Researchers find brain's default network shrinks in healthy aging and dementia

Researchers at York University and Cornell University have found the brain’s default network, a collection of brain regions thought to be involved in cognitive functions such as memory, declines in volume with both normal aging and in Alzheimer’s disease. These new findings suggest that structural changes in this collection of brain regions may be critical […]

Bilingualism boosts cognitive capacity for low-income children

Bilingualism may be key to helping children from low-income families improve their focus and concentration, giving them an academic advantage over their monolingual peers, according to a recent study by an international team of researchers, including York University Professor Ellen Bialystok. “For children living in poverty, there are often conditions present that can negatively affect […]

Roving eyes help us see things better and faster

The saying, “looking at things with fresh eyes”, may be more than just a metaphor, according to new studies led by Professor Kari Hoffman of York’s Centre for Vision Research, which have been published in scholarly journals. Left: Kari Hoffman While searching for experiments to use in a research methods course, Hoffman took a fresh […]

York artists will light up Nuit Blanche

A cross section of creative artists from the Faculty of Fine Arts is on deck for tomorrow's all-night art party. Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, which will take place throughout downtown Toronto, features the work of more than 500 local, national and international artists  Theatre Professor Shawn Kerwin collaborated with Laurel McDonald to create "Alone Together", an “art-app” for […]

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 […]

Professor Michael Greyeyes' dance production kicks off Harbourfront series

York theatre Professor Michael Greyeyes has choreographed and directed from thine eyes, a powerful new dance theatre work that examines mortality, memory and forgiveness, opening Sept. 22 at Harbourfront’s Enwave Theatre. This world premiere is the season opener for Toronto’s DanceWorks and kicks off Harbourfront Centre’s dance series NextSteps 11/12. The show is co-produced by […]

Former governor general to speak at Tubman Summer Institute

The important history, heritage and sites of memory of people of African descent in Canada are at the heart of a summer institute taking place Aug. 21 to 27 at York University. Convened by the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples at York University, the theme of the institute is “Slavery, Memory, Citizenship”. It marks the […]

SSHRC-funded Remembering Radio project seeks Canadian research volunteers

Calling all 78-year-olds – and better. A team of researchers from York University in Toronto would like Langley residents aged 78 and over to tune into their research on radio, wrote BClocalnews.com March 15: [Fourth-year undergraduate student] Aidan Moir is one of the research assistants working on the Remembering Radio project with Professor Anne MacLennan […]

York psychologist studies the 'spacing effect' in teaching

In the late 1800s, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus set out to memorize hundreds of nonsense syllables and discovered it was more efficient to space out his study sessions than to try to learn long lists in one sitting [wrote The Globe and Mail Feb. 7]: Hundreds of studies carried out since have established the power […]

CFI awards York researchers $274,000 in funding

Funding will support three projects in biology, kinesiology and psychology The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded York University $274,689 in infrastructure funding to support the research of three York professors. Olivier Birot, professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in York's Faculty of Health and a member of the Muscle Health Research […]