Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a rare neurodegenerative disease first identified in the Charlevoix-Saguenay region of Quebec. The disease affects muscle control, making a range of activities, from swallowing to speaking to walking, more difficult. Brenda Toscano Marquez, a postdoctoral researcher, and Alanna Watt, a biology professor[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
ROAAr symposium delves into the complicated relationships between scientists
The science behind friendship and how it develops between people has been a longstanding object of study. However, much less research has looked into the friendships between scientists themselves. The Rare & Special Collections, Osler, Art, and Archives (ROAAr) branch of the McGill Library held a symposium on Jan. 20[Read More…]
A mother’s fight to bring an understanding of autism outside of the clinic
From last century’s fears surrounding poor parenting to modern vaccine hesitancy, persistent misconceptions about the causes of autism have often resulted in the developmental condition being wrongfully associated with moral panic. During a recent talk hosted by McGill’s Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry for the Culture, Mind and Brain[Read More…]
Faculty of Science presents the 33rd edition of Soup and Science
The 33rd edition of Soup and Science, a popular Faculty of Science event showcasing the diversity of research being conducted at McGill, aims to provide students with an opportunity to interact directly with professors from different disciplines. Held remotely this semester, the mini-lecture series took place from Jan. 10 to[Read More…]
Three-factor model predicts psychiatric illnesses with 90 per cent accuracy
Remember the butterflies in your stomach and the tingling sensation that gives you shivers when you are just about to pitch an exciting project idea to your professor? Or when you finally deliver your handmade gift that you spent countless hours perfecting? Last summer, Marco Leyton, a professor in the[Read More…]
Cutting-edge biomaterial for regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is an exciting and rapidly developing field that involves replacing or regenerating human tissues to re-establish their normal function. In the lab, scientists are trying to create and improve biomaterials to use for tissue repair. For instance, vocal cords can be severely damaged in patients who suffer from[Read More…]
Increased space missions risk extraterrestrial contamination
The days of the U.S.-Soviet Space Race are over, and the domain of space exploration is expanding daily to include more countries than ever before. With the advent of private companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which aim to reduce the costs of space transportation, expeditions into our extraterrestrial surroundings[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: The Omicron variant
Over the past few weeks, there has been a surge of coronavirus cases around the world. As of Dec. 21, it was estimated that the new Omicron variant accounted for more than 80 per cent of total cases in Montreal. The variant was first detected in South Africa on Nov.[Read More…]
A selection of 2021’s top advances in science
Content Warning: Mention of traumatic injury. In 2021, despite the pandemic continuing to wreak havoc on society, scientists continued to break boundaries in diverse fields of research. The McGill Tribune highlights four remarkable advances that occurred over the past year, while we were busy wondering whether the pandemic will ever[Read More…]
Storming the ivory tower: Students securing research opportunities in STEM
For many undergraduates, it can be challenging to find opportunities to learn the applied skills of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in a classroom setting. Being trapped memorizing facts only to regurgitate them during midterms and finals can quickly stifle the enthusiasm that students would have otherwise brought[Read More…]
