Feature Archive

A collection of particles fall beneath sunlit water.

The Big (Tiny) Problem

January 17, 2023 —
Microplastics in our waters may threaten ecosystems and accelerate the melting of Arctic sea ice. But are we ignoring the greater danger at the heart of this climate conundrum?

Taking on Climate Change

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Biochemistry and medical genetics Prof. Tamra Werbowetski-Ogilvie stands in a labcoat in front of a plain green background, looking up.

Outsmarting a Brain Tumour

October 7, 2022 —
This UM researcher’s latest discovery could prevent an aggressive form of brain cancer in children. She’s also finding new drug therapies—through the emerging science of cellular fingerprinting—that will dramatically shift survival rates in the coming years.

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An abstract illustration of a sun setting over a prairie field. Beneath the soil, tiny dots move around.

Secret Garden

July 25, 2022 —
Tallgrass prairies not only mitigate global warming, they’re home to biodiversity that took millennia to develop. Now they’re among the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Alumni trying to preserve the last grasslands show us what we stand to lose.

Taking on Climate Change

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Ameen stands with his arms crossed in a living room.

Displaced

May 17, 2022 —
Mass migration due to war, and—in the coming decades, scientists predict—climate change, means scores of refugees searching for home and higher education. Meet three UM students finding their way.

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Zahra stands in a reflected window with a pensive face.

Remember Me

October 26, 2021 —
Can we reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease? This UM biomedical engineer and advocate—and daughter of a mother who forgot—is determined to find a way.

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A pop comic illustration of Cheung and Mark Zuckerberg looking at and holding a tablet as if it were a human baby.

My Firstborn

October 26, 2021 —
Facebook developer Vincent Cheung tells us about bringing Portal into the world and why we shouldn’t be afraid robots will take over. “AI is really, really dumb.”

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An animated GIF of people in a vector illustration style moving toward a centre square.

Gone Viral

October 26, 2021 —
COVID-19 pulled us together in chaos, stumped infectious disease experts and catapulted their field to newfound fame. Why did this particular coronavirus get so out of hand? And what do we do now?

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An illustration of a cluster of boxes with arrows in them in varying colors.

Agents of Change

October 26, 2021 —
Introducing our 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients—those who don’t just talk about challenging the status quo, they make things happen.

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A deer blows a bubble while manmade objects appear all around it.

When Human and Animal Collide

April 16, 2021 —
Our encounters are becoming more complex thanks to climate change’s fury and our sprawl into the wilds. And now, considering the risk of infectious disease spilling over, it’s time to explore the human and animal relationship anew.

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Students

The Mummy Whisperer

April 16, 2021 —
It’s not a career choice for the faint-hearted. Meet the eccentric alumna who unearths important stories from the ancient past in the name of cultural preservation and out of respect for those who came before.

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