We’ve known for a while that the vestibular system in the inner ear is responsible for helping us keep our balance. And while researchers have already developed a basic understanding of how the brain constructs our perceptions of ourselves in motion, until now no one has understood the crucial step by which the neurons in the brain select the information needed to do so.

Cachexia, a syndrome characterized by rapid weight loss and muscle deterioration, is a major cause of death among patients suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS and chronic infection. Now, a newly published study by McGill University researchers shows that a low dose of Pateamine A is effective at preventing cancer-induced muscle wasting, which may lead to cachexia-fighting drugs.

Thanks to the Cole Foundation, pediatric leukemia research has again this year received support to recruit some of the best and brightest researchers in the field.

Current research ethics focuses on protecting study participants, but according to bioethicists from McGill University and Carnegie Mellon University, these efforts fail to prevent harms that undermine the social value of research.

A new McGill University study evaluating off-label prescribing of medications by primary care physicians in Quebec suggests the practice is common, although it varies by medication, patient and physician characteristics. The paper was published online today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.