Medical Biophysics GSU (@UofT) » Academic

Sunnybrook Research Institute’s Best Summer Research Project

Samuel Oduneye — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:18:56 +0000

Congrats to the awardees of the “Sunnybrook Research Institute’s Best Summer Research Project Poster competition” (try saying that 3 times very fast, we have an award for that too!):

The awardees for each discipline were:

For CE – David Katz – 1st place award

Supervisor: Don Redelmeier

Project title: Are Habituated Motorists Generally Safe Drivers?

For CIB – Alvin Lee – 1st place award

Supervisor: Robert Jankov

Project title: Effects of Rho-Kinase Inhibitor on Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease in a Neonatal Rat Model

For CIB – Lauren Greenwood – 2nd place award

Supervisor: Yana Yusanova

Project title: Acoustics vs. Kinematics: In Search of a Diagnostic Measure

For IM – Stefan Hadjis – 1st place award

Supervisor: Rajiv Chopra

Project title: Treatment of Prostate Cancer using MRI-Controlled Transurethral Ultrasound Therapy: from 2D to 3D

For MCB – Hiten Naik – 1st place award

Supervisor: J.C. Zuniga-Pflucker

Project title: Activation of the Delta-like 4 Promoter by FoxN1

A total of 108 summer students were hired through Research Administration for the time period April 1, 2010 and September 30, 2010.Of this total, 25 were hired by Clinical Epidemiology (CE), 2 hired by Centre for Health Sciences Services (CHSS), 31 were hired by Clinical Integrative Biology (CIB), 31 were hired by Imaging Research (IM), and 17 were hired by Molecular Cellular Biology (MCB). Of these, a total of 28 entered the Best Summer Research Project Competition poster session, 5 from CE, 0 from CHSS, 11 from CIB, 4 from IM, and 8 from MCB.

Each first awardee received a cheque for $500, an individual Ice Award, a Certificate of Excellence signed by the VP,

Research, and their name will be attached to the department plaques. The second awardees received a cheque for $300

and a Certificate of Excellence.

The judges were:

CE – Chris Denny, Nick Daneman, David Juurlink

CIB – George Mochizuki, Gary Turner, Bimal Lakhani, Mike Vesia, Laura Middleton, Walter Swardfager

IM – Bojana Stefanovic, Rajiv Chopra, Lak Chinta, Martin Van Raaij, Robert Staruch, Arvin Arani

MCB – James Carlyle, Arun Seth, Aruz Mesci, Jason Fine, Peter Chen, Stephanie Bacopulos, Oscar Aguilar, David Allan.

The Sunnybrook Research Institute Summer Student Program also provides funding to supervisors who compete with a

particular student in mind. Of the 28 applications received 16 were funded.

The Sunnybrook Research Institute also provides an Orientation and Seminar Series for their summer students.

A Layman’s Primer to Understanding Medical Biophysics

Guest Blogger — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:53:05 +0000

(by Kathy Wilson)

It’s not something you think you would know or understand when you look at or hear the name alone, but the simple fact is that we have all come across applications of medical biophysics at some point or the other in our lives. Almost every machine that helps doctors perform diagnostic procedures through invasive or non-invasive techniques is an example of what the medical biophysics field has achieved. To put it in simple terms, medical biophysics applies the principles of physics to biological processes to facilitate applications in the medical field. The most common medical biophysics application would probably be your X-ray machine.

Besides being used for medical imaging for diagnostic purposes, medical biophysics is also applied in the field of oncology for both the diagnosis and the treatment of cancer through techniques like radiolabelling and molecular imaging. It also finds importance in the research of vasculature and the function of the circulatory system.

In recent years, medical biophysics has proven invaluable in the treatment of cancer, a disease whose diagnosis is almost always equivalent to pronouncing a death sentence. However, medical researchers are working long and hard to find ways to cure cancer and allow patients to lead a healthy life without suffering a relapse. Dr. Curtis B. Caldwell of the University of Toronto has applied digital image analysis in conjunction with artificial intelligence to see if tumors can be accurately located and targeted during radiation therapy. As of now, CT scan images are used by oncologists and doctors to manually define tumor contours and determine its general area.

