The research team, led by professor Vincenzo Pecunia, consists of dedicated members from the Sustainable Optoelectronics Research Group at SFU, including master’s student Javith Mohammed Jailani and undergraduate students Amanda Luu and Elizabeth Salvosa. Their findings recently garnered attention in Joule, a prestigious journal recognized globally in the field of energy research. Notably, this publication marks SFU’s inaugural article in Joule, with the study’s significance underscored further by its featured placement on the journal’s cover. This accolade reflects the vital contributions that this research brings to the energy community, particularly in the context of sustainable technology development.

As the prevalence of smart devices continues to surge, exploring reliable and sustainable power sources has become critical. Traditional disposable batteries contribute considerably to environmental pollution through harmful chemical waste. Indoor photovoltaics (IPVs) have emerged as a promising solution, providing an efficient means of harnessing ambient indoor light to power smart devices. By converting indoor illumination into usable energy, IPVs hold the potential to not only reduce reliance on battery power but also contribute toward more intelligent and sustainable urban living environments.

However, the evaluation of IPV performance remains complicated due to the diverse and fluctuating conditions of indoor lighting. Unlike outdoor solar panels, which benefit from standardized testing under consistent sunlight conditions, IPV assessments are beleaguered by variances stemming from different light sources. These disparities—ranging from the type, intensity, and positioning of bulbs to the spectral composition of light—can lead to inconsistencies in performance metrics. Consequently, without trustworthy measurement standards in place, both consumers and designers grapple with challenges regarding the reliability of performance claims.

Pecunia articulates the current landscape succinctly when describing the need for precise and benchmarkable data in IPV development. He highlights the “reliability crisis” that plagues the field, wherein the actual advancements in technology can be overshadowed by pervasive measurement inaccuracies. This issue underscores the necessity for a cohesive approach to measuring and reporting IPV efficiency in a manner that is not only valid but also comparable across various testing environments and conditions.

To tackle this pressing issue, Pecunia and his research team have delved deep into the intricacies of testing protocols and configurations. They discovered that IPV performance measurements become skewed when subjected to types of lighting that are common in indoor environments, such as scattered or diffuse light. Addressing these discrepancies, the team formulated strategies designed to yield reliable efficiency quantification under everyday lighting scenarios. These solutions enable more equitable performance comparisons across different laboratories, thereby fostering a unified approach to IPV assessment.

In another critical exploration, the research team confronted the challenge of standardizing IPV measurements considering the vast diversity of indoor light spectra. They uncovered that merely categorizing a bulb as “warm white” or “cool white,” or providing its “color temperature,” is insufficient, as there exists an overwhelming variety within these classifications. This insight led to the introduction of a universal “reference cell.” This innovative tool functions as an intermediary to harmonize indoor lighting conditions, ensuring consistent performance evaluations of IPVs across various experimental setups.

By experiencing firsthand the complexities and variabilities inherent in indoor lighting, the team has laid crucial groundwork for the advancement of efficient indoor energy harvesting technologies. Their work aims to not only streamline the testing processes for IPVs but also expedite the integration of these technologies into everyday life, ideally transitioning the energy powering smart devices from traditional, polluting sources to clean, renewable alternatives.

The practical implications of their findings are far-reaching. As cities worldwide move toward becoming ‘smart’ by adopting integrated technologies, the potential for ubiquitous indoor energy generation becomes increasingly viable and necessary. Envisioning a future alienated from polluting battery waste and reliant on environmentally friendly energy solutions, the researchers aspire toward a reality where IPVs quietly energize the devices that enrich our lives, from lights to sensors, thereby leading to smarter and more sustainable homes and cities.

Overall, this research represents more than just incremental progress in energy technology; it embodies a significant shift in how we understand and approach indoor energy solutions. The commitment of Pecunia and his students to elevate the standard within the realm of indoor photovoltaics through meticulous research and innovative methodologies holds the promise of influencing not just academic thought but practical applications in energy systems across the globe.

