Written by Ezrah Roy, edited by Adele Lopes 

Meghomita Das, a recent PhD graduate of McGill’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, first discovered a passion for science communication in the wake of a natural disaster. When Das was a high school student in India, an earthquake in nearby Nepal impacted both countries. 

As part of her course, ENGL391: Girlhood Cinemas, Postdoctoral Fellow Amanda Greer wanted to create an assignment that allowed students to communicate their ideas through girlhood aesthetics. She developed a zine-making assignment which fostered creative collaboration between classmates and enabled them to relate to the material on a personal level.

Canada’s April 28 federal election is now only a few days away. Voter interest appears high. There was a record turnout last weekend at advance polls. These experts are available to share their insights about the campaign and the issues at stake:

The 4th Cannabis Scientific Symposium: From Plants to People, to be held May 5–6 at the RI-MUHC, brings together top researchers as well as investigators, policymakers and industrial stakeholders from across Canada and around the globe. Among the speakers are Allyn Howlett and Bruce Bugbee, two of the most influential scientists in cannabinoid and cannabis research.

While there are plenty of examples to the contrary, the general academic consensus is that boycotts don’t work for a sustained period, as consumers eventually disengage and reprioritize brand loyalties or price. According to a recent poll, however, the Globe and Mail reports that the Buy Canadian movement shows no signs of slowing down.

Associate Professor Alexander Manshel's publication Writing Backwards: Historical Fiction and the Reshaping of the American Canon (Columbia University Press, 2023) has been released as an audiobook by University Press Audiobooks.

Twenty-eight McGill researchers are among the winners of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their contributions to the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Sometimes referred to as the Oscars of Science, Breakthrough prizes are awarded annually by the foundation of the same name for achievements in life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics.

In a preclinical study led by McGill University researchers, two drugs targeting “zombie cells” have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide.

Current treatments manage symptoms through painkillers or surgery, without addressing the root cause.

The McGill Faculty of Law is delighted to welcome the American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) for its 2025 Annual Meeting, which will take place in Montreal, Canada, from Thursday, October 16 to Saturday, October 18, 2025. The meeting is hosted by the Wainwright Chair in Civil, Comparative and Transnational Law, in collaboration with the McGill Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law.

Proposals for papers to be presented at the Annual Meeting are invited from scholars in all regions and at all stages of their careers, regardless of ASCL membership.

The Jarislowsky Chair in Human Nature and Technology would like to congratulate Alexandre Thien-Tam Dao on receiving an ARIA fellowship with the chair for a project titled "AI Agents: The Ethical Implications of Personified AI Chatbots on Wellbeing"!

MPP '25 Husein Pumaya Yakubu highlights the limitations of transparency in Ghana’s post-pandemic governance. While former president Nana Akufo-Addo’s transparent communication during COVID-19 initially unified citizens, Yakubu argues it masked deeper issues like economic mismanagement and rising debt. Drawing a parallel with Canada, Yakubu suggests that transparency, while crucial during crises, must be sustained through regular financial updates, stronger oversight, and grassroots participation.

The Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, held every three years, is one of the world’s most prestigious platforms for young musicians aspiring to make their mark on the global stage. Formerly the ‘International String Quartet Competition’, the first award was presented in 1979 in Portsmouth, but Wigmore Hall, London has been home to the competition since 2010.  

Royal Brinkman Canada has appointed Mohammed Antar (PhD, P.Ag) as head of its agronomy department, noting in their announcement that he "will play a key role in helping growers enhance crop productivity and quality through innovative, science-based solutions."

Mohammed earned his Ph.D. in Plant Science (Agronomy) from McGill University in 2024. His expertise spans agronomy, microbe-coated fertilizers, nutrient management, sustainable agriculture, and biological products.

The Canadian Council of Academics (CCA) has formed an expert panel to examine how Indigenous science can be supported to advance policy and governance in a way that achieves reciprocal benefits for all people in Canada. Using food sovereignty as a case study, the panel will develop a framework that can be applied across a range of policy issues.

(La version française suit)

This memo is sent on behalf of François Pouliot, Senior Director Procurement Services

McGill Financial Services and Procurement Services wish to inform you that effective May 1, 2025, the maximum PCard transaction amount will be increased to CAD $10,000 (from the current $5,000). No action is required on the part of PCard Holders, as the Bank will automatically apply this new threshold to all PCards.

Gin is a classic British spirit, but dozens of Quebec distillers have taken to making it their own, embracing James Bond’s favourite drink. The SAQ, however, is not doing Quebec’s gin distillers many favours. Even though the provincial alcohol sales monopoly has sometimes promoted local producers, it removed more than 50 Quebec-made gin products from their stores to make shelf space. It stunts the growth of the province’s home-grown spirits industry, which saw sales rise by 75% between 2019 and 2022.

When U.S. president Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariff policy in April 2020, stock markets plunged. Certain sectors were more affected than others, with large technology firms like Apple and NVIDIA among the biggest losers. “Sectors like tech that rely on international supply chains are going to be more heavily affected by tariffs,” Professor Sebastien Betermier told CBC News.

Among the many changes to U.S. trade policy announced during the early days of the second Trump administration was the intention to eliminate the de minimis exemption on shipments to the United States. This exemption allows shipments valued at less than $800 to cross the border duty-free, presenting challenges for businesses that rely on smaller shipments. However, the real focus of this change isn't on small retailers but rather on large Chinese e-commerce companies, such as Shein, that sell products at ultra-low prices.

Casual dining chains such as Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s were once ubiquitous in the United States. However, the middle-class restaurant is fading fast. TGI Friday’s has filed for bankruptcy, while Applebee’s has shuttered dozens of locations. Rising costs have contributed to the struggles of these chains, but their generic branding fails to resonate in an era where authenticity matters. Millennials, in particular, demand authenticity, according to Associate Professor Daphne Demetry. “I can’t think of anything more inauthentic than TGI Fridays,” Demetry says.

Some items from quintessentially Canadian brands have jumped in price at a Loblaws in Toronto, CBC News reports.

According to CBC's analysis of grocery products labelled as Canadian, while most products remained the same price and about two per cent decreased in price, the regular price of hundreds of products have increased since governments put out the call to buy food made in Canada. Some are from iconic Canadian brands, including Tim Hortons, St-Hubert, Swiss Chalet, and Chapman's.