MUHC in the Media - October 19, 2026

In November 2021, Maia Masuda, a speech-language pathologist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), gave birth to her daughter following an uneventful delivery. However, seven weeks later, she woke up in the middle of the night with severe abdominal pain and violent vomiting. Diagnosis: severe inflammation of the abdominal lining caused by a streptococcal infection. Maia had to spend ten days in the intensive care unit.

What makes her story particularly notable is that these complications arose more than six weeks after giving birth. However, the risk of maternal health problems does not disappear once this threshold has been passed, explains Dr. Isabelle Malhamé, an internist specializing in obstetric medicine at CHU Sainte-Justine and a researcher at the MUHC. Le Devoir

Dr. Michelle Kwok, head of the Allergy and Immunology Program at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH), participates in a travelling clinic in Kuujjuaq, providing consultations for Nunavik residents with food allergies, drug allergies, and anaphylaxis.

Dr. Mathias Johansen is the clinical director of the MCH’s Northern Anesthesia Program, an initiative that allows children who need surgery to remain in their communities, sparing them the need to fly to the MCH for procedures—some of which are minor.

For more information: Noovo Info and L’Actualité

Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta recently presented the results of a clinical trial on remission of type 2 diabetes. Published in Lancet Regional Health Americas, the results show that a low-calorie diet combined with a structured exercise program led to remission in 50% of participants with early-stage type 2 diabetes. Noovo, L’Actualité

Dr. Jonathan Spicer, a thoracic surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital and a researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC, comments on the news regarding the health of Pope Leo XIV, who underwent surgery to remove a cancerous lung nodule. La Presse

The documentary Prescription musicale, broadcast on Radio-Canada’s Explora channel, explores the beneficial effects of music on health. Last June, host and producer France Beaudoin spent a day at the Montreal General Hospital of the MUHC, meeting with teams investigating the potential of music to help relieve chronic pain. In this episode, Mathieu Roy, a researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC, presents his research projects and highlights the findings to date. Prescription musicale

Dr. Cécile Rousseau, a child psychiatrist and researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC, is a co-author of a study on radicalization and violence among young people. She participated in a forum on social cohesion and polarization at Bishop’s University, which was covered by Les Coops de l’information. Le Soleil

Dr. Nicole Ezer, a respirologist and director of the lung cancer screening program at the MUHC, was a guest on Brian Goldman’s podcast, The Dose. She explains why diagnoses among nonsmokers are on the rise, discusses the various known risk factors, and highlights the importance of screening. CBC

On Radio-Canada in Saskatchewan, Dr. Don Vinh, an infectious disease specialist at the MUHC, discusses the importance of flu vaccination and the temporary reactions it can cause. He explains that these reactions, which result from the immune system's response, can sometimes be mistaken for flu-like symptoms. TOUT COMPRIS

Over the past three years, the use of electric scooters has increased significantly throughout Quebec. In 2025, the Trauma Centre at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) treated approximately 80 children and adolescents for injuries including head trauma, abdominal trauma, facial trauma, dental trauma, fractures, lacerations, and sprains. As of October 2026, the number had already reached 112 for the year. Interviews with Liane Fransblow, trauma coordinator for the MCH Injury Prevention Program, and Debbie Friedman, director of the Trauma Centre at the MCH. Journal de Montréal and CBC

Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatrician, infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the MUHC, is interviewed about the first mRNA flu vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is still under review by Health Canada. Québec Science