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Articles by Michael Apostol
Humber community walks together to honour truth and reconciliation
On September 30, students and staff gathered to take part in the Walk for Reconciliation to raise awareness of the Residential School System and honour Survivors and Indigenous communities. The walk also encourages participants to support organizations and initiatives that provide services and support to Survivors and Indigenous communities.
Humber program equips learners with disabilities for career success
Humber Polytechnic is helping learners with disabilities build the skills needed to succeed in the workplace through its Transition to Work program, which combines career programming, self-advocacy learning resources and financial support. The initiative reflects Humber's broader commitment to helping address Canada's productivity challenges, a priority outlined in President and CEO Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan's “Productivity Now” report.
Humber student named FIFA World Cup 26™ Unsung Hero
Humber Polytechnic Event Management student Alessia Commisso was recognized as Toronto’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Unsung Hero after volunteering at the FIFA World Cup™. According to FIFA, the honour recognizes volunteers who demonstrate positivity, resilience and a commitment to creating memorable experiences for fans.
Humber musicians bring Humber Match Day to life through live performances
As soccer fans gather at Humber Polytechnic’s Lakeshore Campus for Humber Match Day during the FIFA World Cup 2026™, music students are helping set the stage with live performances. The free community watch party feature live match screenings, cultural programming and family-friendly activities. Throughout the event, music students perform before matches and during halftime, gaining professional experience while helping create an energetic atmosphere for fans.
Humber’s Flash Fiction Contest celebrates emerging writers
The Bachelor of Creative and Professional Writing (BCPW) program at Humber Polytechnic recognized five high school students in its annual High School Flash Fiction Contest, with two of this year’s winners set to begin their studies at Humber this fall. The annual contest invites Ontario students in Grades 9 to 12 to submit an original flash fiction story of 250 words or less. This year’s competition recognized outstanding young writers from across Ontario.
ScaleUp brings learners and industry together during Toronto Tech Week 2026
Humber Polytechnic hosted ScaleUp on May 28 as part of Toronto Tech Week 2026. The event brought together more than 500 registrants, including Humber students, alumni, jobseekers, employers, startups, small businesses, venture capital groups and community organizations. ScaleUp was co-organized by Humber’s Community Outreach and Workforce Development (COWD) department and Humber Downtown’s Industry and Community Connector Hub (ICHub).
Humber students bring Hawks athletes’ stories to FIFA fans
Commercials created by Humber students and graduates featuring Humber Hawks men’s soccer players Tariq Joseph and Cisco Thomas were showcased at FIFA Fan Festival Toronto and the Festival of International Virtual and Augmented Reality Stories (FIVARS). The project features Tariq Joseph and Cisco Thomas, members of the 11-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) gold medal-winning Humber Hawks men’s soccer team.
Graduates celebrated at Spring Convocation 2026
Humber Polytechnic’s Spring Convocation 2026 brought together graduates, families and supporters at the Toronto Congress Centre from June 16 to 19. More than 10,000 graduating students received their credentials across 11 ceremonies, alongside valedictorians, award winners and honorary degree recipients. Convocation ceremonies were also livestreamed on Humber’s YouTube channel for those who could not attend in person.
Five leaders recognized with honorary degrees at Humber’s Spring Convocation 2026
During Spring Convocation 2026, Humber Polytechnic awarded honorary degrees to four individuals whose leadership and service have left a lasting impact in Canada and beyond. As Humber's highest distinction, an honorary degree recognizes individuals whose achievements have advanced their fields and enriched the communities they serve. This year's recipients have distinguished themselves through careers in public service, education, business and community leadership.
BuildHER Future partnership supports newcomer women pursuing construction careers
Humber Polytechnic officially launched its partnership with Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto on June 8 with a signing event marking the start of BuildHER Future, a federally funded initiative designed to help internationally trained newcomer women build careers in Ontario’s construction sector. It also recognized a shared commitment to workforce development, equity and inclusion.
Humber students win gold at Skills Canada National Competition
Humber Polytechnic students Tavish Legacy and Tete Soto won gold in the Mechatronics competition at the 2026 Skills Canada National Competition. The victory marked Humber’s third consecutive national title in the category. Legacy and Soto, students in Humber’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program, represented Team Ontario after winning gold at the Skills Ontario Competition earlier this year.
Humber Polytechnic celebrates the start of Pride Month 2026
Pride Month 2026 is underway at Humber Polytechnic, with a month of events and activities planned across Humber. This year’s theme, We Won’t Stop: Building Belonging, focuses on creating a campus on which everyone feels they belong. Humber President and CEO Ann Marie Vaughan said in her opening remarks that belonging is reflected in whether people feel welcomed, respected, supported and able to be themselves across campus.
