Media Releases

Below is a selection of recent press releases. For all the latest news please visit www.utoronto.ca/news

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June 18, 2014

Moral tales with positive outcomes motivate kids to be honest

TORONTO, ON -- A moral story that praises a character's honesty is more effective at getting young children to tell the truth than a story that emphasizes the negative repercussions of lying, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings suggest that stories such as "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and "Pinocchio" may not be effective cautionary tales when it comes to inspiring honest behavior in children. Stories have long been…

June 17, 2014

Rotman Professor honoured by The Canadian Academic Accounting Association

Toronto, ON – An accounting professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has received the Haim Falk Award for Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Thought. The award was presented to Prof. Ole-Kristian Hope at The Canadian Academic Accounting Association’s annual conference on May 30 in Edmonton. The award is intended to stimulate scholarly thinking and research in Canada by giving widespread recognition to excellence in scholarly achievement that clearly contributes to the advancement of accounting thought. Prof. Hope…

June 14, 2014

Research suggests benefits of canola oil for people with Type 2 diabetes

TORONTO — Canola is Canada’s oil, and new research from the University of Toronto suggests it should also be one of the oils of choice for people with Type 2 diabetes. David Jenkins, a Professor in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Medicine, compared people with Type 2 diabetes who ate either a low glycemic index diet that included bread made with canola oil, or a whole wheat diet known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. His study, published…

June 11, 2014

Dunlap Institute announces new director, astronomer Prof. Bryan Gaensler

TORONTO, ON - After an international search, the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, announces the appointment of its new director, Prof. Bryan Gaensler, a leading international researcher in cosmic magnetism, supernova explosions and interstellar gas. Gaensler comes to the Dunlap Institute from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) where he is the founding director. He is also an Australian Laureate Fellow at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy within the School of…

June 9, 2014

Rotman Management wins National Magazine Award

TORONTO, ON – Rotman Management, the magazine of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, has won a silver medal in the ‘Best Single Issue’ category at the 2014 National Magazine Awards. The awards, which recognize excellence in Canada’s print and digital publications, were announced at a gala in Toronto last Friday evening. Rotman Management was recognized for The Legacy Issue, published in Fall 2013 and featuring articles by Rotman Associate Dean and Professor Anita McGahan, David Beatty and…

June 9, 2014

New class of nanoparticle brings cheaper, lighter solar cells outdoors

TORONTO, ON — Think those flat, glassy solar panels on your neighbour’s roof are the pinnacle of solar technology? Think again. Researchers in the University of Toronto’s Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering have designed and tested a new class of solar-sensitive nanoparticle that outshines the current state of the art employing this new class of technology. This new form of solid, stable light-sensitive nanoparticles, called colloidal quantum dots, could lead to cheaper and more flexible…

June 5, 2014

University of Toronto biologists pave the way for improved epilepsy treatments

TORONTO, ON – University of Toronto biologists leading an investigation into the cells that regulate proper brain function, have identified and located the key players whose actions contribute to afflictions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia. The discovery is a major step toward developing improved treatments for these and other neurological disorders. “Neurons in the brain communicate with other neurons through synapses, communication that can either excite or inhibit other neurons,” said Professor Melanie Woodin in the Department of Cell and…

June 5, 2014

U of T‑based Structural Genomics Consortium and CHDI Foundation announce open-access collaboration to discover new drug targets for Huntington’s disease

Toronto, Canada & New York City, USA - The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and CHDI Foundation have entered into a unique open-access research collaboration to discover and characterize new drug targets for Huntington’s disease (HD) using structural and chemical biology. In this first partnership of its kind, SGC and CHDI have explicitly agreed not to file for patents on any of the collaborative research and to make all reagents and knowledge available without restriction to the wider research community, including…

June 5, 2014

Renowned global thinkers and leaders to receive honorary degrees from U of T

TORONTO, ON - Over 12,500 students will graduate from the University of Toronto over the next three weeks, and throughout Convocation, the University will also celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of a diverse range of honorary graduates: Peter Stein; David Brillinger; Ronald Daniels; Indira Samarasekera; Annabel Patterson; and Mychael Danna. Academy Award-winning film composer Mychael Danna is renowned for his evocative blending of non-western traditions with orchestral and electronic music. His highly awarded works include the Oscar-winning score for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, and his many…

June 3, 2014

University of Toronto physicists take quantum leap toward ultra-precise measurement

TORONTO, ON – For the first time, physicists at the University of Toronto (U of T) have overcome a major challenge in the science of measurement using quantum mechanics. Their work paves the way for great advances in using quantum states to enable the next generation of ultra-precise measurement technologies. “We’ve been able to conduct measurements using photons – individual particles of light – at a resolution unattainable according to classical physics,” says Lee Rozema, a PhD candidate in Professor…