“Brainstorm,” a special edition of YFile publishing on the first Friday of every month, showcases research and innovation at York University. It offers compelling and accessible feature-length stories about the world-leading and policy-relevant work of York’s academics and researchers across all disciplines and Faculties and encompasses both pure and applied research.
In the September 2020 issue
How will COVID-19 change us as a global society? Will equity lose ground?
Four York U professors, women in diverse fields, bring unique perspectives to the table as they consider equity in the midst and aftermath of the pandemic. If society is measured on how it treats its most vulnerable, will we encounter greater disparity post-COVID-19?
Academics’ visionary reactions to the pandemic prove we need art more than ever
Two artists and scholars in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design respond to the coronavirus and remind us of how important the arts are to society, especially in these unparalleled times. What sector, other than the arts, could reflect so powerfully on the pandemic’s impact on our collective soul?
How a belief system, with justice in mind, ends up silencing Indigenous voices
Glendon Professor pens key article in which he argues that political theorists, basing their perspectives and world views on rationalism, turn a blind eye to Indigenous voices. This kind of thinking will be a permanent roadblock to reconciliation.
Camera in hand, HIV stakeholders asked to capture engagement – Bonus video
A grad student taps into a previously unexplored community in HIV service delivery and programming: the stakeholders. She puts a camera in their hands, literally, and discovers many visual metaphors for the journey of HIV – all of which have compelling implications for practice.
Study on microdosing psychedelics finds benefits outweigh challenges
Research led by a PhD student in York’s clinical psychology program suggests that the benefits of small doses of LSD – such as enhanced mood, creativity, focus and sociability – may overshadow the challenges. While the most commonly reported drawback of microdosing was “none,” clinical studies are still required.
VISTA-Lassonde team first to tackle grainy image issue with machine learning
Researchers at the Lassonde School of Engineering have made a breakthrough in tackling image noise, an undesired by-product of digital photography. This research, supported by VISTA and NSERC, could mean a profound enhancement in computer vision applications, which will be of great interest to tech companies.
Launched in January 2017, “Brainstorm” is produced out of the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with Communications & Public Affairs; overseen by Megan Mueller, senior manager, research communications; and edited by Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor and Ashley Goodfellow Craig, YFile deputy editor.