Dr Gino DiLabio and doctoral student Hossein Khalilian discuss their research paper about how quantum Coulombic interactions can manage and prevent unwanted cell damage from free radicals. The image created for this research made the cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A new study, published by a team of UBC Okanagan chemistry researchers, is creating a major rethink of how enzymes work. And how a quantum phenomenon helps an important enzyme control essential yet dangerous molecules.

Enzymes, also known as biocatalysts, are the tiny machines behind every process in living things, explains study co-author Hossein Khalilian, a doctoral student in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science’s Department of Chemistry. Enzymes make molecules that are crucial to life, while also breaking down molecules that are bad or unnecessary for us.

Radical enzymes represent an important class of biocatalysts that generate extremely unstable molecules—called free radicals—to enable a wide range of biochemical reactions. Free radicals are often negatively viewed, explains Khalilian. Uncontrolled ones contribute to serious conditions like cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Yet, these molecules are essential for many biological functions and the body produces them as part of normal cellular functions.

The research, featured on the front cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, reveals that nature has developed a clever way to control these free radicals—using little-known quantum Coulombic interactions to manage them and prevent unwanted damage.

The researchers focused on an enzyme called viperin, which plays a role in the body’s immune response by producing and controlling highly reactive radicals that Khalilian describes as chemical loose cannons.

“While radicals can be useful, they can also cause serious damage if they’re not carefully controlled,” he says. “We’ve known for some time that viperin uses radicals to perform its function. But we didn’t expect to find quantum mechanical effects play such an important role in keeping that radical in check.”

Khalilian, who studies enzymes using computer modelling, explains that viperin is an antiviral enzyme activated as part of the immune response to many viruses. While running computer simulations to investigate viperin’s behaviour, he discovered that it uses a range of strategies, including previously unknown quantum Coulombic interactions, to get the radicals under control.

The Coulombic interaction is an electrostatic force between positive and negative charges, like the force that creates static electricity. The simulations reveal that the quantum version of these interactions is a key strategy employed by nature in radical enzymes to control the free radicals they use.

“This was something unexpected,” says Khalilian. “The radical was being gently held in place by Coulombic interactions to perform only the desired reaction. Like a magnetic tug, these forces are enough to stabilize the radical just long enough for the enzyme to do its job.”

Normally, he says, radicals like to move around or react with other things quickly, but in this case, something was keeping it still.

“These interactions are hard to see, and easy to overlook,” says Khalilian. “But it turns out it’s crucial. Without it, the radical would be too unstable to manage. It’s exciting because this is the first time quantum interactions have been shown to be this important in an enzyme. It gives us a new lens to look at biochemical reactions.”

This study provides evidence that the quantum Coulombic effect is likely a universal yet underappreciated feature of radical enzymes. The discovery could lead to new ways to design drugs, enzymes and catalysts.

The work doesn’t stop there, as principal investigator Dr. Gino DiLabio says ongoing studies are exploring whether this effect applies to other radical enzymes. If confirmed, it could reshape the traditional understanding of catalysis and boost advancements in biotechnology.

“Many modern medicines rely on reactions involving radicals,” Dr. DiLabio adds. “If we understand how nature controls them, we can also do it—perhaps more safely or effectively.”

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Dr. Emmanuel Osei has developed a way to 3D print tissue that resembles a living lung. This work could change how lung disease is studied and improve health options for those living with the illness.

UBC Okanagan researchers have developed a 3D bio-printed model that closely mimics the complexity of natural lung tissue, an innovation that could transform how scientists study lung disease and develop new treatments.

Dr. Emmanuel Osei, Assistant Professor in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, says the model produces tissue that closely resembles the complexity of a human lung, enabling improved testing of respiratory diseases and drug development.

“To conduct our research and the testing that’s required—where we’re studying the mechanisms of complex lung diseases to eventually find new drug targets—we need to be able to make models that are comparable to human tissues.”

The research team used a bioink composed of light-sensitive polymer-modified gelatin and a polymer called polyethylene glycol diacrylate to 3D print a hydrogel that includes multiple cell types and channels to recreate vessels, mimicking the structure of a human airway.

Once printed, the hydrogel performs much like the complex mechanical properties of lung tissue, improving how researchers study cellular responses to stimuli.

