Statistical Sciences

Alumni

Artificial Intelligence

��Ƶ

Nobel Prize

Subheadline

Three former students who worked with the "godfather of AI" recall his passionate and playful approach to research

In the wake of ��Ƶ’s 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, former students and colleagues from the ��Ƶ are sharing their favourite anecdotes about the “godfather of AI” – including one involving the classic Atari video game Asteroids.

Nick Frosst (photo by Nina Haikara)

Nick Frosst, a U of T alumnus and co-founder of generative AI startup Cohere, said Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science, once spoke of an intense, button-mashing session that left him with nerve damage.

“This kind of explains, perhaps, the way in which he types, which is still two fingers at a time,” said Frosst, who began working with Hinton as a U of T undergraduate student and was his first employee at Google Brain.

He shared the story at a recent event hosted by the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, saying it offered a telling glimpse into Hinton’s character.

“It’s that fever-pitched intensity, passion and playfulness that he brings to everything … He found something that was fun and engaging and he played it until it damaged a finger and then he continued to push for it.”

Frosst said he also appreciates Hinton’s thoughtful consideration about the potential negative consequences of the revolutionary technology he helped create and praised him for looking past formal qualifications to spot potential and creativity.

“I don't have a master's degree or a PhD, but he was willing to work with me and I saw that in the types of people he brought into Google Brain to work with him,” Frosst said.

“He took lots of chances on people and gave them the time of day once they were there. And for that, I'll always be thankful and deeply privileged, and honoured, to have him in my life.”

Other former students at U of T tell similar stories.

Chris Maddison (supplied image)

Chris Maddison, now an assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was also an undergraduate student when he started working with Hinton in 2011.

He also painted a picture of Hinton’s vibrant office – where everyone knew when he had a new idea.

“The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility,” said Maddison. “He was famous for bursting into a room and pronouncing that, he now finally, after all these years, understood how the brain worked.”

Kevin Swersky (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Kevin Swersky, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, worked with Hinton as a graduate student at U of T and similarly described visiting Hinton as a memorable academic experience.

“Normally when you go to a supervisor's office, you give them a progress update. You go through what your latest results are, you talk about a couple of your ideas and you get some feedback,” he said.

“Going to Geoff’s office was a completely different story. He would be telling you what his latest idea was. He would show you his latest results. And his whole thing was just that he was really excited about it, and his hope was to inspire you enough to start running with it.”

He added that he was particularly inspired by Hinton’s focus on small, solvable puzzles that would ultimately lead to significant breakthroughs over time.

“Geoff would think completely intuitively – like the universe was a puzzle and he was just kind of figuring out where all the pieces went, and the math would always follow whatever he was talking about,” he said.

He also remarked on Hinton’s kindness.

“He offered to put me up for a few weeks,” he said of a time when he found himself looking for a place to stay in Toronto. “He offered to go and get dishes. I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, Geoff Hinton wants to go out shopping for dishes for me so that I can be comfortable for a few weeks.’”

��Ƶ shakes hand at a recent U of T event celebrating his Nobel Prize (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Frosst, too, has a Hinton home-making story: the AI luminary built him a desk from scratch.

“He's a carpenter,” Frosst said. “It’s a small wooden desk that fits in the corner of my room at home.

“That's where I keep my computer and work from.”

‘One of the great minds of the 21st century’: U of T celebrates ��Ƶ’s Nobel Prize

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 17:24:21 +0000

‘One of the great minds of the 21st century’: U of T celebrates ��Ƶ’s Nobel Prize

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/17/2024 - 13:24

Cutline

University Professor Emeritus ��Ƶ, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, attends a celebration event held at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

Leah Cowen

Wesley Hall

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Artificial Intelligence

CIFAR

Department of Computer Science

Subheadline

The 2024 co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics - known to many as the "godfather of AI" - was honoured at an event attended by a who's who of the Toronto research community

There were standing ovations, peals of laughter and even a few tears as the ��Ƶ welcomed ��Ƶ back to campus after he won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

A University Professor Emeritus of computer science, Hinton traded the “cheap hotel room in California,” where he received the life-changing news, for an emotional reception in the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus’s airy event hall.

The Oct. 10 event drew U of T leaders, supporters, dignitaries and other luminaries. They included Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, and Massey College Principal James Orbinski, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Doctors Without Borders in 1999.

Several of Hinton’s many collaborators and proteges also attended the event – not to mention students who were simply eager to catch a glimpse of the “godfather of AI.”

Hinton chats with U of T Scarborough Professor David Fleet and Google Research Scientists Sara Sabour and Daniel Watson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Though sleep deprived, Hinton regaled the audience with fond recollections of his early years as an AI researcher, snapshots of his trademark dry humour and warm expressions of gratitude for mentors, collaborators and, of course, his many students.

“I’ve been blessed to have brilliant graduate students and post-docs,” Hinton said.

“I had a principle when selecting graduate students: ‘If they’re not smarter than me, what’s the point?’ And I’ve had quite a number of graduate students who were smarter than me.

“They did things I wouldn’t have been able to do, so I’d like to thank them.”

He said two figures in particular played a huge role in the work that led to his Nobel Prize, which he shared with Princeton University’s John J. Hopfield. The first was Terry Sejnowsky, a computational neuroscientist and former student of Hopfield’s, who worked with Hinton on Boltzmann machines – a period Hinton described as “the most happy research time of my life.”

He also praised the contributions of the late David Rumelhart, a psychologist at Stanford University, who worked with him to develop backpropagation algorithms, a key breakthrough.

“[He] should have won the Nobel Prize,” Hinton said. “But unfortunately, Dave got a horrible brain disease and he died quite young.” (The Nobel organization doesn’t award the honour posthumously).

Hinton poses for a picture with Assistant Professor Chris Maddison, who was one of the last graduate students Hinton supervised (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Chris Maddison joined Hinton’s research group as an undergraduate and was one of the last students he supervised. Now an assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Maddison lauded Hinton as “a steadfast mentor and supporter who saw strength in me that I didn’t see” and said one of his greatest attributes was his sheer enthusiasm.

“No matter what’s going on, you can find him in the lab on Sundays at 8 p.m. playing with his MATLAB scripts like a child playing with Legos,” Maddison said. “He never lost that child-like sense of wonder that buoyed him and the group.”

U of T President Meric Gertler said, via video message from Indonesia, where he was on university business, that Hinton is “one of the great minds of the 21st century” (photo by Johnny Guatto)

U of T President Meric Gertler, who was in Indonesia on university business when the prize was announced, hailed Hinton in a video message as “one of the great minds of the 21st century” and someone who “literally created new ways of thinking about thinking and learning.”

He noted that Hinton’s AI leadership extends to the pressing question of responsible and safe development of the technology.

“With his Nobel win, he’s now perfectly positioned to amplify this concern on a world stage.” President Gertler said.

Hinton shares a laugh with University Professor Molly Shoichet of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The event’s guest list served as a reminder of Hinton’s outsized influence on the research community in Toronto and beyond, drawing key figures from: the Vector Institute, where Hinton is co-founder and chief scientific adviser; the Schwartz Reisman Institute of Technology and Society, where he sits on the advisory board; and CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), where Hinton is an adviser and longtime fellow.

Hinton poses for a photo with Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, reminded the accomplished audience that Hinton’s historic achievement – both the Nobel Prize and the AI revolution he helped spark – was the result of years toiling in an “unpromising backwater” of AI research.

“It is tempting to think that it happened almost overnight, but it didn’t,” Cowen said.

University Professors Emeriti – and fellow Nobel Prize-winners – ��Ƶ and John Polanyi have their photo taken together (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton took time to reflect on periods of personal struggle and tragedy – and thank those who helped him in his hour of need.

When his wife had an incurable form of cancer, he recalled how U of T President Emeritus David Naylor, a physician, medical researcher and former dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, carried out research on a possible alternative treatment that was being explored – incorporating input from top medical experts – and presented him with a report of his findings.

“He’s a tremendous human being,” Hinton said of Naylor, who was in the audience.

Hinton shares a moment with U of T President Emeritus David Naylor (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton also recalled how, when his first wife became ill in 1993 – also with cancer – his post-doctoral trainee Peter Dayan, now a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, stepped in to advise Hinton’s graduate students, giving him time to care for his ailing spouse.

“At times like this, you remember the people who helped you most when things were very difficult,” Hinton said.

He later pointed out that Dayan went on to supervise one of this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Demis Hassabis, joking that this made Dayan “the meat in a Nobel sandwich.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada was lucky to have Hinton, who was born in the U.K., and thanked his daughter for sharing her father with the country, with science and the world (photo by Johnny Guatto)

For Minister Freeland, Hinton’s award showcased the value of ideas and of fundamental research. She said Hinton’s Nobel Prize sent waves of pride across Canada, which she said was “lucky as a country” that Hinton arrived on its shores back in 1987.

“Geoff shows that you can be a really brilliant intellectual and also a really great human being who cares about his community and his country,” Freeland said. “I am constantly struck by how Geoff thinks about the bigger implications of his ideas and how Geoff thinks about really wanting to make Canada and the world a better place.”

Hinton chats with Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, who thanked him for his friendship and mentorship – and his dedication to science and scholarship (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Following the program – which also featured remarks by U of T Chancellor Wes Hall, Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin and Christine Szustaczek, U of T’s vice-president, communications – Hinton mingled with members of the audience, shook hands with students and caught up with former colleagues and trainees.

Clockwise from top left: Christine Szustaczek, Wes Hall, Chris Maddison, Leah Cowen, ��Ƶ and Melanie Woodin (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Brendan Frey, professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and CEO of AI-powered therapeutics startup Deep Genomics, said he was one of many who earned his PhD under Hinton’s supervision.

