Media Releases

SASKATOON – Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants has the potential to pollute the air and pose a health risk, according to research led by the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – A new program at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Medicine is helping Saskatchewan physicians and nurse practitioners better support pediatric mental health needs in the province.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers will play a lead role in a $1.6-million Urban Public Health Network (UPHN)-led national research project to help eliminate cervical cancer in Canada by 2040.

USask-led study sequences genomes of 15 wheat varieties around the world

SASKATOON – Data collected by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) wastewater surveillance team shows Saskatoon’s COVID-19 case numbers are likely to increase exponentially in the next seven days.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) through the Office of the Vice-Provost of Indigenous Engagement (OVPIE) and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to ensure that more Indigenous students graduate through increased work in Treaty education implementation and reconciliation at the university.

SASKATOON – Dr. Airini (PhD) is joining the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) leadership team as the next provost and vice-president academic for a five-year term beginning on February 1, 2021.

SASKATOON – Three finalists for the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) first ever virtual hackathon have been announced and a public vote will determine the winner.

Students will get hands-on experience with real-time data using financial terminals gifted by alumnus Gordon Rawlinson. 

SASKATOON – Backed by $2 million from the federal government and partner organizations, University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers aim to make Arctic pipelines stronger and safer, protect the food supply, and improve crop processing with cutting-edge technology.

SASKATOON – As part of a new U.K.-Canada collaboration, a University of Saskatchewan (USask) quantum physics team will develop a highly sensitive and precise sensor for measuring magnetic fields, a technology of potential benefit for geological prospecting, medicine, and quantum computers.

The Saskatchewan Election: A 2020 Perspective provides a snapshot of the provincial election and the outcomes in a variety of policy areas.

SASKATOON – The general public along with members of the media are invited to attend the online VIDO-InterVac Community Liaison Committee (CLC) biennial community meeting on Nov.12, 2020.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) pharmacologist Robert Laprairie will use a Brain Canada research grant to determine how a mother’s use of cannabis during pregnancy affects the brain of the developing fetus she’s carrying.

SASKATOON – New imaging equipment to help understand COVID-19 infection will soon be coming to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization—International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), thanks to a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant announced today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

SASKATOON – A new University of Saskatchewan (USask) study has found that exercise performance and blood and muscle oxygen levels are not affected for healthy individuals wearing a face mask during strenuous workouts.

Researchers in national facilities at USask are working together to better understand how decontamination procedures might affect the structure and potential reuse of N95 masks.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Kinesiology is launching the Don Bailey Lecture Series this week, featuring guest speakers from across the globe, presenting on a broad range of topics that advance health and wellness, and promote the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.

SASKATOON – A callback centre for COVID-19 has been set up by the USask College of Nursing, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Public Health.

SASKATOON – Helping the community where he was born, Dr. Ivar Mendez has decided to take a six-month unpaid leave as department head of surgery at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) beginning Jan 1, 2021, to provide pandemic support in Bolivia.

New tool developed at the University of Saskatchewan to detect virus levels

SASKATOON – Researchers with the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies are part of a global team that has found that the smoke cloud pushed into the stratosphere by last winter’s Australian wildfires was three times larger than anything previously recorded.

SASKATOON – After four years of transformative research, the University of Saskatchewan (USask)–led Global Water Futures (GWF) program—the world’s largest university-led freshwater research program —is launching the second phase of its seven-year mission with a $2.5-million investment in 12 new critically important water security projects.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) will honour a trio of survivors who went on to make major contributions to their communities and to society, and whose stories have inspired and informed Canadians all across the country.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) CREATE Justice centre is teaming up with other organizations across Canada to acknowledge Access to Justice Week (Oct. 26-31) by providing the tools needed to address justice system obstacles.

SASKATOON – In a first-of-its-kind Canadian study, University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Heather Foulds will assess the physical, mental, cultural, and social benefits that result from performing traditional Métis social dances—something she says can narrow the health gap between Métis and non-Indigenous people.

