CAIMS*SCMAI 2026 Awards

2026 CAIMS*SCMAI Research Prize: Ray Spiteri, University of Saskatchewan

The 2026 CAIMS*SCMAI Research Prize is given to Ray Spiteri for his foundational contributions to the theory and practice of scientific computing, including development of novel algorithms and software for solving complex physical models. His work includes the development of efficient time-stepping methods for differential equations and their applications in real-world systems. He has collaborated with numerous scientists, including in areas of hydrology and electron–cyclotron development, enabling new understanding in these fields. He has co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed articles and 13 software libraries. He has contributed significantly to the training and education of a new generation of computational scientists at all levels, including 25 undergraduate, 43 graduate and 23 postdoctoral fellows. He created popular online graduate courses taken by students across multiple universities. His contributions to the Canadian mathematical community include serving as past president of CAIMS*SCMAI and chair of NSERC evaluation committees.

2026 CAIMS/PIMS Early Career Award: Wilten Nicola, University of Calgary

The 2026 CAIMS/PIMS Early Career Award is given to Wilten Nicola and recognizes his fundamental contributions to computational neuroscience, applied mathematics, and dynamical systems theory, as well as their translation into commercially relevant advances in computational neuroscience, with particular emphasis on the computational power of spiking neural networks. Wilten’s major contributions include the development of novel techniques for rapidly fitting single-neuron models to electrophysiological data using particle swarm optimization; the construction of the first computational model describing how stress circuits learn in vivo, by modeling longitudinal changes in hypothalamic neurons as a form of perceptron network; and the training of spiking and rate-based recurrent neural networks, with successful translation of this work into neuromorphic devices.

2026 Cecil Graham Doctoral Dissertation Award: Melissa Stadt, University of Waterloo

The 2026 Cecil Graham Doctoral Dissertation Award is awarded to Dr Melissa Stadt for her work on the mathematical modelling of electrolyte homeostasis in vertebrates.
Dr Stadt developed and studied detailed models of potassium and calcium homeostasis. Homeostatic mechanisms have long been central concepts in physiology and medicine. Dr Stadt’s work is an important contribution to our understanding of how multiple systems interact to achieve robustness and adaptability. In particular, her modelling efforts highlight the delicate balance of transfers of ions between organs including, in the case of calcium, into and out of bones. In addition to baseline physiological conditions, Dr Stadt considered the particular stresses associated with pregnancy and lactation, as well as various pathological conditions that affect electrolyte homeostasis, and therefore important parameters of health such as bone density.
Dr Stadt’s work is both a beautiful illustration of carefully validated modelling as a complement to experimental studies and a set of studies of direct biomedical applicability, in the finest tradition of applied mathematics.