news 2023

Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk As we head into fall, cases of COVID-19 are once again rising across Canada, fuelled by new variants that are offshoots of the original Omicron variant. At the same time, Canada is rolling out an updated suite of vaccines that are more tailored to currently circulating strains of the virus.

More than 597,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, and yet big gaps remain in healthcare support. It's estimated that 85 per cent of people living with dementia are not receiving support after their diagnosis. And research shows being engaged in community is one of the biggest factors in slowing the condition's progression.

A Canadian research team shows for the first time that HIV reservoirs are concentrated in the spleen and lymph nodes, and that they can travel throughout the body. A small number of HIV-infected cells remain in the tissues of people living with the virus and who are undergoing antiretroviral therapy.

Two graduate students from Western University have developed a ground-breaking method for predicting which intensive care unit (ICU) patients will survive a severe brain injury. Matthew Kolisnyk and Karnig Kazazian combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with state-of-the art machine learning techniques to tackle one of the most complex issues in critical care.

Researchers have made groundbreaking progress towards identifying the root cause and potential therapy for preeclampsia. The pregnancy complication affects up to eight per cent of pregnancies globally and is the leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality due to premature delivery, complications with the placenta and lack of oxygen.

If you have concerns your child is having trouble reading, new research shows it's likely something that needs attention. As children across the country head back to class this week, a new study from Western researchers shows parental concern is often an accurate indicator of children's reading difficulty.

Tracking viral transmissions between humans and animals could help identify successful mutations The COVID-19 pandemic was probably caused by the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from animals to humans, and it has been reported anecdotally that the virus can pass from humans to different animal species, too.

SFU engineering science professor Mirza Faisal Beg is spearheading research that could help to redefine cancer treatment. Using artificial intelligence (AI) his breakthrough research enables imaging of the human body and organ measurements much faster than traditional methods, signaling a leap forward in harnessing AI for individually personalized healthcare solutions.

Young adults who have more frequent psychotic experiences also tend to spend more time on digital media, study finds On average, young adults in Canada spend several hours on their smartphones every day. Many jump from TikTok to Netflix to Instagram, putting their phone down only to pick up a video game controller.

Victims- agency and needs, independent of their desire to exit trafficking, should be the focus of healthcare services for individuals who have been sexually exploited, concludes a new study by researchers with McGill University's Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN). -Unfortunately, we found a lack of awareness on the part of healthcare professionals and the inability to recognize the signs and symptoms of sex trafficking.

A team of Montreal scientists identifies an important new mechanism that's key to helping humans see in 3D. Scentists in Montreal have identified a key mechanism involved in the growth of nerve cells that are critical to mediate binocular vision, which allows people to see the world in three dimensions.

The less you understood public-health warnings against COVID-19, the more likely you didn't protect yourself and others, a new study suggests. Wearing masks, social-distancing, staying home: those preventive measures were least likely to be followed by Canadians who were least informed about how best to stop the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Study compares UV exposure and behaviours among different groups in with the goal of improving public health efforts aimed at reducing melanoma rates A new study led by McGill University examines why people living in Atlantic regions are more at-risk for developing melanoma than other Canadians, providing lessons on skin cancer prevention for the whole country.

At Western, researchers have been working on innovations in health care intended for communities in resource-constrained environments. The Frugal Biomedical Innovations Program has launched 15 catalyst grants to support these innovations, which will help in diagnosis of diseases and in therapy, while costing less to operate or maintain.

Science, Health & Technology Sachi Wickramasinghe Simple home workouts using exercise apps can effectively reduce depressive symptoms in healthcare workers and could be a major tool to combat the global mental health crisis in the sector, says new University of British Columbia research. The study, published today in JAMA Psychiatry , divided participants into either a waitlisted control group or an exercise group who were given free access to a suite of home exercise apps called DownDog , that included yoga, cardio and strength training.

Researchers aim to bridge the gap between AI technology and human understanding University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new explainable artificial intelligence (AI) model to reduce bias and enhance trust and accuracy in machine learning-generated decision-making and knowledge organization.

Poor medical follow-up, difficulty in accessing appropriate care, and loss of income. A research team highlights the challenges faced by people living with rare diseases. New research by the Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), affiliated with University of Montreal, highlights the colossal challenges faced by people living with one or more rare diseases, both in terms of care and in the personal and professional spheres.

Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk Treatment with modern antidepressants may help prevent patients with bipolar disorder from relapsing into a depressive episode, according to an international clinical trial led by researchers at the University of British Columbia. The findings, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine , challenge current clinical practice guidelines and could change how bipolar depression is managed globally.

Western researchers also find impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on cognition and memory differs by sex While previous research has shown that prenatal cannabis exposure can obstruct the normal growth of a fetus, the long-term impacts on brain development are still unknown. Western researchers are now providing fresh insight into this area, while also identifying a possible direction to treat the adverse effects.

Waterloo Pharmacy researchers address significant gap in maternal medication research. It's the start of World Breastfeeding Week, and University of Waterloo Pharmacy researchers have developed a novel metric for an underserved research area to aid healthcare providers in advising on maternal medication use for breastfeeding mothers or nursing persons.