As U.S. energy demand increases, advanced nuclear energy has emerged as an important option for 24-7 reliable electricity and heat generation.

At the National Institute for Fusion Science, we have been developing high-temperature superconducting coils for magnetic confinement fusion that use liquid hydrogen refrigerant with the aim of commercializing carbon-free and sustainable power-generation technology.

Associate Professor Masayoshi Ohya in Kwansei Gakuin University is conducting research on high-temperature superconducting generators utilizing the cold energy of liquid hydrogen for hydrogen power generation. The energization  test for a high-temperature superconducting wire under liquid hydrogen immersion is limited, and therefore, its  cryogenic stability  has not fully been explored.

A research team comprising Professor Naoki Hirano and Associate Professor Naoko Nakamura of the National Institute for Fusion Science, and Associate Professor Masayoshi Ohya of Kwansei Gakuin University, have established an apparatus in the National Institute for Fusion Science that can pass a current of over 1,000 kA through high-temperature superconducting wire in liquid hydrogen. They have also successfully conducted energization  tests of high-temperature superconducting wire in their own liquefied hydrogen.

Going forward, compiling the data from repeated experiments, research on high-temperature superconducting coils for magnetic confinement fusion and liquid-hydrogen-cooled superconducting generators is expected to advance significantly as more is revealed about the characteristics of high-temperature superconducting wire in liquid hydrogen.

When ophthalmologists in Ukraine suddenly found themselves treating an overwhelming volume of eye trauma due to war, injuries and reconstructive challenges they rarely encountered, University of Calgary clinicians started a conversation about how to help them. 

Led by Dr. Karim G. Punja, MD, an oculofacial plastic surgeon and clinical associate professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), the academics created a unique fellowship specifically designed for surgeons in areas of geopolitical crisis. 

Corey Bills, MD, MPH, is a key player in efforts to improve the delivery of emergency health services in rural and resource-challenged areas, both at home and abroad. His work has taken him from South Asia to West Africa to Central America.