Media Releases

SASKATOON – Students at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have developed a cube satellite that will launch into orbit on June 3. The team believes it is the first made-in-Saskatchewan satellite that will be sent into space.

SASKATOON – A group of students at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) are gearing up to see their cube satellite launched to the International Space Station (ISS).

SASKATOON – Scientists Drs. Alyson Kelvin (PhD) and Angela Rasmussen (PhD) from the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) have received $1-million in total funding to study mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

SASKATOON – Nitrogen may be the most common element in the air that we breathe, but it and nearby elements on the periodic table still hold great mysteries to uncover. Thanks to separate University of Saskatchewan (USask) research projects led by Canada Research Chairs, the nature of pnictogens—including nitrogen, phosphorous, and antimony—and how they interact with other elements is becoming clearer.

SASKATOON – Hundreds of scientists and researchers from across Canada have gathered in Saskatoon for the finale of the world’s largest university freshwater research program, a seven-year initiative led by the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) sociologist is spearheading a research project that enacts a transformative vision of access to justice and prevention of gender-based violence.

SASKATOON – As crop plans are mapped out for the 2023 growing season, there’s a new resource for farmers and agronomists to build a more complete picture of the nutrient requirements of key crops grown across Western Canada.

CUMBERLAND HOUSE, Sask. – Media are invited to join the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the Northern Lights School Division at the community celebration in honour of the upcoming graduates of the Bachelor of Education Cree Teacher Education Program (CTEP) cohort offered by the College of Education, and the College of Arts and Science in the community of Cumberland House.

SASKATOON – Roughly one in six couples in Canada experiences infertility, a figure that has doubled since the 1980s. Many of these couples are turning to assisted reproduction technology (ART) for help with conceiving.

SASKATOON – This spring, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) will celebrate five remarkable individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities throughout their careers.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) invites media to attend Digitized, Saskatchewan’s largest technology career event for high school students. Speakers will discuss emerging technologies and why the future of tech is here in Saskatchewan.

SASKATOON – A one-millimetre-long worm and its genome may be key to understanding how human and animal cells age, according to new research from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) published in the journal Aging Cell.

SASKATOON – The Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI) and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have signed a collaborative research agreement to help drive joint vaccine development.

SASKATOON – Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) have been recognized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for their international leadership in vaccine research for infectious diseases.

SASKATOON – Canadians had their lives heavily disrupted by COVID-19, but as University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Veronika Makarova (PhD) notes, the pandemic had disproportionately negative impact on immigrants with weaker English or French language skills.

SASKATOON – Beneath the surface of the Earth’s protected ecosystems lies a hidden threat—the vast majority of these areas rely on groundwater in danger of being contaminated, drained away, or both.

SASKATOON – Thanks to a landmark $200 million gift in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain, University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduates Julia Morelli (BA’23) and Minh Au (BE/BSc’23) will be pursuing fully funded master’s degrees worth $100,000 each at McGill University, while participating in mentorship, coaching, and a leadership development program.

SASKATOON – Graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) will experience a one-of-a-kind training opportunity thanks to a new program that has received a $1.6 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

SASKATOON – Ambitious goal of $500 million will be reached with support and generosity of community.

SASKATOON – Critical research into regenerative and digital agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan will be accelerated thanks to a $2 million donation from BMO. The donation will support two initiatives within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources: the *BMO Soil Analytical Laboratory and the Jarislowsky and BMO Research Chair in Regenerative Agriculture.

SASKATOON – Rope-like bands of internal scar tissue that form in close to 70-90 percent of all patients who undergo abdominal surgery have bedeviled patients and surgeons alike for more than 187 years.

NORTH BATTLEFORD – North West College has signed an agreement with the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to establish a Research Ethics Review Process.

SASKATOON – From ecosystems in peril, to the intense gaze of an Arctic fox, to the illuminated neurons of a fruit fly, winners in the 2023 University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Images of Research competition celebrated the art and artistry of research, scholarly, and artistic work at USask.

SASKATOON – Award-winning Siksika artist Adrian Stimson (MFA’06) is gifting artwork to the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – Today the University of Saskatchewan (USask) launched the University of Saskatchewan Insect Research Facility (USIRF), the first insect research facility with quarantine capabilities in a western Canadian university. Research conducted in the new facility will boost Canadian agriculture, protect the environment, reduce risk to food security, and provide fundamental insight into insect ecology.