Dr. Caldwell and his team are conducting research to see if functional information from PET scans will allow improvement in the way tumor volumes are defined. Using texture information from both CT and PET images, he is attempting to automatically define the tumor target so that radiation therapy can be planned in such a way that curative radiation doses can be delivered without high amounts being targeted at areas close to normal tissue. This, if achieved, will eliminate one of the most debilitating side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy – the fact that healthy cells are also destroyed along with the cancerous cells.

So even though you may think the term medical biophysics is intimidating and complicated, you would have come across its various applications at some point in your life, whether it is for your medical health or that of your loved ones. And because of its immense potential for development in the world of curative medicine, this field, which is growing by leaps and bounds by the day, is a smart career choice.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kathy Wilson, who writes on the topic of x-ray technician schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id: kathywilson1983@gmail.com

Responding To Supervisor Feedback

Samuel Oduneye — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:33:31 +0000

Dr. Robyn Silverman describes her experience dealing with her academic advisor via http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/, and has 5 useful tips that I’m sure we can all use:

(1) Remember it is “critique” not “criticism”: Your advisor is not criticizing you; he [or she] is doing his [or her] job and critiquing your work so that it is of the highest quality possible. He [or she] must critique your dissertation so that it gets better! I remember looking at my first draft after completing my last draft of my dissertation. What a difference! Think of your advisor as the person who is going to get you from good to great. It‘s easy to settle, but really, is that what a Ph.D. is all about?

(2) Realize that you do not need to be flawless: Sometimes we feel like we are supposed to be “perfect” at this level of our graduate career when in actuality we are still learning! After all, that is what this process is all about, right? When you give yourself permission to have faults, you can prepare yourself for the feedback you will receive from your advisor. Remember that once you know the “jack in the box” is going to spring, it’s not nearly as scary when it does.

(3) Give yourself a break: When our work is returned to us with red pen marks all over it, our first inclination is often to want to fix the problem immediately. That’s only natural. However, when emotions are running high, it‘s difficult to get perspective. Calm yourself down, read through the dissertation, put it down, and take a break. Cool down, stretch, take a shower, or do a yoga class or exercise walk. When you get back to your dissertation, you will be able to see your dissertation through fresh eyes.

(4) Get some support: Talk to a friend, a colleague, another faculty member, a coach, or a spouse about how you are feeling. Talking about the stress you are experiencing will provide you with much needed relief and release. Going through the feedback with a supportive person whom you trust will help you to determine whether you’re internalizing comments about your work as personal criticisms of you.

(5) Leave the little child at home: What child? The one inside of you! Sometimes we all want to just crawl into the fetal position and sniffle between gasps of “I don’t wanna!” Dissertations are grown-up stuff. Upon seeing your advisor or picking up your dissertation draft, compose yourself. Remind yourself that you are your advisor’s equal, you are worthy, and you are an adult!

[from All But Dissertation Survival Guide]

Congratulations, you’re a scientist! Now what?

Samuel Oduneye — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:08:13 +0000

Simon Xie’s latest post on the MaRS blog covers a topic that has been discussed here at mbpgsu.ca in various occasions (type ‘career’ in the search box of this website). Not wanting to dedicate your life to research might be looked down upon, but let’s face it: the competition to become a PI it’s pretty steep! So if you dare to look about possible alternatives to academia, be not afraid because the options are there. Simon’s post illustrates some career alternatives and was inspired by the recent “Alternative Careers in Science Symposium“:

If, like me, you find something instinctively captivating about topics such as human cognition, or biochemical pathways or subatomic particles, chances are you’ve taken the long, arduous, academic path of becoming a scientist. Congratulations. I guess that means you’re either a researcher or a teacher… or does it?

What if what you want in your job doesn’t involve slaving away at a lab bench or scribbling on a blackboard. Do you have an exit strategy? Are there really alternate career paths that are right for you?

I recently attended the Alternative Careers in Science Symposium hosted by The Hospital for Sick Children, moderated by 2010 Premier’s Summit Award Winner, Dr. Janet Rossant. The array of experts there all started as researchers but ended up on different routes, the most dissimilar personalities of which included a patent agent, a global health program officer, a former consultant and an entrepreneur. While all of them brought their unique perspectives and experiences to the table and shared tips, there were some common themes. Entrepreneurs take note: some parallels can be drawn.

