Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Kelowna—Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr are surrounded by UBC Okanagan researchers as they cut the ribbon at the official building opening.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility attends ceremony

Research for those living with chronic disease, physical disability and obesity is set to get a boost with the opening of two new community-focused research spaces at UBC Okanagan.

The new facilities, which were made possible with funding in part from the Government of Canada, were officially opened today with the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, on hand to preside over the ceremony.

“By investing in institutions like UBC Okanagan, our government is giving Canadians the necessary spaces to train the new generation and bring together researchers and entrepreneurs who turn bold ideas into reality,” says Qualtrough, who helped make the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport. “We’re giving science, and specifically data, the opportunity to inform policy on issues of significant importance such as disability and accessibility. This investment in science will allow the health and well-being of the local community and beyond to improve for generations to come.”

Located in UBC Okanagan’s Upper Campus Health Building, the research spaces were made possible by nearly $1 million in new funding; $723,567 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, $123,567 from the BC Knowledge Development Fund and $60,000 from the Frank C. Diener Foundation.

“We are proud to support important research facilities like these through the BC Knowledge Development Fund. Researchers at UBC Okanagan are undertaking meaningful and innovative work that will help make a difference in people’s lives,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology. “The research done at the university will help develop new methods in health care and bring important benefits to British Columbians and Canadians alike.”

The research will be led by Professor Kathleen Martin Ginis, Associate Professor Mary Jung, and Assistant Professor Heather Gainforth from the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, and by Lesley Lutes, associate professor of psychology at UBC Okanagan.

Martin Ginis, who is also the founding director of SCI Action Canada, a team dedicated to spinal cord injury research, says her focus will be on promoting the health and well-being of people living with physical disability and those living with or at risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

“Nearly one in ten Canadians report some form of physical disability and nearly seven in ten Canadian adults have been diagnosed with diabetes so these are areas of research that have real implications for a huge portion of the population,” says Martin Ginis. “Our aim is to foster research excellence that is responsive to the healthcare needs of our region. To develop, test and evaluate the latest interventions and deliver the most effective strategies directly to those that can benefit from them the most.”

Lutes says her clinical health psychology research space complements the work of Martin Ginis, bringing together the evidence from behavioural medicine and clinical psychology to develop cognitive and behavioural programs that not only make people psychologically feel better, but improve their physical health.

“60 per cent of visits to primary care are now related to mental health, or as a result of managing a chronic health condition such as diabetes,” says Lutes. “We want to take innovative, evidence-based treatments and embed them within every primary care practice in Canada. That way physicians can focus on what they do best, and we can deliver tailored visits delivered by qualified health-care professionals, resulting in healthier and happier Canadians.”

Both Lutes and Martin Ginis emphasize the community-engaged nature of the new research facilities. They say this approach brings the community itself into the research process to help guide its direction and to ensure the resulting knowledge is immediately available to those that can use it best.

“We’ve designed our space to be open, welcoming and accessible,” says Martin Ginis. “For example, we’ve created a demonstration kitchen that will allow us to run nutrition workshops and that is completely wheelchair accessible. It was important that our space is fully functional for those that will be involved and engaged in making our research a success.”

While the new space has only just been opened the researchers and their teams have already hit the ground running.

“We’ll be inviting our stakeholders and community members up to the new space in the coming weeks and we’re already in the planning stages for several projects, including a new integrated care clinic pairing medicine and clinical psychology to provide cutting edge healthcare,” says Lutes. “I want every Canadian to have the healthcare that will benefit them the most. Whether it is mental health or physical health – it is all healthcare.”

“We’re hoping to make huge strides in our respective fields and we’re grateful for the support of federal, provincial and private funders in making that a reality.”

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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An image of Franz Ferdinand visiting the Okanagan in 1893.

