91亚色 is poised to welcome 11 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers through the first wave of the federal (CIRTA) initiative, reflecting the University鈥檚 strong research excellence and ability to attract top international research talent.

In total the CIRTA are worth $1.4 million in funding 鈥� $40,000 per year for three years for seven doctoral students and $70,000 for two years for four postdoctoral researchers at 91亚色 鈥� to address critical national and global challenges in some of Canada鈥檚 priority areas. Altogether, the CIRTA will go towards funding 600 doctoral students and 400 postdoctoral researchers at universities across Canada.

"We are thrilled to welcome these 11 exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to 91亚色. They will bring an array of international experiences and perspectives to their work alongside some of our most accomplished faculty, researchers whose expertise spans multiple disciplines, methodologies, and questions. It is the strength of these mentors and the vibrancy of our research community that draws top talent from around the world to 91亚色,鈥� says Lisa Philipps, 91亚色 interim president and vice-chancellor.

The recently CIRTA results are part of the a $1.7 billion strategy to strengthen the country鈥檚 position as a go-to-place for the world鈥檚 top scientists and innovators. They are jointly administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

91亚色 received a large number of highly qualified candidates for the positions, which will receive funding from all three funding agencies. In addition, two of the four postdoctoral researchers are coming from the social sciences and humanities.

鈥淲e are equally grateful to the Government of Canada and to CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, whose Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards make these opportunities possible. This kind of bold public investment in emerging academic talent is exactly what strengthens our research culture and allows ambitious ideas to take root. Together, the vision of our funders and the dedication of our scholars and supervisors will help tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time, from removing forever chemicals from our water to strengthening our preparedness against emerging diseases. I could not be prouder of what this community will achieve,鈥� says Philipps.

The CIRTA research awards target specific high priority research needs identified by the federal government across disciplines.

At 91亚色 the doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers and their supervisors will embark on a vast array of research, including a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system, advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture, AI forecasting tools to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making, methods to remove forever chemical contamination from wastewater sludge, and a better understanding of new drivers of aging and development of new personalized therapies to improve health span.

鈥淩esearch thrives when talented people are given the opportunity, support and freedom to pursue ambitious ideas. These scholars are asking important questions and bringing fresh perspectives to issues that matter deeply to society. Their arrival enriches our academic community, and we look forward to the contributions they will make during their time at 91亚色 and throughout their careers,鈥� says Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at 91亚色.

The following 91亚色 faculty members welcome doctoral students funded by the program:

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health and Humanitarianism Godfred Boateng, School of Global Health, Faculty of Health (supported by SSHRC)

Boateng鈥檚 research interests lie in resource insecurity, health and sustainable livelihoods; environmental pollution, climate change and health effects; the socio-ecological determinants of cardiometabolic conditions in aging adults; health equity and health systems research; and implementation and scale-up science in low- and middle-income countries. The research of his doctoral student will focus on the development a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system for informal settlements in Accra, using satellite data, health records, and machine learning to predict emerging disease hotspots. By co-designing tools with local health workers and communities, the project aims to enable earlier public-health interventions and create a scalable model for climate-health resilience in rapidly urbanizing cities.

Associate Professor , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Freire-Gormaly鈥檚 research focuses on the development of stand-alone solar powered reverse osmosis water treatment systems and energy recovery systems for remote communities that lack access to grid electricity. She also is interested in machine learning applications for smart design of innovative energy and water systems. The research of her doctoral student will foster the development advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture and drinking water treatment, with a focus on modular, affordable systems that can operate in remote and resource-constrained settings. By combining materials innovation, computational modelling, and life-cycle assessment, the project aims to deliver scalable clean technologies that support climate mitigation, water security, and community resilience.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Ghafar-Zadeh鈥檚 research focuses on microelectronic and biosensing technologies for clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to address critical challenges in health care, environmental monitoring and scientific research through his Biologically Inspired Sensor and Actuator Laboratory. The research with the doctoral student will develop a new version of DePerio, an AI-powered saliva screening tool that uses deep learning to detect oral neutrophils as biomarkers of periodontal disease and potential neurological disorders, enabling earlier, non-invasive diagnosis. Building on proof-of-concept results achieving 88 per cent precision and 94.7 per cent mAP, the project aims to validate a clinically deployable system that links oral inflammation to disease progression and improves preventive care for both oral and brain health.

