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 McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Structural Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

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 McGill University, 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.

McGill University 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.

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

McGill 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 findings from McGill University 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 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 McGill University 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.

Researchers from McGill University 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.

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 McGill University 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. 

A finding by a McGill-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.

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

McGill University 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.

A discovery by McGill-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 McGill University, the Douglas Research Centre and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre have discovered.

A new technique developed by McGill 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.

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.

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).  

A first-of-its kind study conducted in Canada’s two largest cities by McGill-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.

La version française suivra.

A McGill-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.

By Earl Zukerman, Sports Information Officer, McGill Athletics and Recreation

Researchers at McGill University 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. 

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.