“Our goal was to create a more physiologically relevant in vitro model of the human airway,” says Dr. Osei, who also works with UBC’s Centre for Heart Lung Innovation. “By integrating vascular components, we can better simulate the lung environment, which is crucial for studying diseases and testing therapeutics.”

Dr. Osei explains that when someone has lung cancer, a surgeon—with the patient’s consent—can remove the cancerous section along with some normal lung tissue and provide these samples to researchers.

“However, a researcher has no control over how much tissue they will receive,” he explains. “They might get a small piece of tissue, which they bring to the lab and add various chemicals for testing. Now, with 3D bioprinting, we can isolate cells from these donated tissues and potentially recreate additional tissue and test samples to conduct research in our labs and not rely on or wait for contributed tissues.”

Dr. Osei says many forms of lung disease currently have no cure, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. Being able to establish models that allow for testing is a significant advancement in respiratory disease research and drug development.

Published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering in collaboration with Mitacs and supported by Providence Health Care, the study is a step toward assessing aspects of lung diseases such as scarring and inflammation, and may lead to future cures for various illnesses.

The paper detailed tests, including exposing the bio-printed 3D model to cigarette smoke extract, allowing the researchers to observe increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, or markers of inflammatory responses to nicotine in lung tissue.

“The fact that we’ve been able to create the model, then use particular triggers like cigarette smoke, to demonstrate how the model will react and mimic aspects of lung disease is a significant advancement in studying complex mechanisms of lung disease that will aid in studying how we treat them,” says Dr. Osei.

“Our model is complex, but due to the reproducibility and optimal nature of bio-printing, it can be adapted to include additional cell types or patient-derived cells, making it a powerful tool for personalized medicine and disease modelling.”

Dr. Osei notes that moving forward with this work puts his research team in a unique position to collaborate with colleagues such as UBC’s Immunobiology Eminence Research Excellence Cluster, biotechnology companies and those with an interest in advancing bioartificial models.

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Sneha Kanta will spend two weeks as UBCO’s Woodhaven Artist in Residence. Along with working on her creative writing she is also presenting a workshop on July 19.

What: Collaborative writing workshop
Who: Author Sneha Subramanian Kanta
When: Saturday, July 19 from 10 am to 12:30 pm
Where: Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, 939 Raymer Ave., Kelowna

Internationally acclaimed writer Sneha Subramanian Kanta is UBC Okanagan’s 2025 Woodhaven Artist in Residence. Kanta will spend two weeks at Woodhaven, where she will work on her creative writing practice, engage with the community and offer an in-person workshop for budding writers and poets.

UBCO’s Woodhaven Artist in Residence Program, sponsored by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS), provides a paid residency opportunity for a diverse variety of visiting artists, including writers, visual artists, digital media artists and performance artists.

Born in Mumbai and residing in Greater Toronto, Kanta is an academic with more than 15 years of international teaching experience. She is the author of five chapbooks, including Ancestral–Wing and Ghost Tracks.

During her residency in Kelowna, Kanta is offering a free creative writing workshop for writers with all levels of experience. The workshop will begin with a brief discussion of her academic research in postcolonial ecocriticism and how Kanta outlines those in her work. Her goal is that the workshop will foster new modes of thought through imaginative literature.

“When we turn our attention to ecology, what do we gather? In the Anthropocene, we’re facing a climate crisis. How can we bring attention to our immediate landscapes? In what way does writing about the natural world inform our writing practice?” she asks. “At the workshop, we will frame answers to these questions through ecopoetics.”

A residency like Woodhaven offers a unique space for artists to grow, drawing inspiration from the property’s surrounding environment and the local community, explains Jodey Castricano, FCCS Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.

“The committee had a tough decision this year, with so many strong applications, but we’re thrilled to welcome a writer whose deep engagement with ecocriticism and ecopoetry aligns so well with Woodhaven’s commitment to social, cultural and environmental sustainability,” says Castricano. “We’re excited not only for how this time will shape her work, but also for the opportunity it creates for local writers to learn from her perspective and expand their own practices.”

Space in the workshop is limited to 20. For more information about the residency or to register for the workshop, visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/artist-in-residence

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Dylan Nemes, a fourth-year UBC medical student, co-authored a paper with Dr. Christine Voss describing how parents of children with heart conditions also need support.

A new UBC study that looked at parents of children with congenital heart defects (CHD), has determined that the young patients aren’t the only ones who need TLC.

It’s also parents who feel overwhelmed, frightened and in need of additional support.

