Two young researchers receive Early Researcher Awards

A computational biologist involved in sequencing the human genome, and a physicist studying information processing will receive $280,000 from the Ontario government’s Early Researcher Award (ERA) program.

“This award will accelerate the development of my research program,” says James Stotz, physics researcher and one of two Queen’s ERA recipients. “But at its core, the ERA is designed to train graduate students, and this will help me attract the best graduate students from Ontario and throughout the rest of Canada. The students will be able to come to Queen’s and work on interesting projects today that will change the way we will process information in the future.”

These awards are among 66 projects across the province worth $9.24 million aimed at improving Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent from around the world.

“Today’s investment is an important part of Ontario’s plan to build an innovation-driven economy,” says Minister of Research and Innovation, John Wilkinson. “We are investing in the people who are pioneering the scientific breakthroughs that will improve healthcare, protect the environment, and ignite growth in the industries that will shape Ontario’s future.”

Queen’s recipients of Early Researcher Awards follow:

Hagit Shatkay (Computing) is developing tools that will help understand and use the data that has been created since the sequencing of the human genome.

James Stotz (Physics) is exploring ways to use single electrons or photons in information processing.