This year, McMaster researchers discovered new drugs and diagnostics, continued to build on decades of vaccinology research, and overturned more than one inaccurate medical belief. They found a way to signal when food is contaminated, then destroy the contaminants.
Student researchers protected endangered species, explored a new frontier in green power, and worked on the next generation of sustainable vehicles. Two grads are combining their expertise in engineering and community research to make it easier for Indigenous communities to grow their own food.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the groundbreaking, impactful research our students and faculty members are engaged in to make our communities healthier, safer and more sustainable.
HEALTH
For more than 50 years, McMaster has been at the forefront of vaccinology. From pioneering critical research tools to leading innovation in next-generation inhaled vaccines, McMaster’s impact on global health is profound and far-reaching.
As the need for new antibiotics increases, Professor Jon Stokes and postdoctoral researcher Denise Catacutan discovered enterololin, a new antibiotic that effectively treats IBD — and used AI to accurately predict how it would work.
Our researchers investigated some long-held medical beliefs, too: Turns out many people with irritable bowel syndrome who believe they are sensitive to gluten or wheat may not actually be. The discovery that a rare reaction to a widely used blood thinner is caused by a single antibody overturned decades of medical misunderstanding. And regardless of conventional wisdom about BMI and waist circumference, invisible fat can — and does — quietly damage arteries and cardiovascular health.
And speaking of heart health: Looking deep into someone’s eyes can, in fact, reveal the truth about their heart — in the most literal sense.
McMaster startup NodeAI is using lymph node imaging to diagnose lung cancer instead of needle biopsies; and engineering researcher Ravi Selvaganapathy’s team has developed a rapid, low-cost method for creating cell sheets that could transform regenerative medicine.
Also in the Faculty of Engineering: Leyla Soleymani is developing next-generation wearable sensors that will redefine personalized health management; and Tohid Didar and Zeinab Hosseinidoust are using colour-changing microneedle patches on food packaging to indicate spoilage and eliminate harmful pathogens.
There’s good news and bad news on the food front, actually: A landmark study directly links ultra-processed foods to poor health. On the flip side, eating meat and animal proteins is not linked to higher mortality risk.
SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE
Professor Ali Emadi chats with three graduate students at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, where students and researchers develop and test innovative vehicle technologies.
McMaster researchers are powering climate solutions. From the world-class innovation hub developing the electric vehicles of the future to using thermal infrastructure to turn wasted heat emissions into energy, it’s happening at Mac.
Amir Akbari’s research highlights the financial implications of environmental degradation — and offers the clarity needed to develop effective environmental policies and investment strategies.
Scientist JP Xu bred mushrooms as a natural substitute for plastic, fabric and other materials so it can be used to create a pliable fabric, strong building supply and water-resistant packaging.
Science professor Alemu Gonsamo explains the need to consider long-term preservation in plans to develop the Ring of Fire.
Professor Bonny Ibhawoh, chair of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, created a blueprint for climate justice at COP30, sharing recommendations from a study conducted with the support of McMaster students and researchers.
EQUITY AND JUSTICE
Jessica Sondhi-Cooke is graduating with a master’s degree from the School of Nursing this week. She is moving on to her PhD, working to transform how nursing students experience clinical education.
DeGroote School of Business researcher Maryam Ghasemaghaei is tackling discrimination and inherent bias in AI systems and working on developing strategies to foster equity.
Erin Reid’s research explores the differences between careers in female-dominated, male-dominated and gender-neutral professions, including nursing, engineering and accounting.
New Nursing grad Jessica Sondhi-Cooke is working to develop trauma-informed, anti-racist, and anti-violence strategies for nursing programs.
A team of McMaster faculty and staff received the $100,000 Canada Research Chairs Program’s Robbins-Ollivier Award for excellence in equity in recognition of their ongoing equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
INDIGENOUS RESEARCH
The inaugural cohort of the Master of Indigenous Studies program, from left: Tia Kennedy, Kelsy Chan and Kendal Garlow.
Vanessa Watts is leading the “Re-neighbouring” project, connecting survivors from the Mush Hole in Brantford and Inuit tuberculosis patients who were brought from Nunavut to the sanatorium in Hamilton.
An Indigenous-led team was awarded $24 million for dementia assessment tools that will benefit Indigenous groups across Canada and the world.
Curricula in Canada must do far more to challenge dominant narratives and value Indigenous worldviews, note experts Sara Karn, Kristina Llewellyn and Penney Clark.
McMaster students are working with the Woodland Cultural Centre’s collections registrar, studying thousands of artifacts for clues about ancient Indigenous diets.
Our student researchers are making a significant impact. PhD student Rita Meng received the Knowledge Braiders’ Award in recognition of her work weaving together Indigenous knowledge and Western science to protect freshwater turtles. Undergraduate student Tekenikhon Doreen co-created and voiced the narration in the animated film Deskaheh, a compelling medium through which to share Indigenous histories with students and communities.
Kendal Garlow, from the inaugural cohort of the Master of Indigenous Studies program, is launching a business to support Indigenous communities, combining her expertise on Haudenosaunee food and identity with a McMaster engineering grad’s technical know-how. Krystene Green’s research on land defence and the criminal justice system is making space for and highlighting Indigenous experiences.
NUCLEAR MEDICINE, ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Twelve McMaster students spent their summer as Canadian Nuclear Laboratories research assistants. That included two weeks in July working on their projects with scientists at Canada’s national nuclear laboratories in Chalk River, owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.
With global demand for nuclear experts poised to skyrocket, McMaster is uniquely positioned to train tomorrow’s nuclear workforce. Twelve undergraduates spent the summer as research assistants at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in a unique, hands-on program.
Arianna Santos, one of those 12, is doing first-of-a-kind nuclear research in Canada, studying surrogate TRISO particles.
McMaster startup RadioSyn’s nuclear medicine device will streamline the production of radiopharmaceuticals, allowing clinicians and researchers to produce high-quality therapeutics on the spot.
Professors Carmel Mothersill and Soo Hyun Byun are leading a project in partnership with Conexus to develop advanced radiation monitoring inside CANDU reactors.
Professors Marcus Piro and Michael Welland explain how AI companies are exploring nuclear power as a long-term solution, something Goran Calic and Michael Tadrous explain is a positive consequence of generative AI’s vast power demands.
DIGITAL INNOVATION, DEMOCRACY, ETHICS AND SAFETY
Business professor Sash Vaid and undergraduate commerce student Audrey Zhu explain their new research and how gamblers can protect their interests when the odds seem stacked against them.
Researchers studying digital spaces and how they change our behaviours had a lot to work with this year. Professor Sara Bannerman examined the potential effects of the federal Bill C-4 on democracy and citizens’ rights, and postdoctoral fellow Sophia Melanson Ricciardone pointed out the bill doesn’t protect Canadians from political bots.
Graduate student Kevin Floether won an international award for his thesis on digital trust. Sash Vaid and Audrey Zhu from the DeGroote School of Business explain how technology and artificial intelligence are changing the rules of gambling, and how regulators — and gamblers — can mitigate the risks.
Millions of voters continue to use Vote Compass, a tool created by McMaster researchers to help voters make informed decisions before they cast their ballot.