Research & Innovation

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Health & Medicine

A couple walking on a path, one of them using a walker for assistance.

McMaster researchers identify genetic factors linked to frailty

Understanding what influences frailty opens the door to earlier screening and personalized approaches to supporting healthy aging, researchers say
A close-up of a vial containing a clear peptide blend of BPC-157 and TB-500, next to two single-use syringes.

What do we know about ‘research only’ peptides? Q&A with expert Stuart Phillips 

Unapproved peptides that lack safety and efficacy data carry substantial risks and belong in a laboratory, not your body, Phillips warns.
Scientist Jon Stokes stands in a university corridor, wearing a hoodie and ball cap.

McMaster researcher awarded more than $2M from Weston Family Foundation to advance precision antibiotic for IBD

The funding will accelerate the move toward human trials, enabling preclinical studies, regulatory preparation and early-phase clinical trial design.

Canada & The World

The Strait of Hormuz on a bright sunny day, with ships in the distance.

Strait of Hormuz blockade will cause months of instability, expert warns

Countries and companies are bracing for far-reaching and long-term economic effects long after the Strait of Hormuz reopens, Behrouz Bakhtiari says.
Students hold up protest signs, one reading 'F Your Fascism.'

Analysis: The war on DEI reflects the quiet normalization of white nationalism — in the U.S. and beyond

The backlash against DEI initiatives casts diversity itself as a threat. Here’s why that’s so dangerous in an era of rising authoritarianism, writes expert Henry Giroux.
Musician Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl, followed by others holding flags.

Analysis: What Bad Bunny meant when he said ‘Canadá’ — and why we’re still talking about it

The moment highlights that Canada is not adjacent to the Americas — it is part of it, and Latin American and Latinx people are active participants in shaping the cultural, linguistic and political lives of this country, write Rodrigo Narro Pérez and Stacy Creech de Castro.

Energy & Sustainability

Mike Brook, wearing a lab coat and rubber gloves, holds up a fragment of rubber to look at it closely. IN the corner is a

McMaster startup converts tire waste into sustainable solutions

Professor Emeritus Mike Brook’s Neopara Materials combines a novel ingredient with tire rubber to create a more sustainable replacement for silicone, epoxy and polyurethane. 
A person with a backpack walks through a large field. A forest is visible at the back of the field.

From forgotten potato farm to research and conservation forest preserve

Get to know the origin story of McMaster Forest Nature Preserve - a place for ecologically sensitive teaching, research and recreation.
three people in hip waders kneel on a river bank doing research.

World Water Day: McMaster researchers advance global water solutions

Meet some of the researchers exploring ways to conserve water, safeguard waterways and protect aquatic life.

Science & Technology

Headshot of Yufei Yuan.

Pushing the boundaries of AI

In this Q&A, professor Yufei Yuan talks about the role of AI in the workforce and the questions that have powered his career.
An aerial photo of a beach with trees and inlets and mountains in the background.

Analysis: The Cascadia Subduction zone isn’t shutting down – but it’s more complicated than we thought

The interpretation that the subduction zone is winding down gets ahead of the science. What the new research actually shows is far more complex and interesting, writes Alexander Lewis Peace.
A grid of headshots of four researchers.

Four McMaster researchers awarded $960,000 to lead studies on small modular reactors

The Faculty of Engineering projects cover a range of topics, from SMR safety and the performance and life cycle of materials to the secure remote operation of SMRs and spent fuel management.

Leadership, Culture, & Society

A group of people pose for a picture indoors, against a wall of windows.

Two local community research partnerships receive $10K each  

The EMBOLDEN study with older adults and a project on local 2SLGBTQ+ histories were recognized at the Community-Engaged Research Awards. 
Donald Trump speaks into a microphone.

Analysis: Donald Trump’s profane and menacing threats against Iran expose the unhinged language of war

Trump's dangerous fusion of militarism, spectacle, authoritarian politics and religious fundamentalism sanctifies violence, cloaking destruction in the language of destiny while rendering its victims invisible, writes Henry Giroux.
The giant letters outside Hamilton City Hall spelling out the word Hamilton.

Analysis: Talk matters: How municipal council debates can enhance democracy

At a time of increased polarization and online toxicity, the quality of local democratic conversations may matter as much as the policies they produce, writes Karen Bird.

Business & The Economy

A city street with traffic and pedestrians on a smoggy day.

People spend more money on days with more air pollution, research shows

Consumers spend more money on discretionary 'hedonic' purchases — entertainment, leisure and small indulgences — when air pollution spikes, DeGroote Marketing professor Sanghwa Kim finds.
The opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympic games, with a graphic of five Olympic rings in the corner.

Analysis: Does hosting the Olympics make economic sense?

We asked economist Colin Mang why most Games lose money and how taxpayers usually end up footing the bill. 

Analysis: Lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles could boost adoption and diversify Canada’s trade

Canada’s move to reduce tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China aims to make EVs more affordable and diversity trade away from the U.S, writes expert Addisu Lashitew.