Comparing two neural maps reveals the roles of genes in cognition, perception and feeling
Many psychiatric disorders have genetic causes, but the exact mechanism of how genes influence higher brain function remains a mystery. A new study provides a map linking the genetic signature of functions across the human brain, a tool that may provide new targets for future treatments.
This new research from Sonja Solomun, Maryna Polataiko, and Helen A. Hayes of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy delves into key considerations for the regulation of internet platforms in Canada.
Read the note here.
In collaboration with Oxford University's Blavatnik School and Institute for Research on Public Policy and its Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, Max Bell School alumni and Policy Scholar Paisley Sim co-authored a working paper that explores the relative stringency of COVID-19 policies in Canada.
April 23, 2021 | In our fragmented federal system, policies on issue like paid sick leave can vary drastically from province to province. The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the problems with such disparities. In her recent brief for the Institute for Research on Public Policy, MPP alumna Paisley Sim laid out a solution that would ensure people across Canada get the support they need in this time of crisis.
Delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines should reduce case numbers in the near term; however, the longer term case burden and the potential for evolution of viral ‘escape’ from immunity will depend on the robustness of immune responses generated by natural infections and one or two vaccine doses, according to a study from McGill University and Princeton University published today in Science.
$4.67M from Brain Canada will help probe the brain’s mysteries and create international research links
Research at The Neuro’s McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC) of McGill University will receive a major boost thanks to a $4.67M grant from Brain Canada’s Platform Support Grant (PSG) program.
Program brings together multidisciplinary teams with expertise in various areas of neurodegenerative disease
Researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) make up a large part of eight projects funded by ALS Canada and the Brain Canada Foundation as part of their 2020 Discovery Grant Program, which brings together multidisciplinary research teams with expertise in various areas of ALS and neurodegenerative diseases to investigate critical areas of disease processes and clinical care.
Supported by the Max Bell School's Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression has released a new report detailing six recommendations to enable citizens, governments and platforms to deal with online hate speech in Canada.
Read the Commission's report here.
Picture a flower: what do you see? A bright and showy splash of contrasting colours? Well, not all plants produce flowers that are only like that. Some plant species actually produce two types: “normal” ones that look great, and “runts” that are small, never open and, rather than attract pollinating insects, instead pollinate themselves.
February 2, 2021 | As the tide of nationalism sweeps across the globe and countries increasingly turn inwards, it is crucial that the protection agenda–including the Protection of Civilians (PoC) and the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP)–is reaffirmed. Max Bell School Professor Jennifer Welsh writes on the PeaceLab Blog about what measures Germany can take to achieve this objective, including embracing multilateralism and seeking out new partners to promote civilian self-protection.
December 2020 | This new report by the Media Ecosystem Observatory looks into vaccine hesitancy in Canada in the lead-up to the development of a vaccine. Key findings included that 65% of Canadians intend to take a vaccine, and that the best opportunity to reach those who are unsure is to address important concerns around the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
January 24, 2021 | In this paper, Max Bell School Professor Jennifer Welsh and her co-authors address the challenges and opportunities the fluid geopolitical and security environment poses for humanitarian policymaking and practice.
Max Bell School Professor Pearl Eliadis has authored the chapter Mind the Gaps: Integrating Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals into Evaluation Practice inThe Realpolitik of Evaluation, a recently published book edited by Markus Palenberg an Arne Paulson.
Neural “signature” may reflect how we respond to feelings of social isolation
This holiday season will be a lonely one for many people as social distancing due to COVID-19 continues, and it is important to understand how isolation affects our health. A new study shows a sort of signature in the brains of lonely people that make them distinct in fundamental ways, based on variations in the volume of different brain regions as well as based on how those regions communicate with one another across brain networks.
Large multi-site study accurately predicts damage to grey matter by disease
An international study has found a link between the brain’s network connections and grey matter atrophy caused by certain types of epilepsy, a major step forward in our understanding of the disease.
