The first-ever ‘The Abstract’ Magazine! – Spring Edition (Part 2)

Featuring the Articles and Artworks of this year’s contributors The 2025-2026 The Abstract Editorial Team is pleased to present our…

The first-ever ‘The Abstract’ Magazine! – Fall Edition (Part 1)

Featuring the Articles and Artworks of this year’s contributors The 2025-2026 The Abstract Editorial Team is pleased to present our…

Your New Favorite Number: Part 3

Cover Image: Lilly Guilbeault, April 2026 By: Flore Devernay, Contributing Writer In 1608, Peter Roth published Arithmetica Philosophica, where he…

MSURJ Author Profiles 2026

Want to meet the undergraduates behind the upcoming MSURJ issue? Check out the profiles below…

Your new favorite number: Part 2

Cover Image: Lilly Guilbeault, March 2026 By: Flore Devernay, Contributing Writer We’ve all had to endure the excruciatingly painful task…

Back from the dead: The science of de-extinction

Cover Image: Brianna Fasoli, March 2026 By: Becca Carballal, Contributing Writer The possibility of bringing extinct animals back from the…

Miracle in a minute

Cover Image: Linnea Chassort, January 2026 By: Parmida Talebi, Contributing Writer The skincare industry thrives on dreams. Dreams that acne…

Your new favorite number: Part 1

Cover Image: Lilly Guilbeault, March 2026 By: Flore Devernay, Contributing Writer We’ve all had to endure the excruciatingly painful task…

A stroll through the Morgan Arboretum

Cover Image: Aura Datta, January 2026 By: Quinnlyn Boyle, Contributing Writer Within walking distance from McGill’s MacDonald campus lies a…

Why a good cytomegalovirus vaccine is hard to find

Cover Image: Pan Dammann, March 2026 By: Jacob Van Oorschot, Contributing Writer More uses for mRNA vaccines? In a talk…

AeroCellutions X MSURJ

Cover Image: Charlotte Benard, March 2026 Article written by Carolyn Denton of the McGill BioDesign AeroCellulations Team What do a…

We know the name- but not the disease. What is really happening with endometriosis in 2026?

Cover Image: Jenny Ding, March 2026 By: Isla Stiff, Contributing Writer Happy International Women’s Day! There remains a widespread perception…

Science for all: When access to medicines gets tangled in bureaucratic red tape

Cover Image: Isabelle Aish, February 2026 By: Iarina Murasan, Contributing Writer (original version published in The Dose, a UAEM newsletter)…

The pharma heroine: Frances Kelsey and the thalidomide tragedy

Cover Image: Lilly Guilbeault, January 2026 By: Sagit Yessim, Contributing Writer If you have ever taken CHEM 211, then chances…

Cloudy skies could point to brighter days ahead

Future scientists could spray tiny particles into the atmosphere with airplanes. This technique, called stratospheric aerosol injection, would likely cause…

What do a broccoli, a lightning strike, and blood vessels have in common?

Cover Image: Drawing by Rachel Gerllays, February 2026 By: Flore Devernay, Contributing Writer Before you read any further, go out…

MMR vaccine hesitancy – mindset and misinformation

Cover Image: Ella Yang, February 2026 By: Isla Stiff, Contributing Writer Resurgence of Measles within Canada Measles is a highly contagious…

Red light, blue light: Illuminating a few health claims – Part 2

By: Jacob Van Oorschot, Contributing Writer Cover Image: Reno Zhu, Illustrator (original work) Monday’s article broke down the evidence supporting…

Red light, blue light: Illuminating a few health claims – Part 1

By: Jacob Van Oorschot, Contributing Writer Cover Image: Reno Zhu, Illustrator (original work) Among the greatest challenges I faced in…

Empire in the bloodstream: The Opium Wars and their after-effects

Cover Image: Painting by Nikita de Jonge, January 2026 Article by: Parmida Talebi, Contributing Writer In the early nineteenth century, British…

Parasitoidism acquaints a wasp with strange bedfellows

Virus particles used as gene delivery vectors by parasitoid wasps—and people? Cover image: Signe Dixon, February 2026 By: Jacob Van…

The epigenetics of exercise: Strengthening your muscles and your mind

Cover Image: Liadan Lawson, February 2026 By: Becca Carballal, Contributing Writer Finals season is fast approaching, and with it are…

Where is the St. Lawrence headed?

