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
Einstein proved right: LIGO, U of T astrophysicists detect gravitational waves
“We see today that black holes exist in the universe and they do collide!” Associate Professor Harald Pfeiffer says (image courtesy NASA) For the first time, scientists have observed gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe, likely the collision of black holes. The discovery, made by the team at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory (LIGO), promises to open a new window into the cosmos. A team of astrophysicists at the…
Two in five individuals with schizophrenia have attempted suicide
Toronto, ON – A new study by the University of Toronto (U of T), released today, found that those with schizophrenia who’d been physically abused during childhood were five times more likely to have attempted suicide. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among individuals with schizophrenia was 39.2 per cent compared to 2.8 per cent of those without the disorder, according to the study. “Even after taking into account most of the known risk factors for suicide attempts, those with schizophrenia had six…
Students to participate in 13th Annual Trading Competition at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management
Toronto, ON – For the 13th year in a row, students from global business schools and universities will participate in the annual Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC). The students, along with their faculty advisors, from 52 different universities from as far away as China, Thailand, Ireland and South Africa will have their skills tested in the competition which takes place from February 18 to 20 at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Teams from LUISS University in Italy…
Scientists to provide update on the search for gravitational waves
Toronto, ON– Media are invited to view a live webcast at the University of Toronto (U of T) as the National Science Foundation brings together scientists from Caltech, MIT, and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration this Thursday at 10:30 a.m. (EST) at Washington’s National Press Club for a status report on the effort to detect gravitational waves – or ripples in the fabric of spacetime – using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Participants in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration who are…
Generalized anxiety disorder is three times more likely among older adults with COPD
Toronto, ON – The prevalence of past-year generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) for adults aged 50 and older with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is much higher compared to older adults without COPD (5.8% vs 1.7%), according to a new study published by University of Toronto researchers. In a paper published online this week in COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, investigators reported that individuals with COPD had over three times the odds of generalized anxiety disorder compared to those without. (COPD is an umbrella term for several chronic lung diseases including…
‘So long lives this’: Exhibition honouring 400 years of William Shakespeare now open at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Toronto, ON – The only copy in Canada of arguably the most important book ever produced in the English language, Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies: published according to the true originall copies, better known as the First Folio, is just one of many rare print gems currently on exhibit at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. The free exhibition ‘So Long Lives This’: Celebrating Shakespeare, 1616-2016 was officially launched Feb. 1, 2016, at the Fisher Library. Shakespeare, the son of a…
U of T study finds many fitness trackers vulnerable to monitoring
Toronto, ON - Today, researchers announce the release of a new report describing major security and privacy issues in several leading wearable fitness tracking devices and accompanying mobile applications. The research examined offerings by Apple, Basis, Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, Mio, Withings, and Xiaomi. The report, Every Step You Fake: A Comparative Analysis of Fitness Tracker Privacy and Security, finds that all studied fitness wearables except for the Apple Watch wirelessly emit a persistent unique identifier over Bluetooth. This leakage lets…
Panel discussion on technology, human rights, & international security in the 21st century
Toronto, ON - On Tuesday, February 2, at the Munk School of Global Affairs, please join us for a panel discussion on the intersection between digital technology, human rights and international security in the 21st century, featuring Ramzi Jaber, Timothy Quinn, Jake Hirsch Allen, and Dr. Taylor Owen. The roundtable will take place from 7:00PM to 9:00PM in the Music Room of the Hart House Building, at 7 Hart House Circle. Advancement in digital technology has brought about new challenges…
Rotman students excel in business ethics and sustainability case competitions
Toronto, ON - The New Year has started off with two victories in case competitions this month for students at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. On January 14, a team of Rotman Master of Finance students won CFA Society Toronto’s Third Annual Ethic Challenge, which was held in partnership with CFA Institute. This year’s winners, Nicole Jiang, Michael Kim, Yuying Ren, and Johnny Wu, all from the Class of 2017, had to examine a financial case study,…
New research Chair for investor rights—the first of its kind—to investigate better protections for Canadians
Toronto, ON - Professor Anita Anand, a corporate law and governance expert, is the new J. R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law—the first research chair for investor rights in North America—thanks to a generous gift from well-known philanthropist, the Hon. Hal Jackman, LLB 1956, a law school alumnus, former U of T chancellor and former lieutenant governor of Ontario. The Chair is named after J.R. Kimber, author of the…