Scholarship@Western

Santos, Sarah

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Unraveling the footprints left in the DNA of sheep 
Sarah Santos 
Western University, sarah.santos@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Santos, Sarah, "Unraveling the footprints left in the DNA of sheep" (2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital 
Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 246. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/246 
Understanding the genetic backstory of how organisms evolved and adapted is essential. Bighorn 
(Ovis canadensis) and thinhorn (Dall, Ovis dalli dalli; Stone, Ovis dalli stonei) sheep present an 
interesting study case given their complex evolutionary history and physical differences. Although 
bighorn and Stone sheep are different species, they both present darker pelage colour, while Dall 
is white. Past encounters, i.e., hybridization, between the ancestors of these organisms could 
generate such differences. Once thought rare in animals, hybridization events are becoming more 
evident with the usage of the complete DNA, i.e., genome. One can compare and find similarities 
between these genomes, and I found smaller pieces that were present both in Stone and bighorn 
but not in Dall sheep. These pieces were associated with the position of pelage colour genes, which 
could have contributed to the origin or maintenance of the darker colour, while Dall originated and 
developed their white pelage. 
 
 
 
 
 


English

Unraveling the footprints left in the DNA of sheep

Kent, Michaela, Ms

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Lighting Up the Brain to Study Social Interactions 
Michaela Kent Ms 
Western University, mkent28@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Kent, Michaela Ms, "Lighting Up the Brain to Study Social Interactions" (2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital 
Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 255. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/255 
In recent years there has been a dramatic shift in the way we interact with other people, 
largely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Often, this resulted in our interactions 
moving to the virtual world. But how does speaking to someone online differ from our 
normal face-to-face conversations?  
 
I have been tackling this question using optical neuroimaging, an increasingly popular way of 
studying naturalistic human brain function. Light is shone into the brain to measure blood 
flow, giving an indication of brain activity. This technique allows for the simultaneous 
imaging of two people’s brains as they interact. This means we can look at how brains 
synchronize, often characterized by similar patterns of activity. Using this set-up, I look at 
how brains adapt to online social interactions, such as during Zoom calls. Conducting studies 
like this is a step towards making neuroscience research more naturalistic and less 
constrained to laboratory environments.  
 
 


Lighting Up the Brain to Study Social Interactions

Joao, Sydney O, Ms

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Racial Inequities in Canadian Academia: The Case for Discipline 
Variation 
Sydney O. Joao Ms 
Western University, sjoao@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Joao, Sydney O. Ms, "Racial Inequities in Canadian Academia: The Case for Discipline Variation" (2022). 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 
259. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/259 
 Racial Inequities in Canadian Academia: The Case for Discipline Variation 
Sydney Joao BA’21, MA Candidate 
Faculty of Social Science, Sociology 
In the age of information technology, data can be complied from more than just a survey 
or census. Anyone can take information from public websites into their hands and create 
meaningful, impactful research. This makes research innovative, accessible, and fun. At the 
height of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light for many the inequities marginalized 
communities are facing, whether that is income disparity or racism in our Canadian institutions. 
My research focuses on a university and aims to explore the expected differences in income for 
visible minority and non-visible minority faculty by discipline (ex. Sociology). By examining the 
mechanisms and processes that maintain and reinforce inequity, efforts and initiatives can be 
targeted to specific areas within the university that have differing needs and better serve visible 
minority faculty. It also highlights the wealth of information available to all and it can be used 
examine more data on marginalized communities. 
 
 


Racial Inequities in Canadian Academia: The Case for Discipline Variation

Kaur, Ekrupe

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Systematic Detection of Chromium Species on the Surface of 
Solid Materials: Leather 
Ekrupe Kaur 
ekaur@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Kaur, Ekrupe, "Systematic Detection of Chromium Species on the Surface of Solid Materials: Leather" 
(2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative 
Activity. 265. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/265 
Systematic Detection of Chromium Species on the Surface of Solid Materials: Leather  
By: Ekrupe Kaur 
Supervisors: Dr. Mark Biesinger and Dr. Yolanda Hedberg 
 
Leather making is an ancient art that has been used for over 7000 years. Tanning leather 
has always been an integral part of creating wearable leather. About 90% of leather tanning is 
done using basic chromium sulfate (CrSO4OH) because it is cost-efficient and readily available. 
The problem is that Cr(III) from the tanning agent can oxidize to Cr(VI) at high temperature and 
pH, and low humidity. Cr(VI) is corrosive, toxic, and a carcinogen that can permeate skin and 
oxidize DNA. My research focuses on method development and systematic detection of Cr(VI) 
on the surface using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Good method development of 
Cr(VI) surface analysis will help to better estimate and ultimately reduce the amount of Cr(VI) 
released from leather. In addition, systematic detection of chromium in its stable oxidation states 
(Cr(VI) and Cr(III)) will aid in chemical speciation and analysis of future projects.  