Renowned University of Saskatchewan (USask) forage breeder Bruce Coulman has been selected to lead the university’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) as interim director, effective Oct. 19. An international search for a permanent director is underway.

SASKATOON – With demand for lentils growing globally and climate change driving temperatures higher, a University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led international research team has developed a model for predicting which varieties of the pulse crop are most likely to thrive in new production environments.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Dentistry has officially opened a seven-chair dental clinic on the USask Prince Albert Campus and is now accepting patients. 

SASKATOON – The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded a grant of almost $830,000 from the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to determine the effectiveness of several antiviral compounds against COVID-19.

SASKATOON – Two University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led research teams have been awarded a total of $345,064 in federal funding to expand the reach of innovative digital technology projects aimed at meeting mental health needs of people coping with physical distancing and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SASKATOON – More than 5,100 women in Canada—about 75 a day—will die from breast cancers this year, a dismal statistic that University of Saskatchewan (USask) radiopharmacist Dr. Humphrey Fonge (PhD) aims to sharply reduce with potent new drugs that specifically target two aggressive types of cancer.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) hydrologist Jay Famiglietti has been awarded the 2020 Hydrologic Sciences Award by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for outstanding contributions to the science of water over his career.

SASKATOON – BASF Agricultural Solutions has pledged $100,000 towards the advancement of a new world-class plant breeding facility at the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in Saskatoon.

SASKATOON – Investment and trade opportunities for Saskatchewan and Canada in Bangladesh were the focus of a seminar that took place this week in Saskatoon. It was jointly hosted by the Bangladesh High Commission to Canada, the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Ag-West Bio Inc.

SASKATOON – The new Canada Water Agency—announced in the recent federal Throne Speech—is the first critical step toward transforming how water is managed across the country, said John Pomeroy, director of the University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led Global Water Futures (GWF) program.

SASKATOON – The College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has partnered with the Big River First Nation to launch a new dental clinic, providing service to a community with limited access to oral health-care.

Conversion of large swaths of land to uniform tree plantations and single-crop species may lead to unintended consequences for the water cycle, putting ecosystems at greater risk for fires, floods, droughts and even hurricanes, warns a think-tank group of almost 30 water scientists from 11 countries.

SASKATOON – Today SaskTel and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) announced that they are partnering to launch a “living laboratory” at the university’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) to test, develop and demonstrate world-class agricultural technologies.

SASKATOON – Ken Coates, Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), has been awarded $25,000 in federal funding to study the impact of COVID-19 on Aboriginal Economic Development Corporations (AEDCs) which have helped to greatly expand the number and scale of Indigenous businesses nationally.

SASKATOON – A newly launched research support and consulting hub at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) offers a unique menu of research services within Canada, including gathering data on public opinion and human behaviour.

SASKATOON – The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) announced today it will invest $2.7 million over five years in the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC) through a core breeding agreement to develop barley varieties with improved agronomics, disease resistance and end-use quality.

SASKATOON – Two internationally renowned University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have been recognized by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) with prestigious awards that rank among the country’s highest honours for academics.

SASKATOON – Daily moments made potentially risky by COVID-19, such as cramming into a crowded bus or elevator, sitting in a packed classroom, and visiting a vulnerable relative in long-term care, may be rendered safer again thanks to new federally funded University of Saskatchewan (USask) research into ventilation systems.

SASKATOON – Following an extensive national and international search, Dr. Baljit Singh, a highly accomplished veterinary researcher, educator and administrator, will join University of Saskatchewan (USask) President Peter Stoicheff’s leadership team as vice-president research, effective February 1, 2021.

Three provincial governments announced the renewal of their financial commitment to the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) today.

SASKATOON – Two University of Saskatchewan (USask) faculty members—internationally renowned artist and sculptor Alison Norlen and historian Valerie Korinek—have been named Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the national academy of distinguished scholars, scientists, artists and humanists.