The man whose death ignited the First World War visited in 1893

What: History and Sociology Speaker Series
Who: Maury Williams, professor emeritus of history, UBC Okanagan
When: Wednesday, April 3 starting at 6:45 p.m.
Where: Okanagan Regional Library, 1380 Ellis Street, Kelowna

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, began a round-the-world journey in 1892. After extended visits in India, Australia, and Japan, he arrived in Vancouver in September 1893.

From there he journeyed to the Okanagan where he spent a week hunting near Penticton; he also briefly visited Kelowna. Ferdinand would later become a key figure in history as his assassination in 1914 sparked the beginning of the First World War.

The community is invited to join UBC Okanagan Professor Emeritus Maury Williams at a special history presentation on April 3. Williams will use photographs from Ferdinand’s 1893 visit to share the story of his journey.

This talk is organized by UBC Okanagan’s history and sociology department, in partnership with the Okanagan Regional Library. It will focus on Ferdinand analysis and impressions of life in the Okanagan.

This event is free and open to the public. To register or find out more, visit:  franzferdinandokanagan.eventbrite.ca

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post UBC event explores Franz Ferdinand’s connection to the Okanagan appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Three professors named Researcher of the Year

UBC’s Okanagan campus is home to nearly 300 faculty researchers that are exploring some of the most urgent challenges, newest ideas and most ground-breaking technologies in the world.

The university this week named its 2019 Researchers of the Year. These prestigious annual prizes are awarded to the campus’ top researchers, with this year’s recipients recognized for their contributions to the development of innovative digital tools for marginalized communities, advances in sustainable energy and construction, and support for youth living with developmental disabilities and autism.

Awardees for 2019 are Associate Professor Jonathan Corbett in the category of social sciences and humanities, Professor Kasun Hewage in the category of natural sciences and engineering and Associate Professor Rachelle Hole in the category of health.

“This award recognizes outstanding UBCO faculty members who have carried out highly impactful work during their time at UBC,” says Vice-Principal, Research Philip Barker. “Professors Corbett, Hewage and Hole epitomize excellence in research and creative scholarship and are leaders in their respective fields and disciplines. Each of them works across multiple fields to help make the world a better place.”

Student researcher awards were also presented this year to master’s student Emily Giroux and doctoral student Katrina Plamondon.

About UBC Okanagan’s award-winning researchers

Social Sciences and Humanities Researcher of the Year: Associate Professor Jonathan Corbett

While the science and art of cartography may have ancient roots, Associate Professor Jonathan Corbett is a modern cartographer who is working to map out how digital multimedia technologies can help preserve and strengthen remote or marginalized communities.

He is one of the country’s leaders in bringing geoinfomatics to a web-based, community-facing, knowledge platform. His Geolive software uses an online map as a storytelling tool to help marginalized communities feel empowered and overcome social exclusion.

“His technological sophistication, coupled with his steadfast commitment to interdisciplinary and community-based research is what makes Dr. Corbett’s work so remarkable,” says Mike Evans, associate dean of research, graduate and post-doctoral studies in the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences at UBC Okanagan. “As a critical cartographer, he has made significant contributions to the field and to the communities with which he works.”

Natural Sciences and Engineering Researcher of the Year: Professor Kasun Hewage

Kasun Hewage is a professor of engineering and associate director with UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre. He takes a holistic approach to investigating smart energy and construction sustainability. His expertise includes life cycle thinking based analysis of cost-effective and renewable energy production and green construction processes that are coordinated by cutting edge science and technologies.

Earlier this year, Hewage was named the inaugural FortisBC Smart Energy Chair, with the goal of investigating how energy use in BC can be optimized to reduce the province’s greenhouse gas footprint.

“Dr. Hewage’s research and scholarly contributions are extensive,” says Rehan Sadiq, associate dean of the School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan. “His work brings together academic and industry stakeholders to access the most pertinent facts required for sustainable building decisions, a crucial area of study as the world continues to strive towards sustainability.”

Health Researcher of the Year: Associate Professor Rachelle Hole

With a career spanning over 20 years working with individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, associate professor Rachelle Hole has focused her research on the socio-cultural practices that promote inclusion and equity. She has a particular interest in participatory research methods and strives to work directly with communities to empower participants.

