Aidan O’Callahan is UBCO’s winner of the 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation. Photo courtesy of Kayley Jackson at Rural Roots Photography.08

Honours psychology graduate wins Lieutenant Governor’s medal

Although Aidan O’Callahan describes himself as a planner — a critical thinker who likes to get his ducks in a row before committing to anything — it’s almost a fluke he ended up at UBC Okanagan.

With American and Canadian parents, O’Callahan was finishing high school in a small town in Connecticut when he began investigating which university to attend. His mother had one request — just apply to a single school in Canada, for fun. He started an online search looking for something unique where he could feel at home, but also where he could explore his full potential.

“It really is a coincidence I ended up at UBC Okanagan,” O’Callahan says. “I was applying to American schools in cities like Boston and New York. When I looked up schools in Canada I found UBCO. I came to visit the Okanagan campus with my dad and I thought ‘wow, this is pretty unique. This is the place for me.’”

Part of UBCO’s appeal, he says, is the close-knit campus and how easy it is to make connections with students and professors from every faculty.

While a student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, O’Callahan found it easy to learn across faculties as he was curious about many things. It was his curiosity and confidence that led the psychology student to reach out to Dr. Charlotte Jones, an associate professor with the Faculty of Medicine.

“I have always been interested in thinking critically, especially as it relates to policies in health care, politics, and social services,” he says. “Because I like to understand an issue from multiple perspectives, I became passionate about Indigenous-led projects in health care and multidisciplinary work within the health care system. I started learning more about Dr. Jones’ interesting research and reached out to her.”

O’Callahan’s curiosity led to the Faculty of Medicine Summer Student Research Program and then a separate position with a UBC Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Project in Health Scholarship. He completed this research with the help of Dr. Jones and School of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Donna Kurtz. This in turn led him to Prince George and Kamloops where he worked with several communities to co-develop an Indigenous-led culturally safe telehealth service for people living with diabetes and obesity.

Laying that foundation led to three years of research, including opportunities at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and Yale University. While conducting this research, he also managed to earn top grades in his studies.

Last week, O’Callahan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Psychology and a Minor in Indigenous Studies. Along with his degree, he was also presented the 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal.

The Lieutenant Governor’s medal program recognizes students who excel in their studies while making outstanding contributions in inclusion, democracy and/or reconciliation on campus or in their communities.

It was his academic standing, combined with his kindness, empathy, and leadership skills, that prompted Dr. Jones to nominate him for the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal.

“I have been impressed by Aidan's academic achievements — completing an honours degree and getting an almost perfect GPA — while conducting research,” says Dr. Jones. “His knowledge of Indigenous peoples and their health and wellness, his work ethic, his determination, and his ability to flourish in cross-cultural relations has demonstrated his gentle but effective leadership style.”

When asked about his academic accomplishments, O’Callahan quickly changes the subject.

“I don’t really like to talk about my grades. I recognize they are important and you don’t get great grades just from talent. It has been a lot of hard work,” he admits. “However, I also recognize I’ve come from a privileged position. There is no way I would have accomplished my grades or my volunteer experience if I was hungry most days. Too many university and college students go hungry and it has been shown that this decreases concentration, motivation and overall well-being. Sure, I’ve faced barriers, but there has always been food on the table and people in the background supporting me.”

Even though he has graduated, student food insecurity still concerns O’Callahan. He is hopeful UBCO student advocates can work with local government and the university to ensure fewer students are food insecure every year.

With five years of university behind him, O’Callahan currently works with BrainTrust Canada helping clients with brain injuries who have previously been incarcerated. He’s taking an academic break before making his next move. For a planner, he sees the irony in not knowing what is next. He is keeping his doors open, knowing he has knocked on the right ones, and plans to eventually apply to UBC’s Faculty of Medicine.

“I love living in the Okanagan and it is such an honour to work and volunteer with the Syilx people,” he says. “I know that the next decision I make will determine my life direction and I am very excited for what the future holds.”

