University of British Columbia Archives

The HIBAR Research Alliance: Reinvigorating research for the 21st century

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How can the research ecosystem be improved so that it better contributes to solving the critical problems facing society today? That’s the motivating question behind an alliance of universities and other research organisations which believes that an answer lies in carrying out more Highly Integrative Basic And Responsive (HIBAR) research projects – efforts that are both basic and use-inspired, and […]

Trypan blue venography: Evaluation and treatment of glaucoma

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Glaucoma is linked to a build up of pressure in the eye as a result of impaired aqueous humour fluid outflow. However, there are limited options to evaluate aqueous outflow systems. Patrick Gooi, University of Calgary and Gavin Docherty, of the University of British Columbia, Canada, have developed a technique known as trypan blue venography, allowing simultaneous surgical intervention and […]

The dangers of labels: English as a Second Language

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According to the US Census, one-fifth of the American population speaks English as a Second Language (ESL) and speaks another language at home. Professor Lee Gunderson of the University of British Columbia in Canada investigates the negative consequences for people labelled as ESL or English Language Learner (ELL) in the United States. Having first raised these concerns more than 20 […]

New pipelining method for heavy oil: Stabilising the flow of high viscosity fluids during transportation

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Minimising the losses during heavy oil transportation is of tremendous importance for the industry.

Professor Ian Frigaard and Dr Parisa Sarmadi from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia specialise in industrial applications of non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics and mathematical modelling of Complex Fluids. They developed a method to overcome interfacial instabilities of lubricated pipeline flow during the transportation of higher viscosity fluids, such as heavy oil, coatings, and cements. They […]

Reconciling forest and tree conservation with food security

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Forests and trees are a critical resource for human communities. However, conservation efforts to prevent biodiversity loss increasingly conflict with the rights and access of communities using forests for their livelihoods and crucially to meet their nutritional needs. Prof Terry Sunderland of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, has long pointed to the importance of forests in contributing to food […]

Inhibiting cancer stem cell survival in the hostile tumour environment

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Wouldn’t it be great if a small non-toxic molecule could be used to treat cancer? By investigating the possibility of using a cancer cell’s own physiology as a weapon against it, Dr Shoukat Dedhar, at the University of British Columbia, is developing a new treatment that could help prevent tumour growth and metastasis. Every two minutes, someone in the UK […]

A shining light in the fight against childhood leukaemia?

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Dr C. James Lim, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, as well as Investigator at the Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. His research group aims to unravel the mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to chemotherapy in childhood malignancies, with the goal of identifying new treatment […]