UBC Research News Releases

The capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services relied on by millions of people worldwide has declined by half since the 1950s, according to a new University of British Columbia-led study.

The study offers the first comprehensive look at what climate change, overfishing, and habitat destruction of coral reefs mean for their ecosystem services, or the ability of the reef to provide essential benefits and services to humans, including food, livelihoods, and protection from storms. Overall, the findings showed that the significant loss in coral reef coverage has led to an equally significant loss in the ability of the reef to provide these services.

Unchecked climate change may leave some Arctic predators surviving off of marine “junk food,” according to a new UBC study.

It found that transformations to the makeup and distribution of fish species—as well as the size of fish in Hudson Bay—will begin to accelerate by 2025 and become progressively more extreme unless action is taken to reduce carbon emissions.

Using computer models, the researchers examined how these changes to prey would affect ringed seals, a common Arctic marine predator.

Canada needs a more cohesive strategy to help the more than 1.7 million people currently living in unaffordable, overcrowded or poor-condition housing, says UBC expert Dr. Penny Gurstein (she/her), head of the Housing Research Collaborative at UBC’s school of community and regional planning.

There is no standardized method in Canada to assess needs by income and future population growth at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, says Dr. Gurstein. Instead, planners have typically used a variety of tools with mixed results.

Finding animals in the wild can be tough, even for researchers with access to airplanes, high-end cameras and other costly gear.

Many animals blend with their surroundings or hide in places that human eyes can’t reach. This is especially true of marine animals, who move under cover of water.

That’s why researchers from the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF), the University of Manitoba, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada were surprised when the infrared video camera they brought aboard their plane captured narwhals swimming off the coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut.

The delicate stalk and pretty white flowers of Triantha occidentalis may seem like the perfect place to perch if you’re an insect, but get trapped in its sticky hairs and it will suck the nutrients from your dead corpse.

That’s the surprising new finding by University of British Columbia and University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, detailed in PNAS.

The Canadian border reopens to fully vaccinated U.S. travellers on Monday, August 9. UBC experts are available to comment.

Dr. Stephen Hoption Cann Clinical Professor, School of Population and Public Health Cell: 778-928-8339 Email: hoption.cann@ubc.ca Interview language(s): English

The Arctic tern—which has the world record for the longest annual migration—uses just a few select routes, a key finding that could help efforts to conserve the species, according to a new University of British Columbia study.

Globally, Arctic terns are declining and their wide geographical range has posed a challenge for researchers hoping to see where different tern colonies bottleneck when they migrate.

People who decline maternity care services such as prenatal testing or epidurals often face pressure or scolding from their care providers, according to new UBC-led research.

In the largest study of its kind in B.C. — including analysis of 1,540 written accounts from 1123 women from across the province —  53.5 per cent of the total study sample reported declining some kind of care or procedure.

While most people reported care providers were supportive, almost one in three respondents said their care providers reacted with disrespect, tried to coerce them or disregarded their wishes. These negative interactions resulted in childbearing people feeling invisible, disempowered and in some cases traumatized.

As wildfires blaze around the province, a UBC researcher reminds us that some types of fire can be life-giving and help protect the planet.

Indigenous peoples have practiced “cultural burning” for millennia, says faculty of forestry ecologist and former wildland firefighter Dr. Kira Hoffman, and this practice has helped manage wildfires, benefited food supplies and encouraged diversity of local plant and wildlife.

UBC experts are available to comment on heat, wildfires and associated issues.

Dr. Sally Aitken Professor, Faculty of Forestry Email: sally.aitken@ubc.ca Interview language(s): English

Scientists have published a new, detailed radio image of the Andromeda galaxy – the Milky Way’s sister galaxy – which will allow them to identify and study the regions of Andromeda where new stars are born.

As UBC prepares to welcome students back to campus this September, the university is taking extra care to keep them safe and in good health.

From embedded mental health counsellors to extended physician hours and a new nurse practitioner, UBC has expanded its health and wellbeing services to help ease the transition for students.