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

UBCO master's student Sandra Fox is being recognized with the Governor General’s Gold Medal for her research on Indigenous identity which led to several recommendations for Canadian universities to better serve Indigenous students.

UBCO researcher wins Governor General’s Gold Medal

It’s an honour bestowed upon the university’s most accomplished graduate students — and this year, Master of Arts student Sandra Fox is being recognized with the Governor General’s Gold Medal for her exceptional research on Indigenous identity.

The medal, awarded annually, goes to the student with the most outstanding academic record in a thesis-based graduate program.

Fox’s supervisor, Anthropology Professor Dr. Mike Evans, says the award couldn’t go to a more deserving person.

“Sandra is a remarkably self-confident student,” says Dr. Evans. “She’s deeply thoughtful and reflective about the processes of research and writing, and as her supervisor I mostly just had to stay out of her way. Her research is an example of the fine work emerging from contemporary Indigenous studies scholarship.”

Fox’s journey has been filled with plenty of twists and turns — and, though she didn’t know it at the time, her experiences as a child helped to build the foundation for her future work.

The daughter of a Musqueam mother, and a father with British ancestry, Fox recalls struggling with her own identity from a young age.

“I was confused about who I was and where I came from. I always found school very stressful, not because of the work, but socially I never really fit in and I didn’t know why,” she says. “Now, I realize it was because I was raised with my mom’s Musqueam ways of knowing and being, so having to attend a school with such different cultural values was challenging.”

After high school, Fox enrolled in sciences at Okanagan University College (now UBC Okanagan) but felt like there was always something pulling her in another direction.

Ultimately, she found her passion in anthropology. After earning her Bachelor of Arts she began working for local aboriginal organizations, including UBCO’s Aboriginal Programs and Services (APS) where she had the ‘ah-ha’ moment that led her back to school.

“I worked with students who had so many of the same questions I had, and such similar stories, even though they came from different nations, territories and locations,” explains Fox. “There were these threads that tied our stories together, and I realized I needed space to explore them in my own way.”

Fox decided to leave her job and began her master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies. Studying in the community engagement, social change and equity theme, she started down a path investigating how various factors shape and have shaped the identities of Indigenous peoples.

She began by exploring how colonization affected Indigenous identities.

“Originally, it was just us here so there was no need to identify as First Nations. It wasn’t until the settlers came that we began being labelled, so my research looked at how that, the Indian Act, and other social factors have impacted how we view ourselves.”

Fox also looked at colonization in the education system.

“For good or ill, the system was built on colonial foundations. Just because we’re not going to residential schools anymore doesn’t mean we aren’t attending colonial institutions — we’re told we must speak English or French, we have to leave our hearts and spirits at the door. That’s not to say progress isn’t being made, there seems to be a genuine appetite for change, but change takes time.”

Fox’s research led to the creation of a series of recommendations for universities, with the aim to better serve Indigenous peoples. Those recommendations include the creation of an Indigenous cultural safety orientation for all university students, and increasing the number of designated Indigenous spaces on Canadian university campuses.

She describes her research as a labour of love.

Because it was emotional work, she is grateful to those around her for their ongoing support.

“Dr. Evans has been so amazing — he gave me creative freedom and was always in my corner when I pushed boundaries with my thesis. Everyone in APS was also very supportive; and my family helped me immensely. I’m grateful to have had so many people cheering me on.”

Fox says it was ultimately the Indigenous students she partnered with that kept her going until the end.

“They were such a motivator for me. They gave me their time and vulnerability, so I felt a responsibility to do the research well and ensure their voices were heard.”

Fox crosses the virtual stage this week with her master's degree and UBC Okanagan’s top award.

She is once again a proud UBCO employee, now working as the Indigenous Community Liaison in the Office of Research Services.

Overwhelmed by the prestigious honour, Fox says the recognition means a lot, especially to her family.

“Education was used as a tool to take away so much from our people,” she says. ”Being able to come back and use it as a way to try and heal from that — it’s incredibly empowering.”

