Outstanding faculty members and a team of course designers are being honoured for excellence
Biology
Biophysicists ‘jump’ to conclusion for understanding spider movement
Western biophysicists examined performance of small jumping spiders to better understand physical actions that propel animals from one place to another.
Alumna leads the world in robot ethics
Aimee van Wynsberghe’s journey to Bonn runs through Western and CSTAR.
Amazing spider mite silk key to new nanomaterial ‘stronger than steel’
The gorse spider mite has provided a Western research team with the genomic framework for new bio-nanomaterials based on its silk.
Year in review: The birds and the bees (and other beasts)
This was a year of quirky critter news in international headlines, from ancient beavers to murder hornets.
Four Western faculty named to Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list
Four Western faculty have been named to the Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list, reflecting influential work in their chosen fields.
Read. Watch. Listen. with Brock Fenton
Step into professor emeritus Brock Fenton’s bat cave as the chiropterologist takes a flight of fancy during his turn on Read. Watch. Listen.
App bridges need by matching volunteers, seniors
Living a too-distant border away from his grandmother, Medical Sciences/Biology student Harshil Shah worried about how some isolated, elderly people were managing without the help they needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cheryl Forchuk, Jeremy McNeil earn 2020 Hellmuth Prizes
Nursing professor Cheryl Forchuk and Biology professor Jeremy McNeil have been awarded the 2020 Hellmuth Prize for Achievement in Research.
Read. Watch. Listen. with Mark A. Bernards
Discover plenty of conversation topics to fill any dead air during family Zoom time when Department of Biology Chair Mark A. Bernards takes a turn on Read. Watch. Listen.
Fruit fly study unlocks insights into human mating rituals
A new study from Western identifies a specific gene in fruit flies that drives female mate acceptance and rejection – a vital discovery for understanding how all species, including humans, survive and thrive on Earth.
Discovery Grants back 75 research projects
Seventy-five university research projects across seven faculties received more than $13.8 million in Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
‘Murder hornets’ add bite to bee population worries
‘Murder hornets’ have entered the North American landscape and lexicon with horror-film imagery.
Researchers crack COVID-19 genome signature
Using machine learning, a team of Western computer scientists and biologists have identified an underlying genomic signature for 29 different COVID-19 DNA sequences.
Politicians, scientists need to cement strong connections
In order to make full use of our knowledge resources, we need researchers from all disciplines to engage with the policy-making process.
Alumnus bottling help, hand sanitizer for fight
“We were aware there was beginning to be a need – people didn’t have any. Hand sanitizer is made with high-proof alcohol. We thought, ‘Let’s see what we can do. We have a building full of alcohol – let’s do a little bit.’”
Student team delivers during COVID-19 crisis
A volunteer group of Western students has set up a grocery shop-and-delivery service for Londoners who have self-quarantined or are at high risk of COVID-19 infection.
Researchers team up for freshwater fish focus
Biology professor Bryan Neff will be – ahem – fishing for answers with his latest project exploring the health of Canada’s 200-plus freshwater fish species in the face of increasing (mostly human-made) challenges.
Shark salvation found in crossing confirmation
Confirmation of a trans-Atlantic crossing by a highly endangered marine animal signals the need for “an international mindset” when seeking ways to conserve the basking shark – named among the world’s ‘weirdest’ animals by National Geographic.
Probiotics may protect bees against fatal disease
Microorganisms best known for promoting gut health in humans may be the key to saving honey bee colonies from collapse, according to a novel discovery by Western and Lawson Health Research Institute researchers.