The imperative to convert ambient light into a usable energy source is not just a technological challenge but a societal one. With this study elevating the discussions on efficiency and validity within the realm of IPVs, the route toward sustainable energy solutions appears brighter than ever. As society stands on the cusp of transformational change, the work conducted by SFU’s SEE serves as a critical catalyst in the quest for cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy, indicating a future where eco-consciously sourced power becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Through these advancements, researchers are poised to inspire future innovations that harness the transformative potential of energy harvesting technologies, positioning indoor photovoltaics at the forefront of the next generation of sustainable energy solutions. As ongoing research continues to unfold within this domain, the groundwork laid by Pecunia and his team ensures that the energy derived from our indoor environments is both efficient and dependable—setting the stage for expansive adoption that aligns with global sustainability goals.

Ultimately, the emphasis on standardization in IPV testing and performance benchmarks denotes a significant step toward unlocking the latent potentials that lies within our indoor environments. As their research paves the way for enhanced characterization, reporting, and benchmarking standards, perhaps it won’t be long before indoor photovoltaics are seamlessly integrated into the fabric of everyday life, providing an effective means to sustainably power the technologies that drive our modern existence.

Subject of Research: Indoor photovoltaics (IPVs)
Article Title: Accurate performance characterization, reporting, and benchmarking for indoor photovoltaics
News Publication Date: 15-Oct-2025
Web References: DOI
References: Not available.
Image Credits: Not available.

Keywords

Alternative energy, indoor photovoltaics, sustainable energy technology, energy efficiency, standardization in energy testing.

Published in the internationally respected journal Public Health, this pioneering quantitative study represents the first large-scale attempt to statistically analyze the frequency and consequences of these confiscations in Vancouver. Data collected between 2021 and 2023 from 691 participants—individuals experiencing housing instability and using drugs—illuminate the stark reality behind the policy’s immediate and ripple effects. Astonishingly, nearly one in every four participants reported personal property seizures during the sweeping events, shedding light on how routine these occurrences have become and underlining their profound impact on an already marginalized community.

The confiscation of belongings during such operations destabilizes people’s tenuous hold on survival in multiple, interlocking ways. Essential items lost in the sweeps include medications crucial for managing health conditions and harm reduction supplies designed to mitigate the risk of overdose and infectious disease transmission. Kanna Hayashi, the study’s lead author and an associate health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University, emphasizes how these seizures transcend mere dispossession; they represent an erasure of the minimal safety net that vulnerable populations maintain. The confiscations force affected individuals into even more precarious living situations, intensify their exposure to systemic violence, and block pathways to critical health and social services.

The implications for public health are severe and multi-layered. The study identifies a statistically significant correlation between the loss of personal belongings and heightened risks of non-fatal overdose events, a direct nexus underscoring the biological and sociological interconnectedness of substance use crises and systemic displacement. The data also connect seizures to increased experiences of violent victimization, solidifying concerns that disrupting the limited stability of encampments exposes individuals to environments rife with physical danger and psychological trauma.

Furthermore, disruption caused by these sweeps influences access to essential services, creating a compound effect where individuals are not only suddenly stripped of their possessions but also rendered invisible or unreachable by social aid programs and healthcare providers. This effectively interrupts continuity of care and exacerbates barriers to survival, which some affected individuals may attempt to counteract through increased substance use, ironically setting the stage for further overdoses. This phenomenon reproduces a vicious cycle whereby punitive public policies inadvertently fuel the crises they purport to resolve.

Community organizations long critical of these practices—such as Our Streets, P.O.W.E.R., and Stop the Sweeps—now find their anecdotal concerns rigorously substantiated by empirical evidence. Dave Hamm, an active member and researcher associated with these groups, highlights how this study validates their ongoing advocacy. Despite numerous past efforts involving peer-reviewed reports, consultations, and public demonstrations, the persistence of street sweeps signals governmental intransigence and a failure to address the root causes of homelessness and drug-related harms. Hamm stresses the importance of community solidarity as a frontline response to systemic violence that official channels persistently neglect.

