It has long puzzled fundraisers why, in any appeal, some people will eagerly jump in with the throng while others equally passionate about the cause will reject the same pitch. Now research led by Western researcher Bonnie Simpson is nearer to figuring out why some...
Research & Innovation
Western rocks the crater in unique Sudbury field course
Thirty-two students from Western and around the world will be journeying almost two billion years back in time in a unique, intensive one-week field course to study the planet’s second-largest impact crater. Prof. Gordon (Oz) Osinski, acting director of...
Rare case of stroke recovery after 23 years, noted by researchers at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute
A Windsor man who regained use of his hand 23 years after having had a stroke is being described as a “remarkable” case by researchers who have tracked his recovery. The rare case challenges the conventional belief that stroke recovery occurs early or not at all. Dr....
Western researchers reverse the negative effects of adolescent marijuana use
Researchers at Western University have found a way to use pharmaceuticals to reverse the negative psychiatric effects of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana. Chronic adolescent marijuana use has previously been linked to the development of psychiatric...
Push to perfection is a suicide risk factor, Western University researcher says
People who believe they must be perfect – and who ultimately can’t deal with the thought of being flawed – are at much greater risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide, says a recent paper co-authored by a Western University researcher. The role of perfectionism in...
Western University researchers use proteins in saliva to diagnose and find clues about Zika virus
Researchers at Western University are examining proteins and peptides in saliva in order to detect a person’s exposure to Zika virus. With 70 countries and territories reporting evidence of mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission, there is an increased need for a rapid...
Too near, or too far? What fruit flies teach us about personal space
Most of us have had the experience of backing away when someone has stepped inside the bounds of our personal space. But, until now, little has been understood about the mechanisms that allow us to determine when someone is “too near” or “too far”. Using fruit flies,...
Bone anatomy shows one size doesn’t fit both
Patient health may be compromised, and health costs higher, when the same kind of stabilizing plate is used in a woman’s forearm as in a man’s after a bone break, say researchers at Western University’s Bone and Joint Institute. Fractures of the distal radius, just...
World’s largest sleep study launches from Western’s Brain and Mind Institute
Renowned Western University neuroscientist Adrian Owen has launched the world’s largest sleep-and-cognition study to help researchers learn the effects on our brains of sleep and sleep deprivation. “Many of us are working more erratic hours and sleeping less, while...
Sub-surface Mars scanner concept gets boost from Western University expertise
A Western planetary researcher will lead a study under a contract awarded to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) by the Canadian Space Agency to explore using a leading-edge radar technology to search for ice on Mars. Gordon “Oz” Osinski, Acting Director of...
Top predators’ fear of human ‘super predator’ can impact entire ecosystems
Cougars and other large carnivores are frightening beasts but, according to a new study, the fear these top predators inspire may be matched by their own fear of the human ‘super predator’, causing cascading effects down the food chain. Globally, humans now kill large...
From helpful to harmful: Western University researchers uncover MAIT cells’ dark side in toxic shock syndrome
A subpopulation of immune cells that normally fend off pathogens can turn against the host during certain infections, Western University researchers have revealed. The study, published in PLOS Biology was led by Mansour Haeryfar, PhD, at Western University’s Schulich...