
Ajitha Thanabalasuriar receives PATH award to advance lung disease research
Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund will open new avenues to preventing and treating pneumonia.

Blood proteins flag multiple sclerosis years before diagnosis, opening a window for prevention
Of more than 2,500 blood proteins screened, a small group may drive MS and signal who will develop itA new study has revealed a group of blood proteins, that are altered in people who go on to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), in some cases more than a decade before diagnosis. The findings offer hope that a simple blood test could one day identify people at high risk of MS in time to act before damage occurs.

‘Jumping gene’ helps explain elevated pancreatic cancer risk in French-Canadians
Researchers at McGill University have discovered a centuries-old genetic mutation that helps to explain why some French‑Canadians in Quebec are at an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Until quite recently, standard genetic tests have not been able to identify this “jumping gene” cause.
The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, suggest better-targeted genetic testing could help identify people at higher cancer risk who were previously missed.

McGill’s Bravo Gala shines a spotlight on research excellence
At event honouring 116 winners of major awards, keynote speaker and SSHRC Gold Medal recipient Myriam Denov emphasized the importance of listening. McGill celebrated more than 100 researchers at the 21st edition of Bravo, a gala event May 7 honouring the winners of major provincial, national and international research prizes and awards in 2025.

Provost honours 31 McGill professors for exceptional research achievements
The 2026 cohort of Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors and William Dawson Scholars embody ‘the very best of our academic community’.
Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Angela Campbell has named 31 McGill professors as Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

McGill awarded 16 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs
From fundamental physics to child well-being, McGill researchers advance discovery across disciplines McGill has been awarded $18.1 million in federal funding to support 16 Canada Research Chairs – six new and 10 renewed.

$1.25 million for McGill research from the New Frontiers in Research Fund
Federal fund will support transformative high risk, high reward research across engineering, science, and medicine at McGill.

Icing injuries may slow recovery and prolong pain, study finds
Icing a sprained ankle or sore muscle, long used to reduce pain and swelling, may in the longer run delay recovery and prolong pain, new research suggests.
In a preclinical study published in Anesthesiology, McGill University researchers found that even though cryotherapy (icing) eased pain in the short term, recovery time was more than doubled in some cases.

Discovery of fat-burning ‘switch’ could lead to advances in bone disease treatments
Scientists’ discovery of a molecular “switch” that activates an energy‑burning pathway in mice has the potential to lead to new treatments for bone disease.

Public education will be critical as provinces roll out new cervical cancer screening method, researchers say
As Canada moves to modernize cervical cancer screening, a new study suggests most women do not yet understand or trust the shift from the Pap test to human papillomavirus (HPV) based screening.

Unleashing natural killer cells against cancer
Scientists have developed a strategy to boost the cancer-fighting power of natural killer (NK) cells, part of the immune system’s first line of defence. NK cells can detect and destroy cancer cells, but tumours often create a protective barrier that blocks them, allowing cancer to grow.

NSERC awards two McGill professors $1.65 million each to prepare the next generation of researchers
Projects focusing on MedTech and genomics cut across disciplines while mobilizing expertise at McGill and other Quebec institutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow

AI tool pinpoints cells driving aggressive cancers
McGill University researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can identify small groups of cells most responsible for driving aggressive cancers.
The tool, called SIDISH, offers scientists a clearer path to designing targeted therapies by showing which cells inside a tumour are most strongly linked with poor patient outcomes, rather than treating all cancer cells as if they behave the same way.

Weston Family Foundation awards two McGill researchers for human microbiome research
New funding fuels McGill-led breakthroughs on how gut viruses influence childhood health and how engineered proteins can prevent damaging oral bacterial biofilms.

Largest-ever study of psychedelics could help advance their use in treating mental health disorders
Scientists have demonstrated, for the first time, that several psychedelic drugs – including psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT and ayahuasca – produce a common pattern of brain activity despite their distinct chemistries.
An international consortium led by a McGill University researcher pooled brain imaging data from labs across five countries, creating the largest study of its kind to date.