Her most recent work, the Transiting Youth with Disabilities and Employment (TYDE) project, was awarded $1.3M in federal funding, involves working directly with community groups to help prepare youth living with intellectual disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder find meaningful employment later in life.

“Dr. Hole has a unique ability to pull groups together and to catalyze relationships between researchers, community members, and other stakeholders to build a shared vision,” says Evans. “She consistently generates policy-relevant insights and knowledge that shapes programs and practices – and indeed people’s lives – in very immediate ways.”

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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During photosynthesis, plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere. At the same time, the decomposition of dead plant tissue by soil organisms, including bacteria, fungi, earthworms, ants and others, produce CO2 and release it back into the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is released during irrigation with lake water

In a new study from UBC’s Okanagan campus, researchers have discovered a surprising new source of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emmissions—bicarbonates hidden in the lake water used to irrigate local orchards.

“We have been studying the carbon content of soil for some time,” says Melanie Jones, professor of biology and study lead author. “This large natural carbon store is hugely important in combatting rising atmospheric CO₂ levels and it’s essential to understand all the carbon transactions that take place in soil.”

During photosynthesis, plants remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and convert it into plant tissue such as roots, leaves, fruit or bark. At the same time, Jones explains, the decomposition of dead plant tissue by soil organisms, including bacteria, fungi, earthworms, ants and others, produce CO₂ and release it back into the atmosphere.

Critically, some of the CO₂ that was removed from the atmosphere by plants can also be converted into soil organic matter by soil organisms, where it can remain in the soil for hundreds of years,” says Kirsten Hannam, an agroecologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and a co-author on the study. “So major research efforts are underway to figure out how to increase soil organic matter content.”

Hannam says greater organic matter in soil has the benefit of sequestering greater atmospheric CO₂ and helping to combat climate change while also improving the ability of the soil to grow crops – an outcome she describes as a clear win-win.

As part of this research effort, Jones, Hannam and fellow UBC Okanagan soil scientist Andrew Midwood have been analyzing the chemical forms of CO₂ that leave the soil surface during irrigation.

Working in a drip-irrigated apple orchard, the study involved continuous measurement of air coming from dynamic soil respiration chambers placed in the orchard. This allowed for high-frequency monitoring of the soil surface and air. The tests were repeated with different water supplies, using irrigation water or de-ionized water, and the results were remarkably different.

“It turns out that some of the CO₂ released after irrigation comes from the natural salts—bicarbonates—dissolved in water from Okanagan Lake as it is applied to the soil,” says Midwood. “It’s a process we had not considered until we noticed some unusual results when we traced the source of the CO₂.”

Midwood is quick to point out that understanding the processes that drive the release of CO₂ from the soil is essential in combatting rising atmospheric greenhouse gases.

“This is a natural process,” says Hannam. “Our results have to be considered in a broader context. Irrigation is essential to fruit production in the Okanagan Valley. Along with causing the release of CO₂, from bicarbonates in the water, irrigation is also promoting the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere by encouraging plant growth. It’s a balance and to understand the balance, you need to know all the component parts.”

Their research has practical applications for any agriculture-based community in any arid region, especially if the main source of irrigation is from an alkaline lake. As irrigation needs to expand across arid and semi-arid regions, CO₂ emissions originating from irrigation water may climb.

Their work was funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s, Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program and was recently published in Geoderma.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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For many, the traditional first date conversation takes place online before meeting in person.

Psychology professor examines romantic relationships in the age of online dating

The way many people discover romance is undergoing a radical shift. Where once we may have met our romantic partners in the checkout line at the grocery store, the norm has shifted to connecting online first. How did this happen and what does it mean for the future of romance?

Jocelyn Wentland, adjunct professor of psychology.

Jocelyn Wentland is an adjunct professor of psychology at UBC’s Okanagan campus whose research explores interpersonal relationships, adolescence and human sexual behaviour.