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Canadian poet and spoken word artist Shane Koyczan will address the UBCO graduating class of 2021.

Virtual ceremony recognizes more than 1,800 graduating students

UBC Okanagan is marking its second virtual convocation next week.

More than 1,850 graduates — including 1,600 undergraduates as well as more than 100 masters’ and doctoral students — will tune in to celebrate the success of their educational journey.

“This has been a remarkable year for our students and our faculty,” says Lesley Cormack, deputy vice-chancellor and principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus. “While the ceremony will be virtual, the remarkable achievements of our students are very real and worthy of recognition. I invite everyone to join me in celebrating the Class of 2021.”

There are also some new faces in the procession of dignitaries that will congratulate the graduates this year. UBC’s 19th Chancellor, the Honourable Steven Point (xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl), will preside over the ceremony, his first since taking on the role of chancellor last year. And this will be Cormack’s first convocation since joining the university in July 2020.

“Coming to UBC Okanagan during a time when our students are learning remotely has indeed been interesting,” Cormack adds. “Through it all, our students have shown remarkable fortitude while learning and conducting research online. I commend them all for their accomplishments.”

Once the ceremony has begun, UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Santa J. Ono will address the Class of 2021 live, dressed in full academic regalia and graduates will have an opportunity to take a virtual selfie with President Ono. Along with a congratulatory message from Cormack, graduates will also hear inspiring words from student speakers Ali Poostizadeh, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and Blessing Adeagbo, who has earned a Bachelor of Human Kinetics.

Another highlight of the 50-minute ceremony will be a keynote address from Shane Koyczan. The Canadian poet and spoken word artist will honour the perseverance and resilience of the 2021 graduating class. His message, written from the heart, will inspire all viewers, Cormack adds.

UBC Okanagan’s graduating class will celebrate their accomplishments virtually on June 2, starting at 2:30 p.m. Students and their family members can watch the ceremony on YouTube, Facebook or Panopto, a platform that is accessible from many countries.

To find out more about the virtual convocation ceremony, visit: virtualgraduation.ok.ubc.ca

This year’s medal recipients

Governor General's Gold Medal: Sandra Fox

Lieutenant Governor's Medal Program for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation: Aidan O'Callahan

UBC Medal in Fine Arts: Jade Zitko

UBC Medal in Arts: Michelle Tucsok

UBC Medal in Science: Jakob Thoms

UBC Medal in Education: Patricia Perkins

UBC Medal in Nursing: Alex Halonen

UBC Medal in Management: Breanne Ruskowsky

UBC Medal in Human Kinetics: Marika Harris

UBC Medal in Engineering: Rohan Ikebuchi

UBC Medal in Media Studies Sydney Bezenar

Analyzing parental and then subsequent teen use of cannabis can provide important information in terms of intervention. Photo by Esteban Lopez on Unsplash.

UBCO research shows understanding teen use helps develop effective prevention programs

Turns out the old adage, “monkey see, monkey do,” does ring true — even when it comes to cannabis use. However, when cannabis use involves youth, it’s see, think, then do, says a team of UBC Okanagan researchers.

The team found that kids who grow up in homes where parents consume cannabis will more than likely use it themselves. Parental influence on the use of cannabis is important to study as it can help with the development of effective prevention programs, explains Maya Pilin, a doctoral psychology student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“Adolescence is a critical period in which drug and alcohol experimentation takes place and when cannabis use is often initiated,” says Pilin. “Parents are perhaps the most influential socializing agent for children and early adolescents.”

Pilin says it has long been assumed that parental use of cannabis contributes to higher levels of adolescent use. However, while there has been research about parental use of alcohol and whether their children drink, there is less known about pathways to cannabis use.

“What we found mirrors closely what has been found in past research with alcohol use — that parental use influences adolescents’ use as well,” she says.

