Houston, there is no problem here. Eric Pilles assisted in capturing – for the first-time ever – extraordinary and highly significant scientific images of the NASA InSight robotic lander using HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment), the camera currently...
Research & Innovation
Black widow spiders rely on posture and body dynamics for survival and sex
A new study led by Western University’s Natasha Mhatre shows that body dynamics and posture are crucial to how black widow spiders decode the important vibrations that travel through their webs and up their legs. Black widows rely on these vibrations for sexual...
New report on domestic violence documents 418 cases of domestic homicide involving 476 victims in Canada from 2010-2015
A new report from the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Vulnerable Populations (CDHPIVP) is a painful reminder that domestic violence is a major social, criminal and public health issue that affects thousands of Canadians every day. Based on work...
Researchers create tool to examine cost-effectiveness of naloxone programs in high schools
In the midst of a national opioid crisis, some Canadian school boards have implemented school-based naloxone programs in order to provide secondary school administrators, teachers and students with access to naloxone kits, which can reverse an opioid overdose....
Rapid test for E.coli keeps contaminated food off grocery store shelves
The goal is to identify E. coli in your food before it ever leaves the processing plant, ensuring that it never makes it to the shelves of your neighbourhood grocery store. A new rapid testing kit developed by researchers at Western University is revolutionizing food...
Cardiac surgery and addictions counselling linked to significantly reduced mortality in injection drug users with heart valve infection
Cases of endocarditis – infection of the heart valves – have risen dramatically in recent years as a result of the opioid crisis. In London, Ontario 55 per cent of people who experience heart valve infections are injection drug users. They are particularly vulnerable...
Granddaughter’s epilepsy battle inspires $2.5-million donation
https://youtu.be/MklIzzfpf7U Spurred on by their granddaughter’s ongoing battle with epilepsy, Western Chancellor Jack Cowin, BA’64, LLD’00, and his wife Sharon have made a substantial $2.5-million gift to epilepsy research at Western University. Jack and Sharon were...
Pollen DNA provides potential new window for forensic information
For one Western University researcher, DNA found in pollen grains can provide a fingerprint to determine their precise origin. Bogumil Karas, PhD, an assistant professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, collaborated with research teams from...
Severe breastfeeding pain experienced by new mothers can impact infant health
Breastfeeding pain is not often recognized as a problem, but a majority of first-time mothers experience this type of pain, which may lead some to stop breastfeeding altogether. A new study from Western University has discovered that the pain experienced is often...
Physical activity throughout pregnancy enhances physical and mental health and reduces risk of pregnancy complications
Physical activity is a critical component of achieving a healthy pregnancy according to a new evidence-based pregnancy & physical activity guideline, co-led by Western University professor Michelle Mottola and launched jointly by the Society of Obstetricians and...
Boy meets world: Life-long space buff and Western graduate student discovers exoplanet
Ever since Chris Fox was a young boy, he wanted to visit alien planets. With no immediate plans for such a voyage, the Western University graduate student has done the next best thing. He’s gone and found one. Teamed with Paul Wiegert, Graduate Program Director at...
World’s largest sleep study shows too much shut-eye can be bad for your brain
Preliminary results from the world’s largest sleep study have shown that people who sleep on average between 7 to 8 hours per night performed better cognitively than those who slept less, or more, than this amount. Neuroscientists from Western University’s renowned...