Associate Professor , Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Hamraie鈥檚 doctoral student will be part of 91亚色鈥檚 Science and Technology Studies graduate program. His research will address the tensions between approaches to accessibility based in mass standardization and those that are rooted in disability activism. In particular, he is interested in how disability activists and technologists have shared information, theories and concepts, and how accessible computing, in particular, has influenced architectural practice. As a graduate student, he will also continue to work in Hamraie鈥檚 , a collective of disabled artists, designers and researchers who approach accessibility through disability cultural frameworks. 

Professor , Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Hu鈥檚 research focuses on developing scalable and interpretable AI approaches for forest characterization, carbon estimation, biodiversity assessment and environmental monitoring using multi-source remote sensing data. Her doctoral student鈥檚 research will develop multimodal AI techniques that combine LiDAR, multispectral imagery and forest inventory data to identify individual tree species in Ontario鈥檚 mixed and transitional forests. By enabling scalable species-level forest monitoring, the project will improve biodiversity assessment, forest carbon quantification, and evidence-based forest management to support nature-based climate solutions in Canada.

Professor and 91亚色 Research Chair in Mechanisms of Cardiometabolic Disease Gary Sweeney, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science (supported by CHIR)

Sweeney鈥檚 doctoral student鈥檚 research will build on evidence that high adiponectin levels are linked to exceptional longevity and protection against age-related diseases, while low levels are associated with poorer health outcomes. It proposes combining adiponectin biology with extracellular vesicle science to identify new drivers of aging and develop personalized therapies to improve health span in individuals with low adiponectin.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Tabassum鈥檚 research focuses on developing trustworthy AI for wireless sensing, localization, spectrum intelligence, and next-generation communications. Her work combines optimization, machine learning, large language models, and multimodal AI to advance intelligent resource management, integrated sensing and communications, wireless forecasting, and energy-efficient 5G/6G networks, with applications in digital health, smart infrastructure, and connected and autonomous systems. The research of her doctoral student will develop multimodal AI techniques for wireless localization and spectrum intelligence by combining radio-frequency measurements with complementary sensing modalities to enable accurate positioning and automated understanding of complex wireless environments. By integrating trustworthy AI, deep learning, and large language models, the project aims to improve spectrum awareness, network intelligence, and wireless resilience, supporting the deployment of next generation 5G/6G systems for smart infrastructure, public safety, and autonomous applications.

The following faculty members will welcome postdoctoral researchers funded by the program:

Professor and James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering and Director of the One WATER Institute , Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Brar is a globally recognized researcher with expertise in value-added waste processing through the development of bioproducts from wastewaters and sludge using fermentation technologies and the removal of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals. She also works on innovative treatment technologies for environmental remediation. The postdoctoral researcher鈥檚 work will address the wastewater sludge contamination of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of 4,700 man-made 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� found in non-stick cookware, cosmetics and waterproof textiles, and everywhere from groundwater to human blood. Current wastewater treatment plants were not designed to primarily remove PFAS, however, if they are not properly treated prior to discharge, it can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater. Conventional PFAS removal methods like sludge pyrolysis, incineration, electrochemical oxidation are energy and cost intensive and cannot be easily integrated into existing plants. Through their research, Brar and her postdoctoral researcher will develop a circular-economy pretreatment approach using ultrasonication and biochar to reduce 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� while enhancing biogas production. Through lab and pilot-scale testing on anaerobic digester sludge, the research aims to optimize conditions for PFAS removal in a way that is compatible with existing treatment infrastructure.

Associate Professor , Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Jean-Pierre鈥檚 research in the sociology of education, sociology of race and ethnicity, youth studies, and research methodology. She focuses on school and postsecondary trajectories, policies and interventions, and qualitative research. The research of her postdoctoral researcher will redefine democracy as every day, community-based practice by examining how Black women in Brazil, Argentina, and Canada build collective infrastructures of care, mutual aid, and political organizing amid systemic exclusion and democratic crisis. Through comparative ethnography, it shows how these grassroots practices sustain and reimagine democratic life beyond formal state institutions, challenging dominant models shaped by anti-Blackness and inequality.