From a legal and human rights perspective, the confiscation of personal property raises profound constitutional concerns. Caitlin Shane, a staff lawyer at Pivot Legal Society based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, points to established legal precedents in British Columbia that recognize forced displacement as a violation of rights to life, liberty, and security under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The additional seizure of belongings exacerbates these infringements and often becomes not just a matter of legal principle but one with grave life-or-death consequences for a population pushed to the margins.

The study’s authors advocate for immediate and pragmatic harm reduction interventions to mitigate the damage wrought by existing municipal policies. Among these proposed measures are the creation of accessible, secure storage services for personal belongings of those living in outdoor environments. Such options would prevent outright loss during sweeps and empower individuals to maintain control over their possessions. Additionally, the researchers recommend standardized practices where documentation is provided to those whose belongings are removed, enabling retrieval and reducing the arbitrary and dehumanizing nature of enforcement actions.

However, the research emphasizes that these stopgap measures cannot substitute for systemic reform. The long-term resolution must involve an expansion of dignified, stable housing options coupled with enhanced harm reduction services. Hayashi underscores that street sweeps represent a costly, ineffective reaction to deeper socioeconomic inequities and public health crises. By merely displacing residents without offering alternatives, these policies simply “clean up the street” temporarily, leaving the underlying issues unaddressed and the affected populations at heightened risk.

As the toxic drug crisis continues to devastate communities across Vancouver and beyond, this study spotlights the urgent need to rethink how municipal authorities engage with unhoused individuals who use drugs. Punitive approaches serve only to deepen vulnerability rather than alleviate it. Instead, compassionate, evidence-based strategies that respect dignity and prioritize health outcomes offer the path forward. Policymakers are urged to heed this data, listen to community voices, and replace violent enforcement with meaningful supports that can disrupt cycles of harm.

In sum, the implications of this research extend well beyond Vancouver’s city limits, raising critical questions about how urban centers worldwide address visible homelessness and drug dependency amid overlapping public health emergencies. The quantifiable associations between confiscations, overdose risks, and systemic violence illuminated by this study challenge the efficacy and humanity of current municipal practices. More broadly, they compel a reexamination of policies that criminalize survival tactics rather than addressing structural failures that produce precarious housing and drug use in the first place.

By harnessing rigorous quantitative methods to validate lived experiences previously dismissed or ignored, this work augments an essential evidence base increasingly necessary to shift public discourse and policy. It reveals a public health crisis intertwined with legal inequalities and social marginalization, demanding innovative, integrated responses. Only through coordinated expansion of housing, harm reduction, and health services, combined with respectful, non-coercive outreach, can cities hope to forge paths toward genuine safety and stability for their most vulnerable residents amidst a toxic drug landscape that shows no signs of abating.

Subject of Research: Government-enforced confiscation of personal belongings among unstably housed people who use drugs in Vancouver, and its association with health risks and systemic violence

Article Title: “Street sweeps”: The municipal government-enforced confiscation of personal belongings among unstably housed people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada

News Publication Date: 3-Sep-2025

Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105885

Keywords: Human health, Public policy

This reluctance to seek help is deeply rooted in cultural and social stigmas surrounding masculinity and victimhood. Alexandra Lysova, a criminology professor at SFU and co-author of the study recently published in the Journal of Family Violence, emphasizes that men frequently feel abandoned by the very systems designed to support victims of domestic abuse. “When intimate partner violence happens to men, it often feels like they’re left to cope alone,” Lysova explains. Many male survivors engage in avoidance strategies — denying abuse, withdrawing from social engagements, and immersing themselves in work — effectively masking their suffering in an effort to maintain a facade of strength.

