For the first time, scientists have successfully edited oat DNA, a breakthrough that could accelerate the development of oats with more fibre, higher yields, and greater resilience to climate change.

Oats, a key crop both for human consumption and animal feed, are a major agricultural product in Canada, contributing to a global market work $8 billion. The Canadian oat crop is estimated to be worth approximately $900 million. But a short growing season and unpredictable late-season frost mean Canadian oat farmers face significant challenges.

Methane emissions from Canada’s non-producing oil and gas wells appear to be seven times higher than government estimates, according to a new study led by researchers at McGill University. The findings spotlight a major gap in the country’s official greenhouse gas inventory and raise urgent questions about how methane leaks are monitored, reported and managed.

Fraud is now the leading crime committed against seniors in Canada, and individuals with cognitive decline are particularly at risk. On June 11, McGill University’s Dementia Education Program will host a webcast to raise awareness about how to prevent people living with dementia from becoming victims of financial fraud.

As psychedelics gain traction as potential treatments for mental health disorders, an international study led by researchers at McGill University, Imperial College London, and the University of Exeter stands to improve the rigour and reliability of clinical research.

A nationwide initiative is inviting Canadians to help map the country’s biodiversity, one photo at a time. From June 1 to Oct.1, Blitz the Gap is mobilizing citizen scientists, researchers and nature enthusiasts to document species from coast to coast to coast,

Using a novel lab method they developed, McGill University researchers have identified nine molecules in the blood that were elevated in teens diagnosed with depression. These molecules also predicted how symptoms might progress over time.

The findings of the clinical study could pave the way for earlier detection, before symptoms worsen and become hard to treat.

For older Canadians, having transportation options that allow them to maintain their independence is key to being able to remain in their own homes, or “age in place.” While many continue to drive, public transit – when available – can offer a low-cost, flexible alternative that helps older adults stay active and connected to their communities.

In 2025, 923 future medical residents were matched to positions in Quebec through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), including 484 in family medicine – the largest single cohort of future family physicians ever to be trained in the province. In the Outaouais region all 15 available places have been filled, all in family medicine.

Forests on Indigenous lands in Panama have remained remarkably stable over the past two decades – more so than in protected areas – thanks in no small part to deeply rooted cultural values, a McGill-led study suggests.  

A new study has found stark differences in the dementia care received by people in richer and poorer neighbourhoods in Quebec, despite the universal health-care system.

Members of socially and economically marginalized groups in Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau are at disproportionate risk in earthquakes, a new study has found.

Co-authored by McGill civil engineering professor Daniele Malomo, the study is the first in Canada to examine earthquake vulnerability through the lens of equity.

New data from a national project led by McGill University researchers shows that redesigning youth mental health services can significantly cut wait times and connect more young people to care.

The critically acclaimed Netflix drama Adolescence has put a spotlight on the culture and ideas of incels (involuntary celibates), an online subculture of people (mostly male and heterosexual), who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner, largely due to their perceived unattractiveness.

Millions of kilometres of rivers around the world are carrying antibiotic pollution at levels high enough to promote drug resistance and harm aquatic life, a McGill University-led study warns.

Published in PNAS Nexus, the study is the first to estimate the scale of global river contamination from human antibiotics use. Researchers calculated that about 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics – nearly one-third of what people consume annually – end up in river systems around the world each year even after in many cases passing through wastewater systems.

Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new method also promises to facilitate advances in tissue engineering, bioadhesives and 3D bioprinting. 

McGill University researchers, in collaboration with colleagues in Israel and Ireland, have developed AI technology that can detect patterns in gut bacteria to identify complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with remarkable accuracy, potentially transforming how CRPS is diagnosed and treated.

In a study that is the first of its kind, a research team led by a McGill professor has developed a more objective way to identify ice hockey players’ game intelligence, or “hockey IQ.” And the method, which pairs objective test results with scouting insights, is likely to yield the most accurate results, the researchers suggest.

A McGill University-led research collaboration has achieved a breakthrough in understanding how cancer spreads.

A clinical study of ovarian and colorectal cancer patients found cancer cells move in the bloodstream in clusters more commonly than was previously thought. The discovery could help doctors more quickly identify which cancer patients are at high risk of having their cancer spread to other organs, knowledge that could guide treatment decisions. The findings also potentially open new avenues for treatment.

Despite decades of public health messaging, Canadians are spending more time in the sun and using less sun protection – raising alarms among researchers as melanoma cases continue to climb.

That trend is highlighted in a McGill University-led study that analyzed national survey data collected between 2011 and 2018 from over 77,000 people, representing a weighted sample of 21 million Canadians.

A McGill University-led team of researchers has developed a new method that significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of large language models (LLMs) when generating computer code and other structured text.

Large language models (LLMs) are powerful AI tools that are capable of writing everything from essays to programming scripts in a wide range of languages. However, they often make mistakes when generating text that must conform to constraints, leading to errors or outputs that don’t work. Existing solutions to fix these issues are often unreliable or too slow.