New MRU labs explore 'environmental crime scenes', walking and runnning

Here's a pitch for a new one-hour crime drama set in Calgary.
Thanks to a new lab dedicated to environmental forensics opening at Mount Royal University, the working title might be Environmental CSI: MRU.
That's the focus of one of two different labs the school has opened recently, it announced in a release issued Thursday.
The environmental forensics and arson lab will support the work of Dr. Gwen O'Sullivan, a professor in and the chair of the earth and environmental science department at MRU. O'Sullivan conducts analyses of complex organic contaminants in liquid, gaseous and solid samples to complete research on arson, biomonitoring, exposomics, occupational exposure, risk assessment and liability.
Dr. Gwen O'Sullivan of the Environmental Forensics & Arson Lab
The lab has already done litigation and case work in Canada and the U.S., investigated pipeline and off-shore spills, and supported reclamation and remediation projects.
FEET FIRST
The second of two new labs is the foot-ankle stability lab, which will support the research program of Dr. Michael Asmussen. Asmussen's research is "understanding the structure, function and neural control of the foot and ankle during locomotion in healthy, injured and diseased states," according to a release issued by the university.
"As part of the growth and evolution of research at MRU, we are proud to open these labs, which will serve as transformational spaces for discovery and collaboration," said Dr. Jonathan Withey, dean of the faculty of science and technology.
"The work undertaken in these labs will strengthen relationships with industry and government partners, as we mobilize knowledge, solve problems and improve lives," he added. "At the same time, these spaces will create bold learning, engagement and training opportunities for our students, which is very much a signature of the MRU experience."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.

'Targeted inflation relief' coming in 2023 federal budget, Freeland says
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
BREAKING | 1 dead after triple shooting at Fairview Mall parking lot in Toronto
One person is dead and two others are injured following a shooting in the parking lot of Fairview Mall in Toronto on Monday afternoon.
'Absolutely disgusting': B.C. councillor speaks out after Sikh international student swarmed, beaten
An international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, B.C., Friday evening, according to a local politician.
Unanswered questions: Montreal mayor calls for meeting with Airbnb after fatal fire
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
W5 Investigates | How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
Safety steps Airbnb renters can take -- and measures that operators must
A deadly fire that swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday where several apartments were being used as Airbnb units is raising safety concerns about short-term rental properties. Here are several steps guests can take to protect themselves.
Patients seeking PRP therapy for COVID-related hair loss, but does it work?
Experts say a growing number of people are seeking out platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat COVID-19-related hair loss. But how well does the treatment actually work?