News Tips

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

"This is about the need to escape from confinement; to be outside, walking about and talking to others." — Sandra

Photo exhibit shows pandemic through the cameras of older adults

Vancouver can be a lonely city, even more so for older people. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic forced residents to stay home.

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

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 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

The research team tracked the driving records of more than 9,200 people who visited an emergency department for fainting.

You fainted. Are you OK to drive?

People who have visited the emergency department for fainting are no more prone to car crashes than other emergency department patients, new research out of UBC’s faculty of medicine has found.

Aug 3, 2022

Indigenous medicine wheel surrounded by animals.

Artists in prison share art: exhibit in DTES opens July 23

This month, the impact of a project that distributed 756 “art and reciprocity kits” to several prisons across B.C. and the Yukon will be showcased as an art exhibit in the Downtown Eastside.

Jul 20, 2022

Kronstad lab researchers Dr. Matthias Kretschmer and Sherry Sun evaluating disease progress

Fungus in a test tube first step to curing ‘corn smut’

Researchers have mimicked a corn plant’s make-up in the lab to investigate ‘corn smut’, opening the door to finding a cure for the disease. 

Jun 9, 2022

Credit: Drew Farwell/Unsplash

Two pathogens linked to salmon health and survival in B.C.

Many wild salmon populations in B.C. have experienced substantial declines over the last three decades. New UBC research published today can help chart a course towards better protection of wild salmon.

May 19, 2022

A sockeye salmon jumping the falls on the Meziadin River, B.C. Credit: Andrea Reid

Wild Pacific salmon catches down 80 per cent, elders report

Wild Pacific salmon catches are one sixth what they were 50-70 years ago, Indigenous elders report. Employing Indigenous research methodologies, Dr. Andrea Reid interviewed 48 knowledge keepers from 18 First Nations across the Fraser, Skeena, and Nass rivers.

May 12, 2022

Credit: Melbourne Zoo

How this turtle helped reduce plastic waste in an office building

This turtle helped reduce plastic waste – and no, not by eating it.

May 10, 2022

Interprovincial migration to small towns has surged since 2015

Migration from metro areas pose challenges for small communities: report

In B.C., most people don’t leave small towns for big cities—they go the other way. It’s a trend that’s been happening for decades, but it has accelerated since 2015.

Mar 31, 2022

Photo by Matthias Heyde on Unsplash

UBC researchers partner with Canadian e-commerce giant to remove CO2 from the air

UBC spin-off company Carbin Minerals is set to remove 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air in partnership with e-commerce platform Shopify.

Mar 29, 2022

Self-sanitizing copper has been applied to high-contact surfaces in nine UBC buildings. Photo: Teck

Microbe-slaying copper applied to UBC buildings

More than 400 sanitizing copper patches have been added to high-contact areas at UBC as part of a collaboration between Teck Resources and UBC to study the antimicrobial properties of copper.

Mar 28, 2022

In 2016 Rwanda became the first known African country to integrate drone deliveries into its healthcare system.

Drones get blood to patients faster—and reduce waste

Using drones instead of ambulances for emergency delivery of perishable blood products in Rwanda resulted in blood arriving for transfusions 79 minutes faster on average.

Mar 16, 2022

Credit: iStock/UBC

Wordle’s benefits go beyond keeping you sharp

Many Wordle players say it helps keep their brains sharp. But did you know playing word games could also lead to success in business?

Mar 16, 2022

A reaction to make light-emitting materials. Credit: Dr. Zac Hudson

A quantum computer could design your next smartphone

Canadian researchers are using quantum computing simulations to accurately predict the colour of light emitted from molecules that produce the colours we see in the latest smartphones, tablets, and TV screens.

Mar 14, 2022

Photo by Christopher Williams on Unsplash

Choosing diet soda actually leads to reduced calorie counts overall

A recent study settles the debate on whether or not diet pop saves calories at fast-food outlets or whether it gives consumers the green light to buy that extra burger, dessert or large fries.  

Mar 10, 2022

Credit: Mohamed Hassan/Pixabay

All-knowing robots are not inevitable, and other lessons on AI use in policing

The Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) recently approved a policy for use of AI technology in policing, which researchers believe is the first in Canada.

Mar 3, 2022

Reduce ADHD with more parks, less pollution

Reduce ADHD with more parks, less pollution

A study conducted in Metro Vancouver finds that the more green space and less air pollution children have in their neighbourhoods, the less likely they are to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Feb 24, 2022