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
U of T researcher reveals the gut’s role in effects of diabetes drug
TORONTO, ON - Two new studies show the potential of targeting the gut in treating diabetes. Until now, scientists always assumed Metformin, the world’s most common type 2 diabetes treatment, worked directly on the liver. But U of T researchers found it acts first on the gut. They found the same results when testing resveratrol, the compound found in red wine. Tony Lam, a Professor of Physiology and Medicine, and his team showed that the gut is responsible for sensing…
Engineering students solve 11 of Toronto’s persistent challenges
TORONTO, ON – Inaccessible groceries in Parkdale, gym equipment that wrecks your workout on Dundas, worms that take forever to extract from soil at Brick Works, and blood donations that involve unnecessary discomfort on College – GTA communities never seem to run out of challenges. This Friday, April 10, first-year engineering students at the University of Toronto are hosting a day-long event to showcase their design solutions to some of the GTA’s persistent problems – with full-scale prototypes, renderings, and…
U of T president hails PM Harper’s support for Canadian leadership in cutting-edge astronomy and astrophysics
TORONTO, ON – Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto, expressed delight on hearing today that the federal government will support a major role for Canada’s leading astronomers and astrophysicists in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project, an international initiative to build the world’s most powerful telescope. “I thank and congratulate Prime Minister Harper and his government for this historic investment in world-leading Canadian science,” said Gertler. “As a result, astronomers and astrophysicists at U of T and their…
U of T, CUPE 3902 Unit 1 agree to binding arbitration to end strike immediately
TORONTO, ON - The University of Toronto is very pleased that CUPE 3902 Unit 1 has agreed to move forward with binding arbitration. This means that the strike has ended, and teaching assistants, course instructors, lab assistants, markers, graders and invigilators will return to work on Friday, March 27. “With the University of Toronto and CUPE 3902 Unit 1 agreeing to binding arbitration, the recent strike has ended. But a number of challenges remain, as we work together to return…
Statement from President Meric Gertler re: CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Strike
TORONTO, ON - The past several weeks have been a troubling time for all of us. Faculty, staff and students have been respectful of the collective bargaining process and both CUPE 3902 Unit 1 and the University have tried to arrive at a settlement to end the strike. Both sides have worked hard to find a deal. And yet today, after almost four weeks of the strike, we are at an impasse. Two issues remain as constant and critical needs…
SickKids Chief of Research and University of Toronto Professor, Dr. Janet Rossant, named recipient of 2015 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award
TORONTO – The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto (U of T) are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Janet Rossant on being named the recipient of the 2015 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, in recognition of her extensive scientific contributions to developmental biology, her international leadership in stem cell biology and policy-making, and for her pivotal role in advancing research programs for children’s health. The announcement was made in Toronto on March 25, 2015. “It is a huge honour to…
Annual Open Minds conference tackles student mental health through the lens of the arts
TORONTO, ON – A unique conference that explores graduate student mental health issues through the lens of the arts is being held by Grad Minds on March 31, 2015 at Hart House and the Isabel Bader Theatre. The theme for Open Minds 2015: The Intersection of Mental Health & Creativity is arts, creativity, and expressing mental states. The event includes a panel discussion with mental health and art professionals, an art installation, student forums for creative expression, and a spectacular…
U of T’s Institute for Indigenous Health uniquely named to honour Canadians’ commitment to Indigenous Peoples
TORONTO, ON - A transformative institute aimed at creating thriving health in Indigenous communities will receive the name, Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, on March 23 at the University of Toronto. The Institute — among the first of its kind in the world — was created at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in June 2014 with a $10-million gift commitment from Michael and Amira Dan. “Thanks to the Dan family’s generous donation, the Institute will conduct world-class research…
University of Toronto joins U.S. engineering education initiative announced at White House today
TORONTO, ON - University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has joined more than 120 U.S. engineering schools leading a transformative movement in engineering education announced at the White House today. In a letter presented to President Barack Obama, the University of Toronto and peer institutions committed to establish special educational programs designed to prepare undergraduates to solve “Grand Challenges”—complex yet achievable goals to improve national and international health, security, sustainability and quality of life in the 21st…
Students from IIT’s Institute of Design win Rotman Business Design Challenge
TORONTO, ON - Students from the leading design and business schools in North America gathered at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management on March 7 and 8 for the annual Rotman Business Design Challenge, one of the preeminent competitions for students tackling problems in business innovation. For the third time in four years, a team from the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design won the challenge. A team from the MIT’s Sloan School of Management placed second…