UBC In The News

Mapping the hidden world of underground fungus, a major carbon sink

Dr. Miranda Hart, a soil microbiologist and professor at UBC Okanagan, and UBC forestry professor Dr. Suzanne Simard, will be participating in an international campaign aiming to study and map the world’s underground fungus networks in order to protect their ecological role as a major carbon sink.
The Province

New Fisheries Minister Murray has list of ‘urgent’ priorities to grapple with

Dr. Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at UBC, commented on the challenges and considerations that new Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray has to balance.
Hill Times (Subscription)

Not drinking alcohol? No problem. Add these drinks to your bar cart

UBC nursing professor Dr. Emily Jenkins discussed how the pandemic was a driving force behind increased rates of drinking and what impact this had on mental health challenges like depression and anxiety.
Best Health via MSN

B.C.'s year of extreme weather a sign of things to come, expert says

Dr. Rachel White, a professor in UBC’s department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, discussed the connection between climate change and the extreme weather events seen in B.C. this year.
CTV

Reasonable, not ideal, accommodations required in mask exemption cases: B.C. human rights tribunal

Margot Young, a professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, gave comments about a pair of decisions from British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal emphasizing that store policies which mandate the wearing of masks generally do not violate human rights law.
The Lawyer’s Daily

Flood-drenched British Columbians fear this is the new normal

Dr. Rachel White, a professor in UBC’s department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, says that B.C. has not had this number of atmospheric rivers in such a short time period hitting into the coast, and it’s possible that climate change is making those more likely and more frequent.
Seattle Times

Many B.C. communities lack resources to create floodplain maps, study suggests

Dr. Nahid Uzzaman, an assistant professor in engineering at UBC Okanagan, discussed the results of a recent B.C. floodplain maps inventory report which found that several communities across the province don’t have adequate funding or expertise available to create or maintain floodplain maps.
CTV

Clearcutting linked to flooding in British Columbia

UBC forestry professor Dr. Gregory Paradis gave comments about B.C.’s forest management and the link between clearcutting and flooding.
La Presse

B.C. identifies 1st case of omicron variant

Dr. Srinivas Murthy, an infectious disease expert and clinical professor in UBC’s department of pediatrics, commented on the importance of keeping up with other public health measures beyond travel restrictions.
CBC

Omicron: How does it compare with other COVID-19 variants of concern?

Dr. Horacio Bach, an adjunct professor in UBC’s division of infectious diseases, discussed the difference between the Omicron variant and the previously identified COVID-19 variants. He said the common symptoms associated with Omicron are “completely different” to what was first seen with other variants, including the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Global News

AI helps researchers screen billions of antiviral drugs to find potential COVID-19 treatments

Dr. Artem Cherkasov, a professor in UBC’s department of urologic sciences, was interviewed about using AI software to find potential antiviral drugs to treat people with COVID-19.
Vancouver Sun

Touesnard, Sutherland and Richardson: Canada's new minister of mental health and addictions can end the overdose crisis. Here's how

Dr. Lindsey Richardson, a professor in the UBC department of sociology and a research scientist at BCCDC, co-authored a piece discussing how a legal regulated approach to diverting costs from the criminal justice system could create savings which could be used for community health and harm reduction.
Ottawa Citizen

Omicron threat around the world and Canada

Dr. Jeffrey Joy, a professor in UBC’s department of medicine, was quoted in a piece discussing the threat that the Omicron variant poses.
Red Deer Advocate

Canada's top social sciences and humanities researchers honoured for extraordinary achievements

Dr. Rashid Sumaila, a professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the school of public policy and global affairs at UBC, on behalf of the OceanCanada partnership, is a recipient of this year’s SSHRC Impact Awards for their interdisciplinary work to understand and address threats facing Canada’s coastal regions.
Yahoo