Study suggests need for more consistent protective measures for those on the front lines of wildfires
A study on the health of RCMP officers who were deployed to the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016 has found that their airway function was compromised in the first three months after deployment. An analysis of health data from 218 officers revealed that the small airways in their lungs underwent structural changes after they were…
Artifacts dating back 50,000 years help us better understand human connections
It’s one of the most enduring craft traditions in human history, stretching back 50,000 years: tiny donut-shaped beads made from ostrich eggshells. They reveal the oldest social network ever identified, according to a study by Jennifer Miller. The beads probably originated in eastern Africa and spread west and south through the continent as people traded them…
Pioneering U of A researcher part of international team brought together through $24M grant
When Karim Fouad started his career with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine looking for a way to heal spinal cord injuries, he remembers the enthusiasm that rippled through his discipline as prospects for better treatments began to show real promise. “Spinal cord researchers thought they had found the reason the nerve cells don’t regrow in the…
Understanding drugs and viruses key to being ready for the next pandemic
Understanding exactly how antiviral drugs interact with viruses at a molecular level will be key to developing the broad-spectrum therapies needed to battle against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and get ready to fight the next one, according to a newly published paper in the The Journal of Biological Chemistry. The paper reveals the inner workings of the…
U of A criminology program has highest rate of Indigenous enrolment among all arts programs
Growing up near Lac La Biche, Alta., Shaylee Lyne Desjarlais-Whitford couldn’t help noticing how Indigenous people were treated differently by the justice system. She saw how many close to her on the Kikino Métis Settlement didn’t get fair representation when charged with an offence. “Prosecutors were throwing cases away just to get them done,” she…
Revitalized organization helps entrepreneurs create impact through innovation
The University of Alberta Health Hub and Accelerator has a new name, a new mission and values, and new services to offer innovators and entrepreneurs starting out in the health sector. Located at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton, the accelerator is being rebranded the Health Innovation Hub, effective this month. The vision is for the hub…
Going digital is “kind of a life-or-death situation for small businesses”
A group of students led out of the University of Alberta School of Business is helping small businesses get ahead of the pandemic-induced warp-speed retail overhaul that is pushing customers online in droves. The students are at the heart of the new Digital Economy Program (DEP), a free initiative that sees a team of U of…
Partnerships with First Nations needed to overcome systemic racism, researchers say
First Nations patients were less likely to be prioritized for the most urgent treatment than others with the same ultimate diagnosis at emergency departments in Alberta, according to a study published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “We were surprised to see differences for things like long bone fractures, which seem pretty obvious. You would expect…
I feel like I know you, but the bombing of flight PS752 has robbed us of the chance of real friendship
I truly wish I had never met you, not this way. It has been rough. You can’t know this, but the first mental image I have of you is this: your two hands, clenched in fists – out of fear perhaps? Your hands, Elnaz, your wedding ring. You were not there when your husband, Javad,…
Indigenous resource management key to ending environmental degradation and loss of culture
When Danika Littlechild was growing up in Maskwacis, Alta., her uncle would pick her up after school and walk her home through the bush to her kôhkom’s (grandmother’s) house. He would show her different plants and fungi along the way, teaching her their names and telling stories about when to harvest and how to use them for…
Elaine Hyshka one of three U of A researchers to join the ranks of renewed Canada Research Chairs
Hospitals aren’t better equipped to help those struggling with a substance use disorder because of ongoing stigma in health care, according to a University of Alberta public health researcher who suggests the pandemic has underscored the need for change. “Even though we have a wide range of very effective interventions for reducing the risk of…
Diving at dawn and dusk could save time and money in battle against the voracious predators
Although time is in short supply in the war against the lionfish invasion in the Atlantic and Caribbean, a University of Alberta study suggests taking time to plan the where, when and who of this fight will give wildlife officials the best shot at keeping the voracious trespassers at bay. “Many invasive species removal plans…
Recognizes that Indigenous communities have sovereignty over their language preservation
Reflecting on the distinctions between her Cree language and English, elder Mary Cardinal-Collins considers the phrase ‘old lady’ a term with two very different meanings. In English, the words sound harsh and disrespectful, but she notes the same term in the Cree language, nohtikwew, embraces a much gentler, richer meaning. “If you break the word apart,…
Researchers achieve milestone in efforts to get patients with diabetes off injected insulin for good
Diabetes researchers are reporting early success in a first-in-humans clinical trial to test whether pancreatic cells grown from a patient’s own blood can be safely implanted and begin to produce insulin. The team reported on their proof of concept and safety study in a newly published paper in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. Of 17 patients who…
New guidelines helps identify and treat testosterone deficiency as men age
Fatigue, weight gain and low libido are just three of the symptoms middle-aged and older men face as their testosterone levels decline, but many don’t realize what’s going on. Sometimes referred to as “male menopause” or “manopause” in reference to the symptoms women experience when their estrogen levels drop, the medical term for men is…
Organizational cultures are ripe for change when the familiar starts to seem odd