Think outside the box. When working in a lab for a number of years, it is almost impossible to exactly find a position that incorporates your specialized skills and research achievements in a non-related field. Solution: Don’t try to. Identify what your other strengths are, most important of which are transferable skills such as problem solving, time management and decision making.

Don’t be afraid to diversify your education. Consider programs that will complement your scientific background as opposed to reinforcing it. For example, pursuing an MBA or a program in journalism are excellent portals to fields that can utilize personnel versed in the scientific tongue.

Networking is the key. While you might be able to find that perfect job description on your own, it doesn’t hurt to know someone that knows someone who knows about a potential opportunity. It doesn’t need to be scary. Professional networking can take many forms: from a simple chat in front of Tim Horton’s to connecting via Facebook — done tastefully, of course.

Be persistent and stay persistent. You will fail. Most likely quite frequently. It’s all a matter of how you deal with failure, denial or rejection and identify what could be better. Most of the time, it’s out of your control, so don’t take it personally. Try, try again.

Ride the wave. When people comment on how they got their amazing position, some will boil it down to “luck”. But luck doesn’t have to be a magical, arbitrary force. The amount of opportunity is related to your expertise and whether it’s in demand. One presenter attributed his hiring to funding for and political interest in the Human Genome Project back in 2003. Following social trends and anticipating where expertise will be required is part of making your own luck.

Have a (career) map. It’s relatively easy to alter your mindset and conclude what your end goal is going to be. But while you can fall in love with the idea of transitioning from researcher to a scientific writer, the path getting there may not be as trivial as you expect. Take the time and make a map of what requirements, hurdles and personal milestones are involved so you can be prepared and stay on track.

[from: MaRS Blog]

Life Sciences Career Development Series (LSCDS) presents: CAREER DAY 2010

MBPGSU — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:01:36 +0000

(from Christine Zhang LSCDS Seminar Series Chair and Communication Director)

Life Sciences Career Development Series (LSCDS) presents: CAREER DAY 2010

Our annual Career Day is an all day event containing skill building seminars, career development seminars, and company info sessions. The goal of the event is to provide a forum for attendees to gain new knowledge from and to network with successful individuals from a variety of industries. This year, our Career Day will be a combination of Career Discussion Panel in the morning and Career Fair in the afternoon. The Career Fair session is being introduced for the first time this year and is intended to provide a direct-interaction platform between you and the company representatives that are knowledgeable in the hiring process. The aim of this session is to provide opportunity to the companies to highlight upcoming job opportunities within the firm and for you to submit resume or CV to participating companies. (more info after the jump)

Date: Thursday, July 22nd, 2010.

Place: Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto

Registration required at http://www.lscds.org/CareerDay.html. Space is limited.

LSCDS is a student-run initiative with support from Faculty of Medicine and the School of Graduate Studies.

LSCDS executives

The Case Of The Missing MBP Grad – Do MBP Students Actually Graduate?

Samuel Oduneye — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:21:02 +0000

I must be honest, one of my biggest pet-peeves since entering this program was the fact that the majority of the students didn’t know when other students successfully defended their degree: the student would enter the “Narnia wardrobe” and the rest of us would not know if he or she ever came out. Let me explain.

We regularly receive emails from one of the administrators stating that ” There will be a Ph.D. Oral Exam for Joe Smith or Jane Smith on Monday…. blah blah blah”. Now this is great news, a great a way to inform everyone of the event, build anticipation and get the champagne bottles ready. Especially because many of us reach the highly coveted goal of completing a Master or PhD after jumping through hoops of fire (I’m serious some of the elevators in these old buildings require circus-type skills… but that’s the topic of another post).

