my��SM�� - ��SM�� News Releases

Study links alcohol consumption to more severe nut allergy reaction

��SM�� — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:55:20 +0000

Findings of a new study into severe allergic reactions offer a sobering warning to people allergic to tree nuts and, more broadly, could lead to quicker diagnoses in emergency care for people with all anaphylactic allergies.

New drug shows promise against Duchenne muscular dystrophy

��SM�� — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:11:47 +0000

A novel drug holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic disorder that causes severe muscle degeneration.

��SM�� researchers have discovered that an experimental compound called K884 can boost the natural repair abilities of muscle stem cells. Current treatments can slow muscle damage, but don’t address the root problem.

DMD affects about one in 5,000 boys worldwide, often leading to wheelchair dependence by the teenage years and life-threatening complications in early adulthood.

��SM�� researchers help uncover rare gamma-ray flare from a distant black hole

��SM�� — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:12:12 +0000

A high-energy gamma-ray flare from the super-massive black hole in the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy was observed in 2018 for the first time in nearly a decade, thanks to an international effort involving ��SM�� researchers. This discovery has yielded important insights into the physics of black hole jets, which are among the most efficient engines for distributing energy from the inside of a galaxy to the expanse of the Universe.

��SM�� researchers reveal how life-saving molecules are created

��SM�� — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:11:01 +0000

��SM�� researchers have discovered how certain microbes create potent drugs like antibiotics and anti-cancer therapies.

Their surprising findings could change the way scientists approach drug discovery and pave the way to the designing of next-generation medications, explained Martin Schmeing, principal investigator and professor in ��SM��’s Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Structural Biology.

Understanding when and why people give bribes

��SM�� — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:05:07 +0000

��SM��-led researchers developed a model of the factors that go into citizens’ calculations about whether to bribe officials, information that can help authorities fight corruption.

Universal genetic testing of breast cancer patients could help many

��SM�� — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:48:35 +0000

A new study demonstrates how universal genetic testing for breast cancer can ensure no patient is missed for advanced therapies.

��SM��, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and the U.S. State Department Commemorate 70 Years of ��SM��’s Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados with a Full Day of STEAM Programming

��SM�� — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:05:39 +0000

��SM��, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and the U.S. State Department today teamed up to host a full day of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) activities and presentations to honour the 70th anniversary of ��SM��’s acclaimed Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados and promote STEAM education to students in Barbados.

Retailers boost profits while improving eating habits of clientele

��SM�� — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 14:56:02 +0000

Convenience stores can help customers improve their eating habits while at the same time boosting both their own sales and profits. It’s as simple as offering customers the choice between healthy snacks and pastries as a low-cost add-on to their cup of coffee, according to a new study out of ��SM��.

Addressing the mental health impacts of conflicts and climate change

��SM�� — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:21:00 +0000

As violent conflicts, forced migration, and an increase in natural disasters sparked by climate change trigger rising humanitarian needs around the globe, a new initiative to understand how to better support the mental health of those affected is being launched at ��SM��, thanks to a visionary gift from Flagship Pioneering Founder and CEO and Co-Founder and Chairman of Moderna, Noubar Afeyan, BEng’83, DSc’22, and his wife, Anna Afeyan Gunnarson.

Pregnancy enhances natural immunity to block severe flu

��SM�� — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 21:04:20 +0000

��SM�� scientists have discovered that pregnancy may trigger a natural immunity to boost protection against severe flu infection.

Contrary to the common belief that pregnancy increases vulnerability to infections, researchers found that it strengthened an immune defense in mice, blocking the Influenza A virus from spreading to the lungs, where it can cause severe infection.

Lab-grown brain cells help uncover new targets for Parkinson’s treatments

��SM�� — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 14:09:57 +0000

Scientists have uncovered a new link between the immune system and the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at ��SM�� have discovered that an immune response plays a key role in how toxic protein clumps, known as Lewy bodies, form in brain cells and contribute to disease.

This suggests factors that trigger the immune system, such as chronic inflammation, exposure to toxins, or prolonged stress may not only correlate with Parkinson’s, as previous research has found, but drive its development.

��SM��-linked AXIS mission is one of two finalists in NASA selection process

��SM�� — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:15:15 +0000

NASA has selected the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) mission, co-investigated by ��SM�� Professor Daryl Haggard, to advance to the next stage of its $1 billion space probe competition.