Professor and Scientific Director of the Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement Seyed Moghadas, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science (supported by NSERC)

Moghadas鈥檚 research involves advanced theoretical and computational methods for modelling and analysis of infectious disease dynamics, evaluating public health interventions and policies, and health economics of healthcare programs. The postdoctoral researcher will develop transparent, uncertainty-aware AI forecasting tools that combine machine learning with mechanistic disease-transmission models to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making. By integrating diverse data sources and explicitly quantifying uncertainty, the project aims to strengthen preparedness, resource allocation, and health system resilience against emerging infectious disease threats.

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Reasoning , Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Rini is an internationally recognized expert in the philosophical disciplines of ethics and epistemology. In ethics, she specifically examines structural injustice and the complexities of moral disagreement, while in epistemology, she has studied the effects of online misinformation on public debate and the erosion of digital recording as a regulator of testimony. Rini will supervise a postdoctoral researcher examining how testimonial narratives in the Colombian and Canadian truth commissions contribute to reparative justice by helping survivors reclaim agency, foster collective understanding and rebuild social trust after systemic violence. Through a comparative philosophical analysis, the project develops a framework for understanding narrative as a tool for epistemic repair and reconciliation while exploring its limitations in addressing ongoing structural inequalities. The research will look at the following three questions: The guiding questions are: What is the relationship between testimonial narrative and reparative justice; How does narrative support individual healing, collective recognition and the rebuilding of social trust; and What tensions arise between individualized testimonies and structural accounts of systemic injustice?

The post 91亚色 to receive $1.4M in Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards appeared first on News@91亚色.

 Cross-sectional study by 91亚色 U of more than 13,500 older adults found not all digital communication tools had the same associations with perceived mental health

Seniors are considered the fastest-growing group on the Internet, but does being connected online help or hinder mental health for older adults? According to a published in the open access journal PLOS Global Public Health led by 91亚色 Glendon College Associate Professor , while some Internet use such as email has been associated with mental health benefits, social media sites were linked to lower perceived mental health. 

 鈥淯nderstanding how digital communication tools are associated with mental health outcomes can inform policy and practice aimed at supporting mental well-being in this age group,鈥� the authors say. 鈥淭he findings may inform the development of targeted interventions and strategies to support mental well-being among older adults.

The use of the Internet has been linked to reduced social isolation and loneliness. However, the literature also presents mixed findings on the impact of digital communication tools on mental health among older adults, with some studies suggesting that digital behaviors may be associated with poorer mental health outcomes.

In the new study by Ali-Hassan and School of Kinesiology and Health Science researchers Safoura Zangiabadi and Durmalouk Kesibi from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health, they analyzed data from the 2022 Canadian Internet Use Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted by Statistics Canada. The analysis was restricted to adults aged 55 and older, and included 13,536 participants, weighted to be representative of the entire Canadian population aged 55 and older. Data was available on which online communication-related activities participants had conducted in the previous three months, their self-reported mental health, and sociodemographic factors. 

Over half of participants reported engaging in digital communication activities. After adjusting for covariates, email use was significantly positively associated with perceived mental health, while use of social networking sites was associated with poorer perceived mental health. No significant associations were found for instant messaging, online voice or video calls, dating websites, or uploading content. 

The authors suggest one possible explanation for the negative association between perceived mental health and social media may be exposure to distressing content as well as social comparison.

Read the original release .

-30- 

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs, while at the Markham Campus, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are built into every program. 91亚色鈥檚 new School of Medicine, the first Canadian medical school to focus on community-based primary health-care education, will welcome its first cohort in September 2028. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Social media use linked to poorer mental health in older Canadians, study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

June 1, 2026, TORONTO 鈥� Birthed from a 1969 uprising as a response to police violence at a New 91亚色 City dive bar called the Stonewall Inn, Pride has grown into a global movement, with Toronto-area celebrations among the largest in the world. Drawing on years of community-engaged research and large-scale data sets, 91亚色 researchers are available to talk to media about historical struggles and current issues facing those in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities today.

