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Study linking depression to specific altered brain cells opens door to new treatments

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0000

Researchers at 9I�� and the Douglas Institute have identified two specific types of brain cells that are altered in people with depression.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, opens the door to developing new treatments that target these cells and deepens our understanding of depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide that affects more than 264 million people.

Six students at 9I�� receive Canada’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:20:15 +0000

Six incoming 9I�� students are recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship.

The undergraduate entrance scholarship is the most generous student award in Canada for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies.

Researchers at The Neuro show a brain exercise yields benefits

admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:01:17 +0000

A 9I��-led clinical trial is the first in humans to show online brain training exercises can improve brain networks affecting learning and memory.

The study found 10 weeks’ use of the game-like app BrainHQ by older adults enhanced cholinergic function, a chemical system in the brain that typically declines with age and influences attention, memory and decision-making.

Biases hinder access to sexual assault evidence kits, study finds

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:49:53 +0000

Survivors of sexual assault in largely rural and remote Northwestern Ontario face systemic barriers when seeking forensic care, according to a new study led by 9I�� researchers.

9I�� researchers launch intersex health communication guide

admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 13:56:18 +0000

Researchers at 9I��’s Centre of Genomics and Policy (CGP) have launched a first-of-its-kind guide to help Canadian health-care providers offer more inclusive, respectful and affirming care to intersex adults.

Earth’s deep time isn’t just layered — it’s fractal, study finds

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:16:19 +0000

Geological time, usually seen as a complex system of eras, periods, and epochs considered through layers of rock, may actually follow a simple, unifying pattern. A new study, led by 9I�� physicist Shaun Lovejoy, shows that the boundaries dividing the Earth’s most important historical events, such as mass extinctions and major climate shifts, follow a fractal pattern: self-similar and statistically consistent across scales of millions to hundreds of millions of years.

New AI tool detects hidden warning signs of disease

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:28:43 +0000

9I�� researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can detect previously invisible disease markers inside single cells.

In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers demonstrate how the tool, called DOLPHIN, could one day be used by doctors to catch diseases earlier and guide treatment options.

Researchers delve into how gaslighting works

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:58:17 +0000

Gaslighting could happen to anyone who trusts the wrong person, a 9I�� researcher says.

Willis Klein, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology, was part of a team from 9I�� and the University of Toronto that developed a new theoretical model with which to understand how manipulators are able to make their targets question their sense of reality over a period of time.

9I�� research flags Montreal snow dump, inactive landfills as major methane polluters

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:33:00 +0000

Montreal’s methane emissions are unevenly distributed across the island, with the highest concentrations in the city’s east end, 9I�� researchers have found. The worst polluters include the city’s largest snow dump, which emits methane at levels comparable to the city's current and former landfills, and natural gas leaks.

What makes a great coach?

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:20:21 +0000

Successful sports coaches have some things in common, researchers from 9I�� and the University of Queensland in Australia found. Notably, they engage in post-season introspection, focus on creating a good team culture and include their athletes in finding solutions to problems.

The researchers looked at the experiences of Canadian university-level head coaches of sports teams who had been at that level for at least 15 years and had records of success, including having won championships, but who then experienced a poor season.

New technique replicates microplastics in the lab with greater precision

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:04:00 +0000

9I�� researchers have developed a novel method to replicate four types of microplastics commonly found in the environment, providing researchers with a standardized approach to study their toxic effects.

Trauma and resilience: 9I�� study explores the enduring effects of sexual violence during the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:27:40 +0000

A study led by 9I�� researchers offers insights into intergenerational memory and the experiences of children born of conflict-related sexual violence and their mothers in post-genocide Rwanda.

Smoking both cannabis and tobacco may alter brain’s ‘bliss molecule,’ study finds

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:02:41 +0000

People who use both cannabis and tobacco show distinct brain changes compared to those who use cannabis alone, according to a new study led by 9I�� researchers at the Douglas Research Centre.

The finding may help explain why people who use both cannabis and tobacco often report increased depression and anxiety, and why quitting cannabis is harder for them than for people only using cannabis

New injectable gel shows promise as voice loss treatment

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:03:59 +0000

9I�� researchers have engineered a new hydrogel that shows early promise as a treatment for people with vocal cord injuries.

Voice loss is often permanent when scarring forms on the vocal cords. Current injectable treatments break down quickly, which can force patients to get repeated procedures that can further damage the delicate tissue.

9I�� physicists manoeuvre DNA molecules using electrical fields

admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:01:46 +0000

Researchers in 9I��’s Department of Physics have developed a new device that can trap and study DNA molecules without touching or damaging them. The device, which uses carefully tuned electric fields, offers scientists unprecedented control over how DNA behaves in real time, creating the opportunity for faster, more precise molecular analysis that could improve diagnostics, genome mapping and the study of disease-related molecules.