Systematic Detection of Chromium Species on the Surface of Solid Materials: Leather

Zakharova-Goodman, Tatiana

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Play/grounding: Working at the Interchange of Design and 
Pedagogy 
Tatiana Zakharova-Goodman 
Western University, tzakharo@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Zakharova-Goodman, Tatiana, "Play/grounding: Working at the Interchange of Design and Pedagogy" 
(2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative 
Activity. 292. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/292 
Play/grounding: Working at the Interchange of Design and Pedagogy 
Tatiana Zakharova-Goodman 
Faculty of Education, UWO 
Play, we often hear, is a staple of childhood. We recognize it instantly. We pair it with smiles and 
happiness, and claim it a universal right of children. But play is political, contentious, uneven.  
Troubling the ease with which we assume to know play, this project asks: In the name of what is outdoor 
play being promoted? Who really has a right to play? Where, spatially, does play belong? How might 
attending to relational play compositions in small everyday spaces allow us to open pedagogical 
possibilities for playing/being/becoming with the Other? 
In theorizing play as otherwise, much needed attention is paid to how play spaces, too, are never innocent. 
From her interdisciplinary background in landscape architecture and early childhood education, Tatiana 
Zakharova presents a project of designing, building and occupying a preschool playground at an Ontario 
early learning centre, considering how might we meaningfully intertwine pedagogical work and design. 
[149 words] 


Play/grounding: Working at the Interchange of Design and Pedagogy

Nielsen, Ruth

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Principals' understandings and promotion of equity in virtual 
schools 
Ruth Nielsen 
rnielse4@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Nielsen, Ruth, "Principals' understandings and promotion of equity in virtual schools" (2022). Inspiring 
Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 320. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/320 
Inspiring Minds 2022 Submission   Nielsen, 2022 
 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario principals were asked to create virtual schools 
using little but the framework of past experience. After nearly two years, many of these schools 
have become permanent options for students and families. Students and families of virtual 
schools experience many of the same inequities as brick-and-mortar schools: disengagement, 
discrimination, systemic oppressions, etc. Virtual schools also pose new equity concerns such as 
data security and social disconnection. 
 In this qualitative study, I use semi-structured interviews to investigate how virtual 
school principals understand and promote equity in this new environment. I explore the 
challenges principals face, and the strategies they use to overcome these challenges. Preliminary 
results show that principals understand equity as access, accessibility, safety, engagement, and 
anti-oppression. Principals are facing challenges relating to unsuitable provincial policies, but 
experienced principals use their political acumen to interpret policies to better suit the needs of 
the virtual school. 
  


Principals\u27 understandings and promotion of equity in virtual schools

Osei, Michael

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
WOMEN AND MEDICINE IN THE GOLD COAST AND GHANA, 1880 
– 1963 
Michael Osei 
Western University, mosei3@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Osei, Michael, "WOMEN AND MEDICINE IN THE GOLD COAST AND GHANA, 1880 – 1963" (2022). 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 
323. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/323 
Michael Osei 
WOMEN AND MEDICINE IN THE GOLD COAST AND GHANA, 1880 – 1963 
 
 
 
For several centuries ago, traditional medicine was the primary source of healthcare for the Gold 
Coast and other sub-Saharan African countries. Oral sources affirm that the traditional healers of 
the Gold Coast who possessed the knowledge of healing were men and women. The Gold Coast 
women featured prominently in the community-based healthcare system's curing and caring 
spheres during the pre-colonial period. However, women's place and power in medicine were 
altered due to the imposition of colonial rule. 
          Until the first half of the twentieth century, women, particularly African women, were 
sidelined, and if represented, they were often misconstructed in the broader colonial discourse by 
several scholars. The project to reclaim the historical memory of women followed the continuous 
trend of limiting African women's history to the political, religious, and economic realms. Unlike 
these overly explored spheres, African women's historical memory in traditional and western 
medicine has received little attention. 
 
