Research & Ideas
Why Can’t We Put Down Our Phones?
A U of T Mississauga study finds that problematic smartphone use is increasing worldwide – especially among younger women
Could AI Help You Quit an Addiction?
U of T researchers are developing a chatbot to help people stop smoking. One day, it might offer therapy, too
You’ve Decided You Want to Eat Better. Now What?
There are countless diets to choose from, but one rises above the rest, say U of T experts
New Paths to Recovery
Every year, thousands of Canadians seek help for addiction. Which treatments work best?
Improving Your Shuteye
Anthropologist and sleep expert David Samson offers five useful ideas for getting a better night’s rest
Rogers Foundation Gives $90 Million to Usher in New Era in Cardiac Care
Gift will enable the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research to expand its research into heart failure – and save lives
Tremors of the Heart
How AI could help doctors predict cardiac problems in critically ill children
From Strength to Strength
U of T’s new Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport will help athletes at all levels perform better
A Prescription for Equality
A new medical academy at U of T Scarborough will try to close Canada’s racial health gap
A New Way to Monitor Heart Patients
“Lab on a chip” technology will reduce travel expenses and improve care for those living in remote communities
The Pharmacy of the Future
A new U of T facility will train pharmacists to take on a larger role in Canadian health care
Preventing the Next Pandemic
Understanding how viruses and bacteria rely on human cells to survive could reveal new ways to defeat them
From Anxiety to Action
U of T students are collaborating with faculty on research that could improve the mental health of youth worldwide
Hunger in the North
Too many people in Nunavut don’t get enough to eat. Anthropologist Tracey Galloway believes Inuit communities, not southern governments, have the solution
The Miracle of Insulin
A century after U of T scientists discovered the life-saving extract, researchers are finding new ways to improve the lives of people with diabetes
Who Cares for the Caregivers?
There is a steep personal cost to caregiving, from chronic stress to physical injury. How can we help those who minister to family and friends?
Mapping the Human Body, One Cell at a Time
U of T scientists have created a cell-by-cell map of the human liver that could increase the success of transplant surgery and lead to new treatments for liver disease
The Deadly Global Fungus
Prof. Leah Cowen’s lab aims to understand how C. auris works and how to stop it
How to Choose a Nutritious “Digital Diet”
Three suggestions for maintaining a healthy relationship with technology
In Sickness and in Health
What happens when someone with precarious immigration status needs emergency care?
When Cancer Strikes, and You Live in Nunavut
A U of T study examines ways to improve care and reduce the sense of isolation for Inuit patients in Canada’s Far North
The Ads That Kids Shouldn’t See
Prof. Mary L’Abbé wants to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food to kids – and their parents
Delivering Help to Indigenous Parents
A unique project provides support to women during pregnancy and after, with the aim of creating healthier families
Preventing Disease through AI
Laura Rosella is using machine learning to suggest ways to reduce diabetes rates – and save millions in potential health-care costs
The Labatt Family Network Will Examine the Biology of Depression
Scientists will focus on how the illness affects the brain
New Hope for Heart Patients
Prof. Paul Santerre is working on a cardiac patch that would enable an injured heart to heal itself
Mental Health in the Workplace
Depression and anxiety affect about one in five. How do we help the person who could be affected in the cubicle next to us?
The High Price of Pills
More than two million Canadians don’t take their full dose of medications because of the cost. How can they be helped?
AI and the MD
Doctors will soon use artificial intelligence to help diagnose and treat patients, opening up new possibilities for better health
Six Questions We Need to Ask about Using Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
A U of T research team is examining ethical issues raised by the new technology
Suppressing Our Most Fearful Memories
Research on mice reveals that specific memories can be weakened. Could this one day help treat the effects of trauma in humans?
With Damaged Organs, a Chance for “Regrowth”
Prof. Michael Sefton imagines being able to treat diabetes with a single injection
Many Medicines Are Considered Essential. Not All Are Effective
A U of T doctor is leading efforts to review the medical evidence for more than 2,200 commonly prescribed drugs
Predicting Where Infectious Diseases Will Strike Next
Climate change adds a new wrinkle in the quest to get out in front of epidemics
Could This Palm-Sized Cube Replace an Entire Lab?
Spartan Bioscience, founded by three alumni, aims to make DNA testing more accessible
With Restored Sight Comes Opportunity and Hope
A gift from the Nanji family to U of T will help people “see the light of all the world”
Bringing Smiles to Uganda
On a two-week visit to remote villages, a U of T dental team fixes teeth – and changes lives
Among Syrian Refugees, a Need for Insulin and Heart Meds
As the media share images of wounded migrants, some of the biggest medical threats go almost unmentioned
U of T Doctors Keep Patient Alive Without Lungs for Six Days
The procedure allowed Melissa Benoit to have a life-saving transplant
A Better Life for Children with Heart Defects
Research at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research could one day eliminate the need for infants with heart problems to have more than one surgery
Big Data, Genetics and Personal Medicine Will Soon Transform Health Care
But there’s a gap between all the medical data being gathered and the ability to translate this into therapies for individual patients
A Community Grapples with Cancer
Researchers at the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health have teamed up with a First Nation in northwestern Ontario to solve a generation-old medical mystery
Advancing Drugs to Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
A research centre at U of T Mississauga aims to speed up the development of new life-saving cancer medications
Let’s Get Physical
U of T professor Peter Donnelly is tracking the physical activities multicultural Torontonians enjoy
Of Hearth and Home – and Health
A simple U of T innovation could help prevent burns among millions of children in the Global South
The Hidden Epidemic
Prof. Esme Fuller-Thomson researches the devastating effects of child abuse on health. Now she wants to ensure all survivors get the help they need
Child Abuse Might Be Linked to Cancer
Chances of developing health problems are greater for childhood abuse survivors
A Few Simple Questions Could Change Your Dental Visit
Dentists should screen patients for anxiety to minimize their experience of pain, new research suggests
Lift Weights to Lift Mood
U of T opens one of the first research facilities in the world to integrate the study of physical activity and mental health
U of T Researchers Lead Cancer-Fighting “Dream Team”
“Our knowledge is at a turning point,” says scientist Peter Dirks
Northern Exposure
A U of T prof aims to better understand the needs of cancer patients in Nunavut
Pssst, Wanna Buy a Kidney?
Most people recoil at the thought of selling human organs. But supplying the right information can change attitudes, a U of T study finds
Team Spirit
Adolescents who play team sports are less likely to experience mental illness later in life, study finds
A Cut Above
A “black box” for the operating room is leading to improved training for physicians and better knowledge of surgical errors