CIFAR convenes extraordinary minds to address science and humanity’s most important questions.

Top scientists and scholars from around the world have new opportunities for collaboration today with the announcement of CIFAR’s new research portfolio and the expansion of the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program. The 13 CIFAR research programs address critical questions across four interdisciplinary theme areas: Life & Health, Individuals & Society, Information & Matter and Earth & Space.

Earth 4D: Subsurface Science and Exploration program focuses on the themes of water, life and space, with time as a fourth theme and overarching lens. No other research group has formalized this broad, disruptive approach and built a diverse intellectual community committed to tackling this challenge. This talented team includes Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Program Co-Director for 4D Earth. Sherwood Lollar is a geochemist with expertise in stable isotope geochemistry and hydrogeology, the fate of carbon-bearing fluids and gases such as CO2, CH4 and H2 in ancient fracture waters in the Earth’s crust, habitability and deep subsurface microbiology. She has been instrumental in discovering the age of isolated groundwater found in the Canadian Shield, and revealing new information about the microorganisms it may sustain. Sherwood Lollar is a member of the SNOLAB Institute Board of Directors and has previously conducted research at the SNOLAB site.