“I think of Geoff as the father of a community that includes myself, other graduate students and all the people who didn’t believe but then came to believe – and he inspired all of us,” said Frey, who shared a hug with his former supervisor following the event.

“I’m really happy for him.”

Congratulations pour in for ��Ƶ after Nobel win

mattimar — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:43:16 +0000

Congratulations pour in for ��Ƶ after Nobel win

mattimar Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:43

Cutline

(Photo by Johnny Guatto/��Ƶ)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Alumni

Artificial Intelligence

University Health Network

Vector Institute

Subheadline

“You always knew when Geoff had a new idea. The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility"

Reactions to ��Ƶ’s Nobel Prize win began almost immediately after it was announced Tuesday morning.

Known as the “godfather of AI,” the University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the ��Ƶ shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University for groundbreaking work that laid the foundation for machine learning using artificial neural networks.

U of T’s ��Ƶ and Princeton’s John J. Hopfield are pictured during the announcement for the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics (photo by Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

At U of T, students, faculty and staff gathered at an event hosted by the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, which Hinton joined as a professor in 1987.

Those in attendance described a revered and beloved figure, citing Hinton’s determination, playful approach to research and excitement for new ideas.

"I really don’t think there’s anyone more deserving of this recognition," said Chris Maddison, assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, and one of Hinton’s former students.

"Geoff was a fantastic adviser. He worked really, really hard to remove the barriers for his students and he was laser focused on ideas and building his own understanding."

Hinton also received congratulations from universities and other research organizations around the world, including the Royal Society, the Alan Turing Institute and Cambridge University, Hinton’s alma mater.

Meanwhile, friends, colleagues and leaders in politics and business took to social media to express their congratulations for Hinton’s remarkable achievement.

Here’s a snapshot of what some of them said:

From left: Melanie Woodin, Chris Maddison, Nick Frosst, Kevin Swersky and Eyal de Lara (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Congratulations to ��Ƶ on this fantastic recognition which is a testament to the importance of supporting basic research and the long journey that can lead to profound discoveries like deep learning that forever change our world. Hinton's phenomenal work has seeded new and innovative research by his former students and many around the world who are using AI to solve global challenges in areas like medicine and climate change.“

– Leah Cowen, vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives at U of T

“I would say his approach to science has stuck with me. Everything I know about how to do science, I mostly learned from him. It's his curiosity and playfulness ... that has been most impactful. I would also say his thoughtfulness, thinking about the consequence of the technology and how it affects society is something that we have taken seriously at Cohere as well.”

– Nick Frosst, U of T alumnus and co-founder of Cohere

“You always knew when Geoff had a new idea. The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility. He was famous for bursting into a room and pronouncing that, he now finally, after all these years, understood how the brain worked. Above all, he understood that research was a human endeavor. Research is really hard. It becomes personal. It's intertwined with tragedies and compromises. I saw him go through some of his own when I was a student in the group, and I went through my own. I remember when I was going through some health challenges, I went to him and I said, 'Geoff, sometimes it's really hard to go on.’ And he looked at me and he said, ’But we're not going to let that slow us down, will we?’"

– Chris Maddison, assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science

U of T is the only computer science department with a Nobel Prize winner, says Professor Michael Brudno (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate an award for somebody who has made huge contributions – obviously in AI broadly, [and] to this department. No other computer science department can say that they have a Nobel Laureate. But I think beyond that, it really goes back to show how the birthplace of modern AI is Toronto, how this is the place where it all started and how it's upon us as the AI faculty in this department to continue this legacy.”

– Michael Brudno, professor in U of T’s department of computer science, acting vice-dean, graduate education in Faculty of Arts & Science, a chief data scientist at University Health Network and a faculty member at the Vector Institute

��Ƶ shares a laugh with fellow AI researcher Raquel Urtasun, left, at the Vector Institute’s opening in 2017 (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

"Geoff is the most influential person in AI, and our field would certainly not be the same without his immense contributions. He is also a tremendous educator, and has mentored many students and postdocs who have gone on to become very influential in the field of AI. Geoff cares deeply about the Toronto and Canadian ecosystem and was the driving force in the formation of the Vector Institute, which we co-founded together. Through our time as colleagues at the ��Ƶ, I've deeply admired his commitment to the advancement of AI for good. This recognition is well-deserved and acknowledges his decades of work leading AI innovation and building the foundation for the AI revolution that is happening today.”

– Raquel Urtasun, professor in U of T’s department of computer science, faculty member and co-founder at the Vector Institute, founder and CEO of Waabi

“I was the first to call Geoff Hinton “Godfather of Deep Learning,” which later became “Godfather of AI.” Thrilled to see him win the Nobel prize together with John Hopfield for AI. Congrats @geoffreyhinton.”

– Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, founder GoogleBrain, former chief scientist at Baidu

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with ��Ƶ at a 2019 event (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“Dr. Hinton is a stalwart in his field. Celebrated as one of the ‘Godfathers of AI’, he brings decades of leading expertise in AI research as a Professor Emeritus at the ��Ƶ’s Department of Computer Science, and the current Chief Scientific Advisor at the Vector Institute in Toronto – one of our three national AI institutes. Dr. Hinton is also an outspoken advocate for the responsible development and adoption of AI, educating the world about the benefits and challenges this technology poses.

“Canada is at the forefront of AI technology thanks to trailblazers like Dr. Hinton. His curiosity for discovery and contributions to innovation will inspire generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.”

– Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A.M. Turing Award winners Yann LeCun, left, Yoshua Bengio, middle, and ��Ƶ at an AI summit in Montreal (photo courtesy of RE•WORK)

"@HopfieldJohn and @geoffreyhinton, along with collaborators, have created a beautiful and insightful bridge between physics and AI. They invented neural networks that were not only inspired by the brain, but also by central notions in physics such as energy, temperature, system dynamics, energy barriers, the role of randomness and noise, connecting the local properties, e.g., of atoms or neurons, to global ones like entropy and attractors. And they went beyond the physics to show how these ideas could give rise to memory, learning and generative models; concepts which are still at the forefront of modern AI research. Their ideas inspired me so profoundly that I decided to choose learning in neural networks for my own research as a graduate student. They motivated me to look for abstract principles that could be as simple as the laws of physics, but could explain biological as well as artificial intelligence. I'm truly delighted for them and for our field."

– Yoshua Bengio, professor at Université de Montréal and co-winner of the A.M Turing Award with ��Ƶ and Yann LeCun

“It was the first thing I saw in the morning. I opened my phone, and it was the headline of The New York Times and I was like, ‘Yes!’ I was very excited. I saw his perseverance – he always goes with what he believes, not what the flow is – and it's quite inspirational for me. That’s what I look for, especially in the health care area. I want to do something meaningful, something big.”

–Tina Behrouzi, second year PhD student in U of T’s department of computer science

��Ƶ poses with graduate students Ilya Sutskever, left, and Alex Krizhevsky, right, in 2013 (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton for winning the Nobel Prize in physics!!”

– Ilya Sutskever, U of T alumnus, co-founder of OpenAI and co-founder and chief scientist at Safe Superintelligence

“Going to Geoff’s office was always fun. Normally when you go to a supervisor's office, you give them a progress update. You go through what your latest results are, you talk about a couple of your ideas and you get some feedback. Going to Geoff’s office was a completely different story. He would be telling you what his latest idea was. He would show you his latest results. And his whole thing was just that he was really excited about it, and his hope was to inspire you enough to start running with it.”

– Kevin Swersky, U of T alumnus and research scientist at Google DeepMind

“[Hinton's] pioneering research at the ��Ƶ not only revolutionized the field of AI but has also been instrumental in establishing Canada as a global powerhouse in AI research and innovation."

– Tony Gaffney, president and CEO of the Vector Institute

Fei-Fei Li and ��Ƶ speak at a 2023 event in Toronto (photo by Polina Teif)

“This is beyond exciting! #AI’s far reaching impact is just beginning.”

– Fei-Fei Li, professor of computer science at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton, University Professor Emeritus at@UofT, on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics! Widely regarded as the “godfather of AI,” Hinton’s pioneering work in artificial neural networks has transformed the global AI landscape. Dr. Hinton’s achievement highlights the best of #Ontario’s world-class talent and thriving AI ecosystem, driving innovation and shaping the future of critical #technology!

– Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade

"On behalf of the Department and the University, we are very proud to acknowledge Geoff's global achievements and this international recognition. His contributions to machine learning and artificial intelligence have benefited virtually every discipline in science, engineering, social sciences and medicine. As we celebrate the department’s 60th anniversary, this award embodies six decades of impact and innovation in computer science and technology.”

– Eyal de Lara, professor and chair of U of T’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

“Heartfelt congratulations to Geoff Hinton @geoffreyhinton on winning the Nobel Prize! What an incredible honor! I feel deeply privileged to have had the opportunity to be your PhD student, work with you, and learn from you.”

– Russ Salakhutdinov, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University

Hinton approached his research with an “almost childlike playfulness,” says Graduate student Ujan Sen (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Waking up today, seeing that news, just motivates me even more and reaffirms the decision that coming to U of T was the absolutely the best decision I could have taken. I think one of the people who had previously worked with him mentioned something along the lines of: Geoff didn't really care too much about pedigree. He cared about ideas, regardless if you have a master's or PhD. And the way he approached his research and the almost childlike playfulness and innocence he had with sort of getting to the answer is something that I really resonate with.”

– Ujan Sen, master’s student in U of T’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

"I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. ��Ƶ on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. His groundbreaking work in machine learning has made Canada world-renowned in the field of AI. He is a true inspiration for the next generation of Canadian researchers!"