Antony Chum

  (he/him, they/them) is the Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science and an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health. His research focuses on LGBTQ+ health disparities and the structural determinants of health among marginalized populations, such as low-income, racialized, and gender-diverse groups. By applying quasi-experimental approaches to large-scale population datasets drawn from Census, linked health administrative, and international sources, Chum generates population-level evidence on how structural barriers and public policies shape health and related social and economic outcomes.

颁丑耻尘鈥檚 , "Beyond the Gender Binary: Wage Inequality and Occupational Segregation among Transgender and Nonbinary Workers," utilizes data from the 2021 Canadian Census, the first national census in the world to collect and identify data on transgender and nonbinary individuals. The study found significant employment and wage gaps, with transgender and nonbinary individuals being eight to 14 per cent less likely to be employed than cisgender men and earn 20 to 30 per cent lower hourly wages on average. Even after adjusting for demographic, occupational, and industrial factors, a substantial earnings gap remains, hitting nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth the hardest.

Chum is available to discuss other studies including:

• Upcoming research that demonstrates that progressive political environments act as crucial protective factors, actively mitigating the minority stress that drives elevated rates of suicidality and substance use in sexual minority populations
• Gender minorities facing drastically higher risks for physical, cognitive, and mental activity limitations
• Transgender and non-binary individuals facing significantly higher rates of housing instability than cisgender individuals
• Severe disparities in severe substance-related events, pinpointing bisexual women as facing the highest risk (more than double that of heterosexual women)

Jin Haritaworn

is an expert of gay imperialism, homonationalism and pinkwashing. They have studied the gentrification and securitization of the Church-Wellesley Village and look critically at the incorporation of Pride into the neoliberal city. They also explore queer of colour maps and counter-archives. Haritaworn is Associate Professor of Gender, Race and Environment in the Faculty of Environment and Urban Change. They locate their work in the tradition of activist scholarship, which attempts to be in the service of communities. Their research deals with landscapes that are shaped by racial and colonial capitalism, where celebration and incorporation exist alongside pathologization and criminalization. Their first two books, and , explore how certain mixed-race and LGBT subjects became desirable in a context of war on terror, neoliberal multiculturalism and the global city in London and Berlin.

Haritaworn is available to discuss:

• Gentrification and criminalization in the Village
• Queer of colour archives and activism
• Homonationalism and gay imperialism

Tom Hooper

(he/him) is a historian of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Canada and a professor with the department of equity studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS). His research includes exploring the 1981 bathhouse raids in Toronto where more than three hundred gay men were arrested and criminally charged for their sexuality, with a focus on the community resistance to these raids both on the streets and in the courts. Hooper critically examined the construction of dominant queer historical narratives, including the myth that legal changes in 1969 represented the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada. Hooper also investigated the use and misuse of heritage grants provided to 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations.

Hooper is available to comment on:

• 2SLGBTQIA+ protest movements
• Policing and pride
• 2SLGBTQIA+ history

Nick Mul茅

(he/him) is a professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women鈥檚 Studies and the School of Social Work, LA&PS. He teaches sexual activism, and social justice. His research areas include advocacy, and the social inclusion 鈥� and exclusion 鈥� of gender and and sexually diverse populations (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two-spirit, genderqueer, intersex, queer, questioning 鈥� 2SLGBTQIA+) in social policy and service provision and the degree of recognition of these populations as distinct communities in cultural, systemic and structural contexts. Mul茅 also engages in critical analysis of the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement and the development of queer liberation theory. Mul茅 is currently leading a national research project on poverty in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, the first national study of its kind.

Mul茅 is available to comment on:

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, intersex and queer issues
• Queer liberation theory
• 2SLGBTQIA+ health and social service concerns, public and social policy regarding 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities
• History and politics of the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement
• Diversity in society and 2SLGBTQIA+ human rights

For information on Pride celebrations at 91亚色, please see here.

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 U experts available to comment on Pride Month appeared first on News@91亚色.

Researchers from 91亚色 U, Environment and Climate Change Canada found chemical compounds trigger inflammatory, toxic responses in human lung immune cells

TORONTO, May 27, 2026 鈥� A published today in the journal Environment International reports that chemicals released from tires can transform into complex mixtures in the atmosphere that may pose previously unrecognized risks to human respiratory health.

