McGill-Concordia-uOttawa research team finds correlation between COVID-19-based discrimination and poor mental health
Visible minorities, health-care workers and young people in Quebec have been at higher risk of experiencing COVID-19-related discrimination and more likely to suffer from poor mental health in the past year, according to a collective of researchers from McGill University, Concordia University and the University of Ottawa.
Rules of the road: the navigational ‘strategies’ of bacteria in motion
Bacteria that move around live on the edge. All the time. Their success, be it in finding nutrients, fending off predators or multiplying depends on how efficiently they navigate through their confining microscopic habitats. Whether these habitats are in animal or plant tissues, in waste, or in other materials.
PCB contamination in Icelandic orcas: a matter of diet
Image caption: These killer whales may appear healthy, but a new study has found extremely high levels of PCB contamination in some of the whales. There was a 300-fold difference between the levels of PCBs among the most contaminated orcas compared to the least contaminated ones. The variation was mainly due to their eating habits. CREDIT: Filipa Samarra - Icelandic Orca Project
Dr. Joanne Liu joins McGill University
Dr. Joanne Liu, a Canadian pediatric emergency room physician and former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is joining McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health (SPGH) as a professor focusing on pandemic and health emergencies.
Reduction in wetland areas will affect Afrotropical migratory waterbirds
Migratory waterbirds are particularly exposed to the effects of climate change at their breeding areas in the High Arctic and in Africa, according to a new study published in Bird Conservation International.
Genome Canada and McGill to track COVID-19 variants of concern
Genome Canada launched the Canadian VirusSeq Data Portal today to track the evolving COVID-19 pandemic across Canada. McGill University researcher Guillaume Bourque, a professor in the Department of Human Genetics, along with his research team, led the development of the portal.
Using online ads to spot human trafficking
Researchers at McGill University and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have designed an algorithm that detects organized human trafficking activity in online escort advertisements. Advertising is one the most common use of technology for human trafficking purposes.
Feeling confinement in the gut
Crew members who took part in the Mars500 experiment showed significant changes in their gut microbiota from their 520 days in confinement, according to a new study by scientists at McGill University and the Université de Montreal (UdeM).
New algorithm reveals birdsong features that may be key for courtship
Researchers from McGill University and the University of California, San Francisco have developed a new algorithm capable of identifying features of male zebra finch songs that may underlie the distinction between a short phrase sung during courtship, and the same phrase sung in a non-courtship context.
Fast radio bursts shown to include lower frequency radio waves than previously detected
Since fast radio bursts (FRBs) were first discovered over a decade ago, scientists have puzzled over what could be generating these intense flashes of radio waves from outside of our galaxy. In a gradual process of elimination, the field of possible explanations has narrowed as new pieces of information are gathered about FRBs – how long they last, the frequencies of the radio waves detected, and so on.
Telescopes unite in unprecedented observations of famous black hole
In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in the galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told. McGill University astronomers were part of this global effort.
Surgical sutures inspired by human tendons
Sutures are used to close wounds and speed up the natural healing process, but they can also complicate matters by causing damage to soft tissues with their stiff fibers. To remedy the problem, researchers from Montreal have developed innovative tough gel sheathed (TGS) sutures inspired by the human tendon.
Good oral health reduces risk of fatal outcomes from COVID-19
Infected and inflamed gums may result in higher rates of complications and more fatal outcomes for individuals diagnosed with the SARS-COV-2 virus, according to a new international study led by McGill researchers recently published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. The study suggests that gum disease may be associated with higher risks of complications from COVID-19, including ICU admission and death.
Meet the inaugural class of McCall MacBain Scholars
Twenty aspiring innovators, community-builders, and leaders will join the first class of McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill, recipients of Canada’s first comprehensive leadership-based scholarship for master’s and professional studies.
Americans are super-spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation
Misinformation about COVID-19 is spreading from the United States into Canada, undermining efforts to mitigate the pandemic. A study led by McGill University shows that Canadians who use social media are more likely to consume this misinformation, embrace false beliefs about COVID-19, and subsequently spread them.
