Media Releases Archives: 2021

New software provides detailed picture of diversity of COVID-19 virus variants

March 12, 2021

Genomic surveillance programs have tracked more than 300,000 unique genetic versions of the COVID-19 virus. A new Western-developed web application…

Western fireball trackers play key role in important meteorite discovery

March 10, 2021

Western’s Denis Vida helped guide recovery of an extremely rare meteorite this week using Global Meteor Network, a world-wide camera collaboration he coordinates.

Media expert available to comment on covering crime in Canada 

March 10, 2021

A superior court justice’s decision to refer to the man convicted in the Toronto van attacks as “John Doe” has…

‘Atmospheric drying’ will reduce crop yields, stunt tree growth

March 8, 2021

Research shows that global atmospheric drying significantly reduces productivity of both crops and non-crop plants, even under well-watered conditions.

Expert available to comment on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Paralympic athletes

March 1, 2021

The recent release of the Canadian COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group Report demonstrated that while the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected…

Child sleep experts up all night – so parents don’t have to be 

February 26, 2021

A recent study found that more than 90 per cent of parents want to change something about their child’s sleep….

Human rights law provides transparent, fair framework for vaccine allocations

February 24, 2021


Study recommends governments adopt an intersectional approach to understanding how vulnerabilities and disadvantages affect a person’s health.

Study pinpoints role of language disruptions in psychosis

February 18, 2021

Patients with psychosis may experience communication difficulties because non-language parts of the brain are trying to manage communications tasks, new research from Western and Lawson Health Research Institute shows.

‘Perseverance’ pays off for Western Space alumnus

February 17, 2021

Western alumnus Raymond Francis serves as an engineer on NASA’s science operations team for the Perseverance rover, which is set to land in Jezero crater on Mars.

Dialysis patients four times more likely to die from COVID-19 infection

February 11, 2021

Patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis are particularly vulnerable to contracting and dying from COVID-19, a Western-led study found.