For their research, the team used data from a survey of almost 700 students in Grades 7 to 9, which is when previous studies demonstrate that cannabis use increases dramatically. Each year, the students were asked over a three-year period, if one or both of their parents used cannabis, if so, how frequently and whether they also use it. As the students aged, their cannabis use began and increased.

This data was collected before cannabis was decriminalized in Canada in 2017.

“We wanted to try and explain, how parental use, while their kids were in Grade 7, would be associated with their kids’ use by ninth grade,” says Dr. Sarah Dow-Fleisner, a researcher with the School of Social Work. “We hypothesized that early parental use would impact how teens think about cannabis use, in particular whether parental use early in adolescence would be associated with more positive expectations and perceptions of cannabis use by Grade 8, and whether that would lead to an increased chance of using cannabis by Grade 9. What we thought is exactly what we found.”

UBCO Psychology Professor Dr. Marvin Krank funded the research and collected the data for the study in collaboration with Okanagan valley school districts.

“This work is an important extension of previous studies about how parents influence their children’s cannabis use in subtle ways,” he says. “Children of parents who use cannabis have more associations and positive thoughts that quickly come to mind in response to cues associated with cannabis use. Such quick and automatic thinking influences their choices often without their awareness.”

Analyzing parental and then subsequent teen use of cannabis can provide important information in terms of intervention. Effective interventions need to consider the way youth think about cannabis use and how that has been shaped by parents, says Pilin.

Understanding the reasons for early cannabis use is essential to developing effective prevention programs in these formative years, explains Dr. Dow-Fleisner, as early use of cannabis is associated with harmful effects on mental and social developmental outcomes. It also increases the chance of experimentation with other drugs and greatly increases the risk of being diagnosed with a substance-use disorder in adulthood.

“What is important is that we do see across the literature that parent use and experiences with cannabis in early adolescence are linked with cannabis use later in adolescence, and part of this relationship has to do with the way teens think about cannabis,” she adds. “It helps us think about ways to intervene and prevent cannabis use — our interventions must address how youth think about substance use based on their familial and personal experiences.”

The research, funded by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was published recently in Addictive Behaviors.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Virtual ceremony celebrates social and technological innovation

It is award season, and not just in the entertainment industry.

Last Thursday at a special virtual ceremony, UBC Okanagan researchers were honoured for their innovative and groundbreaking work.

At the ceremony, Dr. Phil Barker, UBCO’s vice-principal and associate vice-president of research and innovation, announced the campus’s four researchers of the year. The awards recognize those who have made a significant contribution to research in the areas of natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities, and health. A graduate student is also honoured annually at this event.

The research highlighted — from wireless technology to psychedelic-drug assisted therapy to diabetes research and tackling social inequalities — demonstrates the breadth of impact UBCO researchers are having locally, nationally and internationally, says Dr. Barker.

“This is one of my favourite times of the year, when I have the pleasure of acknowledging some of our star researchers and highlighting their contributions,” he says. “UBC’s Okanagan campus is one of the most rapidly expanding campuses in Canada and we continue to attract top-notch scholars and researchers.”

Natural Sciences and Engineering Researcher of the year: Dr. Julian Cheng

This year, Dr. Julian Cheng was named the natural sciences and engineering researcher of the year. Dr. Cheng is an expert in digital communications and signal processing.

He has many patents and has recently invented an indoor optical wireless location technique that improves receiver accuracy and will allow precise control of robot movement. His research also includes an intra-body communication device using wireless technology that will benefit health-care systems.

Health Research of the Year: Dr. Jonathan Little

When it comes to health research, Dr. Jonathan Little has been investigating improved treatments and possible prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

Much of his work revolves around the impact of healthy eating and exercise to stave off metabolic disease. He works with several partner organizations to improve the lives of people living with chronic illness and disease. Dr. Little also leads the Airborne Disease Transmission Research Cluster, a cross-campus research team that aims to lessen the airborne transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research of the Year: Dr. Eric Li

Dr. Eric Li, the winner of the social sciences and humanities award, is an expert on social trends and a champion for the underdog.

