A new McGill University study has found a direct link between age‑related declines in neuron activity in the cerebellum and worsening motor skills, including gait, balance and agility. While it is well known that these abilities diminish with age, this is the first research to pinpoint how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.
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Published on: 23 Feb 2026
Professors Siva Reddy (Computer Science and Linguistics) and Katelin Schutz (Physics) have been named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows.
They are among the 126 early-career researchers in this year’s cohort of the prestigious two-year, $75,000 fellowship sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Fellows are nominated by their colleagues and evaluated based on their research accomplishments, creativity and potential to become leaders in their fields.
Published on: 17 Feb 2026
Researchers at McGill University and the United States Forest Service have found that plants living in areas where human activity has caused population crashes carry long-lasting genetic traces of that history, such as reduced genetic diversity. Because genetic diversity helps species adapt to climate change, disease and other stresses, the study suggests it is vital to consider a population’s history-influenced genetics alongside its size and habitat in conservation planning.
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Published on: 12 Feb 2026
A new study co-authored by McGill University researchers suggests people can be taught to reject unfair advantages.
“We often benefit personally from an unequal distribution of resources, a phenomenon known as advantageous inequity – for example, receiving a higher salary than a colleague with the identical role,” said senior author Ross Otto, a psychology professor. “Here we ask whether people can learn to punish advantageous inequity merely by observing the inequity-averse preferences of another person.”
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Published on: 11 Feb 2026
Congratulations to Dr. Bridget Andersen, who has received the Dr. Allie Vibert Douglas Astrophysics PhD Thesis Prize!
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Published on: 28 Jan 2026
The Faculty of Science is pleased to share two awards available for students participating in a Field Study Semester (FSS) in the 2026-2027 or 2027-2028 academic year.
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Published on: 22 Jan 2026
McGill team aims to develop guidelines, tools, and policy insights that help software engineers work safely and effectively with AI-assisted coding systems.
A McGill research team is tackling one of AI’s fastest-moving challenges: how software developers can steer and safeguard code as AI systems become capable of writing large portions of software on their own.
Published on: 19 Jan 2026
Freshwater browning is stunting fish growth of some species, shrinking populations of others and changing the composition of fish communities, McGill-led research suggests. “Browning” refers to freshwater bodies turning tea-coloured, a phenomenon driven by higher levels of dissolved organic matter and/or higher levels of iron in the water. Causes include changes in land use and climate, and reduced acid precipitation.
The findings indicate that changes in land use and climate are affecting biodiversity and how ecosystems function, with implications for fisheries management.
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Published on: 19 Jan 2026
Using proteins from a common tobacco plant virus, McGill chemistry researchers have developed a simple, eco-friendly way to arrange gold nanoparticles into ultrathin sheets, strengthening the particles’ optical properties. The result: cheaper, safer materials for solar panels, sensors and advanced optical devices.
Published on: 8 Dec 2025
Congratulations to Professor Audrey Moores (Chemistry), who has been awarded the Canadian Pacific Chair in Biotechnology!
The Canadian Pacific Chair in Biotechnology is an endowed chair created in 1984 to promote research in the field of biotechnology. The chair is awarded for a five-year term and rotates among McGill's Faculties of Medicine, Science and Agriculture.
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Published on: 4 Dec 2025
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team led by McGill researcher Vigneshwaran Krishnamurthy has observed a giant cloud of helium gas evaporating from a distant giant exoplanet called WASP-107b.
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Published on: 1 Dec 2025
Twenty-four McGill researchers have been named to the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers™ list, a ranking prepared each year by Clarivate, an analytics company based in the US. The list assesses researchers in a wide range of disciplines, from neuroscience to environmental science. The number of McGill scholars on the list grew from 14 in 2024 to 24 in 2025.
Published on: 28 Nov 2025
Happy 20th birthday, B.A. & Sc.!
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Published on: 25 Nov 2025
This past September, St. James Parish in Barbados celebrated We Gatherin’, a year-long festival of Barbadian heritage, culture and community. As part of the festivities, McGill’s Bellairs Research Institute hosted a day-long Science Adventure for local schoolchildren featuring a visit from McGill’s Redpath Museum and the Physics Outreach Committee.
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Published on: 24 Nov 2025
Professor Christian Genest is the winner of the 2025 Acfas Urgel-Archambault prize.
Le Prix Acfas Urgel-Archambault 2025 pour les sciences physiques, mathématiques, informatique et génie, est remis à Christian Genest, professeur titulaire au Département de mathématiques et de statistique de l'Université McGill.
Published on: 21 Nov 2025
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