McGill Podcasts » Making Headway

Find out how ants have modified their genes in order to reinforce their social behaviors. Learn the latest in research on romantic relationships: how childhood attachment affects one’s success at speed dating and beyond. And go inside the popular Peacebuilding Simulation as political science students struggle to resolve a civil war in a fictional land.

L’Université McGill contribue à solutionner la pénurie de médecins en région en mettant sur pied un programme d’enseignement intégré en Outaouais. Elle veut donner une nouvelle vie à l’industrie des pâtes et papiers et réinventer les serres québécoises. Enfin, une chercheuse s’intéresse à la vie après le cancer du sein, et veut l’améliorer par l’exercice [...]

Almost 25% of Canadian adults are obese. McGill researchers examine the many causes of obesity, including social norms, and conclude that tackling the growing problem will require involvement from all sectors of society, including business, industry, government, and civil society.

How much vitamin D do Canadians need for optimal health? How will our foods become more nutritious in the future? Can food processing improve the quality of food? Researchers at McGill are examining the potential for nutraceuticals to combat the onset of disease.

Quebec needs more nutritionists and consumers want healthier food. The McGill School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition and the Dept of Food Science are training students to understand both nutritional needs and food industry demands, in new state-of-the-art kitchens and labs.

Students in the McGill School of Environment are developing Geospatial Web 2.0 (Geoweb) technologies to help a group of citizens living near the Riviere Noire identify local water management issues and collect field data for watershed management.

Des étudiants de l'École d'environnement de l'Université McGill aident la Corporation de développement de la Rivière Noire, en Montérégie, a développé un outil visant à encourager les citoyens à participer à la surveillance environnementale de leur territoire.

Opera McGill, in the Schulich School of Music, decided to invite Montreal-area elementary school children to participate in its recent production of Hansel and Gretel by illustrating the scenes. See the beautiful results of this special collaboration.

Hansel et Gretel s’agit d'un opéra s'adressant tout particulièrement aux enfants. Alors, l'École de musique Schulich de McGill a eu l'idée de recruter des enfants de quatre écoles primaires de Montréal comme collaborateurs à sa récente production.

In collaboration with community organizations, McGill Dentistry students gain front-line experience by offering dental services to the disadvantaged. The McGill Mobile Dental Clinic reaches out to those who otherwise would not receive dental care.

Environ 30 % de la population ne bénéficie pas de couverture de soins dentaires. La Faculté de médecine dentaire de l'Université McGill travaille de près avec des organismes communautaires afin de rejoindre ces gens avec sa clinique dentaire mobile.

Trois étudiantes de 1er cycle en génie des bioressources ont séjourné au Bénin afin d’aider des productrices de riz à améliorer leurs technologies post-récolte. Elle y ont vécu une expérience inoubliable.

Three bioresource engineering undergrads venture to Benin, Africa to help women rice farmers improve their post-harvest technologies and have the experience of a lifetime.

Archeology and Geography students are digging up bones at Parc Safari in Hemmingford, Quebec. See how this field research program took on a human rights dimension with the Faculty of Law.

Mark Wainberg, microbiologist, identified one of the most effective AIDS drugs, and served as president of the International AIDS Society, becoming a prominent voice on the world stage. Meet a researcher turned activist.

Phil Gold, Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Oncology, discovered the first and most widely used blood test for cancer, CEA, making early detection and better treatment possible. Meet a McGill legend.

Is there life on Mars? Microbiology Prof. Lyle Whyte and his team of students head up to the McGill Arctic Research Station in search of microbes surviving in the permafrost.

Ronald Melzack, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, revolutionized our understanding of human pain with the Gate Control Theory of Pain and the McGill Pain Questionnaire, now used worldwide.

Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide, yet remains a medical mystery. McGill researchers are using genetics, brain imaging, and many other novel techniques to better understand and treat this often debilitating disease.

Green Chemistry is a relatively new field of research, with McGill playing a leading role worldwide. Find out how our researchers are developing processes and products to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances and manufacturing waste.

Broadband research is a McGill area of expertise. Meet researchers such as David Plant, Tho Le-Ngoc, and Mark Coates who are on the cutting edge of machine to machine communication, high-speed internet technologies, and wireless communications.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a devastating illness that is on the rise in Canada. However, McGill’s world-renowned researchers like Rémi Quirion, Judes Poirier, and Serge Gauthier are making major advances in our understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Management expert Henry Mintzberg has played a major role shaping the world's concept of managing. According to him, CEO bonuses need to disappear and companies should promote “communityship”.

Food insecurity is a huge global problem. McGill Bioresource Engineering Professor Vijaya Raghavan is revolutionizing farming practices in rural India. By reducing crop loss, he is helping thousands of people.

Au Québec, 22 % des femmes et 9 % des hommes disent avoir été victimes de sévices sexuels. Il s’agit d’un problème largement méconnu, mais les choses changent grâce au Centre de recherche sur l’enfance et la famille de McGill. Portrait de Delphine Collin-Vézina et Nico Trocmé.

In Quebec, 22% of women and 9% of men say they were sexually abused as children. Very little is known about the problem, but that is changing thanks to the McGill Centre for Research on Children and Families. Meet Delphine Collin-Vézina & Nico Trocmé, two of the leaders in the effort to fix this problem.

McGill Chemistry Professor David Burns uses spectroscopy to identify the healthiest embryos for in vitro fertilization. This breakthrough could lead to an end to multiple births from in vitro fertilization, and early detection tests for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Défendre les droits et répondre aux besoins des parents qui travaillent et des travailleurs à faible revenu — Jody Heymann et l’Institut des politiques sociales et de la santé de McGill défient les gouvernements de par le monde.

Biocarburants, changement climatique, coût croissant de l’énergie, crise alimentaire mondiale, tels sont les champs d’intérêt du Pr Don Smith, directeur du Département de sciences végétales, dont les équipes de recherche s’attaquent aux problèmes les plus pressant de la planète.

Biofuels, climate change, rising energy costs, and the world food crisis – meet Plant Sciences Chair Don Smith, whose research teams are tackling the world’s most pressing problems.

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Professor Bruno Tremblay, one of Canada’s leading researchers on global warming, goes to the Canadian Arctic to measure sea ice melt and predicts an ice-free Arctic in summer.

Defending the needs and rights of working families and the working poor: Jody Heymann and the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy challenge governments around the world.

Through her award-winning research, Vicky Kaspi, a world-renowned McGill astrophysicist and pulsar expert, makes stars out of her students and headlines around the world.

How can 20th-century fibre optics handle the connectivity needs of the 21st-century?  David Plant's lab in McGill’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is in a global race to meet the demands of high-definition video.

Meet legendary neuropsychologist Dr. Brenda Milner, credited with many landmark discoveries in the study of human memory and the temporal lobes.