His research focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations with non-profit organizations and local government to improve social inequities. His overreaching goal is to improve the lives of everyday people around the world. Through his community-based research, he has made an impact on food insecurity, poverty, urban densification and rural community building in our region.

Graduate Student Research of the Year: Michelle St. Pierre

Doctoral student Michelle St. Pierre has been honoured for her work in substance use and mental health, with a focus on cannabis and psychedelic use and harm reduction.

She has made significant research breakthroughs in how people cope with pain and pain sensitivity. As a founder of the UBC Okanagan chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, St. Pierre has received international media attention for her research on cannabinoid-based analgesics and is a national expert on cannabis policy.

“The purpose of these awards is to highlight and honour the research excellence that makes UBC a top 40 global university,” adds Dr. Barker. “I am impressed with the calibre of all our researchers and am very proud of this year’s recipients. I look forward to their future successes.”

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

UBC Okanagan’s 2021 student researcher of the year Michelle St. Pierre.

Psychology student motivated by novel treatments to reduce violence and pain

Michelle St. Pierre has been named UBC Okanagan’s student researcher of the year. A student in psychology studying under Dr. Zach Walsh in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, St. Pierre completed an honours thesis and her master’s at the Okanagan campus before beginning her doctoral work.

Her research has made international headlines and, as the founder of UBC Okanagan’s chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, St. Pierre is hoping to change the conversation when it comes to the therapeutic use of what are considered illicit drugs.

Lately, her research has focused on the use of psychedelic drugs. She explains how they have an important and legitimate role to play when it comes to curbing intimate partner violence and helping other people deal with pain management.

For decades, psychedelic drugs have been vilified in the media and by society. But your current research explores the potential of psychedelic therapies. Will research like yours change the tide of misconception?

It’s been amazing to see how public perception of psychedelics has evolved in the short time since I began researching them in 2015 as an undergraduate student. Our research was some of the first to show that, unlike other substances such as alcohol, psychedelic use was associated with a lower prevalence of domestic violence. This finding went against the war on drugs propaganda, which vilifies psychedelics and classifies them as harmful substances with little to no medical benefit.

Fast forward six years and societal acceptance of psychedelics seem to be outpacing research. It’s an exciting time to begin a research career with the landscape becoming more accepting. I plan on continuing to challenge the assumptions we have by conducting rigorous research on the legitimate effects of psychedelic use in humans.

Your earlier research examined the use of cannabis and the relationship with acute pain. What were your findings?

Yes, my master’s thesis examined pain tolerance in people who frequently use cannabis compared to those who don’t. Unlike with opioid medications, my study didn’t see an increase in pain sensitivity among those regularly using cannabis. This is good news for folks who are already using cannabis to treat their pain.

These findings ended up generating more questions for me around the mechanism of the pain-relieving effects of cannabis. I designed a study to build on these results, but it was put on hold due to COVID-19. I’m looking forward to exploring the relationship between cannabis and pain in the coming years.

Psychedelic drugs are considered non-addictive. Is that why they might be considered helpful for treating individuals with chronic conditions?

Psychedelics have an extremely low risk of toxicity and a sort-of built-in anti-addiction mechanism due to the rapid tolerance that humans develop from repeated dosing of what we call “classic psychedelics” including magic mushrooms, acid and ayahuasca.

In contrast to widely used prescription medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, the therapeutic effects of psychedelics appear to manifest from very few doses used in conjunction with talk therapy. Prior research has largely focused on a few doses over several weeks.

Additionally, our lab is conducting one of the largest “micro-dosing” studies to date, which uses a sub-perceptual dose of psychedelics. But even with this near-daily dosing, we don’t see similar physical dependence as we might with something like an opioid.

Regardless of scientific research, there are still barriers and access issues when it comes to the use of psychedelics for therapy. Can you see this changing in the near future?

