Lillian Wright Maternal-Child Institute explores research from lab to community

From the lab to community-based research is the theme of the second Lillian Wright Maternal-Child Institute at York University. The one-day institute, organized by Echo’s Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research in partnership with the Faculty of Health, will take place Friday, Sept. 27, from 9am to 4pm, at 280N York Lanes, Keele campus. Lunch […]

York study finds music-based training improves preschoolers' verbal IQ

A new study out of York University finds that music-based cognitive training offers dramatic benefits for young children, including improved verbal intelligence.  The study, conducted at York and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, appeared online yesterday in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. It looked at children between the […]

Professor Jonathan Weiss receives new researcher award

York psychology Professor Jonathan Weiss (MA '02, PhD ’07) has recently been awarded a Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) President’s New Researcher Award in recognition of his contribution to psychological knowledge in Canada. The award is, in part, based on the researcher’s record of early career achievement. For Weiss, that encompasses the research on developmental disabilities that […]

York study finds self-help no help for certain personality types

A York University study finds that trying to cheer yourself up can actually bring you down, depending on your personality. The study, published this summer, examined the effects of exercises that build positivity on more than 250 participants. It found that people with needy personalities reported lower self-esteem after listening to three or four uplifting […]

New directors appointed to five research centres

Five York professors have been appointed directors at York research centres.  The new directors are Professor Colin Coates, director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies (RCCS); Professor Laurence Harris, director of the Centre for Vision Research (CVR); Professor Christina Kraenzle, director of the Canadian Centre for German & European Studies (CCGES); Professor David Mutimer, director of […]

Professor Debra Pepler inducted into Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

York Distinguished Research Professor Debra Pepler, considered an international leader in research on child and youth bullying, aggression and victimization, was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) during its annual general meeting yesterday in Ottawa. Election to Fellowship in the CAHS is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian […]

York study finds that yoga boosts stress-busting hormone and reduces pain

A new study by York University researchers finds that practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia. The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and […]

York Centre for Vision Research collaborates on mission to fly unmanned aerial vehicle on campus as part of project to design 3-D technology

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is flying around York University this week as part of an experiment designed to develop 3-D technology that will provide a detailed picture of what’s happening in any city – whether it’s a concert or a crime, a traffic jam or the creative route a driver takes to avoid it. Weighing […]

Professor Ellen Bialystok's study cited in Psychology Today story on bilingualism and relationships

New research shows that bilingual speakers have a distinct advantage over monolinguals, wrote Psychology Today July 6, in a story about couples therapy and the concept of mindful listening. The advantage goes deeper than being able to converse proficiently with people that speak that "other" language – although this is a huge advantage. Research demonstrates […]

Professor Ellen Bialystok speaks to the New York Times about the bilingual advantage

A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind, wrote The New York Times May 30: Her good news: Among other benefits, the regular use of two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychology at […]