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 professor wins GSK’s 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge
Toronto, ON — University of Toronto (U of T) Professor Tania Watts is a winner of GSK’s 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge, which is designed to accelerate the translation of academic research into novel therapies. Watts and her team are investigating how the body’s immune system might contribute to some types of cancer. The winning U of T team will work with scientists in GSK’s Discovery Partnerships with Academia (DPAc) and the Molecular Discovery Research teams to test their hypotheses…
Historic $130-million gift from the Rogers family to establish the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research
Largest private donation in Canadian health care history will bring together the strengths of SickKids, UHN, and U of T in individualized genomic medicine, tissue engineering, and advanced cardiac care. Goal to reduce hospitalization for heart failure by 50 per cent in 10 years. The Rogers family gift to be matched with an additional $139 million from partner organizations for a total investment of $269 million. TORONTO, November 20, 2014 – The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), University Health Network…
Education empowers Canadians but raises risks of overwork and work-family stress
TORONTO, ON - The higher your level of education, the greater your earnings and your sense of “personal mastery” or being in control of your fate, University of Toronto researchers say. But wait: there’s a downside. Professor Scott Schieman, Canada Research Chair in the Social Contexts of Health, and PhD student Atsushi Narisada investigated the adverse effects associated with attaining a high degree of mastery. Using the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (CANWSH), a national sample of Canadian workers,…
Jeanne Lamon and Sir John Bell to receive honorary degrees from U of T
TORONTO, ON - Over 4,000 students will graduate from the University of Toronto over the next week, and the university will also celebrate the remarkable accomplishments two honorary graduates: Jeanne Lamon and Sir John Bell. Jeanne Lamon C.M., O.Ont. has been praised by critics in Europe and North America for her virtuosity as a violinist and for her brilliant leadership as the Music Director of Tafelmusik. She recently stepped down as Music Director, ending a remarkable 33-year tenure at the helm…
Rouge Valley teams up with U of T
Nov. 18, 2014 — Rouge Valley Health System and the University of Toronto have signed a formal community affiliation agreement that will benefit health professions students, patients and the community. The agreement between the Rouge Valley Health System and the Governing Council of the University of Toronto formalizes the role the hospital will play in the education of students in health care and related programs. “The university and the hospital have a mutual interest in enhancing the education of students…
Researcher calls for national plan to address violence against immigrant and refugee women
TORONTO, ON - Recent changes to Canadian immigration policy mean fewer social and health supports for immigrant women with a precarious immigration status – putting them at an increased risk of violence, researchers say. “Between 2008 and 2013, the Canadian government introduced an unprecedented number of legislative and regulatory changes that have affected immigrants’ and refugees’ access to legal representation, access to social and health services, and pathways to permanent residence,” said Associate Professor Rupaleem Bhuyan of the University of Toronto’s Factor…
Director-General of UNESCO to be Presented with Papers of Pioneering Insulin Researchers at University of Toronto
TORONTO, ON -- Media are invited to take photos on Tuesday, November 18, of Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, as Christina Cameron, President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, presents to her the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library’s Discovery of Insulin Collections. Last year the Library’s collections—only one of four in Canada —were inscribed into UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program Register. The collections include photos and papers of the pioneering researchers responsible for the discovery of…
Genetic testing for personalized nutrition leads to better outcomes
TORONTO, ON - Personalized dietary advice based on a person’s genetic makeup improves eating habits compared to current “one-size-fits-all” dietary recommendations, says a University of Toronto researcher. The findings were published online November 14 in the journal PLOS ONE. “We conducted the first randomized, controlled trial to determine the impact of disclosing DNA-based dietary advice on eating habits,” said Ahmed El-Sohemy, an associate professor in nutritional sciences and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics. “We found that people who receive DNA-based advice…
G20 experts available to comment from Brisbane, Australia
The first members of G20 Research Group's team of experts and analysts have arrived in Brisbane for the G20 summit on November 15-16: Dr. John Kirton, Co-director, G20 Research Group Julia Kulik, Senior Researcher Caroline Bracht, Senior Researcher Kathryn Kotris, Researcher The rest of the team will arrive in time for the pre-summit conference on "Strengthening Global Growth: The G20 Brisbane Summit's Challenges and Contributions," co-hosted with Griffith University, and part of the Global Cafe at Brisbane City Hall on…
Indigenous Health: Finding a Better Way
TORONTO, ON - Canada’s Indigenous people suffer from very high rates of disease, injury and malnutrition. The University of Toronto is tackling problems like these with the first conference to educate doctors, nurses and other providers on how to better care for this population. “It’s unacceptable to have a two-tiered system where indigenous people fall behind on every measure of health. It is a human rights issue,” said Prof. Anna Banerji, Director of Global and Indigenous Health at the Temerty…