Satisfaction among REM users is up after one year of operation, ��SM�� study finds

��SM�� — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:46:30 +0000

User satisfaction with the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has increased since its first line opened in the summer of 2023, preliminary results from a survey by Transportation Research at ��SM�� (TRAM) indicate.

Since 2019, TRAM has been conducting a longitudinal study on the REM. Preliminary results indicate that among the close to 1,700 REM users who participated in the survey this fall:

Satisfaction with the service increased to 79 per cent from 75 per cent in 2023;

Cannabis disrupts brain activity in young adults prone to psychosis: study

��SM�� — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:37:10 +0000

Young adults at risk of psychosis show reduced brain connectivity, a deficit that cannabis use appears to worsen, a new study has found. The breakthrough paves the way for psychosis treatments targeting symptoms that current medications miss.

In the first-of-its-kind study, ��SM�� researchers detected a marked decrease in synaptic density—the connections between neurons that enable brain communication—in individuals at risk of psychosis, compared to a healthy control group.

Saskatchewan’s first Centrosaurus and Citipes elegans fossils discovered by ��SM�� researchers

��SM�� — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:36:54 +0000

Paleontologists and students from ��SM�� have documented Saskatchewan's first confirmed fossil specimens of Centrosaurus, a horned dinosaur species closely related to Triceratops.

The search, conducted in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park along the South Saskatchewan River, also unearthed a rare mix of dinosaur and marine fossils, shedding light on a dinosaur fauna which existed on the edge of an ancient sea at a time of rising sea levels long before humans roamed the earth.

New technology rapidly measures antioxidants in maple syrup

��SM�� — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:23:09 +0000

Researchers at ��SM�� have developed an eco-efficient, user-friendly technology that quickly measures the antioxidant content of maple syrup. The innovative method contributes to increasing transparency about a health-related aspect of the syrup's nutritional value and allows for on-site quality testing without the need for costly lab assessments.

Time in nature benefits children with mental health difficulties: study

��SM�� — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:30:59 +0000

A team of researchers from ��SM�� and Université de Montréal’s Observatoire pour l’éducation et la santé des enfants (OPES, or observatory on children’s health and eduation), led by Sylvana Côté, spending two hours a week of class time in a natural environment can reduce emotional distress among 10- to 12-year-olds who had the most significant mental health problems before the program began.

Better education can mitigate post-harvest food losses, increase global food security

��SM�� — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:54:54 +0000

Better educating farmers and food processors about how to avoid post-harvest food losses – which amount to one-third of global food production, worth US$1 trillion annually – would reduce global food insecurity, according to researchers at ��SM��.

Temporary sound installations could help reduce noise pollution: study

��SM�� — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:58:47 +0000

Temporary sound installations can be a low-cost way of dealing with noise pollution in areas of high urban density, ��SM�� researchers have found.

Dubbed the “new second hand smoke,” noise pollution can have consequences ranging from simple annoyance to such serious health problems as hearing loss and high blood pressure and can exacerbate various mental health conditions.

Atlantic killer whales show dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals: study

��SM�� — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:06:07 +0000

Killer whales off Canada’s Atlantic coast continue to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that put them at elevated risk of severe immune-system and reproductive problems, a recent ��SM��-led study has found.

Researchers find design flaws and oversight issues in certain health apps, offer solutions for more effective tools

��SM�� — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:56:13 +0000

AI-powered apps offering medical diagnoses at the click of a button are often limited by biased data and a lack of regulation, leading to inaccurate and unsafe health advice, a new study found.

Berry-flavoured may be more dangerous than non-flavoured vapes: study

��SM�� — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:10:02 +0000

Berry-flavoured vapes can weaken the lungs’ natural defences, making it harder for the body to fight off infections, new research suggests.

The study compared effects of flavoured e-cigarettes to those of unflavoured ones.

While previous research has shown that all forms of vaping can be harmful, the scholars said this study adds to a mounting body of evidence demonstrating how added flavourings to vaping solutions can exacerbate the dangers.

Landmark study finds low-sugar diet in early childhood reduces lifetime risk of chronic disease

��SM�� — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 18:06:08 +0000

A low-sugar diet in the first years of life can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, a study based on historical data has found.

