Daily News

Posted on Dec. 19: Crossing your hands confuses your mind until you can see them

Scratching your left knee with your right hand appears to be an effortless act. Not so for your brain. An international research team including David Shore, an assistant professor of psychology at McMaster University and Donna Lloyd, Charles Spence and Gemma Calvert of the University of Oxford used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand how the brain represents a limb placed across the body midline. The results showed profound changes in the way our brains process tactile stimulation to the right hand when it lies to the left of the body and that this is different when we can see the hand versus when we can't. The new study shows the complex process the brain works through to ensure you can perform a movement that appears effortless. "There is a complexity involved that we take for granted," said Shore, whose research specialty is multisensory temporal processing. "This is the first examination of the fMRI-related cortical consequences of placing a limb across the body midline in humans."

Posted on Dec. 17: McMaster’s dean of social sciences accepts post at Carleton

One of McMaster University's key academic and administrative leaders is moving on to Canada's capital university. Alan Harrison, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, has been appointed vice-president academic and provost at Carleton University in Ottawa. Focusing on improving the student experience and developing Carleton's research profile attracted Harrison to the position. "Putting students first is something that is personally close to my heart and something I have consistently tried to do at McMaster in my time as dean," Harrison says. "It is something that I will continue to focus on at Carleton." Being situated in Ottawa was another reason he was drawn to the new post. "Carleton has the opportunity to exploit its capital advantage," he says, "and the University clearly recognizes the strategic value of this."

Posted on Dec. 16: Hamilton gets gold in Commonwealth Games bid

Commonwealth Games Canada has chosen Hamilton to pursue a Canadian bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Hamilton will now proceed to the international round of competition against New Delhi. The winner will be announced next fall. "There is tremendous excitement that Hamilton has been chosen to represent Canada in the international round of the competition," says McMaster President Peter George, who was in Ottawa today for the announcement. "This successful bid will bring tremendous international attention and benefits to Hamilton and to McMaster. This is an exciting chance not only to work closely with the City to bring the very best to Hamilton, but also to create a legacy for McMaster." Halifax was also in the race for the Canadian bid.

Posted on Dec. 13: McMaster to construct second temporary classroom

A second temporary classroom will be constructed at McMaster to meet demands for increased student enrolment. The facility, to be located west of the first temporary classroom and facing Mitchell Crescent, will house two 200-seat classrooms. Construction of the facility will begin in April and it is anticipated the building will be completed in July and ready for classes in September 2003, says Tony Cupido, director of Physical Plant. The pre-engineered steel stucture will be similar to the existing temporary classroom, he says. "The facilities will look virtually the same. It will be the same width only a little longer." Construction of the building was approved by the Board of Governors Thursday. Use of the structure after the new classrooms are available in the expanded Health Sciences facility must be approved by the Planning and Building Committee and the Board of Governors. "We're trying to be proactive with the double cohort situation," said Donald Green, chair of the Board's planning and building committee. "We will be short of classroom space and in order to solve that problem we will need to add another building." The cost of the facility will be at least $500,000.