Cover image: May Wang, February 2026 By: Quinny Boyle, Contributing Writer Stretching from Lake Ontario, past Montreal, and out to…

Origins of the nervous system as told by sea sponges and comb jellies

Cover Image and Figures: Auden Akinc, February 2026 By: Jacob Van Oorschot, Contributing Writer Who branched off first: comb jellies…

Standing on the shoulders of giants – progress has never been achieved alone: How interdisciplinary, collaborative projects lead to scientific and artistic growth

By The Abstract Editors: Kiarah Geertsema, Natalie Co, and Adele Lopes, in partnership with McGill’s Office of Science Education.
Ten interviews with Building 21 scholars at the Undergraduate Science Showcase.

MSURJ Author Profiles 2025

Want to meet the undergraduates behind the upcoming MSURJ issue? Check out the profiles below…

AI spy with my little eye: The future role of artificial intelligence in medical diagnostics

Many healthcare workers are afraid of being replaced by AI in the workforce–but as far as we know, there’s no reason for medical practitioners to worry.

So, vampires would get bloodborne diseases, no?

Lately, I’ve been concerned for the health of vampires. While I may not bear the curse of eternal life, I clearly have a bit of extra time on my hands. But seriously, vampires’ strictly-blood diet has me worried, due to all the blood-borne diseases they would be exposed to.

Memory beyond the brain: How non-neuronal cells are capable of remembering

Memory has long been a central focus of neuroscience and psychology, with extensive research exploring how information is encoded, stored, and received by the brain. A groundbreaking new study had introduced the possibility that memory processes may also be occuring outside the brain.

Beyond the fall: Embracing life after breast cancer

In the relentless pursuit of a cure, we have made incredible strides in cancer diagnosis and treatment– turning what was a seemingly insurmountable challenge into a journey of resilience and hope. With these new highly sophisticated, individualized treatments extending the average life expectancy and survival rate for people with cancer, it is time for our narrative to shift from survival to the full restoration of life and well-being.

Diving into winter: The effects of cold water immersion

The thought of going for a swim may seem crazy as winter approaches, but for some, the dropping temperatures indicate the start of polar plunge season. A quick dip in the frigid Canadian waters sends a shock through the body–but upon returning to shore, this is replaced by a sweeping refreshing sense of calm. Is this activity, seen as reckless by some, actually beneficial to one’s physical or mental health.

Micro-allies in our gut help us fight cancer

Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized oncology over the last three decades, but a serious problem remains: more than half of treated patients do not respond to the therapy. Recent research, including work at McGill, reveals that manipulating the microorganisms living in our gut could help improve treatment outcomes.

Can animals think about thinking?

An overview of metacognitive studies in non-human animals. This may make you feel guilty about killing that insect crawling on your wall at 1A.M.…

DNA origami: Possibilities unfolding before our eyes

By: Iarina Murasan, Contributing Writer To most, origami is a traditional Japanese paper-folding technique that results in beautiful, mind-blowing little…

Flu season and the future of influenza in a post-COVID world

With every winter comes flu season. What does that mean? Between larger pandemic outbreaks like the 1917 Spanish flu and a few others since, we run into seasonal epidemics of the disease. Influenza is far from a steady presence in our lives throughout the year; in Canada, seasonal influenza is a phenomenon that ramps up every November, peaks in the winter, and all but disappears come summertime. What causes this cycle, and, following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, how will it be altered in future years?

The quantum route to consciousness

A theory to explain how we are conscious which is so bizarre, it just might be true…

Parallels in global food insecurity: Examining pollinator decline and assessing an ecological collapse through arctic entomology

Can Arctic Entomology Predict the Future of Global Food Security?

MSURJ Author Profiles 2024

Want to meet the undergraduates behind the upcoming MSURJ issue? Check out the profiles below…

The spread of misinformation: A public health crisis

How tackling the invisible epidemic of misinformation can restore public health

Our best friend Joe: Coffee’s superiority in terms of caffeine vectors

Wake up and smell the… caffeine pills?