– François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry

“I’m originally a chemist. It was a surprising thing for me that a Nobel Prize is being awarded to a computer scientist. This is a big moment for computer science. I think it will bring recognition to physics-based approaches and core thinking.

“I think it’s great that some universities like U of T are willing to believe in crazy ideas. People need to encourage outside-the-box thinking.”

– Ella Rajaonson, PhD student in the Matter Lab with U of T professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik

“Congratulations!”

– Olivia Chow, mayor of Toronto

U of T researcher seeks out new insights on the universe's oldest galaxies

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:27:46 +0000

U of T researcher seeks out new insights on the universe's oldest galaxies

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 02/08/2024 - 14:27

Cutline

Jacqueline Antwi-Danso, a postdoctoral researcher with the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, is studying massive galaxies that formed “when the universe was still just a baby” (supplied image)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Black

Indigenous

Space

Subheadline

"We're trying to understand why these galaxies formed the way they did and how they became so big so quickly"

Jacqueline Antwi-Danso remembers a book from her junior high school library describing how stars are born and how the most massive stars die in gigantic explosions called supernovae.

“The book explained that there were objects out in space that gave off so much energy we could see and study them and make precise observations of their physical properties,” says Antwi-Danso, who credits her parents for nurturing her interest in education and reading while growing up in Ghana. “That just blew my mind.”

Today, Antwi-Danso is an NSERC Banting postdoctoral fellow at the ��Ƶ’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Her work focuses on studying massive galaxies that formed “when the universe was still just a baby.”

She is also active in supporting Black, Latinx and Indigenous women who are interested in a career in science.

She recently spoke to U of T’s Chris Sasaki about her career, research and goals.

Was there an important milestone in your journey to becoming an astronomer?

After high school, my plan was to take a gap year to figure out if I wanted to stay in Ghana and do something in the sciences at the university level or go elsewhere.

That’s when an opportunity came my way. There was a program run by the American Embassy in Accra for Ghanaian high school students interested in studying in the U.S. It provided mentorship for things like how to apply to schools in the U.S., how to write a good college application and how to select courses. They also helped you think about what you wanted to do in your career.

It was a big turning point in my life when I was selected to join the program. That’s how I learned about opportunities outside of Ghana and realized that if I was going to study astronomy, I would have to leave because we don't have astronomy at the collegiate level. And so, I made my decision to study astronomy at Texas Christian University.

Large, relatively nearby galaxies like this one took billions of years to form. Antwi-Danso is trying to determine how large galaxies in the very distant universe formed in a small fraction of that time (photo by ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Jones Acknowledgement: G. Anand, L. Shatz.)

As an astronomer, what questions are you trying to answer?

I study massive galaxies in the very distant universe – some of the very first structures that formed after the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago. We're trying to understand why these galaxies formed the way they did and how they became so big so quickly. We’re finding them at increasingly earlier times, as far back as when the universe was just four per cent of its current age.

This goes against our understanding of the hierarchical formation of large structures – where massive galaxies like our Milky Way galaxy were formed from the merger of galaxies that were formed from stars, which, in turn, formed from clouds of gas and dust.

For our galaxy, it took billions of years to attain its current stellar mass. These distant, massive galaxies had only a fraction of the time to go through this process, so we have no idea how they formed so quickly. So, one of two things is happening: either there's something wrong with our observations or we need to revise our current models. That's the big problem I'm working on and I’m actually looking for a summer undergraduate student to work on this project.

Jacqueline Antwi-Danso speaks to students at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (supplied image)

You’re working to support Black, Indigenous and Latinx women in science. Can you tell me more about that?

The League of Underrepresented Minoritized Astronomers (LUMA) is a peer mentoring organization for women in astronomy, physics and the planetary sciences that was formed in 2015 by Catherine Espaillat, who is the director of the Institute for Astrophysical Sciences at Boston University. She started LUMA because, as a Dominican American grad student, she felt isolated.

There weren’t many people in her field who looked like her, with whom she shared backgrounds. So, she created LUMA to be a community of people with similar experiences who could provide each other with support. I joined because I also realized there weren't many people in my field who looked like me. There were even fewer African astronomers. And, like Catherine, I wanted a place where we could come together as a community and support each other.

Do have you have plans to do the same type of work here in Canada?

I would like to continue this work, so I've been learning about and trying to understand what the Canadian science landscape looks like. I think the challenge in Canada is similar to the challenge that LUMA faces in the U.S. – there are very few Black, Indigenous or Latinx women in science in either country. So, yes, I would like to do similar work here. I just don't know what that looks like yet.

What about in Ghana?

One thing that I had in mind was trying to create some sort of pipeline for students in Ghana who might be interested in astronomy and might want to study in the U.S. or Canada. There are challenges, of course, but I’m talking to people who have been involved in similar projects and have found solutions to these challenges. For example, it might mean helping by providing mentorship to students who are already interested in physics and to students who are a little further along in their studies. I'm hopeful there are a number of ways to make this work.