Online dating once had a stigma and now it’s the norm. How did that happen?

There is not one simple explanation that captures the popularity or success of online dating. This is because of the rise of social media and technology coincide with the rise of online dating popularity. With so many people using various online dating sites and apps, there are bound to be many success stories – just as there are many online dating fails. Just ask anyone who has used an online dating app to share their horror stories.

Most likely, some of the early adopters of online dating were viewed as weird or desperate simply because they were doing something that was not considered the norm. However, those early adopters are not really any different compared to the people who used to post advertisements in the newspaper or use early telephone dating services.

What I think is really cool is to imagine what people will be doing in 20 to 25 years from now. Will they look back at the likes of Tinder or Bumble and think that those sites are downright antiquated?

Online dating apps often use filters to allow users to sort through potential partners. Does that mean online dating is more successful than the traditional “meet n’ greet”?

For many, the traditional first date conversation (Where did you grow up? What’s your family situation?) takes place online before meeting in person. In this way, that ‘first date’ has already occurred online and any filtering can take place inconspicuously without someone ever having to communicate to another person that they don’t see things going anywhere.

Because similarity is such an important factor for the success of relationships, online apps or sites provide important filtering that may result in greater success for those who do meet online – because they have already filtered one another in.

That said, many online dates do begin with what is known as the traditional in-person “meet n’ greet.” For many online daters—especially the savvy ones—they know better than to plan a traditional date, like a dinner. Instead, they may plan a simple coffee or drink after work. This is very much on purpose so the ‘date’ can be aborted on short notice while not giving any major cues that communicate they may not be interested.

How accurate is some of the matching software?

The accuracy of matching software is tricky to comment on because some of the biggest players who state they will ‘find your best match’ have been unwilling to cooperate with researchers who want to test their algorithms. This has been a long-standing issue amongst relationship researchers who have requested to see if they can verify the algorithms with their own participant samples.

My hunch is that these fancy algorithms are based on some simple “matching” – which aligns perfectly with long-standing social psychology research from the 1970s. That research asserts that similarity in values or background is one of the most important predictors of individuals striking up a successful relationship.

Are there serial online daters who will never commit? Always looking for someone better?

I think that the serial online daters are most likely in-person serial daters, too. In an online context, the illusion of more choice and ‘greener grass’ gives these serial online daters an excuse to keep looking.  We do know that people do not always do well when given more choices. More choices can cause anxiety and discomfort if someone feels they should have made an alternate choice and makes them feel unhappy with their current choice. The nature of online dating unfortunately caters to these serial daters who can delay meeting up with anyone in particular or simply ghost someone if they feel like if things are progressing too far and they want to step back.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post Expert Q&A: First comes Tinder, then comes marriage appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

UBC study examines use of emojis in romantic contexts – and how some emojis have double meanings

For some, an eggplant emoji evokes visions of a fabulous dinner, while for others, it could suggest an intimate interlude after dessert.

UBC Okanagan researchers are hoping to better understand interpretations of these small, emotion-portraying images through a new study. They found that emojis were included in half of all texts and 80 per cent of social media posts. In addition, they demonstrated an emerging trend of emojis being used for sexually suggestive messages.

“The use of emojis enhances the expression of emotion and personality in messages,” says Jocelyn Wentland, lead author of the project and adjunct psychology professor at UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. “Ours is one of the first studies to explore the relationship between emoji use, personality traits and sexual behaviour.”

Wentland and her team, including former psychology undergraduate students Samantha Thomson and Emily Kluftinger, examined emoji use in a sample of over 650 participants. They found that the most commonly used emojis included the heart, happy face and winking face. Participants identified the top sexually suggestive emojis (“sexy emoji”) as the smirk face, winking face, kissing faces, sweat droplets and eggplant.

Seventy-five per cent of the individuals surveyed indicated they had sent a sexually suggestive image, many of which included a sexy emoji.

