Daily News

Posted on July 29: A McMaster presence in Burlington?

The City of Burlington and McMaster University today announced their intention to enter into discussions aimed at bringing a post-secondary campus to Burlington within the next three years. The City of Burlington initiated the search for a campus presence in the city earlier this year by establishing an 11-member Mayor's Task Force on Post-Secondary Education. The Task Force met with a number of colleges and universities, and considered a variety of options for post-secondary education in Burlington. They developed selection criteria and a vision for a post-secondary institution in Burlington, and sought out a respected partner with a proven track record in post-secondary education that could offer Burlington a unique and innovative way to enhance learning opportunities for Burlington citizens, while at the same time reflects the values of the community. McMaster senior administrators and faculty met with the task force on a number of occasions to articulate the University's desired growth directions, our interest in interdisciplinary education and our commitment to student-centered, research-driven learning. Ultimately, the task force recommended that McMaster University be chosen as the lead partner for the next stage of planning for a new campus in the city.

Posted on July 28: Visual aid helps surgeons communicate different surgical options to women with breast cancer

McMaster University cancer researcher, Tim Whelan, a radiation oncologist with the Juravinski Cancer Centre, has developed a tool that enables women with breast cancer to choose their own course of treatment. The Decision Board (DB) is a visual aid designed to help physicians inform patients of their options in a concise and effective way, thus paving the way for women to make their own choices. The long-term results of international trials have demonstrated equivalent survival rates for mastectomy and breast-conserving therapy (lumpectomy plus radiation therapy) for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. Consequently, the choice of treatment, mastectomy or breast conserving therapy, should be based on a patient's preferences.

Posted on July 27: Posters present experiences in engineering

School isn't just about books for the nearly 200 engineering students studying at McMaster this summer. They're learning first-hand what engineering is about and this week they're showing it off. On Thursday, July 29, students in three engineering summer programs will participate in an annual poster presentation hosted by the Faculty of Engineering. "The purpose of the event is to promote the research endeavours of undergraduate engineering students at McMaster University," says Anne Markey, manager of Engineering Co-op & Career Services. "This type of work is also an important component of experiential education. By having our students create a poster about their research, this process encourages them to reflect on their accomplishments and what they have learned in their research position."

Posted on July 26: $50M SHARCNET investment takes McMaster to the next level

Because of a $50-million injection into the Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network (SHARCNET), McMaster researchers will probe the structure of matter at nano-scales -- making McMaster one of the most powerful research centers in the world. "The new expansion of SHARCNET to its current state will enable new state-of-the-art simulations that allow us to probe the structure of matter at the nanometer (billionth of a meter) and micrometer (millionth of a meter) scales, linking the properties of that world to functionality of materials on the scale of world we live in," says Nikolas Provatas, McMaster professor of engineering and materials science. "This emerging area, known as computational materials science promises to create innovations in everything from stronger, light weight alloys for automotive and aerospace applications, to new electronic materials to be used in future computers and electronic devices." The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has invested $19.3M, with matching funds from the Ontario government and an additional $10M from SHARCNET's institutional and private sector partners.

Posted on July 26: Collaborative research to accelerate molecular imaging

Collaborative research conducted between McMaster University, Syracuse University and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is accelerating the development of molecular imaging. New fluorescence-based technology called SAACQ (Single Amino Acid Chelate-Quinoline) is enabling the visualization of radiopharmaceuticals interacting with cellular structures -- an advance that is expected to accelerate the development of molecular imaging agents and targeted radiotherapeutics. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). "The ability to observe and monitor radiopharmaceuticals at the cellular and sub-cellular levels has previously not been possible," said John Valliant, assistant professor of chemistry at McMaster. "Previously, a fluorescent dye would have to be attached to a new radiopharmaceutical in order to visualize cellular behavior, but the modification can alter the behavior of the studied molecule, significantly diminishing the quality of the results. SAACQ allows the study of the original structure without modification. The opportunity to use fluorescent microscopy should increase R&D productivity by illuminating the mechanisms underlying the targeting of radiopharmaceuticals to specific molecular receptors."