Science, Health and Technology

National survey of abortion care providers shows access has improved

Researchers from UBC’s department of obstetrics and gynaecology recently surveyed 465 healthcare professionals who provided abortion care in Canada in 2019—the first such survey in seven years.

Sep 27, 2022

Researchers have developed a biodegradable "plastic" out of cellulose

UBC researcher creates wood-based alternative to single-use plastic

UBC researcher Dr. Feng Jiang has developed a cellulose film that looks like plastic and behaves like plastic—but is biodegradable.

Sep 23, 2022

While the overall number of new HIV diagnoses in B.C. continues a decades-long decline, epidemic monitoring during lockdown enabled rapid detection of a sharp increase in transmission within some clusters associated with PWID.

COVID-19 lockdown may have accelerated HIV transmission in some at-risk populations

A new study led by researchers at UBC and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) is shedding light on how COVID-19 pandemic restrictions impacted another long-standing public health threat — HIV.

Sep 23, 2022

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

Why whales don’t get brain damage when they swim

Special blood vessels may protect whales from pulses in their blood that would damage the brain while swimming, new research has suggested.

Sep 22, 2022

These tiny organisms move from the ocean depths to the surface every day at sunset to feed. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

How the largest migration on Earth might help combat climate change

What does the mysterious migration of the gelatinous salp have to do with reducing atmospheric carbon? A UBC student will set sail next week in the hopes of finding out.

Sep 21, 2022

A team of researchers at UBC and Western University are offering a suite of tools and strategies to ensure that people who experience substance use stigma can receive better care in the future.

New tools aim to improve care for people experiencing substance use stigma

Due to widespread negative attitudes towards substance use issues, people are often treated in disrespectful or discriminatory ways in health care settings. 

Sep 20, 2022

A Cabbage White butterfly rests on a flower. Credit: Dr. Michelle Tseng

Warmer Earth could see smaller butterflies that struggle to fly, affecting food systems

New UBC research has shown warmer temperatures can lead to smaller butterflies that collect less pollen and visit fewer flowers.

Sep 15, 2022

UBC experts on World Suicide Prevention Day

UBC experts on World Suicide Prevention Day

Saturday, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. UBC experts are available to comment.

Sep 9, 2022

Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash

UBC experts on new Omicron-specific vaccine

Health Canada has approved a vaccine by Moderna that specifically targets the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. UBC experts are available to comment.

Sep 1, 2022

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, after being rolled out to the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 29. Credit: NASA

We’re heading to the moon and maybe Mars. So who owns them?

Humanity is set to make a return to the Moon with the Artemis program, in what NASA says is a first step to Mars. So, who gets first dibs?

Sep 1, 2022

Photo by Hiroko Yoshii on Unsplash

Global fish stocks can’t rebuild if nothing done to halt climate change and overfishing, new study suggests

Global fish stocks will not be able to recover to sustainable levels without strong actions to mitigate climate change, a new study has projected.

Sep 1, 2022

UBC team developing oral insulin tablet sees breakthrough results

UBC team developing oral insulin tablet sees breakthrough results

A team of University of British Columbia researchers working on developing oral insulin tablets as a replacement for daily insulin injections have made a game-changing discovery. 

Aug 30, 2022

Photo by malith d karunarathne on Unsplash

UBC experts on Artemis I lunar mission

UBC experts are available to comment on the Artemis I mission and future lunar missions.

Aug 25, 2022

Dr. Corey Nislow and his team are sending yeast and algae into space aboard Artemis 1. Credit: Justin Ohata/UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences

UBC scientist is sending yeast and algae to space on Artemis 1

UBC pharmaceutical sciences professor Dr. Corey Nislow is sending yeast and algae cultures into space, in a pod not much bigger than a shoebox, to study the effects of cosmic rays and near zero gravity on living organisms.

Aug 23, 2022

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Children are entering a fourth school year in a pandemic — expert advice for parents

As children head back for a fourth school year with COVID-19, many parents are hoping their kids will be able to enjoy a mostly normal school experience. But with new variants circulating and respiratory virus season on the horizon, many also have concerns and questions about what the new school year will look like.  

Aug 22, 2022

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals how the VH Ab6 antibody fragment (red) attaches to the vulnerable site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (grey) to block the virus from binding with the human ACE2 cell receptor (blue). Credit: Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, UBC

UBC researchers discover ‘weak spot’ across major COVID-19 variants

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a key vulnerability across all major variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the recently emerged BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron subvariants.

Aug 18, 2022

Photo by Scott Goodwill on Unsplash

UBC experts on heat waves and extreme heat

UBC experts are available to comment on the health effects of heat waves and extreme weather as B.C. experiences another heat wave.

Aug 17, 2022

COVID-19 vaccine and young children — expert answers for skeptical parents

COVID-19 vaccine and young children — expert answers for skeptical parents

A recent study by UBC researchers reveals some surprising attitudes about child vaccination from parents who remain unvaccinated.

Aug 16, 2022

Credit: Dr. Ben Matthews

How to avoid becoming a mosquito’s dinner

In this Q&A, Dr. Ben Matthews, professor in the UBC department of zoology, explains how to avoid being on the menu for mozzies, and why the future of bite prevention might include odour-reducing skin creams.

Aug 15, 2022

Infrared echoes of a black hole eating a star illustration. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Time machines and black holes on the agenda at quantum gravity meeting

A theory of everything, that works at a cosmic and quantum level, has eluded researchers for years.

Aug 12, 2022