McGill scientist reveals how early life experiences reshape our genes and brain health
Reports and Proceedings
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Jun-2025 21:10 ET (21-Jun-2025 01:10 GMT/UTC)
Distinguished McGill University Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Meaney shares groundbreaking insights into how environmental factors influence genetic expression and brain development. His research bridges molecular biology and public health, revolutionizing our understanding of early-life experiences' impact on long-term health outcomes.
Hebrew University's Professor Raz Yirmiya shares pioneering discoveries about inflammation's role in depression. His research at the Laboratory for Psychoneuroimmunology has transformed our understanding of depression's biological foundations, opening new pathways for innovative treatments targeting immune system responses.
Among people with dialysis-dependent kidney failure, a form of psychological therapy called pain coping skills training reduced how much pain got in the way of their daily lives, also known as pain interference. The clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that training people on how to manage pain reduced the extent to which pain affected their work and social activities, mood, and relationships. The pain coping skills training, which was adapted for people undergoing long-term dialysis, also improved other effects of pain, including the intensity of pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Pain coping skills training is an approach widely used for chronic pain, but it had not previously been tested for people treated with dialysis.