How do you feel about receiving the NSERC Banting fellowship?

I’m very grateful and humbled to receive it. For me, it represents an exciting opportunity to work independently on my research, especially at U of T with all the people in the Dunlap Institute (for Astronomy & Astrophysics), the department of astronomy and astrophysics, CITA (Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics) and the department of statistical sciences. I feel like U of T is the perfect place for me because I’m combining astronomy with statistics and cosmological simulations to understand these really massive, distant galaxies. I’m having the time of my life, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few months will bring.

Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:08:53 +0000

Why is COVID-19 more severe in some people? Researchers use genetics, data science to find out

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 10/25/2023 - 10:08

Cutline

(Photo by Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images)

Tyler Irving

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

COVID-19

Data Sciences Institute

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Sinai Health

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Unity Health

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Hospital for Sick Children

Mount Sinai Hospital

Research & Innovation

St. Michael's Hospital

University Health Network

Women's College Hospital

Subheadline

With the help of U of T's Data Sciences Institute, researchers from the university and partner hospitals gathered more than 11,000 full genome sequences from across Canada

Why do some people have a more severe course of COVID-19 disease than others? A genome sequence database created by an international collaboration of researchers, including many from the ��Ƶ and partner hospitals, may hold the answers to this question – and many more.

The origins of the Canadian COVID-19 Human Host Genome Sequencing Databank, known as CGEn HostSeq, can be traced to the earliest days of the pandemic.

Lisa Strug, senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and academic director of U of T’s Data Sciences Institute, one of several U of T institutional strategic initiatives, says genetic data was top of mind for her and other researchers in late 2019 and early 2020 as reports of a novel form of coronavirus emerged from China and then other locations across the globe.

Lisa Strug (Photo courtesy The Hospital for Sick Children)

“In my research, I use data science techniques to map the genes responsible for complex traits,” says Strug, who is a professor in U of T’s departments of statistical sciences and computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and in the biostatistics division of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

“We knew that genes were a factor in the severity of previous SARS infections, so it made sense that COVID-19, which is caused by a closely related virus, would have a genetic component, too.

“Very early on, I started getting messages from several scientists who wanted to set up different studies that would help us find those genes.”

Over the next few months, Strug – who is also the associate director of SickKids’ Centre for Applied Genomics, one of three sites across Canada that form CGEn, Canada’s national platform for genome sequencing infrastructure for research – collaborated with nearly 100 researchers from across U of T and partner hospitals and institutions, as well as other researchers from across Canada to enrol individuals with COVID-19 and sequence their genomes.

Some of the key team members from the Toronto community included:

Stephen Scherer, chief of research at SickKids Research Institute and a University Professor in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, as well as director of the U of T McLaughlin Centre
Rayjean Hung, associate director of population health at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, and a professor in U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Angela Cheung, clinician-scientist at University Health Network, senior scientist at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and a professor in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Upton Allen, head of the division of infectious diseases at SickKids and a professor in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine

The projected was initiated by Scherer and CGEn’s Naveed Aziz, along with Strug, and a $20-million grant was secured from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, administered through Genome Canada.

“We had to go right to the top to get this project funded fast and our labs and teams worked seven days a week on the project right through the pandemic,” Scherer recalls.

Identifying associations between individual genes and complex traits typically requires thousands of genomes – both from those with the trait and those without. Though there was no shortage of cases to choose from, it was critical to gather and sequence DNA – and then organize the data in a way that would be ethical, efficient and useful to researchers now and in the future.

“One of our key mandates at the Data Sciences Institute is developing techniques and programs that ensure that data remains as open, accessible and as re-producible as it can be,” Strug says.

“That vision was brought to bear as we assembled the data infrastructure for this project – for example, ensuring that consent forms were as broad as possible so that this data could be linked with other sources, from electronic medical records to other health databases.

“We wanted to be sure that even after the COVID-19 pandemic was over this could be a national whole genome sequencing resource to ask all kinds of questions about health and our genes. The development of the database and its open nature also enabled Canada to collaborate effectively with similar projects in other countries.”

Partner hospitals and institutions:

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health
Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health
St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto
University Health Network (UHN)
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Women’s College Hospital
Toronto General Hospital, UHN
Baycrest Health Sciences

In the end, the project gathered more than 11,000 full genome sequences from across Canada, representing patients with a wide range of health outcomes. Those data were then combined with even more sequences from patients in other countries under what came to be called the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative.

It didn’t take long for patterns to start to emerge. A paper published in Nature in 2021 identified 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19.

Since then, even more data have been added, and subsequent analysis has confirmed the significance of existing loci while also identifying new ones. The most recent update to the project, published in Nature earlier this year, brings the total number of distinct, genome-wide significant loci to 51.

