Organ donor registration increased by 62 per cent across the province from 2011 to 2016, but where you live has a lot to do with whether you have signed up to be a donor. There is large regional variation of organ donor registrants across the province ranging from 20...
Research & Innovation
New self-powered, smart implant may greatly reduce knee replacement surgeries
Knee replacement surgery is one of the world’s most common orthopedic procedures, but the implants don’t last forever. They can wear out, loosen or just fail to meet patient expectations and require revision surgery. A new self-powered, load-sensing smart implant...
Canada’s first groundhog was a bear
Move over Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willie and Shubenacadie Sam – it turns out the earliest animal to predict the coming of spring in North America was not a groundhog, but a bear. Alan MacEachern, Canadian history professor at Western University, has dug deep into...
Injection of opioids linked to significant increase in bacterial heart infections
People who inject drugs are at a high risk for a number of health issues. In a new study from ICES, Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, researchers discovered a significant rise in the risk of infective endocarditis, a serious heart infection,...
Ever-abundant sulphur may be answer for more powerful (and cheaper) electric vehicles
There’s a more powerful (and potentially cheaper) alternative to the batteries traditionally used for electric cars, but it’s not a viable option (yet) because it runs too hot with increasing potential for fire and explosion in most environments. A new strategy from...
Western’s CPSX supports new space mission led by CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques
While in space, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut David Saint-Jacques is using his vantage point from aboard the International Space Station to explore Earth. Saint-Jacques is observing our planet to better understand its geological, environmental and ecological...
New study of twins shows that loneliness is genetic but not necessarily hard-wired
A new Western University study of more than 750 pairs of adult twins shows that loneliness, for some, is more than just a feeling. It’s actually part of a person’s genetic makeup. However, there is encouraging news – environment still plays a much larger role in our...
Leveraging technology to diagnose psychiatric disorders
Psychiatric disorders are often difficult to diagnose. As research advances, we are learning there are multiple subtypes of illness that differ in symptoms and treatment needs, making classification even harder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one example....
Western University-led team selected by Canadian Space Agency to study Mars minerals
Western University-led team selected by Canadian Space Agency to study Mars minerals “Planetary Instrument Concept Study” to develop a “Miniaturized In-situ X-Ray Diffractometer for Mineralogical Characterization of Planetary Surfaces (ISXRD)” which will focus on Mars...
Women with complications after pelvic mesh implants at increased risk of depression and suicide
Women who require more surgery for complications after a mesh-based sling procedure have an increased risk of depression and self-harm behaviour, according to a new study by researchers at ICES. Women with stress urinary incontinence leak urine when they cough,...
Northern Tornadoes Project launches most comprehensive analysis ever in Canada
A unique, Western University-led project to discover and decode tornadoes in remote Northern Ontario has spun into a nationwide mission to identify every Canadian tornado in 2019. The Northern Tornadoes Project identified nine tornadoes in 2017, which had previously...
MRI technique shows unique signatures of concussion in rugby players
*** Zie hieronder de Nederlandse versie (See the Dutch version below) Using MRI to study the brains of young female athletes has helped researchers develop an objective way to monitor a concussion injury. By using a technique that combines both structural and...