14 U of T researchers receive Connaught Innovation Awards

Fourteen researchers at the University of Toronto are receiving 2025-26 Connaught Innovation Awards in support of their impactful research.

The awards provide one-time seed funding to help accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies with high potential to have a positive impact on society. They are backed by the Connaught Fund – the largest internal university research funding program in Canada.

"From gene therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders to treatment of contaminated water and AI-assisted tutoring for programming, the recipients of the 2025-26 Connaught Innovation Awards are advancing knowledge in subject areas of high importance and impact." said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. "I would like to congratulate them on their awards, and I look forward to seeing how their projects progress and drive innovation across disciplines."

This year’s recipients are:

• Gary Bader, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research – Scaling human genetics to biobanks of millions of individuals to support drug discovery

• Amy Bilton, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Commercialization of FRODO – a Foam-Based Technology for Treatment of Oil Contaminated Water

• Daniel Franklin, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Development of novel wearable sensor for standardized endothelial dysfunction assessment

• Tovi Grossman, department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science – Instructor-Aligned AI Tutoring for Programming Education

• Christopher Lawson, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Enabling waste-to-chemical biorefineries with engineered microbiomes

• Patrick Lee, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Transparent, self-healing bulletproof shields for extreme applications

• Bowen Li, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy – Nonviral delivery of chemically modified tRNA for treating genetic disorders caused by nonsense mutations

• Joanne Nash, department of biological sciences, U of T Scarborough – Restoring mitochondrial health via engineered AAV delivery of SIRT3: A disease modifying strategy for Parkinson’s

• Justin Nodwell, department of biochemistry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – High-value amino-saccharides for agriculture

• Beverley Orser, department of physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Translating an α5GABAA receptor peptide for mitigating postoperative cognitive decline

• Amy Ramsey, department of pharmacology and toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – AAV-mediated gene therapy for GRIN Disorder

• Karan Singh, department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science – Splotchy: Painting with 3D gaussian splat brushes

• Suresh Sivanandam, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and
  Astrophysics, Faculty of Arts & Science – Bridging Earth and Space: A unified photonic network for ultra-high-speed, low-cost space and terrestrial connectivity

• Paul Yoo, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – A data-driven system and prediction model for personalized management of lower urinary dysfunction 

The Connaught Fund supports U of T scholars through programs such as the New Researcher Award, Community Partnership Research Program, Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers, McLean Award and international doctoral scholarships. It was established in 1972 through the sale of Connaught Medical Research Laboratories, which is known for the discovery and production of insulin.