SASKATOON – An international research team including the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has used meticulous medieval-era records scribed by monks about the colour of lunar eclipses to develop a new, deeper understanding of volcanoes and climate change.

A research team from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been set up to carry out an 18-month long scientific research project on the effects of sweeping.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is celebrating the launch of the University of Saskatchewan Insect Research Facility (USIRF), the first of its kind in a western Canadian university and one of only a handful of facilities in the country specifically designed to conduct research on arthropod plant pests and beneficial insects.

SASKATOON – Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a $90,000 grant to support innovative University of Saskatchewan (USask) research that studies the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and meningeal worm in woodland caribou and other boreal species.

SASKATOON – A report to help the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Medicine better address issues of systemic inequity was jointly released today by the medical school and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The SHRC conducted research and interviews to develop the report using a systemic investigation and advocacy approach.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is hosting a student sustainability fair on Thursday, March 30 from 1–4 pm in the atrium of the Agriculture Building on campus.

SASKATOON – After attacking a tumour with a targeted therapy, the cancer might stagger but often comes back fighting — usually even harder to defeat. University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led research has revealed a promising strategy to strike tumour cells and land a knockout blow by choosing the right combination of cellular mechanisms to target together.

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) delegation begins a three-day visit Tuesday to the University of Bonn in Germany for strategic discussions and to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on forging research partnerships and facilitating student mobility between the two institutions.

SASKATOON – The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject released Wednesday show the University of Saskatchewan (USask) was a strong performer among nearly 1,600 universities assessed by the British company specializing in analyzing higher education institutions globally.

SASKATOON – The Government of British Columbia is permanently doubling the number of subsidized seats for B.C. veterinary students attending the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

CALGARY – Nearly four billion people worldwide depend on water from the high mountains for survival. Drinking water supplies, agriculture, power, energy, industry and surrounding ecosystems are all reliant on the ‘water towers of the Earth.’

SASKATOON – New research out of the University of Saskatchewan (USask)’s Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) is calling on hydrological researchers to reconceptualize the Earth’s water cycle. 

SASKATOON – Four recently completed projects, awarded a total of $99,000 through the Research Junction partnership between the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the City of Saskatoon in 2020 and 2021, have produced significant results.

SASKATOON – Sunday marked the third anniversary of the arrival in Saskatchewan of COVID-19—an unwelcome and ever-evolving visitor that has since claimed at least 1,890 lives in the province and shows little sign of imminent departure.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are part of a Canada-wide consortium awarded $20 million by the Government of Canada to pursue research into “long COVID,” also known as post-COVID-19 condition (PCC).

SASKATOON – An interdisciplinary University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has come together to develop a mobile app that can improve the delivery of tailored information and patient stories for the benefit of kidney transplant patients in Saskatchewan.

REGINA – The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is celebrating the expansion of its Regina-based undergraduate medical doctor (MD) program with the grand opening of its new campus facilities. The ribbon cutting ceremony officially marks the expansion of the MD program in Regina to the full four years and celebrates the MD program being based in two Saskatchewan cities.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vice-President, Research, Baljit Singh is one of several leaders on a Saskatchewan-led mission trip to India.

SASKATOON – The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS), at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and University of Regina (U of R), has been awarded $1.75 million by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre to strengthen the capacity of municipal governments to move towards a net zero future.

SASKATOON – The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is pleased to announce the inauguration of an agricultural technology centre at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur, Bangladesh, as part of its ongoing partnership with the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) of the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture.

SASKATOON – Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have discovered how a previously overlooked gene is involved in antimicrobial resistance—a growing global issue that threatens the health and welfare of both humans and animals.

SASKATOON – The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is proud to announce its partnership with the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) has led to the sequencing of a year-round jackfruit variety genome, making Bangladesh the only southeast Asian country other than China to entirely sequence a genome.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have received more than $1.3 million for an unprecedented multi-year study of the development of bone structure, density and strength in children with Type 1 diabetes.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) community, provincial and municipal leaders, and members of the province’s business community are coming together on Thursday, February 16 from 4:30-6 pm, to celebrate the grand opening of a new startup incubator named Opus.