 


WOMEN AND MEDICINE IN THE GOLD COAST AND GHANA, 1880 – 1963

Evison, Fiona

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Disrupting More than the Music: Reciprocal Care Relations in 
Community Music-Making during the COVID-19 Pandemic 
Fiona Evison 
Western University, fevison@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Evison, Fiona, "Disrupting More than the Music: Reciprocal Care Relations in Community Music-Making 
during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate 
Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 332. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/332 
Disrupting More than the Music: Reciprocal Care Relations in Community Music-Making  
during the COVID-19 Pandemic 
The years 2020-2022 have been “dangerous times,” bringing new meaning to Bruce Cockburn’s 
(1984) folk rock ballad about the shift from being dazzled by life’s beauty to waiting for the sky 
to fall. Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic impact music communities on multiple levels. 
Drawing from care ethics (Noddings, 2010, 2012), this study explores the experiences of 12 
Canadian community music leaders attempting to maintain the “community” in their groups 
during a time of disruption (Evison, forthcoming). Findings reveal that when leaders’ empathy, 
compassion, and love towards members cannot be enacted or reciprocated because of crisis, care 
can be offered and received through alternative routes involving technology and need-based 
approaches. These alternative ways of music-making can be fraught with unforeseen challenges, 
highlighting the importance of support systems to enable reciprocal care relations. Consequently, 
community educators can continue supporting their members’ music-making, thus sustaining 
community music’s vital social and musical benefits. 
Keywords: care relations, community music, choirs, crisis leadership, technology, disruption 
References 
Cockburn, B. (1984). “Lovers in a Dangerous Time.” golden mountain music corp. 
Evison, F. (forthcoming). Sometimes I just want to crawl under the covers and hide: Caring by, 
for, and with community music leaders during crises. In K. S. Hendricks (Ed.), The 
Oxford handbook of care in music education. Oxford University Press. 
Noddings, N. (2010). Moral education and caring. Theory and Research in Education, 8(2), 145–
151. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878510368617 
Noddings, N. (2012). The caring relation in teaching. Oxford Review of Education, 38(6), 771–
781. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.745047 


Disrupting More than the Music: Reciprocal Care Relations in Community Music-Making during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kamar, Farah

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Novel Device for Improving Stroke Detection During Surgery 
Farah Kamar 
Western University, fkamar@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Kamar, Farah, "Novel Device for Improving Stroke Detection During Surgery" (2022). Inspiring Minds – A 
Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 348. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/348 
Farah Kamar
Stroke is one of the most severe complications that can occur during surgery. Monitoring oxygen
levels in the brain is one way to detect stroke early to help surgeons act quickly and prevent
permanent brain damage. Cerebral oximetry has become standard for brain monitoring during
surgery; however, probes are only placed on the patient’s forehead. Consequently, if oxygen
decreases in different brain regions, this can go undetected. Cerebral oximetry is a non-invasive
imaging modality which relies on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This imaging modality uses
light to detect the oxygen levels in tissue. My work focuses on assessing the sensitivity of a
novel full-head coverage NIRS device (called the Kernel Flow) to regional oxygen changes in
the brain. We hope to conduct a feasibility study using the device during surgery to evaluate
whether this device addresses the clinical need for a full-head coverage oxygen monitoring
device during surgery.


Novel Device for Improving Stroke Detection During Surgery

Frame, Ariel Khaya

Western University 
Scholarship@Western 
Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and 
Creative Activity 
Inspiring Minds 
November 2022 
Brain Aging of Flies and Mice 
Ariel Khaya Frame 
Western University, aframe@uwo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds 
Citation of this paper: 
Frame, Ariel Khaya, "Brain Aging of Flies and Mice" (2022). Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of 
Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. 363. 
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/363 
 
I use flies and mice to study how the brain fuels memory when they get old. 
I do this by manipulating two types of cells in the brain; neurons that make 
connections all over to function like a computer, and astrocytes that support 
connections between neurons to ensure they have the energy to send 
signals at the right time and place. My research interest is in what type of 
energy is transferred between these two cell types and whether use of a 
particular type of fuel, lactate, changes with age. By looking at the brains of 
these small animals, I hope to learn about how memories are made and why 
we tend to lose them when aging. The prospect of discovering the keys to 
brain aging is exciting to me and I enjoy sharing this passion with anyone 
willing to take the time to listen.  
Ariel K. Frame 
 


Western University

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