Tire rubber contains antioxidant chemicals, most notably 6PPD and DPPD, that are released into the air as tiny particles during normal driving. A single compound formed from 6PPD, known as 6PPD-quinone was previously shown to be implicated in the death of coho salmon in urban waterways, but the broader atmospheric chemistry and potential human health impacts of these compounds have remained largely unexplored until now.

鈥淭he striking finding was that the mixtures were far more toxic than the original tire chemicals themselves and are far more toxic than the one compound previously implicated in environmental studies,鈥� says 91亚色 Associate Professor Ali Abdul-Sater, who co-lead the study with researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada. 鈥淭his suggests that focusing on a single compound may substantially underestimate the real health risks associated with tire-derived air pollution.鈥�

Abdul-Sater, with the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in the Faculty of Health at 91亚色 and director of the Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) CARE Hub, connected with research scientists John Liggio and Samar Moussa from Environment and Climate Change Canada. The federal government agency has a 鈥渓ibrary鈥� of archived ambient samples on hand from across the country and the researchers used some of these samples from near Highway 401, and close to 91亚色, for the study.

鈥淲hen you oxidize one chemical from a tire, it probably makes hundreds of chemicals in the mixture, and you don't know which one of those, or all of them are causing the toxic effect that we're seeing,鈥� explains Liggio. 鈥淓ven though we can identify what they are chemically, you can't go out and buy that chemical and test only that chemical.鈥�

In this study, they identified at least 150 chemicals and found 88 of them to be present in the roadside samples. They then recreated the mixture of tire derived chemicals in their laboratory and handed them off to Abdul-Sater.

At his lab at 91亚色, Abdul-Sater exposed human macrophage cells to this chemical mixture. Macrophages are immune cells that serve as the lungs鈥� first line of defense against inhaled particles. Surprisingly, while the fish-killing 6PPD-quinone was not found to be particularly toxic, the chemical mixture overall was.

鈥淭he results showed rapid cell death, substantial mitochondrial damage, and strong activation of inflammatory pathways,鈥� says Abdul-Sater. 鈥淭hese effects were far more severe than those caused by the parent chemicals alone or by 6PPD-quinone, the single product that has received the most attention. Importantly, the concentrations that triggered these responses are comparable to estimated levels in human lung fluid based on real-world air quality measurements near busy roads.鈥�

Moussa adds: 鈥淭he original motivation for the project was to assess the toxicity of this one compound, but what we discovered was a potentially more complex issue that we aim to disentangle in future studies. When you breath in air, you take it all in, you are not selectively breathing this molecule or that molecule.鈥�

The researchers say the results are preliminary and not cause for alarm, pointing out that these exposures have existed for half a century or more, but they may be one more environmental exposure that is contributing to the rise of chronic inflammation and related disease. Previous studies have shown negative health effects being correlated with living near major roadways.

鈥淲e have to think about this from a chronic exposure angle,鈥� says Abdul-Sater. 鈥淭hese compounds may be increasing our proclivity to develop certain kinds of diseases.鈥�

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post New study shows atmospheric compounds formed from tire wear may pose human health risk appeared first on News@91亚色.

Researchers say findings point to the need to recruit beyond universities when doing cross-cultural investigations聽

TORONTO, March. 26, 2026 鈥� A new study in Nature Communications聽finds that world-wide, people with higher levels of education are more culturally similar to those in Canada, the U.S. U.K. and other Anglo, industrialized countries and countries in Western Europe.

Lead author and 91亚色 Faculty of Health Assistant Professor says the study shows that solely recruiting from university students and educated people when doing cross-cultural comparisons will not fully capture the cultural variability we see in the world.

鈥淓ducation doesn鈥檛 just teach skills or facts, to a certain extent it also shapes how people think about the world, so the findings make sense,鈥� says White, in the Department of Psychology. 鈥淲hile Western countries continue to be over-represented in research in general, our study suggests that even where participants are recruited from non-Western countries, cultural bias may continue to persist.鈥�

Analyzing data from nearly 270,000 people across 95 countries captured in the World Values Survey, the study shows that higher education is strongly associated with cultural values typical of so-called 鈥淲EIRD鈥� societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). For example, Russians with lower education levels were very culturally distant from American values, but Russians with a university degree were much more culturally similar to the U.S.