The study, conducted by Dylan Nemes and Dr. Christine Voss, with UBC’s Southern Medical Program, determined that parents of these children may also be struggling.

“CHD is a common birth defect, affecting about one in every 100 children,” says Dr. Voss, who also conducts research with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. “Advancements in medical treatment and surgical interventions mean people with even the most complex forms of CHD are living longer, with most children surviving to adulthood. However, raising children with the condition continues to be a unique and complex challenge.”

The study had 12 families participating and was published recently in CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. Along with family members, the researchers also interviewed health-care providers, including pediatric cardiologists, cardiac care nurses, social workers, exercise physiologists and echocardiographers.

“Caring for children with CHD is a challenging experience for parents, who must juggle managing finances and complex childcare, along with the emotional toll of their child’s diagnosis,” explains Nemes, a fourth-year medical student. “These parents face numerous hurdles as they learn to care for their children and must lean on a variety of personal and clinical supports to provide for their family’s needs.”

While there are support resources for parents—doctors and nurses, community resources, family, friends, neighbours and peers with children also with chronic disease—there remain questions as to when and how to best incorporate these supports into the parents’ lives.

And this raises a key finding of the study. Some parents initially turned down offers of support—a decision they later regretted. As a child grows, their medical needs will change. Dr. Voss says there are many different stages of the journey where parents might find a different need for support. However, it may no longer be available to them.

“Across all parents, there was the emotional side of raising a child with CHD,” says Dr. Voss. “There was a consensus that diagnosis, surgery and ongoing medical care were a large source of trauma. Whether it occurred prenatally or postnatally, diagnosis was always a shock.”

There were several common themes related to anxiety for parents. Many said they often felt overwhelmed as they needed to advocate for themselves and their children to stay well informed. Families not living near BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver said they struggled with limited parental supports and additional expenses. Study participants also reflected on the enormity of the education and communication required to care for their child with CHD.

One of the clinicians who participated in the study noted that parents are often not well supported, because health-care funding is “patient-centric”—meaning the care and attention is focused on the child, not the parents.

While the study offers insight into the complexity of caring for children with CHD, the researchers also hope to highlight the need for change. They advocate for shifting how and when information is communicated to parents. They suggest that introducing support mechanisms—to help process trauma and cope with caregiving stress—will improve the experience of parents.

Many parents also worried about how much physical activity their child should participate in. They were also concerned about when to introduce an activity routine into the young child’s daily routine.

“We explored some existing barriers and potential solutions to the issue of low physical activity in children with CHD, with a focus on introducing physical activity earlier and more often,” says Nemes. “We are hopeful our findings can inform health-care professionals, advocacy groups and government agencies on providing education, emotional support, resources and physical activity counselling more effectively.”

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New research from UBCO has determined that even a virtual therapy session with a dog can help reduce a person’s stress. This opens the door to expand the program and improve accessibility to pet therapy.

While it’s well known that spending time with dogs can ease stress, new research shows that watching a short video of a dog can have a similar comforting effect.

Led by Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, Professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Education, and Dr. Christine Tardif-Williams, Professor at Brock University, this latest research builds on an earlier study examining whether in-person interactions with therapy dogs would translate just as well to a virtual setting—opening the doors for community members to benefit.

“Our findings demonstrate that even with a virtual session, there was a significant reduction in stress among both the student population and the general public, regardless of age,” says Dr. Binfet, Director of UBCO’s Building Academic Retention through K9s (B.A.R.K.) program. “This suggests that virtual canine comfort modules are an effective, low-cost and accessible resource for those seeking mental health supports.”

This research was published in Human-Animal Interactions, an open-access publication showcasing multidisciplinary research on interactions between humans and animals. Co-authors include B.A.R.K. coordinator Freya Green and student researchers Rebecca Godard, Akshat Singal, Camille Rousseau, Renata Roma and Amelia Willcox.

Dr. Binfet sheds light on why the study was conducted and what it means for mental health support.

What inspired this research?

This study was inspired by the need to increase accessibility to therapy dogs. Programs that offer students and members of the public an opportunity to interact with therapy dogs are often located in urban centres and, when offered, are very popular. During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on in-person interactions and the need to shelter in place highlighted an even greater demand for virtual wellbeing supports.

