A spinoff supported by Western’s technology transfer office is poised to overhaul how pathologists search for lymph nodes in cancerous tissue samples – solving a critical diagnostic problem.

It’s a process currently done by hand.

To detect lymph nodes more accurately and efficiently, Tenomix has designed an imaging device that fuses robotics, ultrasound and AI – code-named the ‘Lymphonator.’ Within four years, the spinoff has refined the innovative device, secured millions of dollars in investment and received federal funding to begin testing in Canadian hospitals.

An international leader in corrosion science, Western is improving the safety and reliability of Canada’s growing nuclear energy sector. The goal? To secure long-term storage of used fuel.

It’s an ongoing priority for industry, government and communities.

Through Western’s Nuclear Hub, the SAFE-T project is tackling the waste management aspects of advanced nuclear fuel early in the development process – rather than after deployment. By building a common knowledge base, the project supports decision-makers and developers of small modular reactors to manage used fuel in the long run.

How can we begin to understand the complex – and still-evolving – relationship between humans and AI?

It’s a question that brought together more than 60 researchers from diverse disciplines at Western and the University of Toronto this fall. By digging into issues of trust, ethics and the future of human interaction, the Rotman Institute of Philosophy is leading important discussions about technology’s role in society and the impact of AI on health care, education and our daily lives.

Western’s new Mission Control facility is helping Canada reach for the stars – and bringing benefits back to Earth.

Launched by Western Space, it powers bolder ideas, bigger partnerships and hands-on training in space research. From tracking wildlife by satellite to planning future rover missions, it’s connecting students, researchers and partners across multiple sectors to real-time space operations. It’s a global collaboration built at Western to help fuel Canada’s growing space community.

An interdisciplinary team at the Bone and Joint Institute is developing a solution to repair damaged spinal discs – the root cause of chronic back pain and one of Canada’s costliest health problems.

Using stem cells delivered by custom biomaterials, the team – co-led by Cheryle Séguin and Lauren Flynn – hopes, for the first time, to restore disc structure and function – not just manage symptoms. The approach could reduce reliance on costly treatments and improve quality of life for millions living with this debilitating condition.

In the Northwest Territories, the climate is warming faster than most other places on the planet.

Decades before public debate over climate policies began, Indigenous Peoples in the region began sounding the alarm. It’s a story repeated the world over.

This year, a team led by Nicole Redvers, director of Indigenous Planetary Health at Western, completed a project mapping climate-related impacts on Indigenous communities from the Arctic to Africa, Europe and Asia. Their work showed how climate policies often displace communities and threaten land rights in the name of conservation or carbon offsetting.

Climate change and land-use pressures threaten the survival of countless migratory species.

Long recognized as a global leader in animal movement and migration research, Western’s new Centre for Animals on the Move hopes to help minimize this threat.

Led by Chris Guglielmo, the multidisciplinary centre combines specific expertise in bird migration studies with movement ecology for insects, bats, fish and more. Its work is generating vital data to guide conservation strategies and ensure biodiversity and cultural heritage are protected for future generations.

From repurposing everyday camping gear for safely storing medications to developing non-invasive diagnostic testing, Western researchers are rethinking technology to solve pressing health-care challenges – here and around the world.

From design to development, the multidisciplinary Frugal Biomedical Innovations program partners with remote and low-resource communities in Northern Canada and Africa to co-develop and deploy high-performance, low-cost medical devices. This approach helps ensure the work meets the unique needs of the communities where the innovations are needed most.

Western researchers led by Dr. Douglas Fraser are conducting a global clinical trial to find effective treatments for long COVID, which affects more than 65 million people worldwide.

Partnering with the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid, the team is testing two existing anti-inflammatory drugs originally approved for arthritis and lung disease to see if they can be repurposed to reduce or eliminate symptoms of long COVID. The trial spans seven sites across four continents and uses an adaptive design to accelerate results, aiming to deliver relief faster by repurposing proven medicines rather than developing new ones.

From creating sustainable foods in Thailand and studying predictors of chronic pain, to analysing poison books and fostering a passion for chemistry, Western’s Undergraduate Summer Research Internships program creates diverse research experiences that teach new methods and techniques alongside faculty mentors.

In its sixth year, the program provided 315 interns with unique, 16-week opportunities to gain research skills – not just in the classroom, but in the lab, in the field, with partners and in other research spaces.

The ability to communicate complex concepts to broad audiences has become increasingly important, regardless of profession. Western’s Inspiring Minds program puts these skills to the test by providing training and encouraging graduate students to share their research in 150 or fewer words. It also increases the profile of their research.

Since the program’s inception in 2021, we have helped tell nearly 900 student research stories from all faculties, which have been read more than 50,000 times in 150 countries.