Contrary to modernization theories, when analyzing income and social status, the researchers did not find the same association.

White paired up with London School of Economics and New 91亚色 Professor Michael Muthukrishna for the study. They found that in 70 per cent of the countries they looked at, highly-educated people were significantly closer to the United States than people with low education in those countries. However, the researchers say the pattern reflects a broader alignment with Western cultural norms, including individualism and an emphasis on personal freedom, analytical thinking, lower conformity to social norms, and a greater generalized trust, not just American values specifically.

Muthukrishna explained, 鈥淪chooling is one of the most powerful systems of cultural transmission ever invented. Education doesn鈥檛 just change what you know, but how you think and what you value. What our results reveal is that school systems around the world still carry the fingerprints of their Western origins. That means if you鈥檙e a researcher recruiting university students in Nairobi or S茫o Paulo and comparing them to university students in New 91亚色, Toronto or London, you may be dramatically underestimating how different those cultures actually are.鈥�

White emphasizes that the findings in no way suggest that highly-educated people in non-Western countries are culturally the same as those in the West.

鈥淲e're not saying that being highly educated makes everyone the same, there's still a lot of diversity within highly educated groups around the world. It's just that the diversity has shifted in the direction of being more Western,鈥� says White, who recently also published a paper with a University of California researcher looking at . 鈥淲e are saying that you do need to look at education, in addition to things like nationality, ethnicity and religion, when considering why someone thinks the way they do.鈥�

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Globally, higher education linked to 鈥榃EIRD鈥� cultural values, 91亚色-led study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

The post Prof Emeritus Gordon Flett discusses the importance of mattering on The Oprah Podcast聽 appeared first on News@91亚色.

While 鈥榤ost depressing day鈥� has been debunked, winter comes with mental health challenges for many

TORONTO, January. 19, 2025 鈥� Blue Monday, typically falling on the third Monday in January, has been dubbed 鈥榯he most depressing day of the year.鈥� While this is more rooted in marketing than science, with the concept being popularized by a travel company a few decades ago to boost winter getaway sales, it does come at a time where it鈥檚 common for people to be experiencing issues with their mood, says 91亚色 Faculty of Health Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell. 

Whether it鈥檚 the dark winter days, post-holiday debt or other factors, many people do struggle more with their mental health in the winter, and for some people the effect is stronger, going into Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

鈥淟ess daylight, colder weather, post-holiday excess recovery, including physical, mental and emotional, and a particularly bad flu season can all take their toll on our mental health,鈥� says Pillai Riddell, also the Tier 1 91亚色 Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health. 

Pillai Riddell says most Canadians report having the winter blues and is available to talk to media about strategies to cope with the winter blues./

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 expert available to talk about Blue Monday and keeping winter blues away appeared first on News@91亚色.

Latest study builds on earlier 91亚色 research showing dance鈥檚 benefits for depression and motor control

TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2025 鈥� A led by researchers at 91亚色 shows that dance can be beneficial in halting the cognitive decline associated with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and, for some participants, they even showed signs of improvement. Faculty of Health Associate Professor , co-author of the study, says since cognition is nearly always expected to decline as the illness progresses and this was a multi-year study, the findings are quite remarkable.

鈥淭he classic progression of Parkinson's disease is that cognition gets bad as well as motor symptoms, and some people already have significantly impaired cognition by the time they get to a diagnosis,鈥� says DeSouza, who worked closely on the study with lead author Simran Rooprai, a second-year interdisciplinary master鈥檚 student at 91亚色. 鈥淪o finding that no one in the dance group had further cognitive decline over six years, we think that鈥檚 pretty significant.鈥�

The study, published today in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, looked at 43 participants from a group with Parkinson鈥檚 participating in the Sharing Dance Parkinson鈥檚 program at the National Ballet of Canada and the Dance for Parkinson鈥檚 Disease program through Trinity St. Paul鈥檚 Church, both located in Toronto, and a reference group of 28 people with Parkinson鈥檚 who were sedentary and not engaged in any physical activity.

Dance classes would begin with a seated warm-up, followed by 鈥渂arre鈥� exercises, and sessions ended with floorwork dances. One group was also taught a specific choreography in preparation for an upcoming performance.