This led to the creation of the virtual canine comfort modules, which featured a pre-recorded video from four of our B.A.R.K. therapy dog and volunteer handler teams. These pre-recorded modules proved effective in improving student wellbeing and this study gave us the opportunity to replicate the service, and extend findings as well as canine therapy, to broader community participants.

What did the study involve?

More than 900 student participants and 120 community members watched a five-minute pre-recorded video featuring a therapy dog and handler. These videos were designed to mimic an in-person experience, including elements like guided reflection, visual engagement with the dog and calming narration. Participants completed a short stress survey before and after watching the video.

The sessions were free, easy to access online and required no appointment or other human interaction.

Why is this research significant beyond campus settings?

The results suggest that virtual therapy dog interventions can also benefit the broader public, particularly those who face barriers to accessing in-person mental health support, such as access outside of normal operating hours or from a remote location.

This format may also be ideal for individuals who are hesitant to seek formal mental health support.

What are the next steps?

This research lays a foundation for additional virtual opportunities for students and the public to engage with therapy dogs and their handlers. This might include incorporating mindfulness into the virtual canine comfort modules and assessing whether this has an added stress-reduction effect on wellbeing.

Regardless, this does reinforce our theory that canine-assisted interventions, whether in person or via teleconferencing, can be beneficial and can help people reduce their stress.

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A new AI innovation from UBCO engineers can lead to better efficiency at shipping ports around the globe.

A UBC Okanagan research team has developed an innovative artificial intelligence system that can accurately predict where ships are heading and arriving, potentially helping Canadian ports better prepare for incoming vessels and respond more efficiently to global supply chain disruptions.

Dr. Zheng Lui, a Professor with UBCO’s School of Engineering, and doctoral student Chengkai Zhang have created TrajReducer, a framework that increases prediction accuracy and computational efficiency by analyzing ship trajectories through advanced spatial clustering and cross-dimensional metadata ranking.

The research, published recently in Ocean Engineering, addresses a critical need in maritime logistics where accurate predictions of a vessel’s arrival time are essential for improving port operations, says Dr. Lui.

“Maritime shipping represents more than 80 per cent of global trade and the ability to accurately predict where cargo vessels are headed and when they will arrive, has never been more important,” he says. “Recent years have shown us how quickly global supply chains can be disrupted—whether by pandemic-related delays, geopolitical tensions or incidents like a shipping container getting stuck in the Suez Canal for several days. Canadian ports need tools to help them adapt quickly and efficiently.”

Traditional methods for predicting where ships are going have been slow and often inaccurate, he says, with about 30 per cent of data omitting the ship’s estimated time of departure and arrival.

TrajReducer solves these problems by studying patterns from several thousand ship voyages and using details about each vessel, such as its type, size, speed and direction.

“It is similar to having a smart GPS that not only knows where you’ve been, but can also predict where you’re going based on your driving patterns and what kind of car you drive,” explains Dr. Lui. “Instead of checking every single ship journey in our database, TrajReducer quickly identifies the most similar past voyages, including vessel size and weather conditions, to make its prediction.”

The system works by looking at a ship’s current path and comparing it to carefully chosen similar voyages. This provides a calculation of where a ship is headed with high accuracy, even early in its journey.

The technology has particular relevance for Canada’s major ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal and Halifax which serve as critical gateways for North American trade, says Dr. Lui.

“Canadian ports handle hundreds of millions of tonnes of cargo annually, and even small improvements in operational efficiency can translate to significant economic benefits,” he adds. “When a port knows days in advance when a large container ship is arriving, staff can optimize berth assignments, arrange the right equipment and coordinate with rail and trucking networks.”

All of these steps can speed up delivery of the products in the shipping containers.

Compared to existing prediction models, TrajReducer’s efficiency and reliability offer significant advancements in maritime operations, as it allows for the accurate prediction of vessel destinations without extensive computational requirements.

“The beauty of this system is that it becomes more accurate as it processes more data,” adds Zhang. “As global shipping patterns evolve—whether due to new trade agreements, infrastructure changes or climate considerations—TrajReducer adapts and improves its predictions.”

This research represents a significant advancement in maritime analytics, with potential applications extending beyond port operations to include maritime safety, environmental monitoring and supply chain optimization.

“This is about more than efficiency—it’s about resilience,” says Zhang. “When Canadian ports can anticipate and prepare for the arrival of ships accurately, they’re better positioned to maintain the flow of goods that Canadians depend on, even when global trade faces unexpected challenges.”

