More than 11,000 additional women opted for the most effective form of birth control—long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)—within just 15 months of B.C. making prescription contraception free. The numbers don’t lie New research from the University of British Columbia and collaborators shows a 49-per-cent jump in LARC dispensations after the province introduced universal, no-cost coverage in April 2023. That’s a seismic shift in how reproductive-aged women are managing their reproductive choice, the researchers say. The study tracked ...

Australian researchers have discovered a promising new strategy to suppress the growth of aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a specialised molecular process known as ‘minor splicing’.   Published in EMBO Reports, the study shows that blocking minor splicing can markedly slow tumour growth in liver, lung and stomach cancers, while leaving healthy cells largely unharmed.   The research in animal models and human cells, from Australian medical research institute WEHI, demonstrates ...

Researchers at the University of Michigan have illuminated a complete sensory pathway showing how the skin communicates the temperature of its surroundings to the brain. This discovery, believed to be the first of its kind, reveals that cool temperatures get their own pathway, indicating that evolution has created different circuits for hot and cold temperatures. This creates an elegant solution for ensuring precise thermal perception and appropriate behavioral responses to environmental changes, said Bo Duan, senior author of the new study. "The skin is the body's ...

The largest genetic analysis of stuttering has demonstrated a clear genetic basis for the speech disorder, highlighting neurological pathways of risk. The study, published July 28 in the journal Nature Genetics, used data representing more than 1 million individuals who had their DNA analyzed by the company 23andMe Inc.  The findings point to 57 distinct genomic loci associated with stuttering and suggest a shared genetic architecture of stuttering with autism, depression and musicality. The results provide a foundation for additional research that could lead to earlier identification or therapeutic advances in stuttering. More broadly, improving understanding of the causes ...

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a powerful new method to detect harmful blue-green algae in freshwater lakes. Their method, which involves advanced mass spectrometry technology, can identify toxin producing blue-green algae before they become damaging in recreational waters and pose threat to public health. Blue-green algae (scientifically named as cyanobacteria) are micro-organisms commonly found in ponds, lakes, and oceans worldwide. In optimum growth conditions, they can form huge “blooms” that appear like green slime covering the surface of the water. Although these blooms are extremely ...

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats — which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants.  Plants, like animals, have immune systems. Part of their defense toolkit includes immune receptors, which give them the ability to detect bacteria and defend against it. One of those receptors, called FLS2, helps plants recognize flagellin — a protein in the tiny tails bacteria use to swim. But bacteria are sneaky and constantly ...

Toronto, Canada – A new study of 3,500 Canadians aged 55 and older revealed a strong association between early childhood adversities and depression. Experiencing physical abuse in childhood was linked to a threefold increase in the likelihood of lifetime depression, while exposure to sexual abuse or parental domestic violence more than doubled the risk. The University of Toronto research was published recently in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus. “Our findings shine a light on how trauma in the earliest years can echo through decades, shaping patterns of mental health and well-being,” says the first author, Megha Goel, a doctoral student at the University ...

Immersing in virtual reality (VR) nature scenes helped relieve symptoms that are often seen in people living with long-term pain, with those who felt more present experiencing the strongest effects. A new study led by the University of Exeter, published in the journal Pain, tested the impact of immersive 360-degree nature films delivered using VR compared with 2D video images in reducing experience of pain, finding VR almost twice as effective.   Long-term (chronic) pain typically lasts more than three months and is particularly difficult to treat. The researchers simulated this type of pain in healthy participants, ...

VIEW EMBARGOED ARTICLE “The value of Canada’s health data is immense,” writes Dr. Kumanan Wilson, CEO, Bruyère Health Research Institute and an internal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, with coauthors. “The sovereignty risks associated with these data are real. If Canada is to lead in the health AI space, it must move quickly to establish long-overdue privacy and technology safeguards.” The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) ...

VIEW EMBARGOED ARTICLE He envisions supporting not only clinicians to innovate, but also health care organizations and the larger health system. “Ideally, health care systems will evolve into living laboratories that enable clinician- and patient-driven solutions supported by health care organizations as well as business and health care system leaders. This is not a new proposition; in 2015, an advisory panel on health care innovation previously advocated for this very concept in Canada,” writes Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, director of the Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM) at the University of Toronto and vice president ...

VIEW EMBARGOED ARTICLE While the virtual delivery of health services expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, many regions have decreased use of these services in recent years. In B.C., however, a unique pan-provincial partnership led by the Rural Coordination Centre of British Columbia (RCCbc), the First Nations Health Authority, the B.C. Ministry of Health, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) Digital Emergency Medicine Unit has worked together to build and grow a network of virtual services to support patients, physicians, and health care providers in rural communities. Initiated in March 2020, the RTVS network is publicly funded and designed to ...

People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence examining time to diagnosis in dementia. The researchers reviewed data from 13 previously published studies which took place in Europe, US, Australia and China, reporting data on 30,257 participants. The research team was investigating the average interval between ...

