ɬ�﷬ News - News releases

Researchers identify two new crocodile species

webfull — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:59:51 +0000

ɬ�﷬ researchers, in collaboration with Mexican scientists, have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucatán Peninsula. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts, the researchers say.

Published: 24 April 2025

Our brains can communicate wordlessly, through our eyes

webfull — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:07:35 +0000

ɬ�﷬ researchers have demonstrated something long assumed: that glances can transmit information about one’s mental state to others without a single word being exchanged. They speculate that this primal ability may have played a role in assuring survival of human society at times when making a sound could have attracted predators.

Published: 23 April 2025

Drugs targeting ‘zombie cells’ show promise for treating chronic back pain

webfull — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:32:42 +0000

In a preclinical study led by ɬ�﷬ researchers, two drugs targeting “zombie cells” have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide.

Current treatments manage symptoms through painkillers or surgery, without addressing the root cause.

Published: 22 April 2025

Fighting honey fraud with AI technology

webfull — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:10:40 +0000

ɬ�﷬ researchers have developed an AI-powered method to verify the origin of honey, ensuring that what’s on the label matches what’s in the jar. The breakthrough offers a potential solution to a long-standing problem.

“Honey is one of the most fraud-prone commodities in global trade. It often involves mislabelling where it was produced or the types of flowers that bees collected nectar from,” said lead author Stéphane Bayen, Associate Professor and Chair of ɬ�﷬’s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.

Published: 14 April 2025

New drone-assisted 3D model offers a more accurate way to date dinosaur fossils

webfull — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:09:29 +0000

A new study from ɬ�﷬ is reshaping how scientists date dinosaur fossils in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP). Using advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping, researchers have uncovered significant variations in a key geological marker, challenging long-standing methods of determining the ages of dinosaur fossils.

Published: 10 April 2025

What links cannabis use and psychosis? Researchers point to the brain’s dopamine system

webfull — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:18:25 +0000

A ɬ�﷬-led study found that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis.

“This could help explain why cannabis use increases the risk of hallucinations and delusions, key symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders,” said first author Jessica Ahrens, a PhD student in ɬ�﷬’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience.

Published: 9 April 2025

ɬ�﷬ discovery sheds new light on autism, intellectual disabilities

webfull — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:39:13 +0000

A new study by ɬ�﷬ researchers yields insights into how the disruption of calcium transport in the brain is linked to autism and intellectual disability. The findings, published in the journal Nature, not only upend a long-held belief among neuroscientists, but could pave the way for treatments.

Published: 2 April 2025

COVID-19 boosters help avoid breakthrough infections in immunocompromised people, ɬ�﷬-led study finds

webfull — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:26:36 +0000

New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at ɬ�﷬ say.

Published: 31 March 2025

Humpback whales’ use of memory to time their migration could prove less effective amid climate change

webfull — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:09:16 +0000

A new study led by ɬ�﷬ researchers indicates that humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific combine real-time environmental cues with their memories of conditions in their Antarctic feeding grounds to determine when to embark on their annual 10,000-kilometre journey. With climate change accelerating, the researchers warn this strategy may become less effective amid shifting ocean conditions.

Published: 27 March 2025

AI analysis challenges autism diagnosis criteria

webfull — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:11:03 +0000

An analysis of digital health records using large language models (LLMs) is challenging a long-held belief about the clinical identifiers of autism.

A new study led by researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of ɬ�﷬ and Mila Quebec AI Institute found that social communication factors may not be as important in identifying the condition as previously believed.

Published: 26 March 2025