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UBCO’s Dr. Hadi Mohammadi holds his latest innovation—a manufactured heart valve that has just been put through its paces—comparing its viability to other valves currenty available to patients.

Sort of like testing a car, a team of researchers at UBC Okanagan has been test driving a number of mechanical heart valves (MHV)—and the one designed in their own lab appears to outperform the others.

Associate Professor Dr. Hadi Mohammadi runs the Heart Valve Performance Laboratory at UBCO’s School of Engineering. He, along with Dr. Dylan Goode, has been testing an MHV created in their lab which may, after clinical trials, supersede mechanical valves currently available for people living with heart disease.

The research, published recently in the Journal of Biomechanics, determines that MHVs may outperform tissue valves under certain conditions.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to make this claim,” says Dr. Mohammadi. “While more testing is needed to fully understand what causes the differences in how each valve performs, we are excited about the potential of this significant achievement.”

Calcific valvular heart disease—when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly due to calcification—is projected to affect some 4.5 million people by 2030, making it the most prevalent valvular heart condition in aging populations.

And Dr. Mohammadi explains current options for aortic valve replacement include having a new heart valve—either mechanical or valves made with natural materials such as bovine or porcine tissues—implanted.

Both options come with limitations.

Tissue valves generally perform better than MHVs and provide better blood flow, but last an average of 10 to 15 years, which could require another replacement, explains Dr. Mohammadi. Mechanical valves can last a lifetime, but do not perform as well as tissue valves, requiring patients to take daily blood thinners.

Despite advancements in prosthetic heart valves, an ideal solution remains a challenge.

“Developing a prosthetic valve with optimal hemodynamics and durability would address critical challenges worldwide,” says Dr. Mohammadi. “This research evaluates two emerging MHVs, currently in preclinical and clinical trials, designed to overcome the limitations of earlier models.”

The researchers put their iValve together with another developing valve called Triflo MHV. These two were fully tested during the study with three other valves that are similar to the current industry standard.

In the lab, each valve was tested for flow velocity using a pulse duplicator system that mimics real heart conditions. Each test included 10 cycles, and each valve underwent multiple tests. Results indicate that the iValve and Triflo achieved comparable pressure ratios and significantly lower mean and peak reverse blood flow values than the traditional MHVs. This means blood can flow more smoothly, putting less stress on blood cells, which could reduce the need for blood thinners.

Unlike most MHVs, the iValve allows blood to flow through a single open central orifice, like tissue valves. Other MHVs, including the Triflo MHV, divide the flow into smaller streams, which may increase the risk of flow-related complications.

This gives the iValve a potential advantage in terms of safer, smoother blood flow, says Dr. Goode.

“Overall, both the iValve and Triflo MHV appear to offer better performance than existing MHVs,” he says. “These results show that the new generation of mechanical valves may offer a strong combination of long-lasting performance, better blood flow and lower risk of blood clots—similar to how a natural heart valve works.”

The iValve, designed at UBC, is now being prepared for animal and clinical trials, bringing it one step closer to becoming a reality.

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New UBCO research shows students, who were allowed to use Gen AI tools in a writing assignment, were motivated to do so by a desire to enhance learning, increase the speed and ease in completing the assignment and improve their grades.

A new study from UBC Okanagan says students appear to be using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) responsibly, and as a way to speed up tasks, not just boost their grades.

Dr. Meaghan MacNutt, who teaches professional ethics in the UBCO School of Health and Exercise Sciences (HES), recently published a study in Advances in Physiology Education. Published this month, the paper—titled Reflective writing assignments in the era of GenAI: student behaviour and attitudes suggest utility, not futility—contradicts common concerns about student use of AI.

Students in three different courses, almost 400 participants, anonymously completed a survey about their use of AI on at least five reflective writing assignments. All three courses used an identical AI policy and students had the option to use the tool for their writing.

“GenAI tools like ChatGPT allow users to interface with large language models. They offer incredible promise to enhance student learning, however, they are also susceptible to misuse in completion of writing assignments,” says Dr. MacNutt. “This potential has raised concerns about GenAI as a serious threat to academic integrity and to the learning that occurs when students draft and revise their own written work.”

While UBC offers guidance to students and faculty about the risks and benefits of using GenAI, policies regarding its use in courses are at the discretion of individual instructors.