The researchers pulled data from UK Biobank, focusing on adults conceived just before and after the 1953 end of wartime sugar rationing in the United Kingdom.

Tracking biodiversity: ��SM�� researchers outline strengths and challenges in new monitoring framework

��SM�� — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:09:37 +0000

As the UN COP16 on biodiversity meets in Calì, Colombia, experts from ��SM�� are on-site, providing important input into the global conversation.

��SM�� aims to be a world leader in making dentistry sustainable

��SM�� — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:53:21 +0000

In response to growing concerns about climate change, ��SM�� researchers are exploring how even a routine dental visit can become a more sustainable practice

The Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences is calculating the carbon footprint of its entire operation, including several clinics that serve the public. The goal is to become among the first fully sustainable dental faculties in the world.

Most Canadians consider public transit to be an essential service, according to initial results of a ��SM�� study

��SM�� — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:59:02 +0000

Most Canadians view public transit as an essential service and support increased provincial funding in response to current financial difficulties, according to preliminary results from a ��SM��-led study.

The Canadian Mobility Survey is underway in 10 major cities. The researchers, in ��SM��’s School of Urban Planning, aim to evaluate the role public transit plays in urban Canadians’ daily travel and their ability to live a fulfilling life without using a car.

How vitamin D deficiency can lead to autoimmune diseases

��SM�� — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:20:40 +0000

As Canadians brace for “vitamin D winter” – months when the sun’s angle is too low to produce the vitamin in the skin – a ��SM�� study explains why vitamin D deficiency early in life is associated with a higher risk of autoimmune diseases.

During childhood, the thymus helps train immune cells to distinguish between the body’s own tissues and harmful invaders. A vitamin D deficiency at that stage of life causes the thymus to age more quickly, the researchers discovered.

Genetic tweaks can make oats more nutritious, increase shelf life

��SM�� — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 13:03:42 +0000

A recent study from ��SM�� proposes a way to enhance the nutritional value of oats by increasing their content of oleic acid, a type of healthy fat known for its cardiovascular heart benefits and potential to lower diabetes.

The findings also suggest this modification could improve their oxidative stability, making oat-based products, such as oat milk, less likely to spoil.

Parenting programs help kids, but provide insufficient support for parents, study finds

��SM�� — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:36:01 +0000

Parenting programs that address both mental health and parenting skills can improve children’s development, but often fall short when it comes to offering effective mental-health support for parents, new research suggests.

“It’s a surprising contradiction,” said the study’s lead author, Marilyn Ahun, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at ��SM��. “Our findings show the potential of multi-component programs, while revealing gaps that need to be addressed.”

New global database of dams and reservoirs could transform water management

��SM�� — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 12:35:35 +0000

A groundbreaking database developed by the Global Dam Watch (GDW) consortium is set to transform the global understanding of dams and reservoirs.

Co-ordinated and led by members of a research lab at ��SM��, with funding from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the World Bank, the database integrates existing global datasets to provide the most comprehensive resource for large-scale analyses to date.

When we cannot hear our own speech, even temporarily, ability to speak is impaired: ��SM�� study

��SM�� — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 12:50:35 +0000

A ��SM�� study has shown that hearing plays a crucial role in how people coordinate and control speech movements in real-time.

Published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA), the research shows that when people cannot hear their own speech, even briefly, their ability to move their jaw and tongue in a coordinated manner is impaired.

��SM�� Libraries Unveil Game-Changing Collections Centre: A New Era in Sustainable Book Preservation and Retrieval

��SM�� — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 15:51:17 +0000

October 1, 2024 – Valleyfield, QC – ��SM�� is pleased to announce the official opening of the ��SM�� Collections Centre on October 1, 2024. This groundbreaking facility marks a historic milestone as ��SM��'s first-ever design-build project and sets a new standard for library preservation and sustainability in Quebec.

New design overcomes key barrier to safer, more efficient EV batteries

��SM�� — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:54:07 +0000

Researchers at ��SM�� have made a significant advance in the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries, which are being pursued as the next step in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology.

By addressing a long-standing issue with battery performance, this innovation could pave the way for safer, longer-lasting EVs.

