Wendy Haaf

In April 2025, Morgan Birch of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., was awakened in the middle of the night by her four-month-old daughter screaming. The baby was one of more than 5,200 Canadians who became infected with measles in 2025. The massive outbreak is the jumping-off point for a story about Canada's life-saving legacy of innovation and public immunization, and the factors that are threatening to erode it.

Physicians who specialize in caring for older adults have long known that people with Alzheimer’s disease commonly develop osteoporosis and vice versa. It was generally thought that this was due to the fact that age is a major risk factor for both diseases. Recently, however, some researchers have been unravelling how the biology of the two diseases might be related.

In 2017, researchers who had been studying a Colombian family with a genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in their 40s discovered that one family member in particular had defied this genetic fate. By unravelling the secrets of this woman's remarkable brain, these scientists have discovered a potential new way of preventing AD. This could point the way to treatments that may not have the same drawbacks and limitations of existing drugs that remove the abnormal amyloid protein build-up in the brain that’s a hallmark of AD.

There is a body of research showing that the vagus nerve plays a role in moderating the type of harmful inflammation that occurs in diseases ranging from Crohn's to Alzheimer's disease.

Key Takeaways
Optogenetics is an emerging approach that combines gene therapy and light to restore some visual function in retinal diseases. It works by making surviving retinal cells light-sensitive, offering hope even in advanced macular degeneration.

Since you can reduce but not eliminate the risk of getting bitten by insects, it makes sense to know in advance what to do when it happens. You might be surprised at the remedies experts recommend avoiding. This article offers advice from a Canadian Dermatology Association spokesperson.

Getting sick on holiday can ruin your vacation. But by doing a bit of research well in advance of your departure, and taking a few simple precautions, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting ill so you can enjoy your getaway. Here's what travellers aged 50 and older in particular need to know.

Cone cells in the retina—which allow us to see color and fine detail—are wiped out in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A few species, such as zebra-fish, can regrow a whole new retina. This scientist is using the knowledge gleaned from studying this process to try and coax a different group of retinal cells--which survive in AMD--into becoming cone cells. If successful, this research could lead to therapies that restore vision in late-stage AMD--something current treatments can't do.

A Toronto couple share the story of one partner's diagnosis with dementia, and how support from the Alzheimer Society of Toronto has helped them both find hope, joy, and connection .

Your pharmacist can be a helpful resource if you're struggling with seasonal allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, and nasal congestion. This article explains how a pharmacist advise you on which medications and formulations are best-suited to your individual symptoms, and medical history.

How much do you know about your macula? This tiny part of the eye plays a huge role in our everyday lives, since we rely on it for activities like reading, and recognizing faces up close. This article describes the structure of the macula, how it normally functions, and what happens when that process breaks down due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide in people 50 and older.

Together, 145 rare genetic diseases cause progressive cognitive decline in childhood. Half of children born with these conditions die before turning 10 years of age, and 70% die before adulthood. That toll is similar to the number of deaths from childhood cancer aged 0-14 years. Research aimed at understanding and treating these disorders may also help advance knowledge about adult-onset forms of dementia.

Two studies published in 2024 suggest nearly half of dementia cases in Canada may be prevented by addressing 12 modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity, hearing loss, obesity and hypertension.

Heart disease and stroke are just as big a threat to women as they are to men. What's more, traditional risk factors exert a more powerful impact on women, and women are subject to risk factors specific to their sex.

Dr. Philippe L.-L’Allier used to feel like one of the rescuers in the parable of the river — pulling individuals from an unending stream of drowning people to safety. As an interventional cardiologist, Dr. L.- L’Allier performs procedures that save the lives of patients with blockages in their coronary arteries. However, in 2019, Dr. L.- L’Allier had a chance to start stemming the flood of people who were tumbling into the water upstream by addressing a major cause of these problems—prediabetes & Type 2 diabetes—through a specialized clinic.