SASKATOON — The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) has been unanimously accepted as the first and only international organization in the Research Alliance for Veterinary Science and Biodefense BSL-3 Network (RAV3N), a partnership of 18 United States-based large biocontainment facilities focused on veterinary infectious diseases.

SASKATOON – A new project at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded $1.4 million through the Weston Family Soil Health Initiative to develop land-based training workshops for First Nations communities, land managers, and producers who farm First Nations lands.

SASKATOON – In an increasingly competitive market for biomanufacturing talent, the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has attracted top science and business professionals to lead its expanding engineering biology technology platform.

SASKATOON — Canada’s triumphs, failures and sacrifices are on display at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Diefenbaker Canada Centre (DCC) in a new travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum of History and Canada’s History Society. Showcasing unforgettable images and thought-provoking texts, the new exhibition, Snapshots of Canada, will be presented until May 27, 2023.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Dentistry is the first Canadian dental college to acquire a leading-edge technology allowing students to develop and refine their skills as they drill, fill or clean the teeth of virtual patients.

NEW YORK – An international initiative born out of the University of Saskatchewan (USask), featuring experts and top researchers from around the globe, is increasing diversity in sustainable water management, access, and advocacy that will lead to better decisions affecting the future of the planet.

SASKATOON – Innovative work by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Amira Abdelrasoul (PhD) into membranes used in hemodialysis to cleanse kidney patients’ blood has identified the key protein that creates big problems leading to further health complications and even death.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) students Julia Morelli and Minh Au are finalists for the first global cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill University.

SASKATOON – The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S), University of Saskatchewan (USask), and Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) have committed a combined $1,130,000 over four years to support the establishment of a JSGS Research Chair in Métis Governance and Policy—the first of its kind in Canada. The funding will also support scholarships and internship opportunities for verified Métis students and the development of a Métis governance training program.

SASKATOON – A novel therapy developed for Alzheimer’s disease — previously shown to significantly slow the progression of the disease and, in some instances, reverse cognitive decline — will be tested in a Phase II clinical trial at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS), along with senior leaders from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S), invite media to join us in celebrating an announcement aimed at enhancing research, student scholarships and opportunities, and training related to Métis governance.

SASKATOON – Today, the Canadian Light Source (CLS) Board of Directors at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is announcing the appointment of a new CLS executive director.

SASKATOON – A local pet store has teamed up with a charity called Kali’s Wish Cancer Foundation to deliver hundreds of toys to dogs undergoing cancer therapy at the Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) on the University of Saskatchewan (USask) campus.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) Huskies and University of Regina (U of R) Cougars/Rams will celebrate the completion of the inaugural U-Prairie Challenge (UPC) presented by SaskMilk with Championship Weekend festivities from Friday, February 3 to Sunday, February 5 at Merlis Belsher Place.

SASKATOON – The College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has achieved further strong results for its medical doctor program from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS).

SASKATOON – Dr. Volker Gerdts (DVM, PhD), director and CEO of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), has been recognized with an Achievement Award by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF).

SASKATOON – Early detection of infectious diseases in chickens and developing regional influenza vaccines for pigs are among 28 innovative livestock and forage research projects at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to be awarded a total of $5.2 million in new funding Wednesday.

SASKATOON – Dr. Terry Fonstad (PhD) has stepped into the role as interim director of the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) until the end of June.

SASKATOON – Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities rankings for 2022 published Wednesday place the University of Saskatchewan (USask) first among the country’s tier of 16 medical universities for research income growth from all grants, contracts, and contributions.

SASKATOON – A veterinary researcher at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is leading a Canadian surveillance study that looks at the connection of zoonotic diseases and recently imported dogs—the first study of its kind in Western Canada.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded $14 million through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), with $7.2 million of the funds allocated to operating the Crop Development Centre (CDC) for the next five years.

SASKATOON – A team of scientists who pioneered methods to observe changes in global groundwater stores over the past two decades using a specialized NASA satellite mission has made a surprising discovery about the aquifers that supply California’s Central Valley region.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) Métis drama professor Bruce Sinclair has been named the University Library’s Indigenous Storyteller-in-Residence at USask for 2023.

SASKATOON – The Community University Institute for Social Research (CUISR) and the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) President’s Advisory Council on the Status of Women (PACSW) are hosting an event at the Remai Modern to gather and share perspectives on ways to ensure substantive intersectional gender equity at the university.

