Clearing the air: wind farms more land efficient than previously thought

Wind power is a source of energy that is both affordable and renewable.

However, decision-makers have been reluctant to invest in wind energy due to a perception that wind farms require a lot of land compared to electric power plants driven by fossil fuels. Research led by McGill University and based on the assessment of the land-use of close to 320 wind farms in the U.S. (the largest study of its kind) paints a very different picture.

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.

Campus garden initiatives can help grow the next generation of environmental change-makers

For many Canadians, one of the most visible climate impacts is on the availability and cost of the food we eat as climate change, global crises and profit-driven food companies have combined to drive food insecurity. Amid this crisis, students are sowing seeds of change on university campuses across the country, including at McGill.

Study finds weak link between adolescent media use and psychotic experiences in adulthood

As digital media becomes an increasing part of daily life for teens, the question of how heightened screen time will impact their brains in the future is becoming more pressing.

A group of researchers at McGill University has set out to determine whether the use of video games, computers and other media during adolescence was associated with psychotic experiences in adulthood.

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.

Using pulp and paper waste to scrub carbon from emissions

Researchers at McGill University have come up with an innovative approach to improve the energy efficiency of carbon conversion, using waste material from pulp and paper production. The technique they’ve pioneered using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan not only reduces the energy required to convert carbon into useful products, but also reduces overall waste in the environment.

A roadmap to improving healthcare disparities in northern Quebec

Indigenous communities in northern Quebec face significant hurdles to healthcare access. The Nunavik region is remote, with limited transportation options and extreme weather conditions. As a result, its population faces lower life expectancy and poorer health outcomes.

New findings from McGill University provide a blueprint to address Nunavik’s urgent healthcare needs by offering concrete evidence for discussions with policymakers.

More than 2M Quebecers don’t have access to primary care: OurCare report

More than two million people in Quebec don’t have access to primary care, the front door to the healthcare system, according to the newly released OurCare report on Canada. This is among the worst rates in the country, the report states.

Prize-winning scholars advocate for immigrant women, killer whales and a balanced society

McGill University is pleased to announce the winners and runners-up of the 2024 President’s Prize for Public Engagement through Media. The Prize was created to recognize outstanding achievement among those who share their knowledge on a vast range of subjects with the media and the public.

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?

McGill becomes oldest university in Canada to receive Platinum STARS sustainability rating

Thanks to the efforts of the McGill community, the University has become the oldest in Canada, in terms of infrastructure, to receive a Platinum STARS rating for sustainability. The achievement is the highest rating available from one of the most broadly recognized programs to measure sustainability performance in higher education.

McGill researchers awarded over $12 million in NSERC Alliance grants

Federal funding program supported 59 research projects in cleantech, astrophysics, medtech, and more. 

Seventeen McGill researchers announced as Canada Research Chairs

From health and disability law to the emerging field of regenerative medicine, seventeen McGill scholars named to new or renewed Canada Research Chairs positions across diverse fields 

$107.5 million for eight innovative research projects led by McGill

The Government of Canada makes major investment in research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund competition.

A model for the evolution of intelligence

When certain species of wild birds and primates discover new ways of finding food in the wild, it can serve to measure their flexibility and intelligence.