Absolutely — it’s happening right in front of my eyes! Due to the illegal status of psychedelics for the last 30-plus years, these therapies have been more accessible to people with privilege. I feel that one of the most critical issues moving forward is ensuring that psychedelic-assisted therapy is accessible for all people. The use of psychedelics for healing has its origins in Indigenous knowledge. As psychedelic-assisted therapies proliferate we can’t lose sight of where these remedies come from.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

New UBCO research shows that over time, attempts to deceive others may become self-deception.

Eventually it becomes hard to distinguish between fact or fiction

The telling of lies might be just a bad habit for some, but a UBC Okanagan researcher says that over time lies will infiltrate a person’s memory for the truth.

Dr. Leanne ten Brinke is an assistant professor of psychology at UBCO and director of the Truth and Trust Lab in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She recently published research on how telling lies, and receiving feedback that the lie was believable, can impact people’s memory for the truth.

Her study, published in Memory, involved participants who were asked to file an insurance claim regarding a theft from an office. Some of the 140 participants were asked to lie and increase the number of items they claimed were stolen. Others told the truth. During a follow-up interview two weeks later, those who had lied could remember how many items had been stolen, but most liars had trouble remembering which items were actually taken and which they had fraudulently claimed stolen.

“The same as truth tellers, the liars correctly reported that four items were stolen,” Dr. ten Brinke says. “But when asked to list what was missing, most of the liars incorporated at least one of the items they lied about into their memory. The fictional piece became part of their memory.”

Dr. ten Brinke has spent much of her career researching liars and the art of deception. She admits the type of lie told in this research might be particularly vulnerable to distortions of memory because the lie only alters the presence or absence of an item — not quite the same as confabulating an entire story or deception.

In other words, the perceived and relative characteristics of the truthful and deceptive details are very similar, potentially accounting for the high number of dishonest participants who made a mistake — falsely remembering that one of the items they lied about had been stolen when it had not.

Over time, attempts to deceive others may become self-deception, she says. And it evolves as to how someone remembers a particular event. Lies, therefore, become part of your memory for the truth.

“Once the false detail is incorporated into memory, sharing that information no longer fits the definition of deception — because you’re not intentionally misleading anyone. You think it’s the truth, even though it’s not an accurate depiction of past events,” she says. “At some point, you knew it was a lie but now it’s been incorporated into your memory and you believe it to be true.”

Dr. ten Brinke describes deception as the art of “pulling the wool over someone’s eyes” and some people become quite skilled at the telling of lies. Sometimes, it’s a case of having time to practice. She says the more time a person has to practice the lie, the better they become at convincing others that it is true.

In other cases, self-deception may aid the liar. They can convincedly tell the lie because to them the distorted memory is perceived to be truthful.

“We would like to do future research to see how self-deception might improve your ability to dupe others,” Dr. ten Brinke adds. “There may be a perceived genuineness of that recollection. Where fiction has indeed become fact in your memory.”

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

Event winner Robyn Thomas and runner-up Elizabeth Houghton with Dr. Peter Simpson, dean of the College of Graduate Studies, Katrina Plamondon, featured speaker and assistant professor, and Dr. Lesley Cormack, UBC Okanagan Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

Finalists raced against the clock to present their work in a winning way

A compelling presentation of a topic all too familiar to some secured the top spot at yesterday’s eighth annual UBC Okanagan Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

For her winning presentation, Robyn Thomas spoke about the challenges family caregivers of children with medical complexity face. Thomas, a Master of Arts student in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, captivated judges with her thesis, "Developing the role of the volunteer in supporting family caregivers of children living with medical complexity: A Delphi Study."

She took home first place and the top prize of $3,000. It wasn’t just the judges who were inspired by Thomas’ presentation, though. Thomas also won over audience member’s hearts, taking home the alumniUBC People’s Choice award.

“I’m honoured to have won this competition alongside so many brilliant graduate student researchers,” says Thomas, a master's student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Science. “It’s exciting to know that community members are interested in my research and I look forward to future opportunities to share my results and findings and make an impact.”

UBC Okanagan’s popular 3MT competition returned this year in an all-new live virtual format, which saw eight graduate students explain years of research in just three minutes to a general audience.