Now at this point, the curious students would wait and wonder if our hero or heroine was able to survive the “dragon’s den” also known as “the examining committee”. A couple of hours would go by …and still no news. The hours would turn into days, weeks and months … at which point the stories of successful oral examinations would be narrated by the elders around a fire or found in handwritten dusty annals … the signs of Jane and Joe ever walking the hallways of MBP would then slowly and inevitably fade…

At my old alma mater, after the public lecture and the successful closed door examination, the supervisor of the defending student would send an email to the department inviting people to join the new “Maestro” or Doctor at the local pub for some celebration time. Now, I’m not advocating for afternoon drinking or saying that I want to know about the failure of my peers (the chance of that actually happening in this department is quite rare). On the contrary, I want to rejoice with my peers at the news that one of us made it! The idea of people graduating is a sudden, refreshing injection of hope for all of us: a much needed reminder that perseverance does pay off.

Well despair no more my colleagues, in this month’s newsletter, the last page had a list of this year’s grads so I toast to them with coffee: Congratulations to the 2009-2010 MBP Graduates!

Recap: Medical Biophysics’ James Lepock Memorial Student Symposium

Guest Blogger — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:07:39 +0000

(By Mojib Javadi)

After months of preparation the annual Medical Biophysics’ James Lepock Memorial Student Symposium took place on June 7th. It was nice to have over 150 students, fellows and faculty participate in a student-organized event. With 34 posters and 6 excellent talks from the molecular biology, structural biology and physics streams, the symposium is a great opportunity for all of us in the department of Medical Biophysics to rediscover the great variety and depth of research that is being undertaken by our department. The morning started off with three great M.Sc. talks given by Firas Moosvi from Dr. Stanisz’s Lab, Monica Clifford from Dr. Moghal’s lab and Sarah Cuddy from Dr. Rowland’s Lab. The M.Sc. talks were followed by lunch during which segments of the film Naturally Obsessed, a movie documenting the daily life of a graduate student in the lab was screened. The poster session provided the most interactive and fun segment of the symposium.

From walking around during the poster session, it was quite evident that a very wide array of research is being done by our department, which I believe is representative of Dr. Harold Johns’ vision when he started this department. Jocelyn Stewart, Natalie Nady, and Anton Neschadim were selected by a panel of judges to give the Ph.D. talks, which followed the poster session. The selection process for the talks was a close race, as the judges indicated; there was a lot of great science to choose from.

The symposium ended with a keynote address provided by Dr. Lee Smolin, a well renowned theoretical physicist who was recruited by Dr. James Lepock to be one of the founding members of the perimeter institute in Waterloo. Dr. Smolin’s talk focused on ethics of research, about how we as scientists ask questions and conduct research. He warned of those who don’t take risks in their research and hope to succeed by practicing “me too” science. Dr. Smolin pointed out that one way to prevent the flourishing of “me too” science was for funding agencies to start taking risks and funding proposals that may at first seem too risky, but if followed through could provide a lot of innovation and progress. He also pointed out that it has become increasingly more difficult for young scientists to get faculty positions and start up grants, and how this trend needs to change if we are to see the scientific community prosper in the future. I hope that those who attended the symposium enjoyed it, and for those who were just attendants, I hope you are motivated by what you saw to present work in next year’s symposium.

[Show as slideshow]

iPad Review: 60 days and 6 reasons why you need it

FirasM — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:21:15 +0000

Some of you may recall a post I put up on this site a while ago boldly proclaiming, that the newest Apple gadget had arrived and it was here to change the world. Fast forward 5 months from the initial announcement and 60 days of daily use, I feel that I can speak slightly more knowledgeably about where this device fits into your life and why I think every researcher will have a device similar to this within the next 5 years. I will attempt to address both the positives and (current) limitations that I could find, but please, excuse any subjective gushing as I describe this device. I received my Wifi iPad at 9:21 AM on Saturday April 3, 2010 at the flagship Apple store in New York City, 21 minutes after it was available to anyone – probably making me the first Canadian consumer to have an iPad. I wished I had got a 3G iPad, but when Rogers, Bell and Telus released their data plans, I was less than impressed.

Apple's sleek new device hit the shelves in Canada and 8 other countries on Friday May 28th. Apple Inc.

What the heck is an iPad?

The iPad transcends so many boundaries for use-case scenarios that it is actually quite hard to define precisely “what” it is. This device is the first of its kind and fits somewhere in between a smartphone and a laptop. Without further ado, here are 6 reasons (I have many more, but the review would then be longer than long) why students/researchers/scientists/professionals will fall in love with the iPad.

