Latest University of British Columbia Stories

Imagine a woman riding a motor scooter down the street while flanked by a large bird flying almost cheek to beak with her. Could this be a harrowing scene from that famous Hitchcock horror movie, "The Birds?"Winged victoryNo: it's a carefully planned scene from an ongoing research project on a species of bird, the bar-headed goose, that is led by Jessica Meir of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. Meir is studying bar-headed geese for their special...

University of British Columbia researchers have uncovered the unique survival mechanisms of a marine organism that may be tiny, but in some ways has surpassed sharks in its predatory efficiency.Published today in the journal Nature Communications, the research team's portrait of the microscopic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina reveals a predator so efficient that it has even acquired a gene from its prey.NB: A microscopic photo of Oxyrrhis marina is available at...

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, reporting in a new study, found that the amount of fish caught in the Arctic has been severely under-reported for more than 50 years, making the northern ocean environment appear far more pristine than it really is. The study estimates that fishery catches in the Arctic totaled 1 million tons between 1950 and 2006, almost 75 times more than the actual amount reported to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to...

University of British Columbia researchers estimate that fisheries catches in the Arctic totaled 950,000 tons from 1950 to 2006, almost 75 times the amount reported to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during this period.Led by Prof. Daniel Pauly, the research team from UBC's Fisheries Centre and Dept. of Earth and Ocean Sciences reconstructed fisheries catch data from various sources "“ including limited governmental reports and anthropological records of...

Food scientists at the University of British Columbia have been able to pinpoint more of the complex chemistry behind coffee's much touted antioxidant benefits, tracing valuable compounds to the roasting process.Lead author Yazheng Liu and co-author Prof. David Kitts found that the prevailing antioxidants present in dark roasted coffee brew extracts result from the green beans being browned under high temperatures.Their findings will appear in a forthcoming issue of Food Research...

Each year, approximately 150,000 Canadians have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes known as a mini-stroke.  New research published today in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association shows these attacks may not be transient at all. They in fact create lasting damage to the brain. The stroke research team, led by Dr. Lara Boyd, physical therapist and neuroscientist with the Brain Research Centre at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, studied...

The genome of the fungus that helps mountain pine beetles infect and kill lodgepole pines has been decoded in a University of British Columbia study.Also known as blue stain fungus for the stain it leaves in the wood of infected trees, Grosmannia clavigera is carried to the host trees by pine beetles and weakens the trees' natural defense system, allowing pine beetles to feed and reproduce in the tree bark. A successful beetle-fungus attack ultimately causes tree death.Now, researchers from...

A University of British Columbia study shows that there are enough pharmacies situated throughout Ontario communities to absorb many closures without negatively affecting geographical accessibility for residents. The research suggests concerns that reducing generic pricing could result in pharmacy shortages are unfounded.Last summer, the Ontario government cut the price of generic drugs by half "“ to approximately 25 per cent of the equivalent brand "“ leading to heated discussions on the...

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute have discovered that the genetic mechanism which destroys brain cells is responsible for early development of Alzheimer's Disease in people with Down Syndrome and for development of Alzheimer's Disease in general population "“ providing a potential new target for drugs that could forestall dementia in people with either condition.The research, led by Dr. Weihong Song, Canada Research Chair in...

A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the healthcare system. The research, conducted at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, is published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.The study is the first to examine whether both cognitive and economic benefits are sustained after formal cessation of a tailored...