Daily Media Digest February 23, 2024

Brains on a dish: Revolutionizing Parkinson’s Disease research with brain organoids
McGill Reporter – McGill University
“Led by Thomas Durcan, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill and Director of the Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery …”
KEYWORDS: brain health, Parkinson’s Disease, McGill University, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital)

New technique can quickly detect fentanyl and other opioids
University of Waterloo
“University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new blood testing method that can detect potent opioids much faster than traditional approaches and potentially save lives.”
KEYWORDS: addiction and substance use, fentanyl, University of Waterloo

Wrist-worn heart rate monitor readings are less accurate for people with darker skin tones
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI)
“Wearable health monitoring devices have become omnipresent in the lives of Canadians. However, many questions have been raised about how accurate they are at measuring the vital signs and activity levels of wearers.”
KEYWORDS: health equity, medtech, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), University of British Columbia

Western study finds women more likely than men to suffer from long COVID
Western University
“A new study by Western researchers has drawn a link between higher body mass index (BMI) in women and the likelihood of long COVID, but did not find the same link in men …”
KEYWORDS: long COVID, women’s health, Western University

World Health Organization extends Global Strategy Lab collaboration
York University
“A World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) at York University’s Global Strategy Lab (GSL) – specializing in the global governance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) …”
KEYWORDS: antimicrobial resistance (AMR), York University, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC)

Cancer Centre Receives Innovation Award for Remote Treatment Planning
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC)
“It is important to have health care services, like treatment planning, available in our region to avoid having to send our patients to other sites for treatment …”
KEYWORDS: award, cancer, health care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC)