Cover page of University of Toronto Magazine's Autumn 2021 issue, with an illustration of a giant vial of insulin and a tiny figure standing on the cap looking down a hole in the centre, through which shines a light

Autumn 2021

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Since the discovery of insulin at U of T a century ago, countless millions of people with diabetes — many of them children — have been saved from an early death. In this issue, we celebrate this monumental achievement and look at ongoing research to make life better for people with diabetes. Writer Dan Falk profiles astronomer Sara Seager, recounting her efforts to find life on other planets and the startling discovery she recently made about herself. We also share the inspiring stories of seven international students and alumni, and explore the question of “food sovereignty” for the people of Canada’s Far North.

Featured Posts

Illustration of a giant vial of insulin and a tiny figure standing on the cap looking down a hole in the centre, through which shines a light

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

Jialiang Zhu standing next to a sunflower patch

Come From Away

These seven international students and alumni are among the thousands who contribute to scholarly and cultural life at U of T

Sara Seager, who has dark hair and is wearing a red coat, is in profile, peering through the eyepiece of a telescope

The Search for Another Earth

Astronomer Sara Seager believes there are other planets that support life. She’s dedicated much of her career to finding them

People fishing along the shoreline

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

In This Issue

Collage of parts of the face of people from different races and a small, seated figure with a bent head coloured in black

Blurring the Blue Line

Student Rachel Bromberg and alum Asante Haughton are helping to create a response service for mental health crisis calls in Toronto that relies less on police

Hands holding a tablet with

Nite of Nights

An annual revue, written and performed by engineering students, lampoons its way into a second century

Headshot of Prof. Keisuke Fukuda with a band of orange light covering the top of his head

Reading the Mind

U of T Mississauga psychology professor Keisuke Fukuda studies how the brain makes memories – and why it sometimes fails

Pacinthe Mattar sitting next to a window next to houseplants and framed pictures, with a bookshelf behind her

Behind the Headlines

Canadian media are becoming more diverse but racialized journalists still face barriers in the workplace that are rarely discussed, says UTM alum Pacinthe Mattar