Dr. MacNutt, who completed the study with doctoral student and HES lecturer Tori Stranges, notes that discipline-specific factors contribute to the perception that many courses in HES are particularly challenging and many students strive for excellence, often at the expense of their mental wellbeing.

So, how often were the students using AI and what was motivating their use?

While only about one-third of the students used AI, the majority of users, 81 per cent, reported their GenAI use was inspired by at least one of the following factors: speed and ease in completing the assignment, a desire for high grades and a desire to learn. About 15 per cent of the students said they were motivated by all three factors, with more than 50 per cent using it to save time on the assignment.

Dr. MacNutt notes that most students used AI to initiate the paper or revise sections. Only 0.3 per cent of assignments were mostly written by GenAI.

“There is a lot of speculation when it comes to student use of AI,” she says. “However, students in our study reported that GenAI use was motivated more by learning than by grades, and they are using GenAI tools selectively and in ways they believe are ethical and supportive of their learning. This was somewhat unexpected due to the common perception that undergraduate students have become increasingly focused on grades at the expense of learning.”

The study does raise some cautions, she warns. GenAI can be a useful tool for students learning English or people with reading and writing disabilities. But there is also the potential that if paid versions are better, students who can afford to use a more effective platform might have an advantage over others—creating further classroom inequities.

MacNutt says continued research in this area can only provide a better understanding of student behaviour and attitudes as GenAI technologies continue to advance. She also suggests, while AI continues to be used more frequently, that institutions and educators adopt an approach that embodies “collaboration with” rather than “surveillance of” students.

“Our findings contradict common concerns about widespread student misuse and overuse of GenAI at the expense of academic integrity and learning,” says Dr. MacNutt. “But as we move forward with our policies, or how we’re teaching students how to use it, we have to keep in mind that students are coming from really different places. And they have different ways of benefiting or being harmed by these technologies.”

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UBCO SpokenWeb project team members Evan Berg, Myron Campbell and Karis Shearer work in the AMP Lab on the design aspects for the project.

For the past seven years, the SpokenWeb project at UBC Okanagan has processed a collection of literary audio files—digitizing and preserving hundreds of recordings that could have been lost to time.

The audio tapes have also been tagged with metadata, fully researched and made discoverable through web platforms.

Dr. Karis Shearer, Associate Professor of English and Cultural Studies at UBCO, explains that the audio recordings, many made between 1960 and 1980 by a number of internationally recognized BC poets, have become brittle and were in danger of being lost.

“The magnetic tapes are fragile objects, and over time the tapes degrade and are at risk of becoming unplayable,” says Dr. Shearer, who has worked with a team of librarians, literary scholars, artists and students to preserve these recordings. “In the AMP Lab, we have the legacy technology to read and play these objects, so digitizing them allows us to hold on to that history.”

Now that these literary collections are more accessible, it’s time to make the collections public—to “re-sound” them, as Dr. Shearer says—and let them be used for research and teaching.

Next week, researchers and artists from across Canada are coming to Kelowna for a four-day program of discussions, workshops, performances and exhibitions hosted and organized by the SpokenWeb project. Named Re-Sounding Poetries: Collections, Classrooms, Communities, the event will also celebrate the preservation of these recordings.

The SpokenWeb is a partnership among 12 institutions across Canada, partially funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. It has been dedicated, under the leadership of Concordia University professor Jason Camlot, to preserving these literary audio recordings on magnetic tape as well as researching and teaching with those tapes.

“In Western academic institutions, literary study has been mainly focused on print,” explains Dr. Shearer, director of UBC’s AMP Lab. “While the reading of poetry aloud has its own long history, it has never been a focus of the study and teaching of literature. Developing new and collaborative approaches to researching and teaching with sound has been the main focus of the SpokenWeb project over the past seven years and we’re excited to share these methods with the wider community.”

She notes that most tape recordings in this project haven’t been listened to in decades, if ever. The collection has been digitized, and many tapes are being made available to the public to listen to for the first time on the SoundBox Collection website and at next week’s Re-Sounding Poetries event.

Co-organized by Dr. Shearer and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Klara du Plessis, this immersive series of workshops will take place at UBC’s Okanagan campus and downtown Kelowna from May 14 to 17.

During the four days of the immersive institute, Drs. Shearer and du Plessis are convening academics, archivists, librarians, artists and members of larger creative and teaching communities to exchange ideas, methods and art focused on the intersection of sound and literature.

