TMU experts in the news
From new research to expert commentary, TMU voices are informing key media coverage on important issues affecting our communities, Canada and the world.
Below, check out some of TMU’s most notable media moments so far in 2026.
Apple News: Dating Apps Don't Optimize For Love
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TMU marketing expert Mathieu Lajante says dating apps aren’t designed to help you delete your profile – instead, they aim to keep you swiping. (Photo: Yogas Design/Unsplash)
In Apple News podcast The Last Show with David Cooper, TMU marketing professor Mathieu Lajante, who teaches at the Ted Rogers School of Management, describes what dating apps are really optimizing for – and it isn't love.
Lajante says dating apps use a number of habit-forming strategies to keep you hooked.
Like all businesses, he says dating apps prioritize profits, and profits don’t come from deleted user profiles.
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Maclean’s: Could AI judge the Olympics? (external link)
Maclean’s magazine featured the study, Blind scouting: using artificial intelligence to alleviate bias in selection, by TMU professors Laurel Walzak and Louis-Étienne Dubois of The Creative School.
In a story published in Maclean’s, TMU professor Laurel Walzak, who teaches at TMU’s RTA School of Media at The Creative School, shares how technology can make competition fairer, particularly in judged sports.
The story features findings from the study, Blind scouting: using artificial intelligence to alleviate bias in selection (external link) , which was led by Walzak and her colleague, professor Louis-Étienne Dubois.
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VICE: Listening to music this way could give serious anxiety relief (external link)
As featured in VICE, new research from TMU professor Frank Russo suggests music could help ease anxiety when paired with subtle sound cues designed to calm the brain.
Music might do more than lift your mood, according to a study by TMU professor Frank Russo that was featured in VICE.
Russo notes that while it’s not a cure for anxiety, the results point to a “dose-response” pattern, where the right amount of music can meaningfully shift anxiety levels without demanding major lifestyle changes.
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ABC News: NASA holds press conference on ISS medical evaluation (external link)
TMU’s School of Medicine and space expert Dr. Farhan Asrar appeared on ABC News in January 2026 to discuss the news that a NASA space mission would be ending early due to health concerns.
Following the news that four astronauts would be returning from space earlier than expected for health-related reasons, TMU space medicine researcher and associate dean at the TMU’s School of Medicine Dr. Farhan Asrar analyzes key details from NASA’s press conference along with ABC’s Andrew Dymburt.
Dr. Asrar also appeared on CNN and in the New York Times, among many media outlets.
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Science X: TMU researchers advance AI drones to connect remote and Indigenous communities (external link)
TMU researchers are showcasing how AI can help drones deliver care to hard-to-reach areas, as reported in ScienceX.
ScienceX recently shared the news that a team of TMU researchers has contributed key advances in autonomous drone navigation. It’s all part of a Canada-wide initiative aimed at improving connectivity, safety and service delivery in remote regions.
The TMU team, led by professor Farrokh Janabi-Sharifi of the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Mechatronics Engineering, developed AI-powered algorithms for autonomous route planning, take-offs and landings, as well as intelligent aerial manipulation systems for package pickup and delivery.
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CTV: How is the U.S. president's second term different from his first? (external link)
TMU politics professor Rob Goodman tells CTV that U.S. President Donald Trump is demonstrating capabilities in his second term that very few envisioned.
One year since President Donald Trump took office, Canada’s relationship with the U.S. is unrecognizable. TMU politics professor Rob Goodman tells CTV about how Trump today differs from his first term, and what may be in store in 2026.
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Toronto Star: How to live to 100 (or die trying): Longevity in the land of ageism (external link)
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In this Toronto Star podcast, Dr. Samir Sinha, geriatrician, director of health policy research at the National Institute on Ageing at TMU, speaks about ageism and the impact of age prejudice.
What if getting older was something to look forward to? This Toronto Star podcast episode dives into the growing push to embrace aging — and why ageism, which quietly affects everything from careers to relationships, gets in the way. Dr. Samir Sinha, geriatrician, director of health policy research at the National Institute on Ageing at TMU, provides expert commentary.
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