The University of Toledo Office of Research

🐟 Bringing an ancient Great Lakes species back from the brink.

New research from Dr. Bill Hintz, an associate professor of ecology based at the University of Toledo Lake Erie Center, and collaborators at The University of Toledo tracked the movements of juvenile lake sturgeon released as part of Ohio's first-ever sturgeon reintroduction effort in the Maumee River. The study found that young sturgeon successfully migrated into Lake Erie regardless of how they were raised, providing valuable insight for long-term restoration efforts.

Lake sturgeon once thrived throughout the Great Lakes but were nearly eliminated by overfishing, pollution and habitat loss. Today, UToledo researchers are helping lead a multi-agency effort to restore a self-sustaining population in the Maumee River and western Lake Erie.

"This is a long-term effort," said Dr. Hintz. While the fish won't reach spawning age for another decade or more, the research is helping scientists better understand how to ensure future generations of sturgeon return to Ohio waters.

Along with Hintz, the latest study’s co-authors included lead author Jorden McKenna, who graduated from the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Toledo with a master’s degree in ecology and organismal biology in 2023 and now works as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service! 🥳

🔬 Research that protects freshwater ecosystems.
🌎 Science with impact for the Great Lakes.
🚀 The Power To Do.

Full article: bit.ly/4aWKhMm

The University of Toledo Alumni and Foundation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The University of Toledo Office of Research

The Office of Research will be closed Friday, June 19th in observance the Juneteenth holiday.

Congratulations to Scott Pappada, Brent Cameron, Ph.D., Mohammad Hamza Owais, and Mahmoud Eladawi, on U.S. Utility 12,646,418 “A Fused Artificial Intelligence-Based Platform to Optimize Skill Training and Performance Via Multimodal Physiological, Lifestyle, and Behavioral Assessments” issued 6.2.26!

Their research at The University of Toledo led to the development of a novel multi-modal assessment platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize training, enhance real-world performance, and predict relapse in patients with drug addiction. The system combines 24/7 continuous neurophysiological, behavioral/lifestyle, and environmental assessment to collect data before, during, and following training or real-world operations.

Their invention is designed to provide data-driven recommendations providing insight into what, when, and how much training/education is required to maintain or improve upon knowledge/skills and to avoid decay.

The framework of their platform is multi-purpose to accommodate a number of use cases (training, clinical decision support, automated therapy, telemedicine, and others) where system intelligence can be substituted via deploying different software services.

Their device should help end the cycle of drug addiction and further the mission to improve the human condition!

UToledo Business Incubator

Dr. Donghui Zhao, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received two additional awards from the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium. The funding supports the projects titled: “Surface Engineering for Weathering Resistance and Chemical Durability of Soda-Lime-Silicate Container” and "Chemical Strengthening of Soda-Lime-Silicate Glass for Container Lightweighting." Congratulations!

The University of Toledo College of Engineering
UToledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Dr. David Kennedy, Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters & Human Health, has received an award from the Ohio State University/Ohio Department of Higher Education. The funding supports the project titled: “Airborne HAB Risk Forecasts for Ohio: Expanded Monitoring, Mesocosms, and Mechanisms .” Co-PIs on this project include Drs. Steven Haller and Andrew Fribley. Co-Investigators include Drs. Richard Becker, Kevin Czajkowski, Dragan Isailovic, and Justin Chaffin of The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory. Congratulations to the whole team!

The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
UToledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The Office of Research hosted a delegation of Belarusian business professionals. The UToledo visit highlighted tech transfer, commercialization, mentorship and Business Incubator initiatives.

Read more:
https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/06_04_2026/from-belarus-to-toledo-utoledo-shares-its-innovation-playbook-with-the-world

Congratulations to Ahmed El-Zawahry, M.D. on U.S. Utility 12,582,806 “Female Catheter Guide” issued 3.24.26! Dr. El-Zawahry improved the structure of the female catheter to reduce improper catheterization, which may lead to: waste (use of several catheters), catheter contamination, and possible patient infection.

The device can assist patients with self-catheterization or may help a health care worker place the catheter more easily. The simple, ergonomic design reduces the chance of trauma and minimizes the risk of infection by maintaining a clean and sterile environment.

The affordable design should result in better patient compliance, improved care, and decreased healthcare costs, which will all help further the mission to improve the human condition!

🌎 Hidden species. Smarter science. Real-world impact.

Researchers at The University of Toledo are helping scientists better estimate the species that exist in ecosystems — including the ones researchers can’t easily detect.

Led by Dr. Song S. Qian, Department of Environmental Sciences, and an interdisciplinary team of collaborators, the new Bayesian modeling approach gives ecologists a more accurate picture of biodiversity and ecosystem health, with applications for studying pollution, climate change and habitat loss.

“Beyond counting species, this tool gives scientists a richer picture of ecosystem health by measuring two key qualities at once: how abundant species are overall, and how evenly they share that abundance,” Qian said.

This research highlights the power of collaboration in the UToledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, where faculty and researchers are advancing environmental science through innovative, data-driven discovery at an R1 institution. 🌱📊

Read the full UTNews article: bit.ly/4wYWc5E

University of Toledo Lake Erie Center The University of Toledo Office of Research The University of Toledo Alumni and Foundation

Dr. Steven Haller, Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Jacobson Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Research Coordinator and Project 4 Lead for the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health, and Co-Director of the Women & Philanthropy Genetic Analysis Center
Environmental, Occupational, and Community Medicine Program, has received an award from the Ohio State University/Ohio Department of Higher Education. The funding supports the project titled: “From Bench to Breath: Next-Step Diagnostics and Breath Biopsy Development for Cyanotoxin Exposure (HABRI).” Co-PIs on this project are David Kennedy and Andrew Fribley. Additional key personel are Deepak Malhotra, Deepa Mukundan, and Dragan Isailovic. Congratulations!

Dr. Haller's Bio: https://www.utoledo.edu/med/depts/medicine/cardiology/pubs/haller.html
UToledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences