In the beginning, it killed the pain and it didn’t bother me. I didn’t have cravings for it or anything like that. When I couldn’t stand the pain, I would take a pill. And then one day, I woke up and took a pill; there was no pain though… It sneaks up on you, it grabs you without notice… I didn’t know I was becoming addicted when I became addicted.” This story is unfortunately becoming…

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I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” – Edgar Allan Poe. In this issue of IMMpress Magazine, we open a discussion on drugs and…

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I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” – Edgar Allan Poe. In this issue of IMMpress Magazine, we open a discussion on drugs and…

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Dr. Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker, Chair, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto Ever since the idea of an Immunology graduate student-run magazine was proposed to me back in 2012, I was totally hooked. After seeing the first couple of issues, I was enthralled – addicted, you might say – by the creativity of the design and the powerful in-depth articles; it was, and remains, a real high to read from cover to cover. Having spent nine…

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The process of aging – a nearly universal phenomenon – has long been at the forefront of humankind’s curiosity and imagination. Our ability to observe the aging process has played a pivotal role in the development of human culture and society. In early civilizations, humans who lived to an old age were seen as wise, often becoming societal leaders or given major responsibilities. In present day, a vastly increased human life expectancy allows us to appreciate the major…

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‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’ Sound familiar? As inspiring as it sounds, Walt Disney might as well have added: ‘…provided that you get permission’. As scientists, we seek to understand the world and create applications and technologies to benefit us. We ask questions that are followed up by rigorous and persistent research. Research, however, is not free. The limited pool of public cash designated for science funding gives funding agencies an…

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