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Type d'Item : Item , Toward Precision Bioengineering of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Modular Platform for Transcriptional Reprogramming and Targeted Genomic Integration(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-10-21) Hwang, Roy; Kaern, MadsCellular reprogramming marks a new era of regenerative medicine and immunotherapy, enabling stem cell researchers to develop new models, therapeutics, and technologies with human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) at their core. However, hiPSC translational research is often limited by slow differentiation kinetics, heterogeneity within differentiated populations, transgene silencing during lineage commitment and unpredictable genomic profiles. Current methods for bioengineering hiPSCs lack the precision and modularity required to develop regenerative medicine-based therapeutics and complex modelling applications. This thesis describes the development of a modular bioengineering platform that demonstrates accelerated transcriptional reprogramming and precise, stable targeted genomic integration in human hiPSCs. By characterizing the feasibility of these two approaches, a framework and toolkit for downstream precise stem cell-based bioengineering were established. Here, we designed a multiplexed CRISPR activation system for the directed differentiation of hiPSCs by targeting coordinated transcriptional programs and genes. This modular approach generated human iPSC-derived brain endothelial-like cells (iBECs), shortening conventional differentiation timelines by 61% while maintaining and expanding key phenotypic markers. Moreover, to achieve stable and safe transgene expression, we describe a site-specific engineering platform for hiPSCs across four genomic safe harbours (GSH): AAVS1, CCR5, hRosa26 and the novel hRogi1 locus. We evaluated the performance of modular genetic cassettes, benchmarking the stability of traditional (CAG, EFS) and unique (CBX3.1) promoters to mitigate gene silencing during lineage differentiation into germ layers. Finally, by using recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE), we demonstrate a proof-of-principle “plug-and-play” pipeline that enables the swapping of synthetic cargoes, providing a modular platform for downstream translational applications. Collectively, this research delivers a comprehensively optimized bioengineering toolkit and blueprint for hiPSCs that improves differentiation fidelity and the reliability of genomic modifications. The modularity of this toolkit positions this research uniquely and lays the basis for the future advancement of next-generation cell therapies and complex models.Type d'Item : Item , Marūṯā de Maypherqaṭ : Un évêque transfrontalier entre Byzance et la Perse dans l'Antiquité tardive(Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2026-10-21) Amanatidis-Saadé, George; Greatrex, Geoffrey; Jullien, ChristelleAu tournant du Ve siècle ap. J.-C., un renouveau des relations entre les empires romain d'Orient et perse sassanide est inauguré en partie grâce à l'action d'un homme : Marūṯā de Maypherqaṭ, évêque d'une cité frontalière du nord de la Mésopotamie. Aucune étude d'ensemble ne lui avait encore été consacrée. Pourtant, ce personnage polymorphe fut au coeur des enjeux géostratégiques et ecclésiaux de son temps : médiateur recherché dans un contexte de profondes tensions, acteur de la refondation de l'Église de l'Orient et de sa reconnaissance officielle, conseiller du šāhānšāh Yazdgird Ier, initiateur de réseaux d'alliances et d'un culte transfrontalier, il contribua au rayonnement d'une culture hégémonique. Cette thèse propose l'analyse critique d'une trajectoire transculturelle hors norme à partir d'une relecture du corpus documentaire, des traditions associées et des processus de construction d'une mémoire posthume. Elle ouvre à une nouvelle compréhension de la société frontalière du Ve siècle et de ses dynamiques historiques. At the turn of the fifth century A.D., a renewal of relations between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sasanian Persian Empire was ushered in largely thanks to the efforts of one man: Marūṯā of Maypherqaṭ, bishop of a frontier city in northern Mesopotamia. Although no comprehensive study has yet been devoted to him, Marūṯā was nonetheless a multifaceted figure at the heart of the geostrategic and ecclesiastical issues of his time: a mediator in a context of deep tensions, a key-figure in the re-establishment of the Church of the East and its official recognition, an advisor to the šāhānšāh Yazdgird I, and the initiator of network of alliances and a cross-border martyr cult, thus contributing significantly to the culture of his time. This thesis offers a critical analysis of this extraordinary transcultural phenomenon based on a re-examination of the documentary corpus and associated traditions, and the examination of the processes of memory construction. Through this methodology, a new understanding of 5th-century frontier society and its historical dynamics is achieved.Type d'Item : Item , Child Social Connectedness, Parenting Behaviours, and Resilience in the Post-Pandemic Period(2026-10-21) Montazeralsedgh, Pooneh; Jiang, Yuanyuan; Armstrong, LauraThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family routines worldwide, heightening parental stress and limiting children’s social opportunities. These challenges raised concerns about potential long-term effects on parenting practices, child social connectedness, and mental health. The current mixed-methods study had two main objectives: (1) to examine associations among post-pandemic positive parenting, child social connectedness, meaning mindset, and parent-reported child mental health, and (2) to explore families’ lived experiences of the pandemic and its perceived long-term impacts. Quantitative data were collected from parents of children aged 6 to 12 using measures of parenting, child social connectedness, meaning mindset, and mental health. Analyses tested whether positive parenting predicted child social connectedness and mental health, and whether these associations were mediated by meaning mindset. Qualitative data were obtained by having parents complete open-ended questions at the end of the survey. The data was examined via inductive thematic analysis to identify common themes in pandemic-related experiences. Findings indicated that positive parenting was indirectly associated with child social connectedness and not directly associated with child mental health outcomes. Mediation analyses further suggested that meaning mindset partially explained these relationships, highlighting its role as a resilience factor. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed themes of disrupted routines, challenges with resources and support systems, as well as both strains and silver linings in family life, including stronger family bonds. Overall, findings highlight the complicated impact of the pandemic on families, as well as emphasize the importance of strengthening both parenting practices, and parents’ ability to build resilience and foster meaning. Together, these strengths may facilitate families’ adjustment and ability to thrive in the post-pandemic world.Type d'Item : Item , Uneven Ground?: Exploring the Steve Smith Bike Park Pump Tracks as an Inclusive Leisure Space(Université d'Ottawa | University of Ottawa, 2026-10-20) Peterson, Britta; Giles, AudreyAs advocacy for inclusion has become more prevalent, there has been a growing expectation for leisure spaces to be welcoming and accessible to all populations. Concurrently, there has been a substantial increase in the development and use of pump tracks as urban leisure spaces. Pump tracks are bicycle riding surfaces designed as loops or multi-looped tracks consisting of rollers and berms. Creators of promotional materials for pump track builds and contributors to online forums have identified pump tracks as sustainable and inclusive leisure spaces for diverse user groups. Yet, despite their popularity and proliferation, no empirical research has been published about pump tracks, who uses them, and why. Exploring claims of inclusion must be conducted with members of equity-owed populations. As such, I conducted 34 interviews with self-identifying Indigenous and newcomer Peoples (Indigenous = 10, newcomer = 16) and pump track planners, builders, and leisure professionals (n = 8), and over six months of participant observation at the Steve Smith Bike Park pump tracks. I addressed three topics in three separate papers in this dissertation. First, I explored my observations of what inclusion did (or did not) look like at the Steve Smith Bike Park. Second, I explored Indigenous Peoples’ relationship(s) to the pump tracks at the Steve Smith Bike Park, which is located on Snuneymuxw First Nation ancestral and unceded territory. Third, I explored newcomers’ experiences of inclusion at the pump tracks at the Steve Smith Bike Park. I used intersectional and settler colonial theories to inform my approaches to this research and conducted reflexive thematic analysis in all three papers. Within the first study, I asserted that while the pump tracks at the Steve Smith Bike Park were observed to facilitate inclusion for some individuals of various ages, genders, and skill levels, they are not inherently inclusive by design. Ultimately, I argued that meaningful inclusion requires an intersectional approach, involving constant effort and ongoing attention. In the second study, participants expressed concerns of limited representation and engagement of and with Indigenous Peoples at the pump tracks, noting a reflection of broader settler colonial structures within the space. Interestingly, participants simultaneously described the pump tracks as sites of resistance and resurgence, where embodied, land-based practices asserted Indigenous presence and (re)defined the space. In the third study, participants underscored that factors including language, migration history, and cultural background intersected to shape their engagement with and at the Steve Smith Bike Park. Importantly, a significant barrier to participants’ engagement at the pump tracks identified was not how to participate, but rather the awareness that participation was possible, pointing to an overarching gap in leisure education and participation services. Collectively, I argue that inclusion at the Steve Smith Bike Park is neither neutral nor guaranteed but is experienced as negotiated and uneven, and shaped by intersecting identities and power relations, including settler colonial logics, racism, and classism. Overall, my research underscores the need for ongoing, intersectional and decolonial approaches to the design and implementation of pump tracks.Type d'Item : Item , Designing Subwavelength Grating Devices for the AlGaAs-on-insulator Platform(Université d'Ottawa | University of Ottawa, 2026-10-20) Mousavi Karimi, Fatemeh Sadat; Dolgaleva, KseniaThe first demonstration of subwavelength grating (SWG) waveguides on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform has led to the emergence of several SWG devices in silicon photonics. These devices, which include waveguides, couplers, sensors, and ring resonators to name a few, leverage the refractive index and dispersion engineering inherent to SWG waveguides to enhance their performance. Despite the demonstrated success of SWG waveguides in silicon photonics, these engineering techniques have yet to be widely used in combination with III-V semiconductors which are already extensively used for laser sources and nonlinear applications. Thus, the focus of this study is using aluminum gallium arsenide on insulator (AlGaAs-OI) to design subwavelength grating devices. In this thesis, I present the design and computational simulation of subwavelength grating photonic components utilizing the Al0.18Ga0.82As-OI platform, while also reporting on nonlinear optical experiments conducted with novel Huygens’ meta-waveguide SOI resonators. The effective medium theory, Finite-Difference Eigenmode (FDE), and Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) methods were used for calculating the photonic band-structure and dispersion characteristics of the SWG unit-cells. Using these methods, low-loss SWG waveguides were optimized for different core heights and cladding materials, achieving Floquet-Bloch mode propagation with minimal to no backscattering. Building upon these waveguides, and by exploiting the refractive index engineering inherent to SWG structures, an ultra-compact 30 μm-long fiber-to-chip AlGaAs-OI SWG edge coupler was designed with a peak coupling efficiency of 90.2% (−0.45 dB loss) at 1550 nm for quasi-TE modes. Furthermore, AlGaAs-OI SWG microring resonators were investigated, demonstrating that a hybrid SWG-bus/solid-core ring geometry can leverage mode delocalization to relax coupling gaps while maintaining sufficient coupling and a high quality factor (Q > 75, 000) at 1550 nm. Finally, I report the first physical observation of stimulated four-wave mixing (FWM) in a prefabricated SOI Huygens’ meta-waveguide microring resonator. This work highlights the potential of AlGaAs-OI subwavelength engineered structures as promising building blocks for monolithically integrated, low-loss, and highly efficient linear and nonlinear photonic integrated circuits.