Dr. Katrina Plamondon began the event with her inspiring talk "Walking a Path Toward Equitable Futures," which discussed using research to move all of society toward collective futures that are more beautiful, more connected and more equitable.

Biology Master of Science student Elizabeth Houghton was awarded second place and $2,000 for her presentation, "Influence of postharvest deficit irrigation on sweet cherry cold hardiness in the Okanagan Valley."

“I really enjoyed having the opportunity to share my research with others through this competition,” says Houghton. “Condensing my research into three minutes has taught me important skills that will help me throughout my graduate degree.”

As the winner of the 3MT final, Thomas will represent UBC Okanagan in the virtual Western Regional Three Minute Thesis competition on May 13, 2021.

From there, the top three presenters will win an opportunity to compete in the national competition, hosted by the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies.

2021 UBC Okanagan 3MT winners

Robyn Thomas, winner of the 2021 UBC Okanagan Three Minute Thesis Final.

Robyn Thomas

Presentation title: Developing the role of the volunteer in supporting family caregivers of children living with medical complexity: A Delphi Study.

Robyn Thomas is a Master of Arts student in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, under the community engagement, social change and equity theme. She is also a research assistant with the Health, Ethics and Diversity Lab at UBCO. She intends to explore the barriers and facilitators that family caregivers of children with medical complexity face when engaging with external support systems. Thomas’s research aims to develop a volunteer navigation program focused on improving the quality of life of caregivers and their children.

Elizabeth Houghton, runner-up of the 2021 UBC Okanagan Three Minute Thesis Final.

Elizabeth Houghton

Presentation title: Influence of postharvest deficit irrigation on sweet cherry cold hardiness in the Okanagan Valley

Elizabeth Houghton is a Master of Science candidate in the Biology Department. Working with local commercial cherry growers, she is researching the impact of postharvest deficit irrigation on sweet cherry growth, phenology, and cold hardiness. Through her research, Houghton aims to help enhance the local cherry industry’s resilience to climate change and at the same time contribute to improving water management in the Okanagan Valley.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

UBCO debaters argue for and against at annual Roger Watts Debate 

What: Roger Watts Debate: Be it resolved that the government should have the ability to make vaccination mandatory
Who: Top UBCO student debaters
When: Wednesday, March 31 starting at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Zoom webinar

While many eagerly await their turn in the COVID-19 vaccination queue, UBC Okanagan student debaters are facing off in a provocative debate on public health and governmental power:
Be it resolved that government should have the ability to make vaccination mandatory.

“The pandemic has affected everyone in some way, and that’s the type of topic we look for—one with wide-reaching implications, one that nearly everyone has an opinion about one way or another,” says Dr. Julien Picault, associate professor of teaching in economics and event organizer.

“While the overarching theme of this debate is governmental power, it’s really pitting one’s right to public health and safety against one’s right to choose what goes into their body. Our students have been debating for weeks using thoughtful, evidence-based arguments. Our top debaters have made it to this final round and I expect a high-quality, engaging debate as always,” he adds.

Dr. Picault invites the community to watch these debaters argue their cases before a panel of community judges who will decide the winners. Prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to the first-place finisher, while prizes of $500 will be awarded to the runners-up.

This year student participants will also have the opportunity to compete for the newly-created $500 People’s Choice Award, selected by event attendees.

The annual debate is named after the late Roger Watts, a respected member of the Okanagan’s legal community, a skilled orator and strong advocate.

This event takes place virtually on Wednesday, March 31 at 5:30 p.m.

It is free, open to the public, and supported by local donors and community sponsors.

To register or find out more, visit: epp.ok.ubc.ca/about/roger-watts-debate

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in 2005 in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose territory the campus resides. As part of UBC—ranked among the world’s top 20 public universities—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 in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca

UBC Okanagan’s Problematic Substance Use Clinic offer low-barrier options for treatment. It offers virtual treatment options and structures fees on a sliding scale based on patients’ income.

