In 1959, British physicist and novelist C.P. Snow delivered a lecture called The Two Cultures, an influential think piece in which he outlined how many of the western world's problems were the result of an intellectual barrier that exists between scientific and literary thinkers. Snow wrote: "A good many times I have been present at [...]
Over July 14-16, AIM's Medical Director Dr. Raj Attariwala was invited to take part in NIST's Workshop on Standards for Quantitative MRI at NIST's headquarters in Boulder, CO. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), which was founded in 1901, is one of the oldest physical science labs in the United States. NIST supports the research and [...]
B.C.'s Supreme Court will take on the growing concerns of Canadian health care practitioners and patients in a trial beginning September 8 of this year. Dr. Brian Day, a former president of the Canadian Medical Association who currently performs private surgery at Cambie Surgery Centre (which he founded) will challenge existing laws saying doctors cannot [...]
It's common knowledge that distracted driving causes accidents, but given the summer's increase in pedestrian and bike traffic in the city, it's worth repeating. A Toronto MRI study published in early 2013 called Brain activity during driving with distraction: an immersive fMRI study revealed that left-hand turns use significantly more brain power than any other manoeuvre [...]
Canadian astronaut and online sensation Chris Hadfield piqued the interests of millions of people worldwide when he published breathtaking photos of the planet during his commanding stint aboard the International Space Station. He continued to make headlines upon his return, but for another reason--he lost one per cent of his bone density for each month [...]
North America needs to be looking to Europe and Australia for guidance on how to improve our health care. In a new study by the Commonwealth Fund entitled Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally, based on stats from 2011-2013, Canada ranks second-last overall followed by [...]
A new study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology has linked antidepressant use in pregnancy to structural brain defects in the infants. According to the Canadian Women's Health Network, in 2003-2004, 14 per cent of women aged 25-39 (childbearing age) received at least one antidepressant prescription. SSRIs, which include Celexa, Cipralex, Lexapro, Luvoz, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft and [...]
The 2014 Canadian cancer statistics are in. The report, which is developed through collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada, as well as provincial and territorial governments, examines multiple facets of cancer's impact on Canadians, such as: incidence, type of cancers, survival rates, mortality rates and more. This [...]
An article published in The Province on Tuesday entitled Health First: Brain tumours require quick action stresses the importance of a proactive approach to potential brain tumours: "For six months, Kim Jang knew there was something wrong with her six-year-old son," the article begins. "Various doctors attributed Nate's headaches and vomiting to anxiety because Jang had [...]
The word "radiation" is often preceded by its unsavory reputation. Known to many people as a leading cause of cancer, radiation is frequently feared and avoided. But the truth is that radiation is all around us, every day: both man-made and naturally occurring, both harmful and harmless. It is impossible to avoid radiation entirely, as [...]