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��Թ� researchers develop quick test that stands to curb antimicrobial resistance

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:48:47 +0000

��Թ� researchers have developed a diagnostic system capable of identifying bacteria –and determining which antibiotics can stop them – in just 36 minutes, a major advance in the global effort to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Current clinical testing methods typically take 48 to 72 hours, leaving physicians without timely guidance.

The researchers say this innovation arrives at a critical moment due to the urgency of the AMR crisis, which arises from bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics.

Experts: AI and the future of work

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:25:38 +0000

A new report by the Institut de la statistique du Québec estimates that, in 2024, 59 per cent of Quebec workers held a job with “high exposure to artificial intelligence (AI).”

Exposure to AI means occupations where AI can play a beneficial complementary role or occupations where tasks could be transformed or workers be replaced by AI.

These ��Թ� experts are available to comment:

Expert: 2026 Winter Olympics

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:53:05 +0000

The 25th Winter Olympics will take place in Milan–Cortina, Italy, Feb. 6 to 22, drawing top athletes to one of the world’s most watched sporting events.

Gordon Bloom, James ��Թ� Professor, Chair, Department of Kinesiology and Sports Activity can share his expertise in Sport psychology; high-performance sport; team cohesion; and coaching.
gordon.bloom [at] mcgill.ca (English)

Pathological lying in teens is associated with executive function deficits, study indicates

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:17:11 +0000

Teenagers who are pathological liars also tend to struggle with executive function deficits, such as poor memory or impulse control, researchers have found.

Experts: Psychotic disorders in youth and young adults

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:56 +0000

While overall rates of psychosis in Canada appear stable, there has been a sharp increase in diagnoses among adolescents and young adults, and they are receiving diagnoses at younger ages than did members of older generations, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Researchers suggest the trend may reflect a mix of factors, including improved early diagnosis and treatment and increasing consumption of psychoactive substances.

Night owl or early bird? Study finds sleep categories aren’t that simple

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:05:32 +0000

The familiar labels “night owl” and “early bird,” long used in sleep research, don’t fully capture the diversity of human internal clocks, a new study has found.

The ��Թ�-led study published in Nature Communications found the two sleep-wake patterns, called chronotypes, contain a total of five distinct biological subtypes, each associated with different patterns of behaviour and health.

Hippocampus does more than store memories: it predicts rewards, study finds

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:58:01 +0000

A preclinical study published in Nature has found evidence that the hippocampus, the brain region that stores memory, also reorganizes memories to anticipate future outcomes.

Experts: Digital sovereignty

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:53:06 +0000

The French government announced on Jan. 27 the rollout of its new videoconferencing platform, Visio. The domestically developed platform was created to replace U.S. tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams across all state services by 2027 as part of the French government’s broader push for digital sovereignty. Officials say the shift will also cut software licensing costs and strengthen security and confidentiality.

��Թ� experts are available to comment on this topic:

A rich social environment is associated with better cognitive health outcomes for older adults, study finds

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:22:59 +0000

Research by an interdisciplinary team from ��Թ� and Université Laval provides new insights into the links between social factors and cognitive health among aging adults.

While previous research had found positive correlations between specific measures of social connectedness and a variety of health outcomes, this study appears to have been the first to create profiles aggregating multiple social factors and to see how those correlated with cognitive health in older adults, the researchers said.

In polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw, ��Թ� review finds

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:35:08 +0000

Microbes across Earth’s coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review from ��Թ�.

Experts: Extreme cold

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:21:03 +0000

Extremely cold temperatures are expected to hit most of Canada this weekend due to an Arctic air mass. As well, a severe winter storm is forecast for large parts of the United States.

��Թ� experts are available to comment on various aspects of the situation:

Expert: New Montreal policies on housing development

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:07:41 +0000

In a bid to encourage housing construction, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has announced the city plans to loosen obligations for developers that were enacted by the previous administration. Her team has also identified 80 plots of land owned by the municipality that are available for mixed use and non-profit projects.

This ��Թ� expert is available to comment Saturday, Jan 24 in the afternoon, or thereafter:

��Թ� researchers create shapeshifting materials that could power the next generation of soft robots

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:59:18 +0000

��Թ� engineers have developed new ultra-thin materials that can be programmed to move, fold and reshape themselves, much like animated origami. They open the door to softer, safer and more adaptable robots that could be used in medical tools that gently move inside the body, wearable devices that change shape on the skin or smart packaging that reacts to its environment.

Expert: Rebuilding trust in health science

admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:45:30 +0000

A new report calls for action to rebuild Canadians’ trust in health science, warning declining confidence is undermining public health and could weaken the country’s ability to respond to future crises.

Experts: intimate partner violence

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:51:33 +0000

The number of reports of conjugal violence received by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) each year has tripled in the last decade, according to news reports. Representatives from the SQ have suggested this increase indicates people feel more comfortable reporting it, rather than an increase in violence.

��Թ� experts are available to comment: