School of Biomedical Sciences - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Human genetics professor receives Banting Discovery Award

51�Թ��Research and Innovation — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:40:03 +0000

Sirui Zhou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Genetics, has been awarded a prestigious 2025 Banting Discovery Foundation’s Discovery Award. The award program recognizes innovative biomedical health research projects led by outstanding new investigators at universities and research institutes in Canada.

Graduate supervision and teaching awards for Terry Hébert and Tania Janaudis-Ferreira

Health e-News staff — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:45:04 +0000

Terry Hébert, PhD, Assistant Dean, Biomedical Science Education, has been chosen for the David Thomson Award for Graduate Supervision and Teaching. Prof. Hébert, who is also Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics as well as Director of the 51�Թ��Regenerative Medicine Network, was recognized by his students and peers for his outstanding contributions to promoting graduate student excellence as a supervisor and teacher over the years.

McGill’s President honours outstanding early-career researchers

Robin Koning — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:37:29 +0000

Three 51�Թ��scholars were recognized with the 2025 President’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers at the Health Sciences Convocation Ceremony on May 27. The award honours exceptional early-career researchers whose work is expanding the frontiers of knowledge in their fields.

Although researchers across all disciplines were eligible, this year’s recipients – Professors Guojun Chen, Mahsa Dadar and Phoebe Friesen – are all members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Provost honours FMHS profs

51�Թ��Research and Innovation — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:37:44 +0000

Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 28 51�Թ��professors – including six from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – as Distinguished James 51�Թ��Professors, James 51�Թ��Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

51�Թ��discovery sheds new light on autism, intellectual disabilities

51�Թ��Newsroom — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:56:18 +0000

A new study by 51�Թ�� 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.

Génome Québec and Cystic Fibrosis Canada invest $1.2 million in research tackling rare, orphan CFTR mutations

FMHS Health e-News — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:20:06 +0000

Génome Québec and Cystic Fibrosis Canada today announced a $1.2 million investment in two new research projects focused on rare genetic mutations that are linked to cystic fibrosis and have no available treatment options. The projects are being funded through the two organizations’ joint Tackle Rare, Orphan CFTR Mutations Competition and have the long-term goal of developing new therapies for cystic fibrosis.

Darcy Wagner awarded prestigious JPND grant

The Research Institute of the 51�Թ�� Health Centre (The Institute) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:26:42 +0000

New funding supports an international collaboration to improve early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Darcy Wagner, PhD, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Lung Regenerative Medicine at 51�Թ��, has been awarded a prestigious grant from the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), the world’s largest collaborative initiative supporting research on neurodegenerative diseases.

FMHS researchers receive $43M in CIHR funding

Health e-News staff — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:54:32 +0000

Project Grant: Fall 2024 – FMHS recipients (listed in alphabetical order by PI)

Laurent Azoulay, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health and Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology
Assessing the long-term carcinogenic effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on thyroid, pancreatic, and biliary tract cancers: an international, multi-site cohort study

51�Թ��awards $500,000 to accelerate Mpox research and vaccine development

D2R — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:57:34 +0000

Mpox, a virus endemic to parts of Central and West Africa since its discovery in 1970, has spread to 116 countries, with over 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide1, including more than 1,900 cases in Canada2. Despite the availability of non-mRNA-based vaccines, challenges in distribution and the virus’s evolving nature raise significant concerns about global pandemic preparedness. Critical questions remain regarding virus identification, basic biology of the virus, vaccine response, immune protection parameters, and public health interventions.

In conversation with ethico-legal AI genomics expert Ma’n H. Zawati

Emily Cholette — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:34:58 +0000

Can you explain in simple terms what your project is about?

Our project “Development of Responsible AI for Genomic Biomarker Identification in the Context of the D2R Initiative” is focused on exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used responsibly and ethically in the context of D2R . We’re particularly investigating how AI can help identify biomarkers that signal the presence or progression of diseases, while ensuring that this technology is applied in ways that are fair, equitable, and socially responsible.