“What’s really cool is that we now have evidence that people really are using emojis to add emotional and sexual cues to their text messages,” says Wentland. “That may be in subtle ways, such as using a winking face, but it can also be in much more sexually suggestive ways, such as the eggplant or the tongue emoji.”

Wentland adds that the honours thesis research of Kluftinger illustrated a correlation between those with higher extraversion—or outgoing—behaviour and an increased likelihood of using sexy emojis.

Wentland also suggests that emojis can lead to sexting. “Fifty-one per cent of participants who reported sexting, reported that sexy emoji use often led to sexting instances,” says Wentland. “Our team suspects that people may add sexy emoji to their text conversations to subtly see how the other person responds. If the person responds favourably, it could be game on.”

Wentland points out that this is the first study of its kind to look at how modern communication tools like emojis can provide an emotional component to what might otherwise be a cold, text-based computer-mediated message. She says her study contributes additional clues into the type of person who is more likely to use emojis—particularly sexual ones—and may help to inform what impact this new form of communication may have on developing relationships.

“However, we still need further research to determine the perceptions of and impacts on the sender and receiver when exchanging emojis, especially in a sexting context. This is an extremely interesting line of research as emojis become more popular,” says Wentland.

The study was published recently in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.

UBC Okanagan researchers are hoping to better understand interpretations of emojis through a new study.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post Will U B my <3? appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

When it comes to freshwater availability, more than 50 per cent of the world’s total water supply is found in only three countries—China, Canada and Kyrgyzstan.

Canada and Russia have the most to lose or gain, say researchers

According to a new article published in Conservation Biology, the potential for large countries to contribute to environmental protection is being overlooked.

The researchers, spanning 13 universities and three countries, were led by UBC Okanagan’s Laura Coristine and Adam T. Ford. They recently examined the leverage an individual country has when it comes to protecting ecosystem values. And they say it isn’t—nor should it be—a level playing field.

“Loss of habitat is currently the single biggest threat to biodiversity and is being driven by an ever-expanding human footprint,” says Coristine. “We asked which countries had the most to contribute to protecting nature and important environmental values.”

Ford, a Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology, says the researchers calculated the land mass of the world’s countries and then compared this to the availability of ecosystem values. The eight largest countries—Russia, Canada, America, China, Brazil, Australia, India and Argentina—account for 50 per cent of the Earth’s land area. However, those same countries represent barely three per cent of the world’s nations.

“Larger countries accumulate greater amounts of ecosystem values,” says Ford, and so, the power to make decisions that affect the world’s environment — for better or worse — is concentrated in the hands of only a few nations.

For this latest research, the team evaluated six globally significant ecosystem values for all of the world’s countries: intact lands, freshwater availability, productive marine environments, breeding habitat for migratory wildlife, soil carbon storage and the potential for range shift in the face of climate change. By closely examining these specific values, Coristine says the team revealed several overlooked opportunities for high-impact contributions to global conservation.

For example, when it comes to freshwater availability, Coristine explains that more than 50 per cent of the world’s total water supply (surface and glacier stored) is found in only three countries—China, Canada and Kyrgyzstan. How these countries manage and protect these water supplies matters to the world as a whole.

“The water policies of these three nations control half of the world’s ‘tap’ of water and will have consequences not only for the global persistence of a wide variety of ecosystems,” Coristine says, “but also for global water security.”

The same argument can be used when it comes to the continental shelves. Generally, the management of continental shelves belongs to the adjacent nation. That country’s domestic policies can have a tremendous impact on the sustainability of marine resources, with trickle-down effects to nations with much smaller contributions to the continental shelf area.

The countries that are the largest contributors to the global supply of continental shelf area are Russia, Canada, Australia and the USA. Russia and Canada top the list when it comes to intact wilderness and half of the world’s least impacted lands occur in those two countries.

The authors conclude that the domestic policies of a few nations, including Canada and Russia, can disproportionately influence the global supply of ecosystem values. At the same time, the national policies of these nations can have environmental repercussions for the rest of the world.