Building on the developments of the last year, student health services will continue to be offered both in person and virtually, giving students more choice and better meeting their needs.

At the start of the pandemic, there were ample predictions that more time at home would lead to more time between the sheets.

But a new UBC study, recently published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, uncovers a more nuanced picture of how COVID-19 has shaped the sex lives of Canadians.

Today, a remote Lhoosk’uz Dené community is holding a celebration to mark a joyful milestone.

After decades of relying on bottled water, the village of about 50 people, located 200 kilometres west of Quesnel on Kluskus Lake, now has a steady supply of clean drinking water straight out of the tap, thanks to a new water treatment plant crafted to their unique needs.

“We had to do things differently. And now, what was just a dream many years ago is reality,” says Chief Liliane Squinas.

Wastewater testing can accurately and rapidly identify levels of COVID-19 infections in the community, including the rise of variants of concern, suggests new research led by UBC professor Dr. Ryan Ziels.

Ziels and his colleagues analyzed sewage samples from five municipal wastewater plants in the Metro Vancouver region during a period of increased COVID-19 case counts, from February to April 2021.

Working in the highly charged environment of COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the mental health of nurses, according to a new survey by researchers at UBC and the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto.

The findings, described recently in the Annals of Epidemiology, are the first to compare Canadian nurses’ mental health prior to and during the pandemic.

British Columbia’s K-12 public education operating spending is now 250 per cent of what it was in 1970, according to a new UBC study.

UBC faculty of education’s Dr. Jason Ellis called this rise in K-12 operating spending “astounding” since there’s only been a minimal increase in enrolment over the past five decades.

“There are many claims that school funding and spending in B.C. has decreased, and academic studies that only talk about cuts and underfunding, but this misperception of spending reductions is not based on historical research,” says Dr. Ellis.

Contaminants in generic medications used to treat conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stomachaches and heartburn may cause damage to DNA, affect basic cell functions and even increase a person’s risk of cancer, according to a new UBC study.

Two out of three Vancouver physicians surveyed in a new UBC study faced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers from UBC’s faculty of medicine reviewed survey responses from 302 internal medicine physicians who worked for Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital between August and October 2020.

They found burnout was prevalent among 68 per cent of physicians and noted over 20 percent of surveyed physicians were considering quitting the profession, or had already quit a position.

Globally, great ape populations and their habitats have drastically declined in recent history. New analysis published today reveals that if the pressures on their habitat remain unchecked, Africa’s great apes could lose between 85 per cent and 94 per cent of their range by the year 2050. As their range shrinks, their chances for survival also diminish.

In this Q&A, Jacqueline Sunderland-Groves, a great ape expert in UBC’s faculty of forestry who contributed to the study, explains what can be done to ensure the long-term survival of gorillas, chimpanzees and other great apes.

B.C.’s gender-diverse youth continue to face significant bullying and harassment, but a new report underlines how social supports like strong school and family relationships make a significant impact on their well-being.

Researchers at UBC and McCreary Centre Society analyzed data from the B.C. Adolescent Health Survey, completed by more than 38,000 youth, ages 12-19 in schools across the province—including almost a thousand individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary or gender-questioning.

Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) – which is associated with kidney and liver damage in Chinook salmon – is continually being transmitted between open-net salmon farms and wild juvenile Chinook salmon in British Columbia waters, according to a new genomics analysis published today in Science Advances.

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout ramps up across the country, the risks and benefits of immunization for pregnant and breastfeeding people remain largely unknown because the initial vaccine clinical trials did not include these populations.

In an effort to fill the knowledge gap, researchers are launching a COVID-19 vaccine registry and survey in Canada. They will collect real-time data on the impact of immunization on pregnant and breastfeeding individuals across the country.

UBC’s Dr. Deborah Money, professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, shares why this research is critical. We asked her how pregnant and breastfeeding people in Canada can get involved.

Matthew Soules has a multifaceted career. The busy architecture professor at UBC is a thought-provoking artist, designer and author.