Psychological service available to those experiencing problematic substance use

As we pass the one-year mark of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s little doubt the virus has taken its toll on the mental health of many Canadians.

For one UBC Okanagan researcher, a difficult consequence has been witnessing some turn to problematic substance use as a way of coping with pandemic-related stressors.

Ian Wellspring is a doctoral student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ clinical psychology program, and a graduate student clinician working under the supervision of Dr. Zach Walsh in UBC Okanagan’s Problematic Substance Use Clinic.

As the pandemic lingers on, Wellspring offers his observations about increased problematic substance use during COVID-19 and the low-barrier services available through UBCO to assist British Columbians.

Are you surprised by the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction’s study results?

Unfortunately, I don’t find the results surprising—the sad reality is that COVID-19 has increased our stress levels, caused us grief, isolation, anxiety and many of us are also experiencing economic insecurities because of it. So, when we consider all of these factors that might be acting as potential stressors, regrettably, I think the results are somewhat expected.

Since the pandemic hit, we’ve seen an uptick in substance use across the board whether it’s alcohol, stimulants or opioids. In fact, some data also suggests there’s been a 30 to 40 per cent increase in deaths related to opioid use since COVID-19, which is concerning.

Substance use risk increases in the face of this reality—and in combination with stressors like isolation, grief, anxiety or finances—has a detrimental impact on our mental health. This, in turn, drives the progression to addiction. So this is something we should all be concerned about.

What are some of the reasons people with problematic substance use don’t seek help?

There’s a whole host of reasons why people don’t get help, or feel like they can’t. Some include thinking their use isn’t bad enough to seek treatment, some may worry that they don’t know how to live a good life without that substance, and others may be afraid to fail. There’s still a lot of stigma, which is one of the main barriers to seeking help surrounding substance use and mental health in general. A lot of that comes from attitudes in society, media portrayal of these issues, and the self-judgement, guilt and shame that may come with having lived experience with substance use problems.

The clinic’s mandate is to help the public reduce the negative effects of drug and alcohol use—can you talk more about treatments and what new patients can expect?

We operate on a person-first model and we meet clients wherever they are with regard to substance use. New patients can expect to sit down with their clinician and talk about what’s been going on in their lives, what their concerns are and their future goals. Then the clinician, under the supervision of Dr. Walsh, will work to figure out a treatment plan that will best fit the lifestyle of the individual. Sometimes patients are looking to quit a substance, while others may be interested in decreasing their use. Whatever their goals—our priority is to get them there using empirically-supported approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing.

Your clinic is classified as ‘low-barrier.’ What does that mean?

Low-barrier means we’re easy to access and open to all. We’ve tried to decrease financial barriers by structuring fees on a sliding scale based on patients’ income that starts at $10 per hour. We also have flexible payment plans in case individuals can’t pay treatment costs up-front. With the clinic now being offered virtually, we’re hoping that reduces barriers for folks as well—but if people don’t have the appropriate technology to complete treatment, let’s talk about that. If someone is committed to seeking treatment, we’re committed to making it work for them.

Can you discuss some of the clinic’s past successes?

I’m happy to report that we’ve had numerous successes in addressing problematic substance use in the clinic and these really cut across a diverse presentation of substances. We’ve helped patients who have lived experience with alcohol, stimulants, nicotine, opioids and we’ve addressed these issues in a diverse client population. Substance use impacts people from all backgrounds, from the affluent and powerful to some of the most marginalized segments of our community. And our care extends across that spectrum.

I think our successes speak to the importance of getting to know the client and their lifestyle, and tailoring a plan to them. We want everyone to feel comfortable giving us a call and spreading the word about the clinic to friends and family who may need help. We’re not here to judge. No matter where someone is, we’re ready to meet them there.

How can someone get further information about clinic services?

We encourage anyone interested in learning more about our services to call the clinic at 250 807 8241, pressing 1 for reception, or email ipc.ok@ubc.ca.