“Identification of these loci can help one predict who might be more prone to a severe course of COVID-19 disease,” says Strug.

“When you identify a trait-associated locus, you can also unravel the mechanism by which this genetic region contributes to COVID-19 disease. This potentially identifies therapeutic targets and approaches that a future drug could be designed around.”

While it will take many more years to fully untangle the effects of the different loci that have been identified, Strug says that the database is already showing its worth in other ways.

“It can be difficult to find datasets with whole genome sequence and approved for linkage with other health information that are this large, and we want people to know that it is open and available for all kinds of research well beyond COVID through a completely independent data access committee,” she says.

“For example, several investigators from across Canada have been approved to use these data and we’ve even provided funding to trainees to encourage them to develop new data science methodologies or ask novel health questions using the CGen HostSeq data.”

“This was a humongous effort, where researchers from across Canada came together during the COVID-19 pandemic to recruit, obtain and sequence DNA from more than 11,000 Canadians in a systematic, co-operative, aligned way to create a made-in-Canada data resource that will hopefully be useful for years to come. I think that was really miraculous.”

David Andrews, a leading statistician whose election-night work touches millions, receives honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:18:28 +0000

David Andrews, a leading statistician whose election-night work touches millions, receives honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 06/14/2023 - 12:18

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(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Convocation 2023

Honorary Degree

Victoria College

You may not have seen him on air, but behind the scenes at CTV, on every election night for almost five decades, David Andrews has crunched the numbers to ensure that the network never errs when it calls the results. He has served as the network’s chief statistician for more than 100 elections.

A former chair of the ��Ƶ’s department of statistical sciences, Andrews has also made an immense impact in the field of statistics itself – notably statistical computing and graphics. A data visualization technique that he developed decades ago, for example, makes it easier to identify variables that are correlated – and is still in use today.

For his innovative contributions to the field of statistical sciences and his leadership in promoting the application of statistical sciences to an ever-widening range of problems in modern society, Andrews today receives a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the ��Ƶ.

Andrews earned a bachelor of science from U of T in mathematics and physics in 1965, then undertook graduate work at the university in math and statistics, earning a PhD in statistics in 1968. For a few years, he lectured in statistics departments at Imperial College London and Princeton University. He then returned to U of T as a professor in 1973, serving in various capacities through 2001. For many years, he taught in what is now the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, in the department of preventive medicine and biostatistics.

Early in his career, Andrews was a key participant in what was known as the “Princeton Robustness Study.” This collaborative effort in computation and applied statistics broke ground for later developments in statistical science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Andrews chaired U of T’s department of statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science from 1984 to 1992, recruiting four scholars to the department who would later receive the world’s most prestigious award in statistics. He also helped bring greater statistical rigour to research across the university.

“Working here was enormous fun” Andrews says in his convocation address to graduating students from Victoria College. “The range of fields was extraordinary. I learned much about diseases, the evolving methodology of genetics, clay tablet inscriptions from the Middle East, the vocabulary of the great Russian poet Brodsky and so on by applying common principles of statistics.”

Although he found the election work less complex than his academic research, Andrews noted that live television brought its own pressures – CTV needed the job to be done extremely fast and without error. “The calls, when we make them, are very public, the audience is huge, so our neck is stuck way out,” he told the Toronto Data Workshop in 2021. “We don’t dare make mistakes.”

Andrews doesn’t use polls in his election night calculations. He says calling the winner correctly means accurately predicting what will happen in each of the country’s (now) 338 ridings. Polls tend to present the national picture, with only a few responses from each riding. “They’re not useful to me” for deciding who will win an individual riding, he said during the workshop. Instead, he relies on information from Statistic Canada and Elections Canada.

Andrews’ interest in elections extends to developing a proposal to make the House of Commons more representative. As happens quite often, a political party can win a majority of seats with less than 50 per cent of the votes. Andrews’ proposal would implement ranked-choice balloting and apply it selectively in ridings where the winner’s margin is less than five per cent. By his estimate, this would have reduced the winning party’s majority of seats in the 2011 and 2015 elections to a minority, thus more accurately reflecting their minority share of the popular vote.

Andrews is a recipient of the Gold Medal from the Statistical Society of Canada and has served as its president.

In his convocation address, Andrews advises students graduating from Victoria College to seize chances as they arise. “Life is earnest, life is real. And by times it seems very messy. I just found it more satisfying to focus on the opportunities – including the impossible ones.”

From tires to brakes, U of T researchers tackle 'non-tailpipe' air pollution from vehicles

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:45:05 +0000

From tires to brakes, U of T researchers tackle 'non-tailpipe' air pollution from vehicles

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 03/16/2023 - 11:45

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As governments work to reign in vehicle emissions such as CO2, U of T researchers are drawing attention to other harmful sources of vehicle-related air pollution, including brake pads and tires (photo by Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Ali Raza

Topic

Pollution

Research & Innovation

Sustainability

U of T Mississauga

With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, car-related air pollution will be less of a concern, right? Think again, say a group of ��Ƶ researchers who are studying the effects of air pollution from brakes and tires.