MADISON — When a multimillion-dollar extraterrestrial vehicle gets stuck in soft sand or gravel — as did the Mars rover Spirit in 2009 — Earth-based engineers take over like a virtual tow truck, issuing a series of commands that move its wheels or reverse its course in a delicate, time-consuming effort to free it and continue its exploratory mission.  While Spirit remained permanently stuck, in the future, better terrain testing right here on terra firma could help ...

In the United States, immigration status has long created hierarchies within our society, where some can participate fully in public life, while others are excluded. These divisions have serious consequences for our communities, including when it comes to public health. A research project led by the University of California, Santa Cruz recently uncovered a particularly alarming example of this effect by looking back on excess deaths in California throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Alicia ...

A new material developed by researchers from University of Toronto Engineering could offer a safer alternative to the non-stick chemicals commonly used in cookware and other applications.  The new substance repels both water and grease about as well as standard non-stick coatings — but it contains much lower amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of chemicals that have raised environmental and health concerns.  “The research community has been trying to develop safer alternatives to PFAS for a long time,” says Professor Kevin ...

Most people envision vibration on a large scale, like the buzz of a cell phone notification or the oscillation of an electric toothbrush. But scientists think about vibration on a smaller scale—atomic, even.  In a first for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have used advanced imaging technology to directly observe a previously hidden branch of vibrational physics in 2D materials. Their findings, published in Science, confirm the existence of a previously unseen class ...

Indigenous agroforests (food-producing agroecosystems where trees and crops grow together in forest-like environments) may offer valuable insights for addressing two of the world’s biggest challenges: declining biodiversity and rising non-communicable disease, according to research led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers. Published in July 2025 in Global Food Security, the study found that agroforests with greater ecological diversity also offer a more nutritionally diverse food supply.  The team analyzed 48 Indigenous agroforests in Fiji using a trait-based framework. Focusing on specific plant characteristics important for ecological resilience, such as ...

New findings from studying over two decades of satellite observations reveal that the Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss since 2002, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater use and extreme droughts. The study, led by Arizona State University and published today in Science Advances, highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-drying” regions, all located in the northern hemisphere, and warns of severe consequences for water security, agriculture, sea level rise and global stability.  The research team reports that drying ...

Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have created the world’s simplest artificial cell capable of chemical navigation, migrating toward specific substances like living cells do. This breakthrough, published in Science Advances, demonstrates how microscopic bubbles can be programmed to follow chemical trails. The study describes the development of a 'minimal cell' in the form of a lipid vesicle encapsulating enzymes that can propel itself through chemotaxis. Cellular transport is a vital aspect of many biological processes and a key milestone in ...

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) have uncovered a critical molecular cause keeping aqueous rechargeable batteries from becoming a safer, economical option for sustainable energy storage. Their findings, published in Science Advances, reveal how water compromises battery life and performance and how the addition of affordable salts – such as zinc sulfate – mitigates this issue, even increasing the battery lifespan by more than ten times.   One of the key determinants to the lifespan of a battery – aqueous or otherwise – is the anode. ...

Deep-sea fish confirmed as a significant source of ocean carbonate New research sheds light on the overlooked contribution of the ocean’s most abundant fish to marine carbon cycling. The findings open new avenues for studying deep-sea carbon dynamics and may improve Earth system models. MIAMI, FL — July 25, 2025 – A new study offers the first direct evidence that deep-dwelling mesopelagic fish, which account for up to 94 percent of global fish biomass, excrete carbonate minerals at rates comparable to shallow-water species. The findings validate previous global models suggesting that marine fish are major contributors ...

Eating disorders affect more than 5% of young people, and they have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.  Young patients with public health insurance have a much harder time accessing care, and they often get caught in a revolving door of hospital stays.  Researchers at UC San Francisco wondered if the cycle could be disrupted by giving outpatient therapy in the months after a first hospitalization.  They examined data from 920 California Medicaid enrollees ages ...

Reston, VA (July 24, 2025)—Naloxone (also known as Narcan, the commonly used drug to treat narcotic overdoses) has greater binding to opioid receptors in women’s brains than in men’s brains, according to new research published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The first-in-human whole-body PET study suggests men and women may respond differently to opioid use disorder treatments and offers new insights to advance neuropharmacology.  Opioid misuse is a worldwide epidemic associated with high overdose and mortality rates. The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is the target of opioid drugs including fentanyl and heroin, as ...

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the July 2025 Special Issue of the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking highlights the concept of “Humane Artificial Intelligence,” examining how AI can support human flourishing across contexts including healthcare, education, peacekeeping, and daily digital interactions. Click here to read the issue now. In their Editorial, Guest Editors Giuseppe Riva, PhD, from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brenda ...

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is tough on electronics. Situated inside a 17-mile-long tunnel that runs in a circle under the border between Switzerland and France, this massive scientific instrument accelerates particles close to the speed of light before smashing them together. The collisions yield tiny maelstroms of particles and energy that hint at answers to fundamental questions about the building blocks of matter. Those collisions produce an enormous amount of data — and enough radiation to scramble the bits and logic inside almost any piece ...