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad in January, he claimed that the iPad would only succeed if it did some things BETTER than a laptop or iPad. Apple Inc.

1. Productivity manager

If you’re a believer in incorporating technology into your “Getting Things Done” workflow, then the iPad does a superb job of this. The biggest problem with traditional productivity apps like Evernote, Things, Omnifocus, Remember the Milk, etc. is the need for a mobile device for task entry so you can keep your tasks and projects updated on-the-go. It’s nice to go over your task and project list while you’re on the subway, on your way to work. Unfortunately, poor user interfaces, cramped keyboards and small screens have been a huge barrier for this. With the iPad, everything changes…

The 9.7″ touch screen allows app developers room to create beautiful interface designs, perfect for productivity both on-the-go, and on-the-desk. At work, I find myself reaching for my iPad routinely because simply put, touch screen just does some things better. More examples of what I mean by this are coming, but have a look at this productivity app video:

With Things and the Calendar app, I can keep a record of my busy academic life, filled with side projects, upcoming conferences, scheduled events and organize them in an intuitive way. You can also bring in your Google Calendar into the iPad. Things app currently syncs its content with the Desktop app (Mac only) via WiFi, but plans are underway for a full cloud-based solution.

Month view of the Calendar app that comes built in with the iPad

Cons: No Multitasking (coming this fall with a free OS update), not all Apps will sync with a PC.

2. Reading Journal Articles

As a scientist, researcher or academic you’ll spend a good chunk of your time reading or sifting through journal articles. This is the single most important reason the iPad is perfect for education and academia. It’s a bit of a blessing in disguise that Apple has chosen not to market this, at least publicly, to academia. If the iPad is as perfect for academia as I say it is, we’re intelligent and resourceful enough to find out about it ourselves. Right?

I’m about to show you an App that will rock your world. “Papers”, an app produced by Mekentosj, presents a new and exciting way for academics to view and manage their scientific library. Imagine an iTunes like application that sorts, catalogues and manages your PDFs on your Mac, iPhone and now, iPad. Again, why waste words when two screenshots will summarize. Enjoy:

The Papers app in landscape view, tap on a preview to have the article expand to fill your screen for reading in portrait or landscape mode.

Double tap an image or column to zoom in to that region. Note the iPads high resolution screen displays crisp, vivid images.

Can you imagine the limitless potential of an iPad powered with this App? Let’s say you’re writing your thesis and need to do some distraction-free background reading, just take your entire papers archive with you, and read them all on one device. Save the environment, stop printing papers!

Cons: Highlighting and Annotating is currently not supported in Papers, but there’s an app for that (iAnnotate)!

3. Email and Web Browsing

Reading, sorting and writing emails is quite impressive on the iPad and the touchscreen offers an intuitive way of interacting with all your emails. At the risk of sounding a bit cheesy, the ease of use and interactivity actually makes me look forward to dealing with emails!

Browsing the Internet on an iPad is simply the *best* way to navigate the web. Period. No other operating system, no other mobile device, no other gaming platform does this better. The browser is just raw speed. You might be thinking why anyone would bother improving such a ubiquitous task. Well, ignorance is bliss – I was skeptical when Apple called the device “magical” in its announcement, but browsing the web really drives this point home. The smooth interface combined with full control of what you’re looking at all times actually does feel like magic. The ability to use multitouch gestures to zoom in on articles and paragraphs, tapping links and navigating with your entire hand just feels like that’s what browsing the web should have been from the start. Add to this the incredible battery life (~12 hours) and light weight (~1.5 lbs.), the iPad makes it convenient and fun to browse the web in more places for longer. If you’re ever lucky enough to play around with an iPad, I strongly suggest you start with the browser. The video doesn’t quite do it justice, but here it is:

Cons: Still no unified inbox (Coming in free OS 4.0 update this fall), Poor 3G Data plans from Rogers, Telus, Bell etc. (No solution, welcome to Canada), Intermittent Wifi issues (software fix is in the works)

4. Electronic lab notebook

For many months I’ve been trying to perfect my electronic lab notebook work flow and without even realizing it, I realized after I got it, that I was waiting for it all along to perfect my dream of a “Paperless PhD”.