A fountain of lies? The rise of collagen supplements

A look into the online marketing, faddish popularity, and (in)efficacy of collagen supplements…

Space above earth is turning into a junkyard

Debris from past launches puts future space exploration at risk. For satellites and other spacecraft, space around Earth is a perilous freeway of life and death.

The genetic AND POSTAL lottery: A review of sleep inequality

Shedding light on sleep inequality, an unknown concept, as one of the leading causes of poor health and wellness.

Mini brains in petri dishes

Neuroscientists are engineering “cerebral organoids” using pluripotent stem cells to mimic human brain development, potentially aiding in the study of neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors.

Beyond the needle: A history of MMR vaccine hesitancy

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) named vaccine hesitancy as a top 10 threat to global health…

Genetics: The key to humanity’s past and future health

Understanding our ancestors’ genetic makeup to help us understand how our immune systems work today.

Maybe don’t “just ask”

by Sacha Mitchell, Contributing Writer “We just asked.” If you live in Canada, you’ve probably seen this tagline on a…

ChatGPT: An ethical exploration

With increasing automation of everyday tasks, how can we assess the ethics of artificial intelligence? by Lucy Mao, Contributing Writer…

MSURJ Author Profiles 2023

Want to meet the undergraduates behind the upcoming MSURJ issue? Check out the profiles below and attend the MSURJ Launch on…

Feeling to remember

Memory formation is closely tied to our emotions. Could we use our emotions to mold our memories? by Isabelle Guo,…

HeLa cells – The story behind the first immortal cells

by Louise Durand, Contributing Writer Most people in science have heard of HeLa cells at least once. They are the…

MSURJ Author Profiles 2022

Want to meet the undergraduates behind the upcoming MSURJ issue? Check out the profiles below and attend the MSURJ Launch…

The first woman cured from HIV: What is waiting in the future?

by Selina Zhao, Contributing Writer In February, a woman* was reported as the third person ever to be cured of…

Are biodegradable plastics the solution to the plastic crisis?

by Pauline Hughes, Contributing Writer As you make efforts to be a more environmentally-conscious consumer, labels like ‘biodegradable,’ ‘compostable,’ ‘sustainable,’…

What’s worth curing? An investigation into the allocation of research funding

by Julia Hukowich, Contributing Writer It’s obvious that we would be nowhere in modern medicine without spending billions of dollars…

Midterms and caffeine: A match made in the brain

by Athina Sitou, Contributing Writer Why does getting a hot cup of tea or coffee make studying feel more enjoyable?…

How a nucleic acid could hold the secret to preventing preeclampsia

by Sofia Reynoso, Co-Managing Editor My introduction to preeclampsia came from binge watching Downton Abbey in middle school, when (spoiler…

Career conversations with a conservationist

Sarah goes back to the K’tzim-a-deen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary every year to hang out with bears. Pictured here are a…

Why don’t we touch things with our head?

by Selina Zhao, Contributing Writer Have you ever wondered why babies unintentionally touch dangerous things with their hands? Or why…

Too cute to die: How human emotions influence wildlife conservation

by Louise Durand, Contributing Writer Estimating the number of endangered species on earth is difficult, as we haven’t yet studied…

Controversy and pending approval of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm

by Athina Sitou, Contributing Writer Alzheimer’s disease can often have heartbreaking effects on families. It ceases to be abstract when…

Frogs as pets

(Above: The author as a young child with his father’s garden pond in the background.) by Gabriel Forest, Contributing Writer…

Life-saving science: The 5 most important inventions of all time

by Julia Hukowich, Contributing Writer What comes to your mind when you hear the words “important invention”? I asked a…

Happy bacteria, happy epithelia: How gut microbiota help suppress inflammation

by Pauline Hughes, Contributing Writer Your intestines are teeming with microorganisms. But, not to worry; these microorganisms, known as the…

Nucleolus: All life is salad dressing

by Liam Scott, Contributing Writer Many would claim that salad dressing is what makes a salad worth eating. Diehard fanatics…

Laughter improves immunity, no joke

by Daniel Mendelson While you laugh at your uncle’s corny dad jokes at the Thanksgiving table, your immune system is…

