Research

Canadians’ physical activity dwindles despite resumption of harder workouts

Canadians’ physical activity declined as expected following declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, but moderate-to-vigorous physical activity rebounded over the first six weeks of the pandemic. However, lighter and more incidental physical activity did not.

Jul 27, 2020

New UBC study reveals older adults coped with pandemic best

Adults aged 60 and up have fared better emotionally compared to younger adults (18–39) and middle-aged adults (40–59) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jul 22, 2020

Sexual health and domestic violence during COVID-19

Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at UBC’s faculty of medicine, is leading a national survey to measure changes in sexual health and the prevalence of gender-based violence during COVID-19.

Jul 16, 2020

The kits will be distributed at two medium-security federal prisons, five halfway houses and selected urban Indigenous community members in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Region starting this week. Art supplies from Rath Art Supplies (Vancouver), assembled by team member Nicole Mah. Graphic design for booklet by Aska Djikia @adjikia

Leaning on art to catch rays of light

Supporting people in prison to create something beautiful during a dark and difficult time is how UBC school of nursing professor Helen Brown and her team describe their new program to deliver “art and reciprocity kits” to people disproportionately impacted by the Canadian criminal justice system.

Jul 15, 2020

As the Canadian economy re-opens, men are returning to work more quickly than women.

Gender employment gap among parents increases over first three months of pandemic

As the Canadian economy reopens, mothers are much less likely to be back at work than fathers—a gender gap that has been widening since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Jul 7, 2020

UBC experts on long-term care home visits in B.C.

UBC experts are available to comment on long-term care home visits in B.C.

Jun 30, 2020

UBC receives $14 million in federal funding for COVID-19 research

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have received a combined total of $14.3 million in grants in the latest round of funding from the federal government in support of research aimed at addressing the health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jun 25, 2020

COVID-19 survey highlights growing suicide and mental health risks across various groups

COVID-19 has significantly increased the suicide risk for Canadians with preexisting mental health challenges and experiences of marginalization, reveals a new survey by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in partnership with researchers at the University of British Columbia.

Jun 25, 2020

Wildfire smoke has immediate harmful health effects: UBC study

Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research from the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health.

Jun 24, 2020

Heat may kill more people than previously reported

As temperatures rise this summer, a new study by UBC’s School of Population and Public Health and Boston University School of Public Health researchers finds that thousands of U.S. deaths may be attributable to heat each year, far more than the 600 deaths previously estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jun 19, 2020

Men can click their way to better health

Men who regularly used a free web resource made significantly more health changes than men who did not, finds a new study from the University of British Columbia and Intensions Consulting.

Jun 11, 2020

Credit: Fusion Medical Animation/Unsplash

Predicting the evolution of COVID-19 to help manage future outbreaks

As the world prepares for future waves of COVID-19, the ability to predict mutations in the novel coronavirus even before they emerge will be essential to stopping future outbreaks.

Jun 5, 2020

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Credit: CDC/Unsplash

Canadian COVID-19 trial gets additional $3.5 million in federal funding

The Canadian arm of a major international clinical trial—led by a University of British Columbia researcher—that aims to find the best treatment for COVID-19 has received an additional $3.5 million in funding from the federal government through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

May 28, 2020

The scanners were designed and provided by Burnaby-based Clarius Mobile Health.

UBC researchers join with partners to develop portable ultrasound scanner network for COVID-19

UBC researchers have designed a network of portable, handheld ultrasound scanners that can soon accelerate COVID-19 diagnosis in B.C. and potentially beyond.

May 26, 2020

How small-scale fishers are struggling amid COVID-19 crisis

As COVID-19 affects global food systems, tremendous impacts are being felt by coastal communities and small-scale fishers, many of whom are self-employed and rely on the catch to feed their own households or local communities.

May 25, 2020

UBC researchers develop biodegradable medical mask for COVID-19

The shortage of medical grade masks worldwide has hobbled health care professionals responding to the novel coronavirus—highlighting the need for improving supply lines and manufacturing more masks locally.

May 21, 2020

UBC economists create tool to measure COVID-19 risk in B.C. jobs

Researchers at the Vancouver School of Economics have created a novel tool to assess the risks and benefits of reopening different sectors of British Columbia’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 19, 2020

Canadian hospitals trialing new treatment options for COVID-19 patients

Hospitals across Canada are leading a research effort examining potential treatments for COVID-19 as part of the Solidarity Trial, a multinational initiative being coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Apr 9, 2020

In cell cultures analyzed in the current study, hrsACE2 inhibited the coronavirus load by a factor of 1,000-5,000. Credit: IMBA/Tibor Kulcsar

Trial drug can significantly block early stages of COVID-19 in engineered human tissues

An international team led by University of British Columbia researcher Dr. Josef Penninger has found a trial drug that effectively blocks the cellular door SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect its hosts.

Apr 2, 2020

More UBC researchers receive federal funding to study COVID-19

Five research teams at the University of British Columbia are collectively receiving $2.3 million in federal funding for research to help tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mar 24, 2020