08/01/2023
The University of Toronto Medical Journal (UTMJ) is pleased to announce the publication of Volume 100, Issue 2 on “100 Years of Innovation”!
The UTMJ was founded in 1923 and is Canada’s oldest student-run medical journal. In this special issue marking our centennial volume, we recognize the numerous medical advancements that have taken place in the past 100 years and explore future developments in biomedical and clinical research.
UofT has been home to seminal research findings, including but not limited to the discovery of insulin in 1921 and subsequent Nobel Prize in 1923. From an innovation that provided hope to a previously incurable affliction, our understanding of insulin, diabetes, and metabolism as a field has advanced leaps and bounds, paving the way for novel therapies.
Molecular approaches have offered insights into the
pathophysiology and diagnosis of disease as well as therapeutic strategies. For example, the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was identified in 1983 at SickKids, and novel medications targeting the faulty CFTR have greatly improved management of this condition.
Other innovations include stem cell research, and
advancements in computing. The discovery of stem cells has advanced the field of regeneration and in vitro modeling. Our current “information age” is propelled by increased computing power. Datasets can be larger, interconnected, and analyzed with novel tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) approaches.
Moreover, other novel data sources such as biosensors, are widespread in devices such as smartwatches and hold promise as potential screening and patient self-management tools.
These transformative research initiatives seeking to discover, develop, and implement innovative approaches to healthcare have increased our appreciation of this crucial aspect of medicine and its leaders in research.
For the second issue of our 100th volume, we are pleased to spotlight “100 Years of Innovation”.
You can read the issue by following this link:

https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/utmj/issue/view/2772/581