/medhealthsci-research/ en /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/new-risk-score-step-toward-improving-prediction-cardiovascular-disease-after-pregnancy%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E A Canada-wide study led by Natalie Dayan, MD, a scientist at The Research Institute of the �鶹��ý��վ Health Centre (The Institute), has developed a new risk score to predict cardiovascular disease after childbirth. Published in JACC: Advances, the study draws on national administrative data from nearly two million births between 2008 and 2021. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death and disability in women. Complications such as preeclampsia and other forms of severe maternal morbidity are risk factors specific to women that predict both short-term and long-term Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1615 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/beige-fat-plays-unexpected-vasoprotective-role-blood-pressure-regulation%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E A major international study, published in the journal Science, has revealed an unexpected role for fat tissue in the regulation of blood pressure and vascular health. Researchers Rhian M. Touyz, MBBCh, PhD, and Augusto C. Montezano, PhD, from the Cardiovascular Health Across the Lifespan Program at The Research Institute of the �鶹��ý��վ Health Centre (The Institute), are co-authors. The study shows that beige fat—a metabolically active form of fat related to brown fat—does more than regulate energy balance. It also actively communicates with blood vessels, influencing how they Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1614 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/achilles-heel-pancreatic-cancer-could-pave-way-new-treatments%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E A team from the Research Institute of the �鶹��ý��վ Health Centre (The Institute), led by Jean-Jacques Lebrun, PhD, has identified a protein that pancreatic cancer cells rely on to survive and grow. This discovery opens a promising avenue for the research and development of more effective and targeted therapies to treat one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, is currently the third leading cause of cancer death in Canada and could become the second leading cause by 2040. With a 5-year survival Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1613 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/nserc-awards-two-mcgill-professors-165-million-each-prepare-next-generation-researchers%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Professors Ioannis Ragoussis and Jake Barralet from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences have each received $1.65 million for projects to improve the job readiness of the next generation of researchers. The funding comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program. Theirs are among 21 projects nationwide selected this year. Preparing for a rapidly evolving MedTech ecosystem Surgical robots, artificial intelligence and image guided surgery and other emerging technologies are revolutionizing Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1612 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/weston-family-foundation-awards-two-mcgill-researchers-human-microbiome-research%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Weston Family Foundation, through the Weston Brain Institute and the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative, supports science-based approaches to significantly improve the health and well-being of Canadians. The Proof-of-Principle program, through the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative, funds Canadian research efforts that advance the application of the microbiome to improve human health. Gut–virus interactions and early‑life health Corinne Maurice, Canada Research Chair in Gut Microbial Interactions, Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and co-Director of the Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1611 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/ai-tool-pinpoints-cells-driving-aggressive-cancers%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E �鶹��ý��վ researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can identify small groups of cells most responsible for driving aggressive cancers. The tool, called SIDISH, offers scientists a clearer path to designing targeted therapies by showing which cells inside a tumour are most strongly linked with poor patient outcomes, rather than treating all cancer cells as if they behave the same way. In a preclinical study published in Nature Communications, SIDISH successfully identified “high risk” cells across pancreatic, breast and lung cancers using tumour samples collected Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1610 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/under-resourced-tuberculosis-care-causes-hardship-new-study-nunavik-inuit-call-person%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E A study published in CMAJ draws attention to the ongoing tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in Nunavik, highlighting that the under-resourcing of healthcare services in the region is creating added hardship for TB-affected Inuit and families. Led by a predominantly Indigenous research team from the Research Institute of the �鶹��ý��վ Health Centre (The Institute) and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS), in partnership with the Inuulitsivik Health Centre (IHC) and Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre (UTHC), the study calls for effective resources to drive a shift Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1609 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/pregnancy-complications-linked-fathers-heart-risk%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are often considered temporary conditions affecting mothers. Increasingly, however, they are recognized as early warning signs of long-term cardiometabolic risk. While most research has focused on what these complications mean for women, new findings suggest their implications extend beyond mothers. A large population-based study from The Institute, led by Kaberi Dasgupta, MD, MSc, senior scientist in the Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, shows that when gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension or preeclampsia Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1608 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/botox-new-therapeutic-approach-treating-finger-ulcers-and-gangrene%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, could be an effective and well-tolerated option for treating debilitating complications caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers, such as acute digital ischemia (which makes the fingers very painful, cold and sometimes white or bluish), digital ulcers (open wounds that heal poorly), and gangrene, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology. The systematic review and individual-patient data meta-analysis of 30 published studies and one unpublished case, involving 119 patients, found that the treatment—which reduces blood Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1607 /medhealthsci-research/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-research/article/vision-impact-transforming-clinical-trials-institute%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Clinical trials mark the moment when discovery becomes care — when years of laboratory research and data analysis reach patients and begin to transform clinical practice. At the Research Institute of the �鶹��ý��վ Health Centre (The Institute), clinical trial excellence is not new. Investigators have long led high-impact studies across disciplines, contributing nationally and internationally to advances in patient care. With the launch of its 2030 Vision, that strength has become a coordinated strategic priority. Central to the plan is Research Priority 4: advancing clinical trials Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 Health e-News 1606