New findings can help improve our understanding of winter weather in the St. Lawrence River Valley

��SM�� — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:15:23 +0000

A recent study at ��SM�� provides new insights into how winter storms develop in the St. Lawrence River Valley, findings that could potentially improve the accuracy of winter weather forecasts in the region.

“These findings are essential because even small temperature shifts, as little as one degree, can drastically change the type of precipitation, turning rain into freezing rain or snow,” said Juliann Wray, lead author and PhD student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Help with chronic hives: A new app and North America’s first patient registry

��SM�� — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:09:03 +0000

Tuesday, Oct. 1 is Urticaria Day, raising awareness of a condition more commonly known as hives.

This year, Canadians living with chronic hives have two new resources, developed in part by a ��SM�� researcher: North America’s first chronic urticaria patient registry and a new app for patient care.

New drug molecule could lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s disease in younger patients

��SM�� — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:37:22 +0000

A novel drug molecule could potentially lead to new treatments to prevent Parkinson’s disease in younger patients, according to new research.

“We are excited about this drug compound because we might have the possibility to develop the first cure for Parkinson’s disease, at least for a subset of patients,” said lead author Kalle Gehring, a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at ��SM�� and Canada Research Chair in Structural Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Indigenous Awareness Weeks 2024: September 19 – October 2

��SM�� — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:45:21 +0000

Indigenous Awareness Weeks is a two-week series of events involving Indigenous academics, artists, and community members, hosted by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Its goal is to encourage a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples among students, staff, and faculty at ��SM��, as well as in the broader Montreal and Quebec communities. The Office of Indigenous Initiatives also helps foster discussion among First Nations, Métis and Inuit on topics that are important to individuals and their communities.

Using sunlight to turn two greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals

��SM�� — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:08:31 +0000

��SM�� researchers have harnessed the power of sunlight to transform two of the most harmful greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals. The discovery could help combat climate change and provide a more sustainable way to produce certain industrial products.

Research finds sex-based differences in how brains handle threats

��SM�� — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:47:06 +0000

A new study has uncovered significant differences in how male and female mice process threats, even as they exhibit similar behavioural responses.

The discovery suggests that including both male and female subjects in neuroscience research will lead to more accurate conclusions and ultimately better health outcomes.

Understanding the influence of sex on brain function can help explain why males and females develop certain psychiatric disorders at different rates or with different symptoms, the researchers said.

Six students at ��SM�� receive Canada’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarship

��SM�� — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:15:51 +0000

Six students have been named ��SM��’s recipients of Schulich Leader Scholarships, the most generous student award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies in Canada.

��SM�� alumnus Seymour Schulich, BSc’61, MBA’65, DLitt’04, established the Schulich Leader Scholarships for entrepreneurial-minded students who excel academically and display leadership, charisma and creativity.

New insights could help prevent psychosis relapses in youth and young adults

��SM�� — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:03:40 +0000

New findings from ��SM�� researchers could help clinicians understand the course of delusions in youth and young adults that signal the need for a timely intervention to prevent a full relapse of psychosis.

Delusions — strong beliefs that don't align with commonly accepted reality— are a defining symptom of psychosis but are not sufficiently understood.

Digitally cataloguing archived plant specimens can transform conservation efforts

��SM�� — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:47:33 +0000

Digitally cataloguing the more than 300 million plant specimens preserved in museums worldwide could yield crucial insights into how to preserve biodiversity amid climate change, a study by ��SM�� researchers has found.

Digitally cataloguing, or digitizing, a herbarium specimen involves recording the species name and original location and uploading that record to a digital repository that is publicly accessible.

A better way to assess bridges’ earthquake safety

��SM�� — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:13:16 +0000

Researchers from ��SM�� have developed a more efficient way to assess how likely a bridge is to be damaged in an earthquake. The information could help authorities prioritize infrastructure for upgrading and improve emergency response plans.

Microbes in orbit: Understanding spaceflight’s impact on gut health

��SM�� — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 15:45:37 +0000

Scientists have uncovered how space travel profoundly alters the gut microbiome, yielding insights that could shape future space missions.

The groundbreaking study, led by a ��SM�� researcher in collaboration with University College Dublin (UCD), NASA’s GeneLab and an international consortium, offers the most detailed profile to date of how space travel affects gut microbes.

