Five burning questions with Ehab Abouheif

Ehab Abouheif, James McGill Professor in the Department of Biology at McGill, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the highest distinctions in the global science community, which recognizes contributions to science and techn

A para- to meta-isomerization of phenols

Phenols are a common functional group of many naturally occurring and biologically active molecules, including many that are part of the human diet. In 2020 alone, ~60% of small molecule drugs approved by the FDA contained a phenol or a closely related phenolic ether, underscoring their importance to the pharmaceutical industry.

Celebrating all of our science outreach volunteers

The theme for this year's National Volunteer Week is Every Moment Matters. It highlights the importance of every volunteer and each contribution they make at a moment when we need support more than ever.

Millions of gamers advance biomedical research

Leveraging gamers and video game technology can dramatically boost scientific research according to a new study published today in Nature Biotechnology.

McGill’s Gault Nature Reserve: Serving biodiversity and the community

Located in the heart of the Montérégie region, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, McGill University’s Gault Nature Reserve comprises more than 1,000 hectares of lush old-growth deciduous forest, just 40 km from Montreal. A refuge for migratory birds, Gault is at the heart of Canada’s first UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve. 

Thousands flock to McGill to take in solar eclipse

On Monday April 8th, thousands of people flocked to McGill's downtown and MacDonald campuses, as well as Gault Nature Reserve, to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event: the total solar eclipse. The three spectacular events not only included a viewing party with free glasses, but also educational activities to inform the public on this astronomical phenomenon.

Safer, more efficient drug discovery

McGill researchers have discovered a safer and more efficient technique for testing new drugs while they are in development.

A promising discovery in a rare neurodegenerative disease

Imagine being middle aged and starting to feel that you are off balance a lot and that you are having a hard time coordinating your movements. Those are among the symptoms of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, known as SCA6, a rare neurodegenerative disease which typically appears in adulthood and worsens over time. Over time, other problems such as slurred speech and difficulty seeing or seeing double, may also appear.

Night Lights and Scientific Delights: Nuit blanche at McGill

True to its name, Montréal’s Nuit blanche is an annual celebration of the vibrant culture of the city, with thematic itineraries and extended business hours that ensure festival-goers a night of endless excitement.

Real Data and Real Solutions in MATH 527

On a cloudy afternoon this past December, a group of McGill students gathered in a downtown Montréal boardroom to give a data science presentation to Citera, a sustainability analytics company. This presentation wasn’t for an internship or any other extracurricular activity – it was part of one of McGill’s newest and most innovative courses: MATH 527, Statistical Data Science Practicum.

Soup & Science: McGill’s stew-pendous serving of research

Recently, McGill undergraduate students had the opportunity to savor an enriching blend of knowledge and soup at the 37th edition of Soup & Science. This week-long event, occurring once a semester, highlights research taking place on campus. This semester’s showcase included topics across disciplines, ranging from quantum meta-photonics to optogenetic stimulation in roundworms, and students were able to learn and engage with these topics in an intimate setting.

Species diversity promotes ecosystem stability

What maintains stability within an ecosystem and prevents a single best competitor from displacing other species from a community? Does ecosystem stability depend upon the presence of a wide variety of species, as early ecologists believed, or does diversity do the exact opposite, and lead to instability, as modern theory predicts?

A push for more women in computer science

When Jade Raymond, BSc’98, studied at McGill’s School of Computer Science, she was one of few women in the program and “I think the only woman I knew in my year who went and got a job as a programmer in computer science after graduating.”

Raymond became a trailblazer in the video game industry, helping create the huge hit Assassin’s Creed, and building studios from the ground up for Ubisoft and Electronic Arts.