Connecting Science and Society

The Indigenous Wellness Research Collaborative is a transformative alliance dedicated to advancing health systems and service delivery for Indigenous communities across Saskatchewan. Founded a decade ago and co-led by Dr Mamata Pandey, a research scientist at the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and Dr JoLee Sasakamoose (M’Chigeeng First Nation), Canadian Institute of Health Research Chair in Indigenous Wellness and Health Equity at the University of Regina, their team’s work is rooted in a commitment to Indigenous leadership and community-defined wellness goals. Guided by the Cultural Responsiveness Framework, the Collaborative prioritises creating ethical spaces that serve as a middle ground for respect, reciprocity, and authentic partnerships. The team employs a strengths-based approach to health research, centering Indigenous methodologies that respect the interconnectedness of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Medical students often experience a decline in empathy as they progress through their training, an issue with real consequences for patient care. A new study from the University of Wisconsin explores an unexpected remedy: Zoom-based improvisational theatre. In the first randomized controlled trial of its kind, researchers found that short online improv sessions helped students improve perspective-taking, reduce emotional distress, and deeply reflect on patient relationships and power dynamics. As telemedicine becomes increasingly common, this approach to teaching empathy could offer a timely, effective, and engaging tool to help future doctors more meaningfully connect with their patients.

Myocardial infarction, commonly termed as a heart attack, is a major cause of death and poor health worldwide. Regenerating heart tissue is an exciting and promising concept that can have significant benefits in myocardial infarctions and related diseases, but this has not yet been achieved in real-life clinical treatments. In a collaboration between Goethe University Frankfurt and Goethe University Hospital, Professor Jaya Krishnan and colleagues address this by controlling pathologic genes involved in the development of heart failure that develops after heart attacks. The researchers demonstrate a new way of treating heart disease by aiding in the division and regrowth of heart cells after a heart attack.

Both Raman fibre lasers (lasers based on stimulating molecules to emit photons at a given frequency shift from the pump laser) and Rare Earth fibre lasers (which use rare earth elements to emit light) work as fibre-based laser sources. Scientists have become interested in Raman fibre lasers because Rare Earth lasers have power limitations, due to the excess heat generated by the lasing process. Dr Yaakov Glick and his colleagues in the Applied Physics Division, at Soreq Nuclear Research Centre in Yavne, Israel, collaborating internationally with other groups, have worked to increase the power of Raman fibre lasers, while simultaneously enhancing their brightness.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the means to image surfaces with nanometre resolution, allowing scientists to look at the individual building blocks and forces that make up the world around us. Professor Nancy Burnham of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her colleagues Lei Lyu and Lily Poulikakos at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have worked on how we can reduce artefacts in these images and ensure they are accurately interpreted. By considering and applying these techniques, high-quality AFM research can be produced.

For most students, attending to a typical school lesson involves listening to the teacher, perhaps jotting down notes, and occasionally participating in discussions. But imagine having to concentrate intensely on every word, constantly shifting your attention between the teacher and a sign language interpreter; or straining to lip-read and process spoken content, while simultaneously trying to keep up with the lesson and take notes. This is the daily reality for deaf and hard of hearing students in schools, and new research suggests it’s leaving them mentally and physically exhausted. Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, an educational researcher at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, reveals how fatigue affects deaf and hard of hearing students in inclusive classrooms, with implications for teaching practices worldwide.

The correct functioning of the human immune system depends on its ability to recognise danger, such as tumour cells, viruses, and bacteria. Scientists are learning how immunoproteasome activation can overcome the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape immune responses. Immunoproteasomes are small high molecular weight protein-degrading machines that signpost abnormal proteins made by cancer cells, directing the immune system against them. Dr James Driscoll at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is using novel proprietary small molecules to selectively boost the catalytic activity of immunoproteasomes, which increases the tumour killing (or cytotoxic) effect of a group of white cells called T-cells. These findings provide a strong rationale for developing personalised therapeutics that target immunoproteasomes, for cancer and other immune-mediated conditions.

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that strips away people’s memory, thinking, and independence. By 2050, it is expected to affect over 100 million people around the world, making it a high priority for scientific and medical research. Researchers are now exploring the potential for mechanical and light-based stimulation of the brain and nervous system to treat Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. At the University of Minho in Portugal, Francisca Monteiro is developing a PhD project supervised by a multidisciplinary set of experienced researchers, who have reviewed the evidence behind these approaches, including whole-body vibration, auditory stimulation, transcranial ultrasound stimulation, and photobiomodulation. The team aims to synthesize the evidence to support these treatments and understand what further work is needed.

Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of the future, but how much can it really contribute to global decarbonisation? Dr James D. Burrington, founder of NiceChemistry.com, has modelled how hydrogen technologies, particularly green hydrogen, might support worldwide net zero goals. His research applies rigorous metrics to assess energy efficiency, cost, emissions, and land use. This revealed that, while hydrogen may not directly replace electricity, it could be critical in decarbonising sectors where electrification falls short.

Dr Richard Davies was an 18th century physician whose bold ideas spanned medical science, public health, and university reform. Yet, his name is little known today. From discovering features of inflammation in blood, to proposing a national system to control cattle plague, his work prefigured modern approaches to medicine and governance. Nevertheless, his calls for change often fell on deaf ears, and his contributions were overlooked or appropriated by others. Dr Margaret DeLacy revisited Dr Davies’ remarkable career, exploring how a forgotten doctor helped shape the future of medical thinking.