Let’s be honest: taking a laptop to experiments is not always practical. Your supervisor mocks and ridicules your Mac and calls you addicted. At times, it’s also impractical and even a nuisance. Space is usually an issue (looking at you GE 3T console designers) as it often needs to be plugged in for power (although the latest 10hr battery life MacBooks that came out a few weeks ago may change my mind again). The iPad battery lasts a remarkable twelve hours! Nearly 120 minutes over Apple’s own advertised battery life. In the 60 days I’ve had my iPad, it’s only ever gone down to 1% once – probably because I hadn’t charged it in a couple of days. Having that sort of confidence in a mobile device has been missing for a very long time.

MacJournal and Evernote are the two desktop apps I use for writing up experiment notes or protocols/miscellaneous facts/experiment ideas on my laptop. MacJournal doesn’t have an iPad app quite yet but the Evernote iPad is pure gold. More details on my electronic Lab Notebook workflow soon. I rely on Evernote’s tagging and search features to have a digitally indexed brain dump.

Sample interface of Evernote, an app that is best described as a "portable brain dump".

The high resolution screen on your iPad is gorgeous for showing graphs, PDFs, images and even DICOM images directly from a PACS server. This sort of thing is best shown as a demo and the Osirix iPad is still under development but here’s a quick look at what it would look like:

DICOM MR image of a hand visualized in iPad. Osirix, open source PACS, DCM manager is coming soon to the iPad!

Cons: iPad apps for pre-existing desktop software for syncing not quite mature enough (Cloud solutions do exist though).

4.5 Writing and typing on the iPad [Addendum]*

Typing on the iPad was certainly a very rocky experience, but like the iPhone, it did get better with time. I had to re-train my muscles to account for the changes in the key sizes in both landscape and portrait. For a while, I only typed in portrait mode (I never use landscape typing on the iPhone because Steve Jobs trained me not to) and I could do it with one hand at a reasonable pace (~30-40 WPM). Then I discovered that if I used two hands and started touch typing, I could type much faster but with significantly lower accuracy (particularly when reaching for keys at the far left of the keyboard). After practice (writing this review), I started hitting typing speeds approaching those on a physical keyboard (~70 wpm). I think the iPad will be very useful for typing long emails and short reports. I probably wouldn’t write my thesis on an iPad though – the formatting options just aren’t there yet. I have not tested the iPad with a physical keyboard, and likely won’t. Don’t need to…

As far as writing on the iPad, I discovered an app called WritePad for the iPad and it claimed to have advanced handwriting recognition technology. I was a bit skeptical of this, but I figured I would give it a shot. This is something you really need a video to demonstrate (I’m sure a few exist on YouTube) but a screenshot will have to do for now:

The interface for WritePad for iPad - it's got a lot of the features that I want (search, draw, control of delay before recognizing handwriting) but the UI is a bit clunky. It does what it's supposed to though, which is sometimes, all you can ask for from Apps in the App Store!

I’m going to be honest, while this technology works like a charm (the above will turn that text into Hello World, I promise), I have not yet taken it out into the real world. Talking about the features of an app vs. using that app on a daily basis for 2 months are two very different things. WritePad works for instant hand writing recognition (almost, you can control the delay from -0.5s to a few seconds), and I can see it being very useful for jotting down notes during an experiment – but I can’t quite put my finger on why I haven’t executed this.

Other solutions, include apps that that offer the ability to take typed notes and mix them with hand-drawn diagrams (Course Notes, Dudel etc…) and of course there are many canvas apps on the iPad. In my 60 days of looking though, I haven’t found one single solution compelling enough that does it *all* for me – I want to mix diagrams and typed text, I want to choose when to convert handwriting to text and I want a true notebook style solution including table of contents, index, search, multiple notebooks etc….This kind of sounds like Evernote doesn’t it? Well if you believe rumours, Evernote will be making a play in this deficiency in a big way, very soon!

Stay tuned…

* I was waiting until there were better options out there before talking about this, but a reader complained there was nothing about writing and typing on the iPad in this review so I figured I’d throw this in with a few caveats.