Parkinson’s disease: Neurons, autoimmunity and gut infections, oh my!

by Angela Nelson Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of dopamine-producing cells – dopaminergic neurons…

Nanopillars found on insect wings may solve macro-problems in antimicrobial resistance

by Bridget O’Brien If you press a thumbtack into a balloon, it pops. In a similarly destructive manner, many winged-insects…

Making new brain cells to fight cell death in Alzheimer’s Disease

by Alina He Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and affects an estimated 50 million worldwide…

Don’t deny it: Your password is terrible

by Viet Hoang We have all been down this road: you are making a new account and you need to…

Let’s get ethical

by Sofia Reynoso Recently, I watched a documentary series called Unnatural Selection on Netflix. The show details how an emerging…

Scientific research – a long term investment cut short by underfunding

by Alina He Funding in scientific research has suffered a decade long decline in Canada. A recent reinvestment attempts to…

The hidden treasure that is CHEM396

by Elias Andraos As a U2 chemistry student that completed a CHEM 396 project this past summer, I am surprised…

Think outside of the box when it comes to getting into research

by Janet Wilson The benefits of doing undergraduate research are extensive. It can teach you how to deal with failure,…

Research-backed tips to help you work smarter, not harder this finals season

The last finals season of the decade is approaching, and whether it’s your first set of finals or last, it can be a stressful time. Here are some tips backed by recent research to help you survive the next few weeks. […]

What’s wrong with the peer review process and how can it be improved?

By: Janet Wilson Publishing is the “be all end all” for researchers – publications allow them to pay their lab…

The neuroscience of eating disorders

Written By: Laura Meng During the 19th century, Sir William Gull formally proposed the clinical term Anorexia nervosa (AN) to…

Pythagoras: Triangles and triads

Written By: Yingke Liang Have you ever listened to western stringed music and enjoyed it? If you did, you owe…

What’s in a name?

Written By: Katharine Kocik In terms of classifying organisms, names usually reveal a great deal about a species. The familiar…

I’m sorry, what?

Written by: Howard Li Two weeks ago, I met up with a friend who I haven’t seen for a long…

An Investigation on our love for blackboards

By: Mathilde Papillon The blackboard. This archaic teaching tool is in practically every single class of any science student. It…

On the horizon in machine learning: Identifying natural selection at work in the human genome

Written by: Janet Wilson Machine Learning (ML) is a rapidly evolving branch of artificial intelligence in which a program is…

The Experience of Research as an Undergrad

Ah, research! Cutting-edge technology, exciting chemicals, pushing the limits of knowledge with your own two hands! But is that all…

Evidence that new doctors cause increase in mortality rate in the UK

In England, there is a commonly held belief that it is unsafe to be admitted to the hospital on “Black…

Observing molecular machines using Cryo-EM

In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson for their development…

Sustainable farming (feat. Rocks!)

Climate change is one of this generation’s most persistent and pressing problems. It not only affects sea levels, habitats, and…

Alcohol and potential DNA damage

A recent study completed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge suggests a novel reason…

Alan Guth and the multiverse

Feature Photo: The Atlantic The content from this article was produced by Mathilde Papillon. On the evening of January 18,…

A weekend of engineering: MEC 2017

The Feature photo was taken from the McGill Engineering Competition Facebook page. Each year, a handful of McGill engineering students…

Not sure about SURE?

McGill’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) Award gives undergraduate students a 16-week, full-time internship position at an engineering research…

Soup and science: Bringing students close to the research

Feature Photo: From McGill University’s Facebook Page In the beginning of each semester, the Faculty of Science organizes Soup and…

Research Awareness Day 2017

November 25th, 2017 marked the annual Research Awareness Day (RAD) held by the Biochemistry Undergraduate Society (BUGS). One of the…

This month on the PDB: December

Hi everybody! 162 structures were released from November 28th to December 5th, ranging from the typical Homo sapiens proteins to…

Battling on the shoulders of giants

In the 20th century, we were proposed with two revolutionary theories in physics: quantum mechanics and relativity. Quantum mechanics deals…

Undergraduate Research 101

Undergraduate research is one of the most rewarding activities at McGill. Experience in undergraduate research exposes students to scientific inquiry,…