SASKATOON – As of the first day classes on Thursday, Sept. 3, enrolment at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) for Fall 2020 is up by two per cent and on track to be the university’s highest enrolment ever.

SASKATOON – Arliss Sidloski and Olivia Stewart have been named the University of Saskatchewan (USask) recipients of the Schulich Leader Scholarship.

SASKATOON — Traditionally, Alumni Weekend is a time to get together and reconnect with old friends and reminisce about old times, visit old haunts and have a few laughs. This year’s University of Saskatchewan (USask) Alumni Week will still allow for that, but in a decidedly different fashion.

SASKATOON—Accurate determination of the number of wheat heads (the grain-bearing tip) in a field is vital for estimating yields in wheat crops, but the usual method—manual counting from digital images—is a long and tedious job.

University of Saskatchewan (USask) digital agriculture researchers are part of a new Protein Industries Canada (PIC) consortium that will develop technology to help lower pesticide use across Canada, making crop protection more efficient and providing economic benefits for farmers.

SASKATOON – Creating artificial substitutes for human tissue and organs, discovering the best diet to help bacteria break down oil spills, and using high-powered computing to develop next-generation materials are some of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) projects made possible by new research infrastructure funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

SASKATOON – Three University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have been awarded federal funding to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform higher education, how one major event transformed the modern Canadian labour movement, and how new tools can help English-as-a-second-language students excel in academic writing.

If you could dive down to the ocean floor nearly 540 million years ago just past the point where waves begin to break, you would find an explosion of life—scores of worm-like animals and other sea creatures tunneling complex holes and structures in the mud and sand—where before the environment had been mostly barren.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) board of directors are pleased to announce that Nutrien executive Candace Laing has joined the GIFS board.

SASKATOON - An international team led by the Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has decoded the full genome for the black mustard plant—research that will advance breeding of oilseed mustard crops and provide a foundation for improved breeding of wheat, canola and lentils.

Just as redeploying a fleet of small British fishing boats helped during the Battle of Dunkirk, marshalling the research equipment and expertise of the many agtech labs around the world could help combat pandemics, say the authors of a just-published article in Nature Biotechnology.

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has partnered with researchers across Canada to study how different types of affordable rental housing impact the lives of marginalized people and families.

SASKATOON – A University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has partnered with researchers across Canada to study how different types of affordable rental housing impact the lives of marginalized people and families.

SASKATOON — In a significant step for Indigenous health research in Saskatchewan and nationally, a new University of Saskatchewan (USask)-led network dedicated to improving health and wellness in Indigenous communities will be moving into Station 20 West in a core neighborhood of Saskatoon’s west side.

Infectious disease experts from Dalhousie University and University of Manitoba (UM) are joining the leading-edge research team at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) on one-year secondments to collaboratively advance research and development against COVID-19.

SASKATOON – Two of Canada’s top science facilities at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have been awarded a total of more than $77.5 million—a third of the total $230 million announced today by Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains for 14 research facilities across Canada.

SASKATOON—The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has received $3.14 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan for its artificial turf replacement project at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.

SASKATOON – Six University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have been awarded a total of more than $715,000 by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) to lead new health research programs, half of which are related to mental health and addictions.

SASKATOON—Members of the media are invited to attend an announcement of major funding provided by the Government of Saskatchewan, involving the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) turf replacement project at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is ranked first in Canada and 20th in the world for water resources research, according to the recently published 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have been awarded a total of more than $1.73 million in federal funding to examine critical societal questions in areas ranging from anthropology to philosophy. Forty per cent of the funding will support projects focused on Indigenous peoples.

SASKATOON – Scientists from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn., have demonstrated that a salmonella biofilm protein can cause autoimmune responses and arthritis in animals.

A team led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Khan Wahid (PhD) has been awarded $250,000 from the federal New Frontiers in Research Fund to create a new pill-sized capsule that uses artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled sensing to diagnose gastrointestinal cancers and bleeding earlier and more precisely than is currently possible.