Most recently Soules contributed to the design for šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (formerly known as the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza) where he designed the white, cloudlike pavilion at the northeast corner.

People want control over what personal digital data is passed along after they die, along with tools to make it easier to do so, according to a new case study by computer science researchers at the University of British Columbia.

On the other hand, people found the idea of creating AI-powered replicas of a deceased person “creepy.”

The study’s full findings — among the first to look at ways of preparing personal digital data for death – will be presented next week at the 2021 Human Computer Interaction Conference (CHI.)

The pandemic continues to take an emotional toll on people in Canada, with 77 per cent of adults reporting negative emotions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest mental health survey by UBC researchers, in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

The five most common emotional responses to the pandemic across Canada were “worried or anxious,” “bored,” “stressed,” “lonely or isolated” and “sad”, says lead researcher Dr. Emily Jenkins, a professor of nursing at UBC who studies mental health and substance use.

It may seem like an unusual place to go looking for answers, but the contents of a baby’s first diaper can reveal a lot about a newborn’s future health.

In a new study published today in Cell Reports Medicine, a team of University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers has shown that the composition of a baby’s first poop—a thick, dark green substance known as meconium—is associated with whether or not a child will develop allergies within their first year of life.

It’s well-known that drinking and driving is linked to a high risk of causing a car crash.

But taking common prescription medications like sleeping pills, opioids and medication used to treat anxiety and depression also poses a risk, a new UBC study of millions of drivers finds.

British Columbia drivers prescribed sedating antipsychotics have a 35 per cent increased risk of causing a road collision, while people on commonly prescribed benzodiazepines (like Valium or Xanax) increase their risk by 25 to 30 per cent.

The researchers from UBC’s faculty of medicine also found that high-potency opioids such as morphine showed a 24 per cent increased risk of road collisions.

A novel system of chilled panels that can replace air conditioning can also help reduce the risk of indoor disease transmission, suggests new analysis from the University of British Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University.

The researchers computed air conditioning requirements in 60 of the world’s most populous cities—with the additional ventilation required due to COVID-19. Then, they compared the energy costs with their cooling method, using the chilled panels and natural ventilation.

Canada’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights over a 5G network took place at UBC last week, showcasing some of the future potential applications of 5G-enabled autonomous flight.

Two UAVs—standard quad models fitted out with a 5G signal transmitter receiver—were put through their paces by Vancouver drone R&D company InDro Robotics using UBC’s 5G network, installed by Rogers as part of a multiyear collaboration to pursue 5G research.

Obesity rates have increased dramatically in developed countries over the past 40 years — and many people have assumed that food marketing is at least in part to blame. But are people with obesity really more susceptible to food marketing? And if they are, is that a permanent predisposition, or can it change over time?

According to a new study by UBC Sauder School of Business Assistant Professor Dr. Yann Cornil (he/him/his) and French researchers, people with obesity do tend to be more responsive to food marketing — but when their weight drops significantly, so does their responsiveness to marketing.

As our planet warms, seas rise and catastrophic weather events become more frequent, action on climate change has never been more important. But how do you convince people who still don’t believe that humans contribute to the warming climate?

New UBC research may offer some insight, examining biases towards climate information and offering tools to overcome these and communicate climate change more effectively.

A medical device that has been shown to manage pain among babies born preterm can also help keep their brain oxygen levels steady during medical procedures, finds new analysis by researchers at UBC.

The device, called Calmer, is a pillow-sized therapeutic bed covered in soft fabric and inserted into the incubator. It can be programmed to mimic a parent’s heartbeat and breathing rate— providing a soothing presence by moving up and down gently to simulate a breathing motion and heartbeat sound for the baby when their parent cannot be present.

A single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine produces a much weaker antibody response in long-term care residents than it does in younger healthy adults, new research has found.

The pre-print findings, yet to be peer-reviewed, raise questions about the optimal timing of the second dose of vaccine for older adults.