Imagine having never seen a handshake. You would know nothing of the different levels of importance and intimacy, when it should be done, what’s happening during the shake and even whether you can learn something from the shake itself. Trying to learn about it all at once would be akin to learning a new language.…
Edmonton troupe finds a creative way to keep performing during pandemic
Carlean Fisher has been in love with the stage for as long as she can remember. As a young woman, pulling the curtains from backstage was enough to feel the rush, until years later when she got involved as a player with Edmonton’s Walterdale Theatre. “It’s an important part of who I am, ever since…
Offers an efficient way to pull carbon dioxide out of industrial emissions
Alberta’s world renown in carbon capture and sequestration is set to receive another lift thanks to the promise of a material invented and tested in the province that offers an efficient way to pull carbon dioxide out of industrial emissions. A team from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering characterized a CO2-capturing microporous material…
Professor's experimental approach explores science, technology, society and the environment
For Yelena Gluzman, science and theatre have much in common. And she’s intimately familiar with both. That makes her a great fit as the newest addition to Media and Technology Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta, where she’s teaching a new course on the interrelations of science, technology, society and environment.…
A recent PhD grad and a mentor talk about the mutual benefits of mentorship
When the time comes to settle on a career, there’s plenty out there for University of Alberta graduates skilled in the wide-ranging field of energy: jobs in research, government, industry and startups, to name a few. But how to decide? One tried and true way is to talk to somebody who’s already out there –…
Six northeastern Alberta First Nations partner with the U of A to improve health care for their members
Six northeastern Alberta First Nations have formed a new partnership with the University of Alberta to train more Indigenous physicians and improve health care for their members. The memorandum of relational understanding between the university and Tribal Chiefs Ventures Inc., which represents Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Cold Lake First Nation, Frog Lake First Nation, Heart Lake…
Living further than 500 metres from green space or water is associated with lower quality of life
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who live further than 500 metres from water or a green space report lower quality of life related to their health, according to a new study. High levels of air pollution are also associated with worse health-related quality of life in people with COPD, the researchers said. In the…
Will significantly improve estimates of current and future methane emissions
Researchers have developed new tools that will better track methane emissions from northern permafrost ecosystems, ultimately allowing for more accurate global predictions of future greenhouse gas emissions. The new emission dataset and map of northern wetlands and lakes the new tools will yield will significantly improve estimates of current and future methane emissions, said McKenzie…
Research identifies genetic traits that could lead to breeding more efficient livestock
A new research project could help ranchers customize their cattle to the type of pastures they have, creating economic and environmental benefits along the way. The research, launched this past summer, involves tracking the movements and feeding habits of grazing cattle to identify genetic traits that could lead to breeding more efficient livestock. The project…
At 85 per cent of total output, social media accounted for the largest amount of COVID-19 misinformation
India is the world’s top hot spot for COVID-19 misinformation, accounting for roughly one in six pieces of global output, according to a University of Alberta master’s student who studies world media. Hard on India’s heels are the U.S., Brazil and Spain, said Sayeed Al-Zaman of the U of A’s Department of Media and Technology…
Empathy and kindness are key to feeling connected for couples, says expert
Want a romantic relationship that makes you happy? It helps to think about the “we” rather than the “me,” according to new research. Instead of focusing only on what’s in it for you, it’s wiser to think about what’s good for the relationship, said study lead Adam Galovan, a family scientist in the University of…
Real-time infection rates to be tracked on public website
Alberta can now track the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in nearly 75 per cent of the population thanks to the new Pan-Alberta Network for Wastewater-based SARS-CoV-2 Monitoring announced on Wednesday. When someone is infected with COVID-19 – whether they know it or not – traces of the virus are shed through the bowel and end up…
Willow Dew was recognized with the Order of the White Rose as a role model for women in engineering and science
Some praise her intellectual abilities and perfect grade point average, others her assertive leadership and exceptional social involvement. But when asked to describe herself, Willow Dew shows a great deal of humility. “I am a curious person who loves to learn,” said Dew, who recently graduated from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering. That…
The grief from the loss of a companion animal is real
Grief over the death of a beloved pet needs to be more recognized and respected, according to new research. A study of women 55 and older living alone revealed intense feelings of sorrow after losing a companion animal, but they were careful about who they shared their feelings with, fearing a dismissive response, said Cary Brown,…
Overactive bladder can distract from balance and stability
A team of University of Alberta researchers focused on aging Albertans has found that urinary incontinence could be a contributing factor in falls among older adults. In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers showed for the first time that the feeling of having to pee acts as a distracting factor that increases the…
A study on the health of RCMP officers who were deployed to the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016 has found that their airway function was compromised in the first three months after deployment. An analysis of health data from 218 officers revealed that the small airways in their lungs underwent structural changes after they were…
