In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, author Robin Wall Kimmerer, a decorated environmental biology professor and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation – a federally recognized tribe of the Potawatomi people in Oklahoma – weaves together her Indigenous roots and Western scientific expertise. Describing the relationship between people and the land as “the ultimate reciprocity,...

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“Immunology has always fascinated me. Its complexity presents a challenging yet stimulating area of study. Additionally, the direct impact on healthcare and the potential to improve motivates me greatly,” says Dr. Nathália Batista, a scientist at Treadwell Therapeutics. Her passion for science has led her on a journey all around the world, with the goal...

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While international scientific research is seemingly beneficial to society as it generates new knowledge through collaboration, such collaboration is not always equitable, leading to exploitative, egregious outcomes for disadvantaged populations. This is explicated by a phenomenon called “helicopter research”, otherwise known as “neo-colonial” or “parachute science”, whereby scientists from developed countries travel to under-resourced nations...

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The concept of international collaboration invokes the greatest ideals of science: working together on global issues, aligning the agendas of diverse groups, and developing a more robust understanding of the world. While many research questions could benefit from the breadth of international collaboration, we must consider what constitutes a successful collaboration. What challenges do these...

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Brain drain is a term coined in the 1950s to describe the emigration of highly skilled personnel, particularly physicians and scientists, from Great Britain to the United States and Canada (1). During this time, professionals departed their home country in pursuit of better salaries, increased research funding, and more favorable job opportunities (1). While the...

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James Nnamutete, Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) and Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences (BMLS)Laboratory Coordinator for Rakai Health Sciences Program James Nnamutete is a study coordinator at the Rakai Health Sciences program (RHSP) situated in Kalisizo, Uganda. His 17 years of expertise consists of his work with various clinical studies, including those related...

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The COVID-19 pandemic is not our first brush with health crisis that has sounded a call for global action. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established in response to the ravages of polio outbreaks. Since its launch, there has been more than a 99% decrease in the incidence for this potentially debilitating disease....

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Curiosity and the eagerness to learn are inherent aspects of human nature, propelling individuals to seek answers to various phenomena they observe or experience. Through rigorous research, our world has undergone significant advancements across multiple fields compared to centuries ago. In fact, scientific research exhibits a positive correlation with the standard of living. Without it,...

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The looming effects of climate change on humans – of rising temperatures and extreme weather phenomena, are no new concern. While the physically destructive consequences of climate change have already begun running their course, the direct impacts of climate change on human health are now being documented in every biosphere. Air/Atmosphere Outdoor air pollutants, expelled...

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In 2019, Lifelabs, Canada’s largest provider of general diagnostic and specialty testing services, experienced a cyberattack, which compromised the health information of 15 million customers in British Columbia and Ontario. Lifelabs had to make a payment to the perpetrators to negotiate the retrieval of the information, and is now facing a class-action lawsuit settlement. In...

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