{"id":90155,"date":"2023-12-13T10:56:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T15:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&#038;p=90155"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T13:45:33","slug":"challenge-whats-possible-top-5","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/challenge-whats-possible-top-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Carleton University Continues to Challenge What&#8217;s Possible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 pt-24 pb-32 md:pt-28 md:pb-44 lg:pt-36 lg:pb-60 xl:pt-48 xl:pb-72\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/top-5-challenge-stories-1200x900-1.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        Carleton University Continues to Challenge What&#039;s Possible\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"absolute bottom-0 w-full z-[1]\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 1280 312\">\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M26.412 315.608c-.602-.268-6.655-2.412-13.524-4.769a1943.84 1943.84 0 0 1-14.682-5.144l-2.276-.858v-5.358c0-4.876.086-5.358.773-5.09 1.674.643 21.38 5.84 34.646 9.109 14.682 3.59 28.935 6.858 45.936 10.449l9.874 2.089H57.322c-16.4 0-30.31-.16-30.91-.428ZM460.019 315.233c42.974-10.074 75.602-19.88 132.443-39.867 76.16-26.791 152.063-57.709 222.385-90.663 16.7-7.823 21.336-10.074 44.262-21.273 85.004-41.688 134.719-64.193 195.291-88.413 66.55-26.577 145.2-53.584 194.27-66.765C1258.5 5.626 1281.34 0 1282.24 0c.17 0 .34 27.596.34 61.3v61.299l-2.23.375c-84.7 13.718-165.93 35.955-310.736 84.931-46.494 15.753-65.427 22.076-96.166 32.15-9.102 3-24.814 8.198-34.989 11.574-107.543 35.954-153.008 50.422-196.626 62.639l-6.74 1.876-89.126-.054c-78.135-.054-88.782-.161-85.948-.857ZM729.628 312.875c33.229-10.985 69.248-23.523 127.506-44.207 118.705-42.223 164.596-57.709 217.446-73.302 2.62-.75 8.29-2.465 12.67-3.751 56.19-16.772 126.94-33.597 184.17-43.671 5.07-.91 9.66-1.768 10.22-1.875l.94-.161v170.236l-281.28-.054H719.968l9.66-3.215ZM246.864 313.411c-65.041-2.251-143.047-12.11-208.432-26.256-18.375-3.965-41.73-9.538-42.202-10.074-.171-.214-.257-21.38-.214-47.046l.129-46.618 6.654 3.697c57.313 32.043 118.491 56.531 197.699 79.143 40.313 11.521 83.459 18.058 138.669 21.059 15.584.857 65.685.857 81.14 0 33.744-1.876 61.306-4.93 88.396-9.806 6.396-1.126 11.634-1.983 11.722-1.929.255.375-20.48 7.769-30.999 11.038-28.592 8.948-59.288 15.646-91.873 20.147-26.36 3.59-50.015 5.627-78.35 6.698-15.584.59-55.209.59-72.339-.053Z\"><\/path>\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M-3.066 295.067 32.06 304.1v9.033H-3.066v-18.066Z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<p>Solving big problems demands that we challenge conventional ways of thinking and doing, and imagine new possibilities. Carleton University has grown to become one of the most resourceful and productive hubs of learning and growth in Canada, forging partnerships to create research and education that tackles complex challenges and improves lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about Carleton\u2019s innovative, inclusive and sustainable impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"mapping-out-a-solution-to-canadas-labour-shortage\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mapping Out a Solution to Canada\u2019s Labour Shortage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Canada plans to increase annual immigration to 500,000 by 2025 to address labour needs. However, newcomers face challenges in securing meaningful employment despite their experience or education. Researchers Luciara Nardon and Amrita Hari are working on solutions to address Canada&#8217;s labor shortage through improved immigration support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Newcomer service organizations try to pair people up with jobs, but often they&#8217;re looking for immediate results,&#8221;<\/em> explains Hari, the director of Carleton&#8217;s Feminist Institute of Social Transformation. <em>&#8220;They&#8217;re not thinking as much about the career trajectory of the newcomer. Similarly, somebody who needs to pay their bills right away is not going to wait for the perfect job. We need to shift the conversation away from quick fixes and concentrate on incremental change over time.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/labour-shortage-immigration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Immigration, Communities and the Economy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/809156181?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"new-non-invasive-tool-detects-alzheimers-parkinsons-early\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">New Non-Invasive Tool Detects Alzheimer&#8217;s &amp; Parkinson&#8217;s Early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Researcher Ravi Prakash and his team are improving healthcare for the aging population. They have developed a ground-breaking, non-invasive tool that examines saliva to detect early signs of Alzheimer&#8217;s and Parkinson&#8217;s disease. Unlike traditional methods, this approach challenges the previous belief that biomarkers for these diseases could only be found in blood or tissue, providing a potential breakthrough in early diagnosis before significant cognitive and physical deterioration occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;With early intervention, the symptoms of these diseases can be reversed, and medications and therapies can be put into place to prevent or slow further deterioration,&#8221;<\/em> says Prakash, an electrical and biomedical engineer and lead researcher in Carleton&#8217;s Organic Sensors and Devices Lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/parkinsons-alzheimers-early-detection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Detecting Alzheimer&#039;s and Parkinson&#039;s Early\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/809145232?