The researchers found that the cognitive scores for the dance group had improved compared to the reference group, where they saw no changes, or a slight decline.

Rooprai says the research shows that dance could help with cognitive preservation, or perhaps even improvement in those with Parkinson鈥檚.

鈥淲e can't really fix the brain, but we're trying to show that with dance, maybe we can delay the onset of further cognitive decline,鈥� says Rooprai.

While Parkinson鈥� disease is most closely associated with the characteristic tremors of the disease, it is also associated with cognitive decline, with four out of five people with the illness eventually experiencing severe cognition problems as the disease progresses.

Earlier research led by DeSouza at 91亚色 that he worked on with fellow author and former 91亚色 PhD student Karolina Bearss, now a professor at Algoma University, has shown the benefits of dance for depression and of the illness, suggesting the benefits of dance are widespread.

鈥淒ance engages many parts of the brain,鈥� says Rooprai. 鈥淲hile dancing, you鈥檙e listening to music, learning new steps, remembering the different sequences, and you鈥檙e engaging with other dancers so you鈥檙e aware of your surroundings. Dance is physical, mental, and social all at once.鈥�

DeSouza and Rooprai are working on a follow-up study in collaboration with the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, where they will look at how working memory is affected for people with Parkinson鈥檚 taking weekly dance classes.

鈥淕iven how dance has so many different positive impacts on cognition, we expect to see improvements.鈥� says DeSouza.

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Dance effective in fighting against cognitive decline in Parkinson鈥檚, 91亚色 U study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, Dec. 1 2025 鈥� Between the lack of sleep and free time, physical, hormonal and relationship changes, and juggling work and other life commitments, many couples find their sex lives take a hit in the transition to parenthood. Continuing through the early years of child rearing, this can have a negative impact on the overall relationship. While spontaneous sex is put on a pedestal in Western society, led by researchers at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health found that encouraging couples with young children to plan sex led to increased desire and frequency.  

鈥淔谤辞尘 previous research we know that most people idealize spontaneous sex, but that doesn鈥檛 necessarily correlate with actual sexual satisfaction,鈥� says lead author and 91亚色 PhD Candidate Katarina Kovacevic, a registered psychotherapist whose clinical and research focus is on romantic relationships and sexual issues. 鈥淔or this study, we wanted to see if we could shift people's beliefs about planning sex so they could see the benefits, which they did.鈥�

For the paper, 鈥淐an Shifting Beliefs About Planned Sex Lead to Engaging in More Frequent Sex and Higher Desire and Satisfaction? An Experimental Study of Parents with Young Children,鈥� published in The Journal of Sex Research, Kovacevic worked closely with 91亚色 Psychology Professor , also director of the at 91亚色.

The researchers recruited more than 500 participating individuals from Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, whose youngest child was five years old or younger. The study was open to all gender and sexual orientations.

All participants were surveyed on their pre-existing notions of planned versus spontaneous sex and were then divided into two groups. One was given a research summary highlighting the importance of planned sex and were encouraged to plan sex with their partner in the next two weeks. The other group was given literature saying that researchers were not sure whether planned or spontaneous sex was more satisfying and were instructed to have sex as they normally would with their partner.

鈥淎t the two-week followup, people in the experimental group reported having more planned sex than the control group and more sex overall,鈥� says Muise. 鈥淭he difference between groups meant that planning sex could translate into at least one more      sexual experience a month for a couple, which can be meaningful.鈥�

Planning also had other benefits. The researchers found, for participants who had reported at least one sexual encounter in the two-week period, that the planners felt less obligated to have sex compared to the control group.

鈥淚n the manipulation, we emphasized that planning sex needs to be a conversation with your partner, we emphasized consent, so that could perhaps explain that finding,鈥� says Kovacevic.

The researchers say that while parents with younger children are at an especially vulnerable stage in their sex lives and relationship overall, they believe planning could be beneficial to many couples.  

