U of A scientists find that learning and past success play a role in how birds build their nests
When building a nest, previous experience raising chicks will influence the choices birds make, according to a new study by University of Alberta scientists. The results show that birds that have successfully raised families stick with tried-and-true methods when building their nests, whereas less successful birds will try something new. “We found that when presented…
The Islamist group has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 2.3 million people since 2009
The world reacted with shock and horror when 276 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014. Some of the girls managed to escape, others were rescued by military forces, but many were coerced into serving the group’s terrorist agenda, some acting as suicide bombers. While the mass abduction in the small Nigerian town…
Promising results in mice open door to new areas of research in treating patients
Researchers have found that limiting the amount of fat the body releases into the bloodstream from fat cells during heart failure could help improve outcomes for patients. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology, Jason Dyck, professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and director of the University of Alberta’s Cardiovascular Research Centre, found…
Which creepy-crawlies can be harnessed to act as the most effective natural method of pest control?
Fields used to grow food are naturally crawling with insects – but which ones can help crops just by being there? A University of Alberta research program aims to find out. Using next-generation DNA analysis, researcher Boyd Mori of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences is looking to see which creepy-crawlies can be harnessed to act as…
For Kristina Milke, success is measured by the growth of an entrepreneurial community that helps people achieve their dreams
Kristina Milke remembers receiving an email in 2013 from the alumni office at her alma mater, wondering whether she might stop by the University of Alberta to meet with Ray Muzyka of BioWare fame about a new mentoring opportunity on campus. “I was really excited – what an opportunity for me to get some business…
Scholarships will support computing science students from under-represented groups
A new scholarship program funded by DeepMind is helping to foster diversity in artificial intelligence research at the University of Alberta. The program, which will support two master’s students in the U of A’s Department of Computing Science, is targeted toward graduate students including women, Indigenous people and other groups that are under-represented in the field of AI.…
Location of blockages in a patient’s heart is a key consideration in selecting the right treatment
A new study by University of Alberta cardiologists at the Canadian VIGOUR Centre shows that a particular group of patients with stable ischemic heart disease have better outcomes with percutaneous coronary intervention (also called angioplasty with stent) or coronary artery bypass surgery and medication, versus conservative management with medication alone. In a study published in the Journal of the…
Commemorating contributions Black Canadians have made to our country
Do you know about the Black Canadian inventor whose innovations were associated with the phrase “the real McCoy?” How about the Black Canadian vocalist who became an international star decades before Celine Dion ever set foot on a stage? Or the Black hockey league that was founded in Nova Scotia in the late 19th century,…
Children are disproportionately affected as genetic diseases typically manifest during childhood
A new pilot program aims to find answers and better treatments for children living with rare genetic conditions. The Undiagnosed Disease Program, launched in January, is a collaboration between the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) and University of Alberta researchers from medical genetics and pediatric neurology to provide a diagnosis to patients in the…
Indigenous communities are setting up their own satellite, fibre optics and even cellular phone networks
When Bruce Buffalo returned to Maskwacis after years away in the big city, he was appalled to discover parts of his community still had no internet service. Just an hour’s drive from Edmonton, some neighbourhoods in the Indigenous community remained cut off from the rest of the world as recently as 2016, apart from a few…
When building a nest, previous experience raising chicks will influence the choices birds make, according to a new study by University of Alberta scientists. The results show that birds that have successfully raised families stick with tried-and-true methods when building their nests, whereas less successful birds will try something new. “We found that when presented…
