UBC In The News

Scientists say they may have found a skinny gene

A new study led by Josef Penninger, a UBC professor in the department of medical genetics, discovered a gene called ALK plays a role in the resistance to weight gain.
CNNNewsweekNew AtlasTimes (subscription), Daily MailinewsGlobalCTVMSN

Tigers threatened by a vast network of planned roads across Asia

A study co-authored by Adam Ford, a professor in UBCO’s department of biology, assessed the range-wide risks to tigers. “This research opens the door to build partnerships at the regional scale to better mitigate existing roads and to develop greener road designs for the next century of infrastructure development,” he said.
Mongabay

UBC researchers develop biodegradable medical masks made from wood fibre

UBC researchers at the BioProducts Institute are designing prototypes for a biodegradable N95 mask made of B.C. wood fibres. Orlando Rojas, BPI scientific director and a professor in the faculties of applied science, forestry and science, and Johan Foster, a chemical and biological engineering professor, were interviewed.
CBCGlobal (video), CTV (video), Hindustan TimesNews 1130CKNW Lynda Steele Show (11:22 mark)Huffington PostNarcity, Virgin Radio VictoriaCastanet, Yahoo, MSN

How do we evaluate risk? The psychological process of making decisions in a pandemic

Dale Griffin, a professor of marketing and behavioural science at the UBC Sauder School of Business, spoke about how perceptions are shaped by what we see, and the shift in our basis for determining risk since the pandemic started.
The Canadian Press CTVWinnipeg Free Press

'This is not business as usual': You may start seeing a COVID-19 surcharge on your receipts

Darren Dahl, a professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business, gave comments about the possible COVID-19 surcharge and questioned whether businesses are going to remove it when they have paid off the investment or when we move into phase three. He noted that surcharges are often rolled into a company’s prices when they choose to do away with them.
CTV

The psychology of inoculation: how many will take a coronavirus vaccine?

UBC psychiatry professor Steven Taylor spoke about reasons why people may refuse or delay vaccines, and suggested public health officials need to plan ahead to prevent misinformation from gaining ground.
Globe and Mail

Filipino front-line workers risk their lives to keep Canada running

John Paul Catungal, a UBC professor at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, stressed the need for structural analysis on race-based COVID-19 data, and spoke about Filipinos’ strong work ethic.
Huffington PostYahoo

Pandemic stretches links in global food supply chain

Harish Krishnan, a professor of operations and logistics division at the UBC Sauder School of Business, predicted there’s going to be disruptions in the food supply chain and increases in the price, making it challenging for people on lower incomes.
Castanet

Copyright bots and classical musicians are fighting online. The bots are winning.

Washington Post spoke to UBC director of orchestras Jonathan Girard about his experience being cut off and blocked by copyright algorithms during a live-streamed program of orchestral works. “Considering everything that’s going on, it just seems like just yet another thing that’s marginalizing artists’ ability to communicate with the world,” he said.
Washington Post (subscription)