Cover Image: Linnea Chassort, January 2026 By: Parmida Talebi, Contributing Writer The skincare industry thrives on dreams. Dreams that acne … More
Category: e – Health & Disease
For pieces about staying healthy and new discoveries about diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimers.
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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) … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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.
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.
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 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…
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.
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
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. […]
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 … More
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 … More
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 … More
Insects for a snack?
by Loloah Chamoun If I told you that I could incorporate insects into your diet without you even noticing, would … More
Paging Dr. Robot: IBM introduces the clinician’s trusty sidekick, Watson
Keeping up with medical research is a monstrous task for today’s clinicians. Masses of new data rapidly augment the already-enormous … More
The hidden businessperson: Money’s conspicuous absence in the concept of “doctor”
I recently searched Google Images for the keyword “doctor.” The page of results was flooded with attractive (predominantly white and … More
The exam survival guide
By now, you have no doubt either had your first midterm or you are busy studying for one. You might … More
Everything you thought you knew about food is wrong…
At a time when the obesity epidemic is overwhelming healthcare systems globally, when it seems that almost everyone is “watching … More
Hunting for disease genes, then and now
By Yuhao Shi If you’ve taken an introductory genetics course, you probably know a little bit about the techniques and … More