How stepping into nature affects the brain
Spending time in nature, even briefly, triggers changes in the brain that calm stress, restore attention and quiet mental clutter, a new study has found.
Researchers at McGill University and colleagues at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile have examined more than 100 brain-imaging studies from various disciplines. The result is one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of how the brain responds to nature.
Making solar power’s land use more efficient
As solar energy rapidly is becoming the world’s largest renewable power source, new research from McGill University offers a clearer picture of how much land that growth could require and how smarter choices could mitigate solar energy’s land footprint.
Findings of McGill study could lead to new longevity therapies and improved fall prevention
A new McGill University study has found a direct link between age‑related declines in neuron activity in the cerebellum and worsening motor skills, including gait, balance and agility. While it is well known that these abilities diminish with age, this is the first research to pinpoint how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.
Colourism might help explain health inequities suffered by dark-skinned Black Americans, researchers say
A study of Black Americans is among the first to show how the internalization of negative messages about dark skin tones could be linked to harms to health.
Researchers found that Black Americans who are, or perceive themselves to be, dark skinned show clear markers of cellular aging associated with immune-system damage and also score lower on a measurement of self-worth. Cellular aging and low self-worth are both associated with relatively poor health outcomes.
Engineered nanoparticles could deliver better targeted cancer treatment
Scientists at McGill University and the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute have developed a new way to deliver cancer immunotherapy that caused fewer side effects compared to standard treatment in a preclinical study.
Cognitive biases of talent scouts can undermine sports teams’ success
Sports talent scouts’ decisions are influenced by various common cognitive biases that can affect their work and undermine team success, a paper published in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology has suggested.
New study provides advice on how to boost participation in physical activity among autistic youth
Researchers investigating how to increase participation in physical activity by autistic children and teens say key strategies include creating predictable routines, involving family members and ensuring safe and sensory-friendly spaces.
McGill researchers optimize process for converting human urine into clean energy
Researchers at McGill University have improved the efficiency of a method for converting human urine into clean energy.
The method employs microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacteria to turn organic waste into electricity, providing a sustainable and low-cost means of treating wastewater while generating energy from an abundant source. The McGill research provides insights into which urine concentrations are optimal for this process.
McGill researchers build the best light-powered, room-temperature computer yet
McGill and Queen’s University researchers have built an improved version of a computer that uses light to solve extremely hard problems more quickly and at larger scale than existing systems, without the need for cryogenic cooling.
Which childhood abuse survivors are at elevated risk of depression? New study provides important clues
Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.
Plants retain a ‘genetic memory’ of past population crashes, study shows
Researchers at McGill University and the United States Forest Service have found that plants living in areas where human activity has caused population crashes carry long-lasting genetic traces of that history, such as reduced genetic diversity.
Economic, educational and gender inequities can contribute to problematic social media use among teens, findings suggest
A new McGill study suggests that problematic social media use among teens is in part related to broader social inequalities.
Zékai Lu, a PhD student in McGill’s Department of Sociology and author of the study, had set out to determine whether problematic social media use is driven mainly by individual traits or whether the social environment of the country a teen lives in also plays a significant role.
People can learn to reject unfair advantages, even when it costs them
A new study co-authored by McGill University researchers suggests people can be taught to reject unfair advantages.
Addressing shame should be a focal point of treatment of childhood sexual abuse survivors, researchers suggest
A McGill-led study on the role played by shame in the continuing trauma suffered by survivors of childhood sexual abuse indicates that addressing shame should be a focal point of treatment. Clinicians should use strategies that normalize disclosure, validate survivors’ feelings and integrate shame-resolution techniques into their therapy plans, the researchers suggested.
McGill University to partner with United Arab Emirates and Indonesia to train next generation of professionals and drive societal change
For over 50 years, McGill University has been collaborating with Indonesia’s education sector. Now a planned donation of US$12.8 million from the UAE via the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation to McGill will establish the UAE-Indonesia Future Leaders Program to support Indonesia’s national and global development objectives.