5. Keeping your data portable

Ever been at a conference or a meeting and wished you’d brought your laptop to show your supervisor or fellow researcher an image, plot or apparatus photo/schematic ? Well with the iPad and an app called Dropbox, you can keep your data in the cloud and accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection.

Dropbox allows for quick and easy access to all of my important data, schematics, diagrams. Because everything is stored in the cloud, it's accessible anywhere I have internet. Dropbox also allows sharing files from directly within the app.

Folder layout within my Dropbox - a digital file exists for every important document organized into intuitive categories.

The iPad can also output video to a projector using the dock connector to VGA accessory. Both Powerpoint and Keynote presentations can be exported to the iPad, and while I have not had the pleasure of delivering a talk with my iPad, I have tested it out and it looks quite good on the screen. The touch screen is really responsive so if you’re brave, you can even try annotating your talks as you’re giving them. The best thing about the presentation feature on the iPad is that if you tap and hold your finger on the screen, you can activate a software laser pointer.

I was blown away:

With the Keynote app and a VGA adapter, I can take presentations in common formats (.ppt, .pptx, .key) and output to a projector bypassing the need for a laptop and USB keys. Tap and hold on the iPad and a software laser point appears!

Cons: Data access may require a WiFi network (get the 3G version, I wish I did). The iPad is connected by VGA cable so it’s difficult to walk around while giving your talk. On the fly annotation features aren’t quite all there yet.

6. Entertainment Device

Sick of all this talk about how you could be working faster, smarter AND having fun while doing it? Well, everyone needs to take a break from work at some point! The iPad’s capabilities of handling rich media have been well documented so I wont talk too much about those but have a look at these screenshots of some of the beautiful games I’ve got on my iPad:

Angry Birds: An amazing game for the iPad. The user shoots birds at the green monsters using a slingshot. Each bird has a unique talent. The fewer birds you need to use, the more points you get.

Hotel Mogul: This story-based game is a cross of Sim City and Civilization. A scorned woman seeks out revenge against her cheating real estate mogul by trying to beat him at his own game. Hours of gameplay! I'm hooked.

Prince of Persia: Classic side-scroller game on the desktop before fancy touch screen devices. Ubisoft released this game with on screen touch controls. Fond memories.

Cons: Stay away from the App Store Games category if you’ve got deadlines coming up, the games are addicting.

Post Script: iPad Reception and Final Thoughts

Let me get the two monkeys off my back:

First, I’ll publicly claim that I paid the Apple early adopter tax and by God, was it ever worth every penny.

I think this photo truly captures the moment of how excited I was about my iPad! The friendly Apple Store employee is just as excited for me. See that guy in the background also holding an iPad? That's Greg Packer, notorious "Professional Line-Sitter". He was first in line at Ground Zero and the original iPhone launch. I beat him at the iPad launch. HA!

Second, many of you doubted my sanity when I claimed that it would change the world. Believing it or not, almost all chalked it up to typical Apple fanboyism. Well, I hate to gloat but I’m happy to report that the world is certainly a better place today than it was a few months ago. Relax, I’m not going to say that the iPad will end world hunger, end disease or even save the financial industry. Instead, I’ll simply narrow my definition of the world to, “Technology World”. It has already accelerated the revolution against one of the principal reasons browsers crash on a regular basis (Flash) and is turning the publishing industry on its head (iBookstore). But, these are topics for another time!

Many have claimed over the past few months that the iPad will be an unmitigated consumer disaster the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Apple Puck Mouse. Why would anyone buy an iPad if they already have a smartphone and a laptop? Who needs another e-Reader? Well, I’m happy to report that those claims have all been dismissed, as the iPad has been flying off the shelves.

In the United States, nearly 200,000 iPads (both WiFi and WiFi + 3G) are being shipped weekly – for some context, this is *double* the amount of all new Macs shipped. The iPad sold 1 million units in just 30 days – it took the original iPhone (by many accounts, a device that started the modern smartphone revolution) 73 days to accomplish this feat. Apple’s futuristic device is so popular that they had to delay the international launch of the iPad by several weeks as they struggled to meet the demand.

