wire - news in brief

It's a copycat killer - often mimicking less severe conditions and delaying much-needed, timely treatments.

While nootropics - more commonly known as 'smart drugs' or foods that act as cognitive enhancers - were first identified more than 50 years ago, they have yet to become widely recognized as a legitimate way to improve cognitive performance.

Can physical activity extend the lifespans of older adults? A review paper published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) , co-authored by Western Jane Thornton, summarizes considerable evid

While herding sheep is an age-old adage for leadership, breeding and raising sheep is where the money is, according to a new study led by Western University researchers. But not just any sheep. Far more profitable are "solar" sheep, raised specifically to trim grass and weeds under traditional solar panels or agrivoltaic arrays.

With a focus on solving real-world problems, researchers at the WesternWater Centre are designing innovative projects that have a tangible impact on public health and environmental management.

Does a healthy smile translate into a better social life; especially as we age? Backed by new funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), a team led by Noha Gomaa, professor and as

Population studies show adults over 80 are the world's fastest growing demographic and in Canada, they are quickly outpacing other age groups.

For Western PhD candidate Sarah Alakshar, who's driven by a passion for improving youth mental health, Western's health information science program is a perfect fit.

New research centre will transform understanding of damaging winds, hail and flash floods in Canada A global leader in wind engineering and climate resiliency for 60 years, Western University is changing the way Canadians think about the country's most dangerous and damaging weather events.

Western biology professor Robert Buchkowski has seen the warming planet directly upend his research, when hot and dry summer conditions have made warming experiments - studies to model how trees respond to climate change - too extreme for the plants to handle.

Close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Now picture this. You are standing on the beach, feeling the soft, warm sand underneath your feet, watching the ocean waves crash gently onto the shore and palm trees swaying in the wind.

While Joshua Pearce has no plans to open a Michelin-starred restaurant any time soon, the Western University researcher spends much of his free time thinking about feeding the world. Now, a decade after co-writing Feeding Everyone No Matter What (a how-to guide on combatting an apocalyptic global food crisis), Pearce has taken his big-picture planning off planet with his latest concept: mining asteroids for space food.

As academics and scientists around the world seek the best way to navigate the fast-growing world of artificial intelligence (AI), a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry student has incorporated th

Shifting the narrative from "chasing youth" to empowering older adults to live vibrant, healthy lives As the global population ages, the challenges related to aging have never been more significant.

It's a tug of war - a constantly evolving battle between antibiotics and the bacteria they are designed to kill. And experts say bacteria are winning. But a dedicated team of researchers at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are laser-focused on what seems like an impossible task: Creating drugs to fight - and win - the war against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Prestigious mathematics organization's satellite campus will offer research, study, collaboration opportunities Mathematicians like to put their heads together to solve tricky problems.

New research suggests financial savings, more than environmental concern, can help drive a reduction in food waste Skyrocketing food costs are uniting Canadians, as families scrutinize their budgets and try to keep grocery bills in check.

While it has been 18 years since Adrian Owen discovered consciousness in patients in a vegetative state, hardly a day has gone by when Western University's world-renowned neuroscientist doesn't connect back to his Eureka moment.

Preliminary findings in Calgary show similarities to 2020 storm, which caused $1.2B in insured damages For the second time in less than five years, Calgary, Alta.

Fourth-year biology student Jennifer Le Tran is making the most of her summer, conducting hands-on research about the Philippines - in Liverpool, England.

Western professors Dr. Anna Gunz and Lesley Gittings connect the dots between climate change and our health In 2021, the World Health Organization declared climate change the greatest global health threat to humankind in the 21st century.

Occupational therapy researcher advances inclusion for older adult immigrants through community research When Sachindri Wijekoon was just a child, her family, along with her aunts and uncles, relocate

Adrian Owen and Karnig Kazazian use brain activity patterns to predict survival rates of ICU patients The very thought of being 'locked in' following a brain injury or even aware during general anesthesia induces fear because it awakens the classic terror trope of being buried alive. But what does it mean to be awake, but entirely unable to respond, and what can this tell us about consciousness itself?

Sheri Molnar and her team have collected earthquake relevant data at more than 2,300 locations across Canada's third-largest city centre While earthquake prediction is next to impossible, it is possib

When he received the offer to fly across the world to build a universal COVID-19 vaccine with a researcher at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Cody Hird didn't hesitate to pack his bags.

When chemistry professor Samantha Gateman realized there was no non-hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) on the market without significant side effects, she became inspired to make a change.

In a step toward combating dementia, Western researchers have received a $1.1 million grant from the Weston Family Foundation to explore the potential of gentle brain-synched sounds to improve sleep and memory performance in older adults. The method, which involves playing those gentle sounds during sleep, is called phase-locked auditory stimulation.

New techniques and technologies needed to manage shifts in growing seasons, crop yields, weather and pests The planet is getting warmer and climate change - not surprisingly - impacts the way we feed the world.