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-new-virtual-classroom\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The New Virtual Classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything is changing in education. School staffing and resources are often stretched, causing society to have to rethink how we deliver courses. Researchers Troy Anderson and Ali Arya are revolutionizing classrooms with holograms and virtual reality, creating immersive learning experiences without boundaries. Their innovative technologies are reaching students across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;We can create all kinds of immersive environments that are difficult or impossible to have in the physical world,&#8221;<\/em> says Arya, a researcher from Carleton\u2019s School of Information Technology. <em>&#8220;These can help students understand concepts that are complex and abstract or difficult to visualize.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/holograms-immersive-environments-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The New Virtual Classroom\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/828079951?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"helping-children-learn-math\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helping Children Learn Math<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Math is incredibly useful in everyday life. As important as it is, many people struggle with math from a very early age \u2014 struggling to catch up to their peers. Cognitive science researchers Jo-Anne LeFevre and Heather Douglas have developed a screening tool to help teachers and school boards quickly identify which kids are having a hard time with math, so the appropriate supports can be implemented to help them succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;How you&#8217;re doing in math in kindergarten will predict how you&#8217;ll do in grade six, and students who struggle may drop it once they get to high school,&#8221;<\/em> says LeFevre, the director of Carleton&#8217;s <em>Math Lab<\/em>, who has been doing research on cognitive development and numeracy for more than 40 years. <em>&#8220;Math may not come easily to everybody, but neither does reading. We send children to school to learn things they won&#8217;t pick up naturally through normal everyday experiences. So schools have a responsibility to help children succeed at both reading and math.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/learn-math-new-tool-extra-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-90167\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2.jpeg\" alt=\"Three people sitting at a desk, posing for a picture.\" class=\"wp-image-90167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2-400x233.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2-300x175.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2-768x448.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2-700x408.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/jo-anne-lefevre-1200x700-2-200x117.jpeg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LeFevre with fellow cognitive science researcher Heather Douglas and Carleton University colleague Rebecca Merkley (Brenna Mackay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"fighting-asthma-and-lung-disease\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fighting Asthma and Lung Disease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Systems and Computer Engineering researcher Leila Mosta\u00e7o-Guidolin is working to better understand the causes of asthma and chronic lung diseases in order to advance treatments and one day find a cure. Using high-resolution imaging and 3D bioprinting, her team is replicating human airways to find effective remedies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;We are trying to mimic the breathing process,&#8221;<\/em> she says. <em>&#8220;The ultimate goal is to have a structure similar to human airways and lung tissues \u2014 to have them surviving and interacting with one another in this artificial environment. Then we&#8217;ll be able to biochemically track what happens when the triggers of diseases like asthma make cells behave in a certain way.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-90168\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1.jpeg\" alt=\"A woman in a lab coat looks into a high-powered microscope.\" class=\"wp-image-90168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1-400x233.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1-300x175.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1-768x448.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1-700x408.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/fighting-asthma-lung-disease-1200x700-1-200x117.jpeg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Carleton University Systems and Computer Engineering researcher Leila Mosta\u00e7o-Guidolin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"challenge-whats-possible\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenge What\u2019s Possible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more stories<\/a> about innovation, sustainability, technology and how Carleton \u2014 through its researchers, students, alumni and partners \u2014 is making a positive impact on the world.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/challenge.carleton.ca\/\">Challenge What&#039;s Possible Website<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Solving big problems demands that we challenge conventional ways of thinking and doing, and imagine new possibilities. Carleton University has grown to become one of the most resourceful and productive hubs of learning and growth in Canada, forging partnerships to create research and education that tackles complex challenges and improves lives. Learn more about Carleton\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":90171,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[54,13,19],"cu_story_tag":[1920,1918,1919],"class_list":["post-90155","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-health-wellness","cu_story_type-research-discovery","cu_story_type-technology-innovation","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-arts-and-social-sciences","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-engineering-and-design","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-science"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/90155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/90155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97257,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/90155\/revisions\/97257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=90155"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=90155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}