Media Releases
Below is a selection of recent press releases. For all the latest news please visit www.utoronto.ca/news
General Inquires +1 (416) 978-0100 Email media.relations@utoronto.ca
University of Toronto researcher first to open lab notes in real time
Toronto, ON — University of Toronto researcher Rachel Harding will be the first known biomedical researcher to welcome the world to review her lab notes in real time. The post-doctoral fellow with U of T’s Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) is also explaining her findings to the general public through her blog. She hopes her open approach will accelerate research into Huntington’s disease. “This should drive the process faster than working alone,” Harding says. “By sharing my notes, I hope that…
First Nations champion, film and TV trailblazers, and academic giants among those set to receive honorary U of T degrees
Toronto, ON — Ten individuals will receive honorary degrees from the University of Toronto, primarily during the June 2016 convocation ceremonies. Honourees include former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario James Bartleman, TV producer and “Degrassi” creator Linda Schuyler, Toronto International Film Festival Director and CEO Piers Handing, chancellor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cynthia Barnhart, and Manjul Bhargava, the first Canadian winner of the Fields Medal, often called the Nobel Prize of mathematics, in addition to other thought leaders. “We…
U of T Welcomes Provincial Investment in New Centre Focused on Economic Success
Toronto, ON - The University of Toronto welcomes the $15M investment by the Ontario government for the new Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CEIE). As stated in the 2016 Ontario Budget introduced today, this investment will support strengthening the Innovation SuperCorridor in Ontario. This Centre will bring together smart building design and state-of-the-art learning technologies, enabling students, faculty, alumni and industry partners to work together in addressing some of Canada's most pressing economic challenges. "We are pleased at this recognition…
Researchers identify security and privacy issues in Baidu Browser
Toronto, ON - A new report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab reveals that Baidu Browser, a popular mobile browser based in China and used by millions of people, has many privacy and security issues that could put users’ communications at risk. Baidu Browser is available in both an Android and Windows version, and the researchers found both contain several problems. The Android version transmits data such as a user’s search terms, GPS coordinates, and URLs visited in the…
Negative citations important to scientific progress, should be tracked, says new study
Toronto, ON - Having your work mentioned in somebody else's research is an important way for scholars to build their academic reputations. Citing others’ work is also important to the credibility of new research. But what happens if a researcher makes a citation in order to point out flaws or weaknesses in a previous study? Negative citations are not necessarily a bad thing, says Nicola Lacetera, an associate professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto Mississauga who is…
University of Toronto physicists discover new laws governing the “developmental biology of materials”
Toronto, ON – When one atom first meets another, the precise nature of that interaction can determine much about what kinds of physical properties and behaviours will emerge. In a paper published today in Nature Physics, a team led by U of T physicist Joseph Thywissen reported their discovery of a new set of rules related to one particular type of atomic-pair interaction. The researchers study interactions between atoms that have been cooled close to absolute zero. “Ultracold atoms are…
Toronto’s first peer cancer education program for black women improves awareness and screening
Toronto, ON -- Public health researchers created a first-of-its-kind peer education project targeting black women to improve breast and cervical cancer awareness and screening for black women living in Toronto’s Malvern community. “There is a lot of silence in the black community. People think that cancer is not a black issue and many survivors are shy to speak out,” said Dr. Onye Nnorom, who leads the Health Equity Research Collaborative (HERC), a group of Toronto-based researchers who are interested in…
NSERC prizes awarded to five University of Toronto scholars
Toronto, ON - Five University of Toronto scholars have been awarded prizes in 2016 by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) – the largest tally of winners at any university in Canada. “Our exceptional performance in the NSERC awards makes it clear that U of T remains a powerhouse for research that has impact in the sciences and engineering,” said Vivek Goel, U of T vice-president of research and innovation. “We should be proud of the range…
What “tainted” engagement rings reveal about consumer expectations: Rotman study.
Toronto, ON - We're told diamonds -- and their value -- are forever. But new research into the re-sale of diamond engagement rings shows a diamond's value is affected by the story people attach to it and whether it fits with their ideas about what a good ring needs to be. When relationships tank so does the value of the rings meant to honour them. Rings disclosed as products of divorce and other failed relationships were much less likely to…
Canadians trail Americans in attitudes to innovation
Toronto, ON – A new study released by the Impact Centre at the University of Toronto has shown that Canadians lag behind their American counterparts in their attitudes toward innovation. “The Impact Centre is undertaking research to understand why we lag much of the developed world in our capacity to innovate,” said study author and Impact Centre Senior Fellow Charles Plant. “Most studies only say that we are bad at innovating, and include general recommendations about what we can do about it,”…