Photo by David Clode on Unsplash It’s no secret that biology is unpredictable, random and sometimes messy. This is precisely what gives living organisms their singularity and uncanny ability to adapt. But as important as these traits might be in a herd of elephants as they adapt to climate change or human encroachment, they are not always so desirable in the laboratory. This is especially true when the cells are grown on a large scale…

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Happy New Year! As you contemplate how to keep your resolve and willpower strong so you can stick to your New Year’s resolutions, we’re sharing some tips courtesy of Business Insider and NIL, below. If you care to tell us your resolution or your own helpful hints for success, please leave a comment. Good luck!

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If 2019 has felt like another year of information overload, it’s probably safe to assume you’ve missed some posts this year. Don’t despair! According to our readers, these were the posts with the most, the bee’s knees and the lollapalooza of language. If your favourite isn’t on the list below, do tell us in the comments section which posts had you pressing the share button. We hope you have a restful holiday season and catch…

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Are you a risk taker? Do you pride yourself on giving unique and intriguing gifts? Well if you haven’t yet heard of Two Blind Brothers, pay attention. Two Blind Brothers produces clothing to fund blindness research at Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB). As far as they are concerned, “the development of a cure simply requires time and funding.” That’s where the shopping public comes in. This year (maybe every year? I just came across them recently),…

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Some of this year’s CSPC volunteers, including the author Aileen Gracias is a Technology Analyst at CCRM where she leads technology sourcing, conducts diligence and participates in company creation efforts to support incubation activities. Prior to joining CCRM, Aileen was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Molly Shoichet’s Lab. Aileen has a background in neuro-oncology with a PhD from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and a BSc in Biochemistry and Toxicology from the University of Toronto. In its 11th…

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Marissa Lithopoulos is a Ph.D. Candidate in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. She works under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Thébaud at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Marissa studies how brain stem cells are impaired in neonatal chronic lung disease and whether umbilical cord cells can be used to protect the lungs and the brain of preterm infants. Marissa is also dedicated to educating the public about stem cell biology and…

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While this November has been dramatic on the weather front, it has been unremarkable as far as Movember goes. I am only n=1, but I haven’t noticed any unusual facial hair growing on male colleagues, friends and family. In fact, I think I’ve spotted only two Movember participants, but it’s always hard to be sure with public transit commuters (i.e. strangers). The less it suits the wearer, the more I assume it’s been grown for…

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The RCIScience panel in action. Credit: Farah Qaiser Stem cells offer a lot of promise and potential when it comes to regeneration, but the field also faces a lot of hype and misinformation. To tackle this, the Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIScience) hosted a panel in October titled “Stem cells: the path to future regeneration.” The event featured Dr. Samantha Yammine as a moderator, and panelists Dr. Nika Shakiba, Dr. Lise Munsie and Síofradh…

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Shari Graydon, Founder of Informed Opinions, speaking at the 2019 Till & McCulloch Meetings This cartoon from 1988, drawn by Riana Duncan for Punch, was included in a talk titled “In Search of the Lehman Sisters: Why Your Insights are Needed,” by Shari Graydon, Founder of Informed Opinions, at a “Women in Regenerative Medicine Luncheon” at the 2019 Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM 2019) in Montreal. The message it conveys perfectly sums up why Shari…

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In October, I participated in a workshop hosted by Medicine by Design (MbD) in Toronto. The workshop was right up my alley – blood stem cells and clonal evolution – but I’ll spare the Signals readership the specific details.* Rather, today’s post focuses on the bigger picture of why scientists need such workshops and how critical it is to plan them properly. Discussion and collaboration are still the driving force of academic progress, and focused workshops…

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