Many of you are wondering why consumers should be happy that a multi billion dollar company is raking in cash from sales of this product. Well the answer is quite simple and it actually leads into the reason why I thought, and still do think, the iPad could change the [Tech] world: adoption. Consumer interest from all aspects of society, including industry, entertainment, academia, and most importantly, education, could lead to rapid, almost viral spread and adoption of the technology in next generation touch screen devices. Its no secret that many hospitals and academic institutions are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to adopting administrative technology at a rapid rate.

Would you believe that with all the technology we have at our disposal, doctors still *print* out reports and attach them to clipboards by the patient’s bed? In the year 2010, our tax dollars still support and encourage a system where prescriptions are *hand-written* on pads of paper and snail-mail is still common? Is it not spectacular that new generation students still archive and catalogue their journal articles in desk drawers and filing cabinets? That secretaries and scientists still manage *paper*calendars? That students print out graphs, cut them out and glue them in a book, like in kindergarten?

One can’t quite blame them for their misgivings – good alternatives have not really been presented by tech companies in user-friendly ways, well suited for mass consumption and rapid adoption. This is Apple’s role in all this. Education is in Apple’s DNA and while it is not necessary that a single company dominate these industries, there needs to be a pioneer every time. Competition is healthy for consumers and fosters innovation but remember how the world waited with bated breath as the announcements of the iPad came. Whole companies put their mobile device roadmaps on hold as they waited for the release of the iPad before releasing their own versions of it. Apple has a tendency to create markets of opportunity where none exist with innovative technology and breakthrough design practices.

Despite this, reactions were mostly negative. Although, it is amusing to think back and realize that most of the negativity was directed at the name, “akin to feminine hygiene products” some said. Few saw the iPad as the opportunity and the success it has become today. The same thing happened with the first iPhone, the first iPod, the first Macintosh. Hate on Apple all you like, but appreciate their products for what they are and what they represent: mini revolutions. Take things in stride and remember this prescient quote from Battlestar Galactica:

“All this happened before, and all of it will happen again.”

Firas.

P.S. Comments welcome, but please don’t hate!

P.P.S. This entire review was written on an iPad and my typing speed improved from 30 to 70 words per minute in a single sitting.

Academic Year-End Thoughts

Samuel Oduneye — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:38:27 +0000

[picture courtesy of gerard]

In your undergraduate years, the end of April / early May most likely represented the beginning of summer holidays and a break from your studies. However, life as a graduate student rarely comes to an end just because the calendar indicates “April” or “May”. This is especially true if you are working on your thesis or research project.

Now is a great time to take a look at your plans for the summer months. A well-organized plan outlining your tasks, expectations, and goals will help to keep you moving forward with your research/writing. Set aside some time each day to work on your thesis or dissertation (if possible), or develop a consistent weekly schedule that accommodates your needs. Developing a routine is key to success!

MITACS: Providing the tools for career development

AnnaG — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:28:18 +0000

Don’t get intimidated by the name that suggests the connection to mathematical sciences, currently MITACS has expanded to include many academic industries. Through MITACS Accelerate internship program graduate students can gain the opportunity to apply their research to real world issues.

I personally find MITACS skill training and entrepreneur workshops very useful. These events are free for UofT students. Last month I attended the Effective Networking workshop led by Donna Messer and the Art of Powerful Conversation presented by Stuart Knight. I really enjoyed both workshops: the speakers were passionate and highly motivating, and the advice they gave was very valuable. Now I am looking forward to the Managing Projects workshop that will take place on May 26.

Here are some links that you might find useful.

Networking Workshops schedule and registration:

http://www1.mitacs.ca/conferences/site/event.php?site_id=10028

Managing Projects Workshop schedule and registration:

http://www1.mitacs.ca/conferences/site/event.php?site_id=10045

Foundation of Project Management schedule and registration:

http://www1.mitacs.ca/conferences/site/event.php?site_id=10019

Becoming and Entrepreneur schedule and registration:

http://www1.mitacs.ca/conferences/site/event.php?site_id=10027

Donna Messer:

http://www.connectuscanada.com/

Stuart Knight:

http://www.stuartknight.com/