Today’s Research

An idea can change the world—but only when it is nurtured in fertile ground. When it comes to addressing the complex health challenges facing us today—from diabetes to dementia to cancer and COVID-19—there are few institutions in the world with the multi-disciplinary impact, or the breadth and depth of talent, to make a real difference. The University of Toronto is one of those institutions.

COVID-19

U of T alumna – and medical resident – honoured with one-of-a-kind Barbie doll

Researchers at U of T and local hospitals are looking to develop a mouth-based test for COVID-19 that would be quick and easy to administer to patients (photo by iStockphoto via Getty Images)

Researchers at U of T Faculty of Dentistry explore rapid, low-cost COVID-19 test

‘You are not alone’: Report on mental health during COVID outlines key precautionary steps students can take

Diabetes

Researchers use AI to predict risk of developing type 2 diabetes

U of T's Patricia Brubaker, who has spent nearly 40 years studying anti-diabetic gut hormones, says the future of diabetes research will be figuring out how to prevent the disease in the first place (photo by Johnny Guatto)

‘Our very first biotech win’: How U of T’s discovery of insulin made it a research and innovation powerhouse

A woman pricks her finger with a palm-sized device for measuring blood sugar levels.

Virtual symposium celebrates U of T’s discovery of insulin, looks to future of diabetes research

Drug Discovery and Design

Photo of genetic testing

U of T and health industry leaders urge investment in biomedical innovation

An illustration of DNA: a shape like a ladder twisted into a spiral, with the rails and rungs made up of tiny spheres.

‘Genome Archeologists’ at U of T and UHN activate immune response against cancer

U of T prof’s AI startup, Deep Genomics, raises US$180 million: The Globe and Mail

Global Health, Public Health and Health Systems

An image of part of the skeleton, showing two pairs of bones meeting at joints.

Gay men may be at greater risk for poor skeletal health: U of T study

Dr. Danielle Martin is vice-president of Women's College Hospital and associate professor at the University of Toronto's Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (photo by Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

U of T’s Danielle Martin on the need to close ‘health gap’ for women

‘It needs to change’: Study highlights the significant health-care barriers women with disabilities face during pregnancy

Metabolism and Nutrition

Low-glycemic diet reduces cardiometabolic risks for people with diabetes: U of T study

Professor Levente Diosady (centre) and his team developed a way to fortify salt with both iron and iodine. The product is now being distributed to more than 24 million people in India’s Uttar Pradesh state (photo by Mark Balson)

Double-fortified salt – developed by U of T research – fights iron deficiency in India

Photo by Brian Erickson via Unsplash

Training on a low-carb diet boosts protein needs for endurance athletes: U of T researchers

Mind and Brain Health

U of T researchers find key differences in symptoms between early- and late-onset Alzheimer’s

U of T researcher ‘reprograms’ brain cells in pursuit of new therapy for stroke patients

What the Zebrafish Can Tell Us

Molecular Medicine and the Biology of Disease

To speed discoveries, U of T lab launches free library of virtual, AI-calculated organic compounds

A photo of Milica Radisic

How does COVID-19 invade our bodies so easily? U of T researchers use ‘organ-on-a-chip’ model to find out

A cancer cell is surrounded by immune T killer cells (photo courtesy of National Institutes of Health)

U of T researchers identify genes that enable cancer to evade the immune system

Regenerative and Precision Medicine

Portrait of Amy Wong looking serious

U of T’s Medicine by Design invests $1 million to advance new ideas in regenerative medicine

U of T’s Medicine by Design helps unite international researchers working to map every human cell

A closeup of a human eye from the side, showing eyelashes, eyelid and eyeball.

‘The next big step’: U of T researchers pursue a treatment for vision loss