News
![A rendering of the Lash Miller building expansion (image courtesy of Mikkelsen Arkitekter AS / Cumulus Architects)](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lash-Miller_Mikkelsen-Architects_image-1-crop-1024x683.webp)
U of T breaks ground on a new home for the Acceleration Consortium
The university recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the expansion of the Lash Miller building on the St. George campus – a place that will serve as the new home of the Acceleration Consortium while providing improved facilities for the department of chemistry.
![The Self-Driving Lab for Human Organ Mimicry will use organoids and organs-on-chips – a well plate is pictured here – to allow researchers to move potential therapeutics to human clinical trials more rapidly (photo by Rick Lu)](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/organ-on-a-chip-well-plate_Rick-Lu-crop_0-1024x683.webp)
U of T 'self-driving lab' to focus on next-gen human tissue models
The Self-Driving Laboratory for Human Organ Mimicry is the latest self-driving lab to spring from a historic $200-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to the Acceleration Consortium
![Justin Vigar, pictured here in a lab in South America, is developing paper-based diagnostics like the paper chip shown on the right, where each dot represents a different test (supplied image)](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Justin-Vigar-and-chip-v2-1024x683.webp)
U of T PhD student uses synthetic biology to create low-cost diagnostic tools
A relatively new field of research, synthetic biology applies engineering principles to recreate fully functional biological systems. Justin Vigar, the recipient of a doctoral award from EPIC, believes it can improve the health and lives of people around the world.
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The Black Research Network’s 2023/2024 IGNITE grant
The Black Research Network’s IGNITE grant is now open to applicants for the 2023/2024 academic year! The grant was established to provide small-scale funding – between $5K to $10K – towards professional development, research dissemination and other types of research support. Learn more and apply by Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
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Smart Growth Symposium: Fostering a Sustainable Future Through Innovation
Climate Positive Energy Initiative and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce will host an in-person event on Nov 21, focused on showcasing smart and clean tech solutions, including sustainability, smart mobility, buildings, business commerce, the energy grid, and other digital and physical infrastructure solutions relevant to Ontario’s economy.
![Alán Aspuru-Guzik. Photo by Polina Teif](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Self-driving-lab_photo-Polina-Teif-2779_smaller-2400x0-c-default-1024x683.jpg)
The Lab That (Almost) Runs Itself
Robots and AI are changing how we do science, making it faster, cheaper and more productive. By Scott Anderson for U of T Magazine
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Data Sciences Institute’s Research Day Unveils the Power of Data
In a data-driven day, more than 250 individuals gathered to unveil the stories embedded within the numbers. The Data Sciences Institute’s first annual Data Science Research Day brought together data science enthusiasts from all corners to celebrate the fusion of data, innovation, and collaboration.
![](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Haibo-Zhang-3I8A4494-scaled-1-1024x683.webp)
Research may explain why men are more likely to experience severe cases of COVID-19
Haibo Zhang, a researcher at Unity Health Toronto and U of T, led pre-clinical research that suggests why males are more likely to experience worse outcomes from COVID-19, opening the door to potential new treatments.
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The future is urban: U of T’s School of Cities celebrates its fifth anniversary
Five years ago, UofT established the School of Cities, a multidisciplinary hub tasked with creating solutions for more efficient and equitable cities in an increasingly urbanized world. The project makes enormous sense. In a world where 4.5 billion people live in cities and more move to cities every day, there is no question that the future is urban.
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First annual EPIC Symposium: October 17, 2023
The first annual Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium symposium is a day of research, networking and community-building. The event will feature a keynote presentation, research talk, panel discussion, new PI quick fire round, poster session, and networking reception.
![Molly Shoichet (photo by Steve Southon)](https://isi.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Molly-Shoichet-1-7.25.23-crop-1024x683.webp)
Molly Shoichet named director of U of T's precision medicine initiative
Molly Shoichet has been named scientific director of PRiME Next-Generation Precision Medicine – an institutional strategic initiative that tackles unmet needs in drug discovery, diagnostics and disease biology. “It is such an exciting time in precision medicine,” says Shoichet, a University Professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering with a cross appointment to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy who is […]
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Newest institutional strategic initiative focuses on UN sustainable development goals
SDGs@UofT pursues an ambitious research agenda that addresses the 17 UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) –targets that individuals, communities, institutions and countries can work toward achieving by 2030. They include taking urgent steps to combat climate change, consuming and producing sustainably, improving health and education, reducing inequality and protecting the natural world, among others.