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Experts: Summer stresses on families

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:11:04 +0000

The end of the school year brings with it a change of routine that in some cases can place stress on family members and family dynamics: parents often struggle with logistical challenges and some children and teens may face boredom and be separated from important social relationships.

These experts are available to comment:

Experts: Heart-related health risks in heat waves

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:56:43 +0000

As a heat wave rolls into southern Quebec, public health officials are urging residents to take precautions.

A new study led by ��VR��Ƶ researchers highlights how heat waves can increase the risk of heart problems. Analyzing more than 260,000 hospital admissions in Montreal over five summers, they found the risk of hospitalization for heart conditions rose by about eight per cent on the hottest days compared to days with more moderate temperatures.

Expert: Comiccon and the psychology of fandom

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:53:19 +0000

Montreal Comiccon will take place July 3 to 5 at the Palais des congrès, bringing together enthusiasts of comics, anime, gaming, film and pop culture.

Experts: CUSMA trade talks

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:32:38 +0000

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade comes up for review as of July 1. These ��VR��Ƶ experts can provide comment.

Diya Jiang, PhD candidate and course lecturer, Department of Political Science, can speak about:

Bike infrastructure is expanding in Canada, but access remains uneven

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:57:39 +0000

Children and older adults are consistently less likely to live near bike lanes, finds a new study that mapped cycling infrastructure in three Canadian cities over a decade.

The ��VR��Ƶ-led research analyzed census data for Montreal, Vancouver and Victoria. Across all three cities, neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of children (under 15) and older adults (65+) were located farther from cycling infrastructure.

��VR��Ƶ researchers create a device that behaves like a single neuron

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:17:52 +0000

��VR��Ƶ researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behaviour emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand associated with similar devices that rely on circuits or software.

Instead of capturing data first and processing it elsewhere, the device senses and interprets light in the same place, similarly to how the eye processes visual information.

Expert: “Incel” rhetoric linked to fatal shootout in Cote-des-Neiges on Monday

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:34:38 +0000

The man reported to be responsible for deadly shootings yesterday allegedly left behind a manifesto using language associated with the “involuntary celibacy” — or “incel” — movement.

This expert can provide commentary:

Esli Chan is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science. She has conducted academic research on incel and gender-based violence in Canada.

esli.chan [at] mail.mcgill.ca (English)

Crop diversity and perennial grains could strengthen soil health under climate stress, ��VR��Ƶ study finds

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:06:32 +0000

A ��VR��Ƶ study suggests that diversifying crops and replacing annual wheat with a perennial grain could help protect soil health as climate change brings more variable rainfall.

Experts: Moving Day in Quebec and the housing crisis

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:47:24 +0000

As Quebec’s July 1 Moving Day approaches, affordable housing remains an issue for many.

These ��VR��Ƶ experts are available to comment:

Avi Friedman, Professor, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, is available to discuss affordable housing, housing development, Montreal's urban development and sustainable developments.

Abraham.friedman [at] mcgill.ca (English, French, Hebrew, Italian)

NASA should build a biocontainment facility on the moon to protect Earth, researchers advise

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:24:52 +0000

A biocontainment facility designed to protect Earth from potentially hazardous biotic contaminants from space should be part of a planned NASA base on the moon, a policy paper maintains.

“Humanity is entering a new era of space exploration, but our planetary protection strategies have not kept pace with the risks associated with returning extraterrestrial samples to Earth,” said paper co-author Frederick I. Moxley, Director of Strategic Threat Analysis and Research Laboratories, an Idaho-based consultancy.

Expert: Prediction markets coming to Canada

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:51:46 +0000

Wealthsimple is preparing to launch a new app this summer that will give Canadian retail investors limited access to prediction markets, where users can trade on the outcome of real‑world events – from interest rates to climate trends – through the U.S. platform Kalshi.

A ‘bridge’ to bolstering research and clinical expertise

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:52:50 +0000

��VR��Ƶ’s Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences is well known for its impact in Quebec, where its award-winning Service to the Community Program provides dental care to underserved groups throughout the Greater Montreal Area.

Though lesser known, the Faculty’s global impact is no less impressive, with a long history of training oral and maxillofacial surgical residents from the Middle East. Now, the Faculty is expanding its global footprint through a new research and clinical collaboration with Kuwaiti partners.

Digitization of centuries of Canadian weather records promises to improve climate understanding

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:07:04 +0000

Researchers have uncovered and digitized nearly two million 18th and 19th century weather observations from across Canada that offer new insights into how the country’s climate has changed over time.

The international project draws on handwritten records dating from 1768 to 1884. The data include temperature, precipitation, wind and detailed descriptions of such events as storms and floods.

Study yields new insights on what makes conversation engaging

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:43:01 +0000

What makes a speaker engaging? Both what is said and how it is said matter, but in different, complementary ways, a new study conducted at the ��VR��Ƶ School of Communication Sciences and Disorders has found.

When people try to sound “engaging,” they tend to speak more loudly and in a higher pitch, and this can lead listeners to evaluate them more positively, the researchers said. However, the study also reveals that the listener’s desire to extend a conversation depends mainly on interest in what the speaker has to say.

Experts: One in four Quebecers now unpaid caregivers

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:15:56 +0000

New data offer a snapshot of the scale of informal caregiving across Quebec and the people most likely to shoulder that responsibility.

More than one in four Quebecers aged 15 and over identify as informal caregivers, most supporting someone aged 65 or older. The findings show that women and adults aged 45 to 54 are more likely to take on these roles. They also highlight the reality that caregiving is often balanced with paid work, with most caregivers remaining employed.