two centuries. Yifang Ban is researching the use of advanced geographic information technology (GeoIT) to monitor this dynamic phenomenon and assess its environmental impact. Without improved methods to monitor change, governments cannot manage land resources effectively while preserving the environment, biodiversity, and quality of life. Ban’s GeoIT research laboratory will develop and improve methods of visualizing, processing, analyzing and mining large volumes of complex, multi-sensor satellite and geographical data over large areas. Using her extensive knowledge in optical and radar remote sensing, she will evaluate the capabilities of several satellite sensors, including the Canadian RADARSAT-1's fine-beam synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology for urban land-cover mapping and for detecting change in the rural-urban fringe. In addition to providing information vital to the healthy expansion of the GTA, Ban’s research will prepare Canadian and international users for the launch of RADARSAT-2, the world’s most sophisticated radar satellite, in 2003. Contact: 416-736-2100, ext. 66190, email yifang@yorku.ca.
Prof. Philip Johnson
The structure and biological function of RNA molecules, for improved drug therapies
Philip Johnson is engaged in the next stage of genome research – understanding the function of the molecules encoded by a genome. The function of biomolecules is governed by their three-dimensional shape, and knowledge of the structure of a molecule can lead to development of compounds that bind to them and disrupt their normal function, such as in the life cycle of a virus. Johnson studies the structure and biological function of both proteins and RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules in a cell using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, molecular biology techniques, and other biophysical methods. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly recognizing RNA molecules as important targets for drug development. Johnson is collaborating with the private sector research firm MCR Research on the structure-based development of new drugs. His research will lead to important new insights into how small organic molecules bind to RNA and act in a therapeutic manner. He is studying the structure of an RNA element involved in a crucial step in the life cycle of the tomato bushy stunt virus, a plant virus that contributes to annual crop losses of one billion dollars worldwide. He is also defining the mechanism by which an HIV protein functions during reverse transcription of the viral genome. Contact: 416-736-2100, ext. 33119, email pjohnson@yorku.ca .
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For further information, please contact:
| Susan Bigelow | Selena Beattie | Suzanne Quinn |
| Media Relations | Office of Allan Rock | Canada Foundation for Innovation |
| York University | Minister of Industry | 613-996-3160 |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 22091 | 613-995-9001 | suzanne.quinn@innovation.ca |
| sbigelow@yorku.ca | http://www.innovation.ca | |
| http://www.yorku.ca |
YU/065/02