While the push to mandate EV aims to reduce tailpipe emissions such as carbon dioxide – the federal government has set a target of complete EV adoption by 2035 – swapping every vehicle on the road still won’t eliminate all the sources of air pollution that can impact human health.

That’s because brake pads, rotors and tires grind down over time and erode. This results in tons of particulate matter like heavy metals and microplastics polluting the air.

Matt Adams

“Millions of tires being driven on the road breaking down –that’s a problem,” says Matt Adams, an assistant professor in U of T Mississauga’s department of geography, geomatics and environment. “It’s an emerging question in the field – it’s hard to know where the particles end up.”

Adams and Greg Evans, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, belong to a team of U of T researchers who are conducting a three-year study to learn more about tailpipe vs. non-tailpipe emissions. The study is for a U.S.-based organization called the Health Effects Institute, which gathers research on the effects of air pollution. Other researchers include: Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou and Associate Professor Arthur Chan in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering; Associate Professor Meredith Franklin in the department of statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science; and McGill University’s Scott Weichenthal and University of Barcelona visiting professor Maria Pérez.

Evans says the source of vehicle pollution has shifted in recent years.

“Because of changes in vehicle technology, tailpipe emissions particularly from cars has dropped off a lot over the last two decades,” Evans says. “What we found with research we’ve done in Toronto is that, since 2013, non-tailpipe emissions have exceeded tailpipe emissions.”

While tires are made from a combination of plastics and rubber, brakes are made of heavy metals, including iron, barium and copper.

Particles of heavy metals, microplastics and micro rubber from tires and brakes pollute the air and can contribute to a range of negative health outcomes. Some heavy metals like copper can cause oxidative stress when inhaled. Lungs suffer from inflammation and an immune response is triggered.

“There is not an organ in your body that’s not impacted by air pollution,” Adams says. “We know your health risk is increased. We know a lot of these pollutants are carcinogens. [It] can contribute to cardiorespiratory issues.”

Evans says the researchers hope the study will improve methods of gathering vehicle pollution data.

“At the end of it, we’re hoping to have better methods to able say how much is coming from tailpipe and how much is non-tailpipe, and how do we identify hot spots,” he says.

The findings could potentially result in regulations for tire and brake emissions. In late 2022, the EU proposed new Euro 7 standards to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality. The new proposals were the first worldwide emissions standards to set additional limits for emissions from tires and brakes.

Greg Evans, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, says his research shows that non-tailpipe emissions have exceeded tailpipe emissions in Toronto since 2013 (supplied photo)

Adams says there are additional considerations when switching over to EVs, including the source of electric power, lithium sourcing and related infrastructure.

“We’re trying to translate the links of how and where you are in the urban environment to your exposure [to air pollution], and then using that to plan cities better for our health,” Adams says.

Planning more healthy cities means building urban areas where people can walk, cycle and take public transit in addition to adopting EVs.

“Air pollution is tricky,” Adams says. “It’s invisible for the most part –we don’t smell it. We’re trying to quantify the intangible for the average person.”

U of T students score win at NFL’s Big Data Bowl: Toronto Sun

bresgead — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:12:12 +0000

U of T students score win at NFL’s Big Data Bowl: Toronto Sun

bresgead Fri, 03/03/2023 - 13:12

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Top to bottom: U of T undergraduate students Daniel Hocevar, Aaron White and Hassaan Inayatali (photo by Tyler Irving)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

A trio of ��Ƶ students are champions of the NFL’s Big Data Bowl, the Toronto Sun reports.

Hassaan Inayatali, Aaron White and Daniel Hocevar emerged victorious in the sports analytics showdown thanks to their improved statistical model of the “pressure” on the pocket of space around the quarterback.

The trio – who are all on the leadership team for ��Ƶ Sports Analytics Student Group (UTSPAN) – were among eight finalists who presented their projects to football professionals at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Inayatali, a third-year engineering science student in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, told the Toronto Sun that the US$30,000 cash prize from the competition will be split among himself, White, a second-year statistical sciences student, and Hocevar, a third-year computer science student – both in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“For all of us, while we were really happy to have won, it was more a validation – just because the way we were proceeding was correct,” Inayatali told the newspaper. “All of the work we put into it, down to the nitty-gritty detail, it all paid off.”

U of T to confer honorary degrees on 14 academic, business and community leaders

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 15:42:32 +0000

U of T to confer honorary degrees on 14 academic, business and community leaders

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 02/16/2023 - 10:42

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All photos supplied except for Beverly Glenn-Copeland (by Briana Boyd), James and Louise Temerty (by George Pimentel) and Sara Seager (by Justin Knight).

Mariam Matti

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Convocation 2023

Alumni