Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Health
New non-profit targets under-researched diseases
McGillians are playing key roles in Conscience, a new non-profit initiative that hopes to use artificial intelligence and a “team sport” approach to encourage research into the rare diseases and potential threats that Big Pharma tends to ignore.
Webcasts
Is COVID on the rise again?
Wastewater doesn’t lie. COVID-19 cases are rising once more, just as many of us prepare to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family.
Health
An influential scientist (inside and outside his lab)
Michel Chrétien, MSc’62, hasn’t just been a witness to the evolution of medical science in Quebec and Canada. He has also been a major player. (Cet article est disponible en français.)
On Campus
Trailblazing deans
Two Faculties recently made McGill history with the appointments of their first female deans. Vivianne Yargeau (Engineering) and Lesley Fellows, BSc’90, MDCM’96, MedResident’01 (Medicine and Health Sciences) talk about their careers and the work they hope to do in their new roles.
People
Science with ‘a funky, cool vibe’
As an immunologist, Frederic Bertley, BSc’94, PhD’00, once worked on vaccines for HIV/AIDS at Harvard. Now, he shares his passion for discovery as the head of an award-winning science museum in the U.S.
Health
Betting big on open science
The Neuro and its Tanenbaum Open Science Institute are committed to making its research as freely available and transparent as possible, while encouraging other neuroscience institutions to do the same.
Health
Helping Montreal prepare for the next public health emergency
As the deputy medical director at Montreal Public Health, David Kaiser, BSc’03, MDCM’09, MSc’13, oversees emergency preparedness. His holistic perspective on health issues was forged, in part, during his environmental sciences studies at McGill.
Culture
Some summer reading options
Summer is here and the beach (or your balcony or your backyard) beckons. If you are on the lookout for book suggestions, a number of McGill alumni have recently published new works that you might be interested in digging into.
Webcasts
Spiders – A Tale of Fear, Loathing and Fascination
Earlier this year, a scientific study suggested that the reason many of us are afraid of spiders can be traced to one thing: bad press. But was that explanation enough to convince the most extreme arachnophobes to overcome their fears?
Health
Assisting patients with their final decision
Dr. Stefanie Green, MDCM’93, is a Canadian pioneer in the practice of medical assistance in dying. “[Patients] stop thinking about how they might die and start thinking about how they are going to live during the time they have left.”
Webcasts
How mRNA vaccines might change the course of medical history
Can this new approach to medicine protect us from future viruses and become the magic bullet in the battle against cancer, HIV and other deadly diseases?
Health
The dazzling potential of RNA therapies
The success of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines underlines the immense promise of RNA science. About 100 McGill scientists are actively pursuing research in this field, including some who have already done pioneering work. A recent agreement with Moderna could pave the way for new breakthroughs.