Welcome to the January 2022 issue of Brainstorm

Brainstorm special research edition featured image

“Brainstorm,” a special edition of YFile publishing on select Fridays during the academic year, showcases research and innovation at York University. It offers compelling and accessible stories about the world-leading and policy-relevant work of changemakers in all Faculties and professional schools across York and encompasses both discovery and applied research.

In the January 2022 issue

Instagrammable you: women and body image online
Do self-disclaimer captions on Instagram photos featuring “thin-ideal” images work to mitigate negative shifts in body image and mood among young women? Faculty of Health Associate Professor Jennifer Mills and graduate students Sarah McComb and Keisha Gobin decided to find out.

Research will help determine the safety of chronic fluoride exposure in developing brains
Emerging research from York University aims to address rising concerns about the safety of early life exposure to fluoride, and whether chronic exposure to fluoride at current population levels could contribute to lower IQ and behavioral problems in children.

Lassonde researcher aims to make VR a reality
Gene Cheung, an associate professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering, is working to advance augmented reality and virtual reality through signal processing tools for point clouds that are relevant to rendering everyday objects in 3D spaces.

Postmemory and the complexities of multilingual language instruction
York researchers Anwar Ahmed and Brian Morgan investigate the role of memories that are passed down through generations and use of duoethnography to gain insight into pedagogical approaches to language instruction.

Emeritus doesn’t translate to retired for ecological economist
Retirement is not slowing growth for Professor Emeritus Peter Victor, in fact, the ecological economist who is best known for his influential book Managing Without Growth, is busier than ever with a new book on economist Herman Daly and an active research agenda.

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 Krista Davidson, senior manager, research communications; and edited by Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor, Ashley Goodfellow Craig, YFile deputy editor, and Alysia Burdi, YFile communications officer.


Podcast or Perish 

How do neurosurgeons make intraoperative decisions? What have we learned from distance learning during the pandemic? How do we eliminate hazardous contaminants from wastewater? 

Podcast or Perish is a podcast about academic research and why it matters. Join podcast host Cameron Graham, professor of accounting at the Schulich School of Business, for a special 10-part series featuring extraordinary researchers and creators at York University and their innovative methodologies and approaches. A new episode is launched every month. 

Podcast or Perish is supported by York University’s Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with Schulich School of Business.