鈥淭his could apply fairly broadly 鈥� for example to people who are busy in general, to people who have health and mobility issues who have times when they feel better and worse,鈥� says Kovacevic. 鈥淧lanned sex could be a tool for anyone looking to connect more with their partner.鈥� 

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Priming for planned sex increases desire, frequency in parents with young children, 91亚色 study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

Benedict Weobong and Godfred Boateng head international team exploring climate-related heat, sleep and mental-health issues with funding from leading global charity Wellcome

TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2025 鈥� HEATSCAPE-Africa, a new international collaboration led by researchers in the Faculty of Health at 91亚色, will look at the relationship between climate-related heat and mental health. Supported by a $5.5 million grant by , a global charitable foundation that supports science to solve urgent health challenges, the 91亚色-led project also involves partners from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the U.K. and community partners in Africa, including Navrongo Health Research Centre, Kintampo Health Research Centre and Kgotso Development Trust. University of Ghana and BasicNeeds Ghana are also key collaborators.

鈥淭hanks to this generous grant from Wellcome, we hope to answer questions on the potential impact of climate change on mental-health issues such as anxiety and depression, particularly in Africa,鈥� says project lead Benedict Weobong, associate professor in the School of Global Health at 91亚色. 鈥淔urthermore, we will explore the underlying factors that explain the relationship and why individuals exposed to extreme heat may suffer from mental-health issues.鈥�

With a strong focus on involving those with lived experience, the project will zero in on a contextual understanding of heat and mental health, methodological advances to identify causal mechanisms through a two-year prospective cohort study and community and health-system readiness.

鈥�91亚色 is honoured to partner with Wellcome on this pioneering research that has the potential to transform how the world understands the impacts of climate change on mental health,鈥� says Amir Asif, Vice President of Research and Innovation at 91亚色. "Through 91亚色鈥檚 Global Research Excellence (GRE) Fund, we were happy to support Professor Weobong develop the Wellcome Trust proposal with international partners. By leading collaborations that span continents and disciplines, we are shaping solutions that not only advance scientific discovery, but also inspire a healthier, more equitable future for generations to come.鈥�

Weobong and his colleagues, including 91亚色 School of Global Health Associate Professor Godfred Odei Boateng, believe the connection may lie with sleep health and cognitive function being affected by extreme temperatures, with many mental-health issues coming after a period of poor sleep, and many mental health conditions affecting the quality of sleep. The relationship with high temperatures and poor sleep is also well known, with ideal temperatures for most adults being between 15 - 19C. The research will take place in Ghana, which has a hot climate year-round with typical temperatures ranging from 19 - 34C, and Zimbabwe, which experiences more seasonal variability, with temperatures dipping as low as 8C in the winter.

鈥淭his grant offers us a remarkable opportunity to explore the complex mechanisms behind mental-health challenges across selected life stages,鈥� says Boateng. 鈥淎dditionally, it will help us identify key intervention points that have the potential to alleviate the long-term impacts of climate change and poor sleep, while informing the development of adaptive strategies for low-resource settings.鈥�

Adolescents, women of reproductive age and older adults are the focus of the five-year project. Weobong says there is good evidence supporting the vulnerability of each of these groups to climate-related heat.

鈥淧regnant women are already at higher risk of poor sleep and research shows they and their babies are vulnerable to adverse impacts of poor heat and sleep,鈥� says Weobong, adding that little of the research has been conducted in Africa. 鈥淲e also know that adolescent brain development is affected by sleep and 50 per cent of mental-health conditions in adults started when they were adolescents.鈥�

Weobong says this cohort focus will also allow them to examine household and intergenerational linkages and explore coping strategies within family systems.

Co-applicants include Boateng, LSHTM quantitative epidemiologist assistant professor Seyi Soremekun and sleep specialist Professor Helen Anne Weiss, Zimbabwe lead Dr. Newton Matandirotya and Ghana leads Dr. Raymond Aborigo and Dr. Kenneth Ae-Ngibise.         

鈥淢ental health problems are universal, although the ways these challenges are expressed might be different,鈥� says Weobong, who is originally from Ghana and pursued research opportunities in the U.K. and India before coming to Canada. 鈥淭here used to be a time where there was an assumption that depression was only a challenge of the Global North, and while we鈥檝e moved past that, there are many outstanding challenges, especially when looking at access to treatment in the Global South.鈥�

-30-

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 profs lead $5.5 million HEATSCAPE-Africa project appeared first on News@91亚色.