“Conservation superpowers—like Canada and Russia—have much greater leverage than we would predict based on their land mass,” says Coristine. “They have tremendous potential to impact global conservation outcomes through accumulation of ecosystem values and through policies that support conservation.”

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post Think big—at least when it comes to global conservation appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Lonesome George was the famed last representative of a giant tortoise species once found on the Galapagos island of Pinta. Image credit: Mark Putney

Even after death, Lonesome George’s genome provides clues to longer life

Ever since Darwin’s first steps on the Galapagos Islands, understanding the adaptations that offer the giant tortoise its extended lifespan has been a tantalizing scientific pursuit.

And now, new research by an international team including researchers from UBC’s Okanagan campus has used the DNA from one famous giant tortoise to uncover the genes that are associated with their longevity. The discovery provides clues to better understand aging in humans and may help preserve the species, says Michael Russello, study co-author and biology professor at UBC Okanagan.

“Giant tortoises are among the longest living vertebrate animals and have become an interesting model for studying longevity and age related-disease,” says Russello. “Even though they’re one of few animals that can live longer than 100 years, there has been surprisingly little research into the giant tortoise genome.”

To help identify the genes that give the giant tortoise its extended lifespan, the researchers compared the complete DNA sequence from two long-lived giant tortoises. They used samples from Lonesome George–the famed last representative of a species once found on the Galapagos island of Pinta–and from another giant tortoise species found on the Aldabra Atoll, a coral island in the Indian Ocean.

By comparing the giant tortoise genomes with those from other species, including humans, they found interesting variation within genes linked to DNA repair, immune response, and cancer suppression not possessed by shorter-lived vertebrates. None of those genomic variants had been previously associated with aging, offering new avenues for further study.

While individual tortoises have remarkable longevity, Russello says the Galapagos giant tortoises do not, with all living species considered threatened or endangered. He says the results of their study could provide clues into the biological processes and adaptations that gave rise to giant tortoises in the first place, while helping to better protect these animals on the verge of disappearing altogether.

“Lonesome George was a very interesting character in his own right, embodying the plight of endangered species until his death in 2012,” says Russello. “While he inspired many while he was alive, his legacy now lives on through a story written in his DNA.”

The study was published last week in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

The post Giant tortoise provides insights into longevity and age-related disease appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

UBC, BCIT partner with private cannabis company to brew beverage ideas

A unique partnership between UBC Okanagan, the British Columbia Institute of Technology and a private company, Pacific Rim Brands, has opened the door for the research and development of cannabis-infused beverages.

Professor Susan Murch, who teaches chemistry at UBC Okanagan, and Paula Brown, director of BCIT’s Natural Health and Food Products Research Group and Canada Research Chair in Phytoanalytics have partnered with Pacific Rim Brands, a Kelowna-based integrated cannabis company to develop beverage formulas containing cannabis extracts.

“We are at the early stages of this research and are very excited about the potential for both interesting science and new products for consumers,” says Murch.

Susan Murch, professor of chemistry.

Murch’s research investigates the chemistry of plants and how plant chemistry affects human health. She’s interested in cannabis ingredients and how they can be used in beverages.

“We are seeing industry recalls in cannabis products because we really don’t know how to use the ingredients on a large scale,” she says. “Making stable products that can sit on store shelves for months or years requires innovation.”

BCIT’s Paula Brown also investigates plant chemistry and works with the natural products industry to develop new products, establish standards of quality and ensure regulatory compliance.

“Like any new sector, the science and formulation will be the most important element to ensure consistency, scalability and trust,” says Brown. “There is a lot of work to be done to develop stable, high-quality, consistent cannabis formulations that consumers can use with confidence.”

The partnership with Pacific Rim allows Murch and Brown to develop high-quality cannabis beverages for health, wellness and leisure, explains Kevin Letun, founder and chief strategy officer of Pacific Rim Brands.

“This is a very exciting time for research institutions and cannabis companies in the private sector,” says Letun. “The impeccable credentials of these professors and their on-going research will give industry partners and the consumer the quality assurance they require.”

