Experts: Food insecurity in Quebec

Food bank use in Quebec in 2025 has hit record numbers, surpassing 3 million assistance requests, according to Food Banks Canada's HungerCount 2025 recent report. Employed people and students are among the fastest growing user groups, with food banks struggling to keep up with demand.  

McGill experts are available to comment on this topic: 

Homecoming 2025: Water, Climate Change, and the Future

As part of last weekend’s Homecoming festivities, Interim Dean of Science Alanna Watt hosted an engaging and timely event on Friday morning entitled “Water, Climate Change, and the Future,” which highlighted the importance of freshwater science research in the face of a changing climate. 

Documenting Change: A conversation with Mostafa Shagar from Science for the People

Mostafa presenting on Science for the People at a Biology Seminar Day.

Authors: Lina Champain and Alia Sanger

Lina Champain and Alia Sanger interviewed Mostafa Shagar as an assignment in FSCI 500: Science Communication & Outreach. The interview has been edited for length.

Experts: Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category Five tropical cyclone, has made landfall in Jamaica. It is the strongest storm to hit the island country in at least 150 years and the most powerful recorded anywhere in 2025. It has caused severe flooding and mass evacuations across Jamaica and along the storm’s projected path, which includes Cuba and the Bahamas. 

McGill experts are available to comment on this topic: 

Fast Radio Burst Conference hosted at McGill for the first time

Physics researchers Amanda Cook and Alice Curtin organize FRB2025, celebrating the 10th anniversary of a major finding in the field Doris Hua, Faculty of Science Communications Assistant

When astrophysicists Amanda Cook and Alice Curtin were attending the Fast Radio Burst (FRB)

Nineteen new or renewed Canada Research Chairs awarded to McGill

Federal investment boosts McGill’s research leadership with over $13 million for Canada Research Chairs 

Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced over $198 million in federal funding through the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program, including more than $13 million to support 19 Chairs—nine new and ten renewed—at McGill.  

McGill team pinpoints where a type of cell death begins

A team at McGill University studying ferroptosis, a form of cell death, have discovered that the process begins deep inside the cell, a finding that could lead to new treatments for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Education Researcher Receive John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) Funding

Thirty-two McGill research projects have received new funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for investments in research infrastructure to support their innovative projects, for a total federal investment of $9.7 million.  These grants will be matched by the Quebec government, doubling their value. 

 

Two Faculty of Education researchers received funding for their innovative work:

Biology’s Mahnaz Mansoori wins President’s Award for Administrative and Support Staff

Phytotron Manager Mahnaz Mansoori (pictured above, left, with Biology Department Chair Prof. Gregor Fussmann) was one of nine McGill staff members honoured with the President’s Award for Administrative and Support Staff at last week's afternoon convocation ceremony. These annual awards recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of staff members who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s mission. 

Education's President's Prize Winners for Teaching Excellence

Celebrating excellence in the classroom 

President’s Prize honours educators who ‘inspire curiosity, nurture talent and prepare our students to thrive in a complex world'

At the afternoon Fall Convocation ceremony on October 14, McGill awarded the President’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching to four outstanding educators, half of whom were Faculty of Education instructors.

McGill research flags Montreal snow dump, inactive landfills as major methane polluters

Montreal’s methane emissions are unevenly distributed across the island, with the highest concentrations in the city’s east end, McGill researchers have found. The worst polluters include the city’s largest snow dump, which emits methane at levels comparable to the city's current and former landfills, and natural gas leaks.  

McGill researchers awarded $9.7 million in CFI funding

Thirty-two McGill research projects have received new funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's for investments in research infrastructure to support their innovative projects, for a total federal investment of $9.7 million.   

Experts: Pedestrian Safety Month

Fall is a dangerous season for pedestrians, with a rise in road accidents linked to reduced visibility and shorter daylight hours. According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), October and November consistently see spikes in pedestrian injuries and fatalities, with a notable increase in deaths in recent years.

To draw attention to this problem, the SAAQ marks Pedestrian Safety Month each October, as do authorities in several other jurisdictions.

Chemistry professor Eric McCalla awarded Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future grant

Eric McCalla, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, has received a Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) grant, a joint program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). 

Millions of buildings at risk from sea level rise, McGill-led study finds

Sea level rise could put more than 100 million buildings across the Global South at risk of regular flooding if fossil fuel emissions are not curbed quickly, according to a new McGill-led study published in npj Urban Sustainability.