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
An end to cancer pain?: U of T researcher finds the “pain trigger”
TORONTO, ON. – A new study led by University of Toronto researcher Dr. David Lam has discovered the trigger behind the most severe forms of cancer pain. Released in top journal Pain this month, the study points to TMPRSS2 as the culprit: a gene that is also responsible for some of the most aggressive forms of androgen-fuelled cancers. Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Faculty of Dentistry, Lam’s research initially focused on cancers of the head and neck,…
DemoCampToronto 2015: A showcase of Ontario’s most promising inventors and technology startups
TORONTO, ON – Ontario’s most promising investors and technology startups will gather at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management on May 12 for DemoCampToronto 2015. "There are few events in the province that allow you to pitch and demo before 450 people of consequence," says startup founder, Khanjan Desai, of his experience with DemoCampToronto, Creative Destruction Lab's yearly event that brings together founders, researchers, academics, VCs, and thought leaders in research commercialization. "I was impressed by the quality…
Protein Adseverin identified as key factor driving bone loss in osteoinflammatory disease
TORONTO, ON - Adseverin, a protein found in the body, has been identified as the key driver behind the bone loss associated with the world’s most common inflammatory disease: gum disease, or periodontitis. The findings, published this month in top biology journal FASEB by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, paves the way for new preventive treatment models for this prevalent disease. More common than arthritis, gum disease affects millions of North Americans each year. In fact,…
Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney appointed president of the University of St. Michael’s College
TORONTO, ON – The Collegium of the University of St. Michael's College is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. David Mulroney (7T8), as the 7th president and vice-chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC). Mr. Mulroney, who officially takes up his duties July 1, 2015, succeeds Professor Anne Anderson, C.S.J., who served with distinction as president from 2008-2015 and was the first woman to hold that office. A distinguished senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk…
Preventing deformed limbs: new link found between physical forces and limb development
TORONTO, ON - University of Toronto engineers and a pediatric surgeon have joined forces to discover that physical forces like pressure and tension affect the development of limbs in embryos—research that could someday be used to help prevent birth defects. The team, including U of T mechanical engineer Yu Sun (MIE), U of T bioengineer Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez (IBBME) and SickKids Hospital’s Dr. Sevan Hopyan, used live imaging and computer models to study the links between mechanical forces, changes in cell shape and cell movement…
University of Toronto welcomes new federal investment in research
TORONTO, ON – The federal government’s renewed investment in the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) strengthens the University of Toronto’s ability to conduct ground-breaking research that benefits all Canadians, said U of T President Meric Gertler, referring to the $1.3 billion over six years announced in today’s budget. “Canada’s ongoing support for research infrastructure is fundamental to the country’s research landscape,” said Gertler. “This new investment will help position Canada to compete on a global level in science, technology and…
Traffic emissions may pollute 1 in 3 Canadian homes
A trio of recently published studies from a team of University of Toronto engineers has found that air pollution could be spreading up to three times farther than thought – contributing to varying levels of air quality across cities. Past research on air pollution from vehicle tailpipes has shown poor air quality anywhere between 100 to 250 metres of major roadways. But in a paper published in the recent edition of the journal Atmospheric Pollution Research, U of T chemical engineer Greg…
One test for all infections
TORONTO, ON – If you’re returning from abroad with a fever, your doctor will likely test you for malaria. You’ll give multiple blood samples at the lab, and if the results are inconclusive, you’ll face yet another round of tests. Researchers from the University of Toronto are fast-tracking this process with new technology. With one sample, they can quickly and accurately diagnose a patient and recommend targeted treatment against any bacteria or virus. News of this technology is particularly timely…
Open-source partnership to uncover role of epigenetic regulation in Rett Syndrome
Toronto, ON - The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) at the University of Toronto and the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) have entered into an “open-source” research partnership with two Toronto-based hospitals to test tool compounds, called chemical probes, against epigenetic proteins in research models of Rett syndrome. The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and University Health Network (UHN) will receive OBI funding and compounds from SGC and will utilize their respective expertise and disease models to advance our understanding of this…
54 readers, 10 hours – public literary performance of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at Robarts Library to mark World Book and Copyright Day
Toronto, ON – Award-winning Canadian authors and poets will join a cast of fifty-four volunteer readers for an uninterrupted literary performance of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The event to mark World Book and Copyright Day will take place at Robarts Library on April 23 and is open to the public. World Book and Copyright Day celebrates global literacy and authorship, and provides an opportunity to illustrate the impact that material coming into the public…