news 2021

Q&As Erik Rolfsen When it comes to COVID-19, peace of mind is difficult to come by. But thanks to new research compiled with data from UBC's first on-campus clinical study, a new self-administered rapid antigen test will soon be available in Canada. It's a tool that could help combat growing uncertainty, prevent transmission and potentially save lives.

Findings show strong antibody evasion and binding with human cells that contribute to increased transmissibility-and that vaccination remains the best defence UBC researchers are the first in the world to conduct a molecular-level structural analysis of the Omicron variant spike protein. The analysis-done at near atomic resolution using a cryo-electron microscope-reveals how the heavily mutated variant infects human cells and is highly evasive of immunity.

By now, many are aware that the pandemic has affected lower-income groups the most within countries, including in Canada. But what most do not know is that income inequality - the economic distance between higher and lower-income groups within individual countries - is also driving national COVID-19 infection and death rates.

Professor Rafael Najmanovich and his team have applied their modelling of possible variations of the virus responsible for COVID-19 to investigate the Omicron variant. Last summer, a team of researchers at Université de Montréal succeeded in modelling the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 , the virus responsible for COVID-19, and simulating more than 17,000 possible mutations on a computer.

Preparing for an online start to the winter term: for more information. Wearables can provide insight into patterns of health-related behaviour and disease symptoms  Remote monitoring of health-related behaviour with wearable sensor technology is feasible for people with complex health conditions, shows a recent University of Waterloo study.

Early studies in mice show this potential vaccine could produce stronger and longer lasting immunity to fight against variants. A Western University team's novel approach to developing a COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in inducing a robust immune response, early data shows. Several COVID-19 vaccines have been licensed and used for nearly one year now to protect people from the virus.

Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk For the first time, Canadians can access a new test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, thanks to a study being led by researchers at UBC's faculty of medicine. The test-which measures proteins known as biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord-could assist with earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the disease, giving patients and their families much needed answers and assistance with planning.

Frequent changes in safety guidelines caused people to judge experts negatively Officials could boost public trust in COVID-19 health recommendations by including reminders that changes to recommendations are expected as science evolves, a new study has found. The research team first predicted and found that reminders of the frequent changes in safety guidelines caused people to judge experts negatively.

A first-of-its-kind study by Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers dispels a controversial gender dysphoria theory that activists and experts have called inaccurate and harmful to transgender people. Greta Bauer, PhD, and her team at Trans Youth CAN! found no evidence in a recent study to support the idea of rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) - a proposed condition often used as an argument against providing gender-affirming medical care to young people.

Metabolic disorders associated with excessive weight gain can lead to changes in parts of the brain that are responsible for motivation and mood, UdeM researcher Stéphanie Fulton finds. Obese people run a higher-than-average risk of depression or anxiety, the result of a combination of factors: poor diet, lack of physical activity and an accumulation of fat cells in their body called visceral adipocytes.

Science, Health & Technology UBC Media Relations Researchers say Canada's experience offers a roadmap for other countries Abortion remains safe after Canada removed restrictions on the medical abortion pill mifepristone in November 2017. That's one of the key findings from a UBC-led study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine .

An international team of scientists, including a Western University researcher, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that facilitates more personalized treatments for depression and improves patient outcomes.

The causes of psychiatric disorders are poorly understood. Now, in work led by researchers at McGill University, there is evidence that a wide range of early onset psychiatric problems (from depression, anxiety and addictions to dyslexia, bulimia, and ADHD) may be largely due to the combination of just three factors.

A widely used and inexpensive type 2 diabetes drug, once hoped to hold enormous promise in treating breast cancer, does not prevent or stop the spread of the most common forms of the disease, according to new research. The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, was led by Toronto researchers and run by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group under the umbrella of the Breast International Group network.

AI can predict the necessity of ICU admission based on more than 200 clinical data points New technology could help doctors make the most of limited resources during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying patients who require intensive care unit (ICU) treatment. The system, developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo and DarwinAI, an alumni-founded startup company, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the necessity of ICU admission based on more than 200 clinical data points, including vital signs, blood test results and medical history.

The -5-SENSE- score can predict who will not benefit from stereo-electroencephalography A new study from The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) and eight collaborating international epilepsy centers has developed a simple web-based application clinicians can use to predict which patients will not benefit from an invasive diagnostic work-up, preventing unnecessary, invasive procedures, saving time for patients and the clinical team, and freeing up overburdened health resources.

AI-driven symptom checkers have the potential to reduce unnecessary medical visits More attention must be paid to improving perceptions of emerging technologies like AI-powered symptom checkers, which could ease the strain on health-care systems, according to a recent study. Symptom checkers are online platforms that help with self-triage based on a range of inputted symptoms and demographic details.

Science, Health & Technology Erik Rolfsen In the first study of its kind, a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia's faculty of medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has helped to demonstrate that a stem cell-based treatment delivered through an implantable device can produce insulin in the human body.

The emotional toll of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic weighed heavily on everyone in Canada: young and old. Nevertheless, the sense of loss was perhaps most evident on the country's teens as their world stopped spinning instantly and pivoted quickly to a virtual space. While adept (more than most age groups) at navigating school and friendships via Zoom, FaceTime and other social media platforms, this technological ability didn't mitigate teens experiencing psychological distress.

Researchers from Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria have discovered a method-using only visible light-to treat and safely sterilize non-woven polypropylene-fabrics, the material used to fabricate personal protective equipment (PPE). Led by Tyler Cuthbert, a former SFU School of Engineering Science post-doctoral fellow, researchers tested a chemical insertion method developed by UVic chemistry professor Jeremy Wulff to attach a light-sensitive, zinc-based compound onto a non-woven polypropylene fabric.