Category: News
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Immune cells cross-talk to prevent damage-driving inflammation following CNS injury
New research by Samuel David at McGill University provides new insight on the role of macrophages and resident microglia following injury to the central nervous system. Infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and resident microglia dominate at sites of central nervous system (CNS) injury. These cells have different origins – MDMs arise from the bone marrow throughout…
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Identification of a brain region involved in controlling pupil dilatation to optimize vision
New research by Chin-An Wang and Douglas Munoz, at Queen’s University, shows that a brain region called the intermediate superior colliculus (SCi) helps regulate the size of the pupil to optimize visual sensitivity and sharpness. Interestingly, brain processing of an object begins even before one shifts their gaze towards the object. This research shows that…
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Congratulations to the Canadian neuroscientists inducted to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Congratulations to the new fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Induction into the CAHS as a Fellow is considered one of the highest honours within Canada’s academic community. The newly inducted fellows include the following neuroscientists:
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BrainsCAN study discovers sound sensitivity differences between age groups
Neuroscientists from Western University have discovered a difference in the way younger and older adults respond to sounds. In the BrainsCAN study, researchers found that the brain becomes more sensitive to sounds as a person ages, which likely causes hearing challenges over a lifetime.
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Concussions loosen insulation around brain cells
Researchers say the findings provide a convincing reason to keep concussed athletes on the bench even if they no longer exhibit any symptoms. Detailed scans of concussed University of British Columbia hockey players found that the protective fatty tissue surrounding brain cell fibres was loosened two weeks after the injury—even though the athletes felt fine…
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The link between obesity, the brain, and genetics
When it comes to weight gain, the problem may be mostly in our heads, and our genes Clinicians should consider how the way we think can make us vulnerable to obesity, and how obesity is genetically intertwined with brain structure and mental performance, according to new research. The study, led by researchers at the Montreal…
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Congratulations to newly elected fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and to the incoming class of the college of new scientists
The Royal Society of Canada has recently announced new Fellows in the Academies of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science. They have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. Recognition by the RSC is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. The…
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Genetic model offers elegant tool for testing Parkinson’s disease therapies
For the past decade, Parkinson’s disease researchers have relied on the experimental equivalent of using a sledgehammer to tune a guitar to test new therapies for the disease. This may be a reason clinical trials of promising neuroprotective drugs fail. But, in new research published today in Nature Parkinson’s Disease, researchers at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for…
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Scientist denied visas to attend next SfN meeting
Individual members of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) have alerted us to the fact that a number of scientists across Canada are being denied visas to enter the United States to attend the next annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego. Many are students and postdoctoral fellows who have left their home countries to…
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The power of multidisciplinary collaboration: A sculptor’s exploration of the brain
Read about a multidisciplinary collaboration between neuroscientists and artists, developed through The Convergence Initiative. Founded in 2016 by neuroscientist and graphic designer Dr. Cristian Zaelzer, the Convergence – Perceptions of Neuroscience initiative is a partnership with the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program (BRaIN) of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), the…