McGill honoured again in Québec Science’s breakthroughs of the year

The achievements of McGill researchers were again recognized in Québec Science's annual selection of the top discoveries, with two McGill-led breakthroughs making the top 10 list for 2012. Moreover, McGill ranked first among all Quebec universities for the number of discoveries featured in the magazine's annual roundup since it was created 20 years ago. Among the most important discoveries made in Quebec last year, the work of Lucy Gilbert, of the McGill University Health Centre and the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, attracted considerable attention. The team led by Gilbert established that the deadliest type of ovarian cancer often starts in the Fallopian tubes rather than in the ovaries. This discovery could revolutionize the way the disease is diagnosed and treated. The other McGill scientific breakthrough that was included in Québec Science's top 10 list was led by George Haller, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Josefina Olascoaga of the University of Miami. The combined work of the two researchers means that mathematical methods could help manage environmental disasters by predicting the movement of oil in the ocean or ash in the air following a volcanic explosion, for example.