Human population density and land use is causing changes in animal genetic diversity, according to researchers at McGill University.
The findings reported in the journal Ecology Letters, show that environmental changes caused by humans are leading to changes in genetic variation in thousands of species of birds, fish, insects, and mammals. The evidence for human impacts was most clear for insects and fish species.
Scientists have identified a gene in the French-Canadian population that predisposes them to the development of intracranial aneurysm (IA), a potentially life threatening neurological condition that is responsible for approximately 500,000 deaths worldwide per year, half of which occur in people less than 50 years of age.
Using genetic analysis, the team of researchers found rare variations of one gene, RNF213, that appeared more frequently in IA patients than in the control group. Both patients and the control group came from French-Canadian families.
“Don’t diss dad” might mean more than making sure not to forget dad on Father’s Day, as researchers look at just how influential environmental exposures and genetic interactions are on dad’s sperm and, as a result, his offspring.
November 8 2012 - After a worldwide search, the renowned Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro – of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre has a new director, Guy Rouleau, MD, PhD, FRCPC, OQ. Dr. Rouleau, a prominent Quebec clinician-scientist recognized for his contributions to science and society, will also hold the Wilder Penfield Chair in Neuroscience as Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill. The appointment takes effect January 1, 2013.
MONTREAL, October 9, 2012 - Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro, McGill University working with a team at Oxford University have uncovered the genetic defect underlying a group of rare genetic disorders.