These coping mechanisms can exacerbate mental health challenges. Avoidance can prevent men from seeking therapeutic interventions, legal recourse, or even physical separation from their abusers. Over time, such unaddressed trauma may manifest as worsening depression, substance misuse, and heightened emotional distress. The implications are profound, not only for the individuals affected but for the dynamics of abusive relationships themselves, as the underlying tensions may escalate without intervention.

Importantly, the study situates male IPV experiences within a broader context of reciprocal violence. While IPV is often bi-directional, meaning both partners may engage in abusive behaviors, females tend to bear the brunt of severe consequences. For instance, data reveal that 79 percent of intimate partner homicide victims are women. This disparity underscores the urgency of developing gender-sensitive approaches that acknowledge the unique risks and outcomes for all survivors, rather than framing IPV solely as a women’s issue.

The current research clearly identifies a critical gap in public awareness and institutional response. Lysova critiques existing public safety campaigns and support protocols for their overwhelming focus on female victims, which effectively renders male survivors invisible. Front-line professionals — including police officers, social workers, and healthcare providers — often lack adequate training or resources to recognize and respond to male victimization effectively. This systemic oversight perpetuates a cycle in which men suffering from IPV remain underserved.

Addressing this gap is more than a matter of fairness; it’s a strategic imperative for societal well-being. Lysova argues that by expanding services to be genuinely gender-inclusive, communities can better mitigate the long-term consequences of IPV. Male survivors are at increased risk of developing chronic psychological issues and engaging in maladaptive behaviors, which, if untreated, can contribute to a perpetuation of violence across generations.

One particularly alarming link identified in the study involves children who witness intimate partner abuse. Exposure to such environments significantly increases the likelihood of future perpetration or victimization of IPV in adulthood. Thus, effectively supporting male survivors has a ripple effect that benefits women, children, and the broader community by breaking cycles of violence and trauma.

The study’s findings are grounded in rigorous methodological approaches, combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative insights from survivors themselves. This mixed-methods design provides a multidimensional perspective on the support deficits and psychological hurdles male victims face. Such depth of research advances the discourse on IPV beyond simplified gender binaries, advocating for a nuanced understanding of survivor needs.

In conclusion, the SFU study calls for a paradigmatic shift in how intimate partner violence is addressed—a move away from gendered silos toward recognizing abuse as a human rights and public health issue transcending gender. Improved screening tools, specialized training for first responders, and inclusive public awareness campaigns are essential to dismantle barriers that inhibit men from seeking help. Only with such systemic changes can IPV interventions become truly effective and equitable.

Simon Fraser University and Alexandra Lysova’s team advocate for broadening the framework within which domestic violence is perceived and tackled. By embedding a gender-inclusive lens into policy, research, and practice, society can foster safer communities where all survivors, regardless of gender, receive the support they need to heal and rebuild their lives.

This groundbreaking work, published in the Journal of Family Violence, serves as a clarion call for policymakers, social service providers, and the public to reevaluate entrenched stigmas and structural biases. Recognizing male survivors’ experiences is not about competing narratives but about holistic, intersectional solutions that protect and empower everyone affected by intimate partner violence.

Subject of Research: People
Article Title: “I Thought About Killing Myself, but a Part of Me Insisted on Getting Help”: Coping Experiences of Male Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence.
News Publication Date: 28-Feb-2025
Web References:

• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-025-00847-8
• http://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence/intimate-partner-violence-against-men-boys-information-resources.html
• https://menandfamilies.org/about-us/contact/
• https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/
  References: Lysova, A., et al. (2025). “I Thought About Killing Myself, but a Part of Me Insisted on Getting Help”: Coping Experiences of Male Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Family Violence. DOI: 10.1007/s10896-025-00847-8
  Keywords: intimate partner violence, male survivors, coping strategies, gender-inclusive support, mental health, social stigma, family violence, victimization, public awareness, trauma, gender disparities, Simon Fraser University