“Re-Sounding Poetries will gather people from a variety of areas of expertise,” explains Dr. du Plessis. “Collections of recorded poetry are best understood by bringing together these specialists including the archivists, librarians, scholars, artists, technicians, teachers and poets themselves.”

The conference will offer panel discussions, workshops on podcasting and spoken word performances, with an open mic hosted by the Inspired Word Café. There will also be three exhibitions of archival materials and research projects, curated by UBCO doctoral student Slava Bart, Sarah Cipes who is currently working on her master’s degree and UBCO alumna Erin Scott.

A workshop series, hosted at UBCO in the Creative and Critical Studies building, as well as the Special Collections and Archives located in The Commons, will have limited spots reserved for the public. These workshops take place May 16 starting at 10:30 am, and are available at a reduced rate of $35 for all of three.

“Our four-day gathering will function like an immersive summer camp experience for students, faculty and members of diverse communities to engage creatively and critically with archival audio,” says Dr. Shearer. “The final product will be a diverse and innovative series of events for everyone.”

Re-Sounding Poetries Sound Institute has received support from the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art, Inspired Word Cafe, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, UBC Okanagan Library and funding from a SSHRC Connection Grant.

For more information and to register for the full Re-Sounding Poetries Sound Institute or individual workshops, visit: events.ok.ubc.ca/event/re-sounding-poetries-collections-classrooms-communities.

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Doctoral student Sarah Craven demonstrates how the home testing device, called Breezing, works.

Health researchers at UBC Okanagan are hoping a new device—that people can use to measure their resting caloric consumption without visiting a lab—may lead to better health for people who struggle with their weight.

Dr. Sarah Purcell is a researcher with UBC’s Southern Medical Program and UBCO’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences. She is currently working on a study that will have people do home tests of their resting metabolic rate (RMR)—the calories burned while doing nothing—by using a portable non-invasive machine that measures respiratory gas.

Previous studies involving RMR have required people to visit research labs and lie quietly for a specific time while they are monitored.

But this latest study will examine the feasibility of the portable device and determine if it can help people develop healthier habits by understanding their RMR and how their bodies use the calories they consume. This is especially important for people struggling with obesity as it might help them develop new habits to improve their daily eating habits and activity levels, she explains.

“In Canada, there is a high prevalence of obesity among adults and it is the leading risk factor for chronic diseases,” says Dr. Purcell. “Behavioural interventions that target dietary intake and physical activity changes are a cornerstone for managing obesity. However, these interventions typically have short-term success and it’s been proven that long-term weight maintenance is poor. Within one year most of the lost weight is regained.”

Dr. Purcell says there is a need to identify and evaluate additional strategies to help people keep the weight off and stick with physical activity and dietary changes for sustained weight loss. That’s where this new RMR measuring device comes in.

“Dietary modifications in weight-loss interventions rely on prescribed recommendations for energy intake requirements, which are typically estimated by predictive equations for RMR using one’s body size, demographics and an activity factor,” she says. “But with advances in indirect calorimetry technology, RMR monitoring can now be done at home.”

Working with Dr. Purcell is doctoral student Sarah Craven, who is hoping to recruit about 10 people with obesity to participate in the study.

“The novel part of our study is that we’re validating this equipment to determine if it’s feasible. And our study participants can use this equipment at home. No more trips to the lab,” says Craven. “It takes about 20 minutes and people can do it from the comfort of their own homes.”

Their study will involve two groups—people living with obesity and people living without obesity—and the researchers will monitor the accuracy, adherence and acceptability of the device across the two groups.

If this study determines the device is feasible—it’s easy to use and study participants stick with it—then Craven suggests it can be integrated into further, more in-depth studies or clinical applications that can help people monitor their RMR and daily caloric intake. And eventually take steps to improve their health.

“With this advancement in technology, RMR monitoring can now be easily done at home and can provide valid ongoing feedback to generate personalized recommendations for energy intake targets,” says Dr. Purcell. “Repeated RMR monitoring and feedback may offer a novel avenue for intervention tailoring and provide additional psychological and behavioural effects that have yet to be explored.”

Study participants will have their metabolism, body composition, physical activity and caloric intake measured during a six-week test period.

People with larger bodies or living with obesity who are interested in learning more about the study can take a prescreening questionnaire or email Sarah Craven at nutrition.metabolism@ubc.ca.

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