Researchers’ novel lab technique reveals how ice crystals form in clouds

Researchers have developed a novel method to detect and study how ice forms in mixed-phase clouds, significantly boosting scientists’ ability to forecast weather and model climate change. 

Youth at risk of suicide show early warning signs that adults often miss

Drawing on a landmark 25-year study that followed Quebec children into adulthood, McGill University researchers have identified two distinct patterns in how suicidal thoughts emerge and the early signs that are often missed.

Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among youth, but how they begin and what mental health symptoms often precede them are poorly understood, the researchers said.

Racial-minority business owners can benefit from ‘white guilt,’ marketing study finds

Researchers who explored how consumers’ ethical values can shape their shopping habits suggest that business owners from marginalized racial groups can appeal to socially conscious consumers by highlighting their identity, helping promote racial equity through values-driven purchasing.

Ancient viruses in our DNA may hold clues to what makes us human

Fragments of ancient viral DNA once dismissed as “junk” may play a role in controlling our genes, according to a new international study.

Using a novel method to trace the evolutionary history of viral DNA, researchers from McGill University and Kyoto University uncovered sequences that had been overlooked in earlier genome annotations.

Common hereditary cancer mutation in Quebec traced to single ancestor

Researchers have shed new light on the most common genetic variant linked to hereditary cancer in Quebec’s French-Canadian population. Their findings could result in cheaper and more effective screening methods.

The variant is associated with Lynch syndrome, a condition that greatly increases the risk of colorectal and other cancers.

Simple texting platform helps farmers adopt greener methods, McGill-led study finds

Farmers who exchanged text messages with peers were significantly more likely to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, highlighting the power of peer learning in digital formats, a new study co-authored by McGill University Professor Aurélie Harou found.

Study helps explain why chronic pain is often discounted

A new study by McGill University researchers shows that chronic pain, often invisible to medical tests, can be better assessed when doctors take a holistic approach.

By combining biological data with information about patients’ mental health, sleep and stress, the researchers say they were able to create a fuller picture of chronic pain. They said their findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, stand to improve how the condition is diagnosed and treated.

New study reveals promising strategy to retrain neutrophils to target breast cancer 

A ground-breaking study conducted by researchers from McGill University, the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI) at the Jewish General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and MIT has identified a novel approach to combat aggressive breast cancers by retraining neutrophils, the body’s first responders, to directly kill tumour cells. This research offers new hope for patients with breast cancers that do not respond well to existing immunotherapies. 

McGill scientists develop cleaner, cheaper way to make lithium-ion batteries

A team of McGill University researchers, working with colleagues in the United States and South Korea, has developed a new way to make high-performance lithium-ion battery materials that could help phase out expensive and/or difficult-to-source metals like nickel and cobalt.

Study reveals trained immunity may cause lung damage

Trained immunity – a process being explored in vaccine and therapy development to boost immune defences – appears be counterproductive in certain contexts, researchers at McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) have found.

Gender bias holds back female surgeons, study finds

Women now make up over half of medical students in Canada, but only one-third of practising surgeons. A new study suggests part of the gap stems from gender norms embedded in workplace culture. The researchers at McGill University say subtle but persistent biases may be driving women out of the field.

Perceived social status tied to cardiovascular risks in women but not in men

Women who see themselves as having lower social status are more likely than other people to show early signs of heart stress linked to future disease risk, according to a new study led by researchers at McGill and Concordia universities.

New discovery remarkably improves immunotherapy in bladder cancer and beyond

BCG therapy—the gold standard treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), where the cancer has not penetrated the muscle layer—is one of the earliest forms of cancer immunotherapy.

How tapping into nurses’ full potential could ease health system strain

As health care systems across Canada and beyond struggle with staff shortages, international experts are backing a promising strategy: expanding the role of advanced practice nurses.

The ‘Montreal Model’ of ketamine therapy yields more sustained depression relief

A first-of-its-kind clinical trial found that ketamine’s benefits for treating severe depression can be improved when combined with psychotherapy and supportive treatment environments.

Led by researchers at McGill University, the study suggests this approach can yield valuable therapeutic experiences that lead to longer-lasting relief than standard treatment.