Research2Reality aims to educate Canadians about work being done in our own backyard

A new digital campaign is shining a spotlight on the work of researchers across the country.

McMaster’s John Valliant and Allison Sekuler are among those featured by the Research2Reality campaign, launched Monday in Toronto.

Valliant, Scientific Director of the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, talks about medical imaging in a short video produced for the campaign.

Sekuler, a professor in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, answers the question: Why do some people struggle to recognize faces?

Eight other McMaster researchers are featured as part of the campaign.

“Right now many Canadians don’t understand the scope of cutting-edge work being done in our backyards,” says Research2Reality co-founder and professor of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto Molly Shoichet. “This initiative will bridge that gap between researchers and the public.”

A complementary website also launched this week will feature interview sessions and a series of public service announcements will be televised on Discovery Science and the Discovery Channel through the end of the year.

Research2Reality’s founding partners are leading research-intensive universities, including McMaster, the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and Western University, along with the Ontario Government and Discovery Networks.

Discovery Science is the official media partner. Research2Reality is also supported by The Globe and Mail.