The collaboration between BCIT, UBC Okanagan and Pacific Rim Brands provides the opportunity to conduct more research about the chemicals in cannabis and at the same time conduct research on products that can be brought to markets across Canada and globally,” says Kim Dotto, Dean of Applied Research at BCIT.

“This partnership reconfirms the ongoing commitment required to drive research nationally and internationally,” adds Dotto. “BCIT is committed to these collaborations and applauds the highly-skilled researchers involved with this exciting project.”

Phil Barker, vice-principal research at UBC’s Okanagan campus, says the university has a long history of innovation and commercializing new products. UBC was recently named one of the world’s most innovative universities on Reuters Top 100 list—one of only two Canadian universities to receive this distinction.

“Our campus has a growing reputation for embracing creativity and risk-taking, and this research partnership is no exception,” says Barker. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of responsible research that prioritizes the safe use of cannabis in our communities.”

For more information about UBC Okanagan cannabis research, visit: ok.ubc.ca/okanagan-stories/o-cannabis

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

About the British Columbia Institute of Technology

• With five campuses and more than 50,000 students, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes.
• BCIT offers more than 300 programs—from certificates and diplomas, to bachelor’s and master’s degrees—in areas such as applied and natural sciences, business and media, computing, engineering, health sciences, and trades and apprenticeship.
• BCIT degree graduates have a 96 per cent employment rate.
• BCIT applied research creates innovative solutions to industry challenges and is critical to the growth and success of BC business. It is integral to the Institute’s unique education model – enhancing the student experience through hands-on learning opportunities that solve real-world problems.
• For more information: www.bcit.ca

About Pacific Rim Brands

• An integrated cannabis company developing proprietary beverage formulations for consumer trusted products and brands
• Scientific expertise through partnerships with UBC Okanagan and BCIT ensuring the highest standards of quality to ensure regulatory compliance
• Focused on the health, wellness and leisure markets across Canada and around the Globe
• For more information: pacificrimbrands.com

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Everything that grows in the Okanagan will be impacted by climate change, population growth, consumption, production and changes in land use. Learn more at the Okanagan Research Forum on December 3.

What: Okanagan Research Forum
Who: UBC Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services and UBC Okanagan Institute for Community Engaged Research
When: Monday, December 3 from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.; keynote lecture at noon
Where: Summerhill Pyramid Winery ballroom, 4870 Chute Lake Road, Kelowna

The Okanagan Research Forum invites the community to listen to experts and take part in an open discussion about the future of food production in the Okanagan.

The forum is hosted by UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) and the Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER). It’s a collaboration with partner organizations in an effort to share information and encourage conversation between the community, government and academia.

Presenters from local organizations include Westbank First Nation, the Certified Organic Association, the City of Kelowna, the Central Okanagan Food Policy Council, the B.C. Wildlife Federation, the En’owkin Centre and the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems.

This year’s theme is to explore changes in local food systems and will consider issues such as climate change, access to land, consumption, sustainable food production and future land use.

Four expert panels will discuss agricultural land use, policy, production and consumption. Each panel will be moderated by a UBC Okanagan professor or alumnus, and include farmers, representatives from relevant organizations and other experts. The goal is to explore how ‘eating the Okanagan’ applies to social, cultural and ecological systems. The day will conclude with a research poster session accompanied by a wine and cheese event.

The afternoon keynote lecture on indigenous plant foods will be presented by Nancy Turner, emeritus professor and ethnobotanist from the University of Victoria. All four panel discussions and the keynote lecture are open to the public. There is a nominal registration fee for the day to cover the cost of food and beverages.

This year’s forum is sponsored by UBC Okanagan’s BRAES, ICER, the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, the College of Graduate Studies and the BC Institute of Agrologists.

To register, or get more information, visit okresearchforum.geolive.ca or contact Carolina Restrepo at carolina.restrepo@ubc.ca.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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