Student researchers win Humber’s 2026 Map the System competition
Riley Lawson and Larissa Mazzoca have won Humber Polytechnic’s 2026 Map the System competition for their research examining the systemic factors contributing to delays in endometriosis diagnosis in Canada. The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences students, who are both enrolled in the Research Analyst graduate certificate program, will now represent Humber at the Map the System Global Finals hosted by the University of Oxford from July 9 to 12.
ReShade earns national recognition at Enactus Canada exposition
After earning top honours at the regional exposition earlier this year and advancing to nationals, ReShade continued building momentum at the 2026 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Montreal. Led by students from Enactus Humber, the sustainability-focused initiative was named first runner-up in the Innovation & Impact category and helped Humber achieve a top-four national finish against some of the country’s leading Enactus teams.
The Cost of Defunding Biomedical Research at UCLA
Science, Academia, and Politics A PhD Student’s Perspective on Funding Cuts to Neuroscience Press enter or click to view image in full size The Trump administration recently froze over half a billion dollars of research funding to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), demanding a $1 billion payment to reinstate the grants. This decision has very real negative consequences.
Neuroscience-Informed Smoking Cessation Interventions
Neuroscience and Psychiatry Exploring brain stimulation treatments for a leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide: cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking has declined significantly but remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death across the globe. A recent study indicated that 68% of people who smoke have expressed interest in quitting and over half have tried to quit. Yet, smoking cessation rates are considerably lower — 7%.
Comparing neuromodulation targets to reduce cigarette craving and withdrawal: a randomized clinical trial - Neuropsychopharmacology
Abstract Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, emphasizing the need for new therapeutics, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We tested the hypothesis that TMS to three targets would reduce cigarette craving and withdrawal by modulating connectivity within and between three canonical networks in a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03827265).
Advice for Applying to Neuroscience PhD Programs
Academia and Education How to not make the same mistakes I made when applying to graduate school. Michael R. Apostol · Follow 14 min read · -- Photo by Growtika on Unsplash Applying to PhD programs can be a time-consuming, expensive, and stressful experience. My goal in writing this blog post is to share tips and advice that may help you be successful in applying to neuroscience PhD programs.
Lessons from the America’s Worst Mom: How Play Affects the Brain
Lessons from the America’s Worst Mom: How Play Affects the Brain A mom let her 9-year-old son ride on the New York subway alone, earning her the title of “America’s Worst Mom”. After having lunch at McDonald’s, Lenore Skenazy left her son in the Bloomingdale’s handbag department with a map, metro card, money, and simple instructions — find your way home. Her son made it home without issue. Skenazy, on the other hand, faced backlash from those who found her decision unacceptable.
"The Impact of Recreational Cannabinoid Legalization on Utilization in " by Jacob Torres, Colton Miller et al.
BACKGROUND: Marijuana potency and utilization both continue to increase across the United States. While the overall prevalence of cannabinoid utilization during pregnancy has been surveyed in various studies, the direct impact of changing governmental policies on pregnancy use is less characterized. Thus, we aimed to investigate how the legalization of recreational cannabinoid products impacted use during pregnancy in the state of New Mexico.
An Interview with a UCLA MD/PhD Student
Education Norman Spivak, a MD/PhD student at UCLA, spoke about his background, professional interests, and future goals. This is a conversation with Norman Spivak, a MD/PhD student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Norman shared insights into the MD/PhD application process, tips for applying, the structure of the program, and more. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in medicine, research, or both, you’ll find our conversation useful.
Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on craving and state anxiety in tobacco use disorder - Nature Mental Health
Abstract Abstinence from cigarettes is associated with withdrawal and anxiety symptoms, which are barriers to smoking cessation, although they may respond to treatment using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). We hypothesized that (1) withdrawal symptoms and state anxiety were related and (2) rTMS-related reductions in anxiety would mediate reductions in withdrawal.
Unraveling Neural Complexity: Exploring Brain Entropy to Yield Mechanistic Insight in Neuromodulation Therapies for Tobacco Use Disorder
Abstract Neuromodulation therapies, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), have shown promise as treatments for tobacco use disorder (TUD). However, the underlying mechanisms of these therapies remain unclear, which may hamper optimization and personalization efforts. In this study, we investigated alteration of brain entropy as a potential mechanism underlying the neural effects of noninvasive brain stimulation by rTMS in people with TUD.
Types and Applications
By Michael Apostol - Psychology Blog Neuroscience and Psychiatry Invasive and noninvasive methods of stimulating the brain to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. Brain stimulation, also known as neuromodulation, refers to techniques that are used to modify brain activity, which in turn can alter thoughts...
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