The brain’s balancing system

��SM�� — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:09:31 +0000

A finding by a ��SM��-led team of neuroscientists could open doors to new treatments for a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders attributed to dysfunctions in specific dopamine pathways.

The power of face time: Insights from zebra finch courtship

��SM�� — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:50:07 +0000

A new study on songbirds sheds light on the power of social interaction to facilitate learning, insights that potentially apply to human development.

��SM�� researchers discovered that zebra finches deprived of early social experiences could still form strong bonds with a partner later in life. Once placed into cohabitation with a male, females that had never heard a mating song before could quickly develop a preference for his melody.

What time the malaria-bearing mosquito bites you might make a difference

��SM�� — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:52:23 +0000

A discovery by ��SM��-affiliated researchers could lead to more effective treatment of malaria and other parasitic diseases.

When mice are infected in the middle of the night with the parasites causing cerebral malaria, the symptoms of the disease are less severe than for those inflected during the day, and the spread of the parasites within the hosts is more limited, research teams from ��SM��, the Douglas Research Centre and the Research Institute of the ��SM�� Health Centre have discovered.

Exciting advance in stem cell therapy

��SM�� — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:06:25 +0000

A new technique developed by ��SM�� researchers for mechanically manipulating stem cells could lead to new stem cell treatments, which have yet to fulfill their therapeutic potential.

Stem cell therapy has been heralded as a new way to treat many diseases, ranging from multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and glaucoma to Type 1 diabetes. The anticipated advances have yet to materialize in part because it has proved much more difficult than originally thought to control the types of cells that develop from stem cells.

Dream discovery: Melatonin's key role in REM sleep revealed

��SM�� — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 13:19:28 +0000

A significant breakthrough in the understanding of sleep mechanism opens new promise for treating sleep disorders and associated neuropsychiatric conditions: Scientists have pinpointed the melatonin receptor MT1 as a crucial regulator of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

$1.45M to boost Indigenous youth mental health services

��SM�� — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 17:06:15 +0000

A national initiative to bolster Indigenous youth mental health services across Canada has secured $1.45 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Ultrafine particles linked to over 1,000 deaths per year in Canada’s two largest cities

��SM�� — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 13:17:25 +0000

A first-of-its kind study conducted in Canada’s two largest cities by ��SM��-led researchers has linked about 1,100 premature deaths per year to an unregulated air pollutant.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) primarily come from vehicle emissions and industrial activities. Canada’s federal and provincial governments have not set concentration limits for UFPs, as they have for larger fine particles known as PM2.5.

Study yields new insights into the link between global warming and rising sea levels

��SM�� — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 18:16:49 +0000

A ��SM��-led study suggests that Earth's natural forces could substantially reduce Antarctica’s impact on rising sea levels, but only if carbon emissions are swiftly reduced in the coming decades. By the same token, if emissions continue on the current trajectory, Antarctic ice loss could lead to more future sea level rise than previously thought.

The finding is significant because the Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice mass on Earth, and the biggest uncertainty in predicting future sea levels is how this ice will respond to climate change.

Six athletes among plethora of ��SM��ians headed for Paris Olympic Games

��SM�� — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:11:06 +0000

By Earl Zukerman, Sports Information Officer, ��SM�� Athletics and Recreation

Listening to the voices of those most affected by climate change

��SM�� — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:08:03 +0000

Researchers at ��SM�� recently supported the hosting of a major international conference on climate change to create space for the under-represented voices – and knowledge – of those most affected.

The global conversation on climate has been dominated by Western scientists. While international meetings such as those in the COP series are important venues for the exchange of knowledge that can be put into action, greater equity is essential, the researchers believe.

Study sheds light on origins of schizophrenia in the brain, offering hope for targeted treatments and better diagnosis

��SM�� — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 20:49:13 +0000

A group of scientists are hopeful their research findings about how schizophrenia originates and develops over time in the brain will pave the way for targeted treatments and better diagnosis of the serious mental health condition.

Systemic sclerosis is on the rise in Quebec, especially in children, study finds

��SM�� — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 19:51:51 +0000

The number of new cases of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is on the rise in Quebec, particularly among children, a new study has found.

The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, should serve as a call to action for health-care providers, policy-makers and researchers, suggests Elena Netchiporouk, corresponding author and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at ��SM��.

my����SM���� - ����SM���� News Releases