A unique new app developed by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers offers agricultural landowners tailored information about the carbon offset value of planting shelterbelts—a tool that could help reduce the carbon footprint of farming and potentially put a little extra money in farmers’ pockets.

SASKATOON – The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded three University of Saskatchewan (USask) research teams a total of $900,000 to help strengthen Canada’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic which had killed more than 450,000 people worldwide.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are part of two COVID-19-related projects awarded major federal funding today—one to develop a unique saliva-based test for COVID-19 detection and the other to track COVID-19 incidence rates among Canadian dentists.

SASKATOON – Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) and the Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further sustainability and climate change education initiatives.

SASKATOON – Two exceptional young University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have been awarded highly competitive Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships totalling $280,000 over two years for projects that focus on aspects of climate change.

SASKATOON – As research starts to resume with the flattening of the COVID-19 curve, University of Saskatchewan (USask) faculty and students will be tackling some big science and engineering questions, thanks to $10.3 million awarded by Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for nearly 60 wide-ranging projects.

SASKATOON – Increased collaboration with partners to advance sustainable global access to safe and nutritious food is the focus of a new strategy by the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – Dr. Curtis Pozniak (PhD) has been appointed the new director of the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – The health and welfare of broiler chickens may improve thanks to University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Andrew Olkowski and colleagues.

SASKATOON — Two projects led by faculty of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS)—based at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and University of Regina (U of R) campuses—have been awarded $400,000 from Mitacs, a national not-for-profit innovation organization.

SASKATOON – Following the recommendation of the Canada West (CW) board, the 17 members of the CW conference voted on Friday, June 5 for the cancellation of first term competition team sports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

SASKATOON – Working with international partners, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has been awarded a $2.5-million Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to increase climate change education, training and public awareness on a global scale.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask), the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research (GDI), and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) have partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to support Indigenous students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 110 million years ago, a lumbering 1,300-kilogram, armour-plated dinosaur ate its last meal, died, and was washed out to sea in what is now northern Alberta. This ancient beast then sank onto its thorny back, churning up mud in the seabed that entombed it—until its fossilized body was discovered in a mine near Fort McMurray in 2011.

SASKATOON — An inter-university group led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Chanchal Roy has been awarded $1.65 million by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to establish a first-in-Canada graduate-level program to train a new generation of software engineers.

SASKATOON – As part of a University of Saskatchewan (USask) research project, small teams of high school students from Saskatchewan and Manitoba will spend their summers in bug jackets, venturing into the wilderness to measure permafrost and track caribou around Churchill, Man.

SASKATOON – A six-week film festival and competition showcasing internationally acclaimed documentaries, features and independent shorts—including films by students from Saskatoon schools—was launched this week by the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – Graduation ceremonies and powwow at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) are a time to acknowledge academic achievements and a time to celebrate with family, friends and members of the community.

SASKATOON – A COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) has cleared another major milestone in moving towards human clinical trials: the novel vaccine has proven highly effective in ferrets, one of the commonly used animal models for COVID-19.

SASKATOON – The new Canada Water Agency—a mandated commitment of the federal government—will provide much-needed solutions to the emerging water crisis, according to Tom Axworthy, chair of a national water policy panel organized by Global Water Futures (GWF) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD) has been appointed the new dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

SASKATOON – An innovative radiation treatment that could one day be a valuable addition to conventional radiation therapy for inoperable brain and spinal tumors is a step closer, thanks to new research led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers at the Canadian Light Source (CLS).

Key research and development organizations to leverage Canadian expertise and technologies in battle against COVID-19.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has launched a podcast series, Be Well at USask, delving into issues of health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has launched a COVID-19 Community Archive to document life in Saskatchewan during the global health crisis.

SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) Indigenous health research leader Dr. Carrie Bourassa has been appointed as the Indigenous Engagement Lead on the federal COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. The leadership group will oversee national efforts to measure the scope and scale of SARS-CoV-2 immunity across Canada.