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led research project is literally putting food on the table for families in one of the most malnourished countries in the world.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Tara Kahan (PhD), recognized as a world leader in both atmospheric chemistry in snow and ice (cryospheric chemistry) and indoor chemistry, has won the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) Environment Division’s 2023 Early Career Research Award.

SASKATOON – A recent investment of $17.4 million in a national research and training platform by two federal granting agencies will provide University of Saskatchewan (USask) health and social sciences researchers secure remote access to a wide array of microdata from Statistics Canada.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have developed a pet-friendly rental housing guide for Saskatoon—part of an initiative to explore the benefits of welcoming companion animals in places where they wouldn’t normally be allowed.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) donor-funded Pathways to Equity initiative has awarded funding to a trio of projects focused on housing security, renters’ rights, and homelessness.

SASKATOON – Today, the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) released key findings from its Economic Impact Study conducted on the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). The study concluded VIDO’s operations and construction projects contributed more than $511 million to the economy in the last decade. The impact of VIDO’s commercialized vaccines was not included in the study.

REGINA – An anatomy lab is being built at Regina General Hospital to support University of Saskatchewan (USask) medical students learning in Regina.

SASKATOON – In everything from shiny gift wrapping to kids’ dance costumes to makeup for adults heading to parties, glitter is everywhere this time of year. But custodians and environmentalists hate the stuff, because it’s almost impossible to clean up, both indoors and especially outdoors.

SASKATOON – Chemotherapy can be a saving grace when facing cancer. When drug-induced neuropathy results from anti-cancer drugs like Cisplatin (CP), a common drug for breast cancers, a way to combat these unwanted side effects is critical for patients to maintain optimal treatment.

SASKATOON – A now-defunct world news co-operative’s legacy is found in the creation of Métis Nation–Saskatchewan’s New Breed Magazine in 1970, establishment of the national APTN network in 1992, launch of Al Jazeera in 2006, and the growing presence of Indigenous and minority journalists in media today.

SASKATOON – Hydrological research on the Prairies can be a challenge when the water is locked up in ice for almost half the year.

SASKATOON – By combining heat from microwaves and infrared energy, University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have uncovered a new, more energy efficient way to process lentils, making them more nutritious and digestible. The findings may result in more value for consumers, food processors, ingredient manufacturers, and producers.

SASKATOON – When University of Saskatchewan (USask) student Cassidy Serhienko got the call on Nov. 20, 2022, her life changed forever. One of only 11 recipients in Canada, Serhienko was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to pursue her Master’s in English Literature, with a focus on contemporary feminist writing, at the University of Oxford in England.

LONDON, ON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) most generous alumni, Ron and Jane Graham, have been named recipients of the 2022 Mitchell Family Award for the U SPORTS Alumni of the Year.

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) beef cattle specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has launched a new podcast that gives listeners a Canadian perspective on beef cattle health and nutrition.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) doctoral students Gilbert Adum, Lindsey Boechler, Cody Koloski, and Pezhman Zolfaghari Didani have been named 2022 Vanier Scholars.

SASKATOON – Two researchers have been awarded highly competitive fellowships to carry out research at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in support of self-determination for Indigenous community disaster displacement, and to get to the root of why Earth’s first animals made the move from oceans to land 420 million years ago.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have developed a new method of killing brain cancer cells while preserving the delicate tissue around it. The technique also has a remarkable side-benefit: making chemotherapy treatment of brain cancer suddenly possible.

SASKATOON – Before you got those nasty gut cramps that sent you scurrying to the washroom, or you came down with a fever, chills, and clogged airways thanks to pneumonia, various cells in your body were battling bacterial invaders who showed up armed with a sophisticated toolbox to overcome the body’s defences.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are co-leading a new pan-Canadian and international research team aiming to understand how cities of all sizes in all countries can most efficiently implement and build sustainable transportation infrastructure—such as bike lanes, bus rapid transit, and road safety projects.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Robert (Bobby) Henry (PhD), whose work on Indigenous street gangs and lifestyles is internationally recognized, has been awarded a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Justice and Well-being.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) has received a significant investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to establish containment Level 4 (CL4) capacity—the highest level of containment. Once completed, this will make VIDO the only non-government CL4 facility in Canada.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) community and members of the public are invited to gather for the 94th annual wreath-laying ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11, at the Memorial Gates on campus.