�鶹��ý��վ News - Dept. of Biology

Findings of �鶹��ý��վ study could lead to new longevity therapies and improved fall prevention

webfull — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:46:40 +0000

A new �鶹��ý��վ study has found a direct link between age‑related declines in neuron activity in the cerebellum and worsening motor skills, including gait, balance and agility. While it is well known that these abilities diminish with age, this is the first research to pinpoint how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.

Published: 23 February 2026

Plants retain a ‘genetic memory’ of past population crashes, study shows

webfull — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:32:55 +0000

Researchers at �鶹��ý��վ and the United States Forest Service have found that plants living in areas where human activity has caused population crashes carry long-lasting genetic traces of that history, such as reduced genetic diversity. Because genetic diversity helps species adapt to climate change, disease and other stresses, the study suggests it is vital to consider a population’s history-influenced genetics alongside its size and habitat in conservation planning.

Published: 12 February 2026

Freshwater browning threatens growth and populations of economically important fish, �鶹��ý��վ researchers say

webfull — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:30:53 +0000

Freshwater browning is stunting fish growth of some species, shrinking populations of others and changing the composition of fish communities, �鶹��ý��վ-led research suggests. “Browning” refers to freshwater bodies turning tea-coloured, a phenomenon driven by higher levels of dissolved organic matter and/or higher levels of iron in the water. Causes include changes in land use and climate, and reduced acid precipitation.

The findings indicate that changes in land use and climate are affecting biodiversity and how ecosystems function, with implications for fisheries management.

Published: 19 January 2026

Biology’s Mahnaz Mansoori wins President’s Award for Administrative and Support Staff

webfull — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:16:58 +0000

Phytotron Manager Mahnaz Mansoori (pictured above, left, with Biology Department Chair Prof. Gregor Fussmann) was one of nine �鶹��ý��վ staff members honoured with the President’s Award for Administrative and Support Staff at last week's afternoon convocation ceremony. These annual awards recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of staff members who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s mission.

Published: 20 October 2025

�鶹��ý��վ names winners of the 2025 President’s Prize for Public Engagement through Media

webfull — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:45:04 +0000

Congratulations to Jérôme Waldispühl and Attila Szantner (Computer Science), The Eclipse Task Force (Physics), and Andrew Gonzalez (Biology), who are among this year's winners of the President’s Prize for Public Engagement through Media!

In announcing the winners and runners-up, President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini noted that they were among a strong field of applicants spanning all 12 Faculties.

“This is further evidence that the sharing of knowledge and a love of learning are core �鶹��ý��վ values,” he said.

Published: 2 April 2025

How a �鶹��ý��վ student’s teenage curiosity led to the first megalodon discovery in Canada

webfull — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 16:08:27 +0000

Louis-Philippe Bateman’s fascination with megalodon began with a single sentence in a book about Canada’s geological evolution. It described giant, mysterious fossilized shark teeth discovered in the 1960s by fishermen dredging for scallops off Canada’s Atlantic coast. The curiosity felt by the teenager with a budding interest in paleontology would resurface in a meaningful way during his undergraduate years at �鶹��ý��վ.

Published: 4 February 2025

Bieler School of Environment welcomes new director

webfull — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:50:18 +0000

The Bieler School of Environment (BSE) is thrilled to announce Professor Anthony Ricciardi as its new director, effective immediately. An expert in invasion ecology and aquatic ecosystems, Ricciardi has been a key figure at the school since 2001 and now steps up to lead.

“My vision for the School is to become the gateway of environmental research at �鶹��ý��վ,” said Ricciardi.

Founded in 1998, the BSE appoints directors for five-year terms.

Published: 21 January 2025

The power of face time: Insights from zebra finch courtship

webfull — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:16:11 +0000

A new study on songbirds sheds light on the power of social interaction to facilitate learning, insights that potentially apply to human development.

�鶹��ý��վ researchers discovered that zebra finches deprived of early social experiences could still form strong bonds with a partner later in life. Once placed into cohabitation with a male, females that had never heard a mating song before could quickly develop a preference for his melody.

Published: 22 August 2024

Lighting up the circuits of the cerebellum

webfull — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:08:52 +0000

New �鶹��ý��վ study sheds light on the cerebellar nuclei

In a new article published today in Nature Communications, a team of �鶹��ý��վ researchers led by Professor Alanna Watt of the Department of Biology examines the spatial organization of neurons in the cerebellar cortex. The findings offer new insight into how information is integrated in the cerebellum and shed light on the role of the often-overlooked cerebellar nuclei.

Published: 9 July 2024

How climate change is affecting where species live

webfull — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 15:44:19 +0000

As the climate warms, many species are on the move, raising new challenges for policy-makers around the world. Shifts in the ranges of mosquitoes and disease-bearing ticks and bats are introducing illnesses such as malaria and Lyme disease into regions where health-care systems are unprepared. Movements of commercially important fish from one jurisdiction to another are shifting job opportunities and causing trade disputes.

Published: 2 July 2024