Asian woman using smartphone to plan weekly meals for her daughter with the help of a nutrition app while enjoying breakfast together at the table. As they share the meal, she balances technology and family time, ensuring her daughter’s meals are nutritious and well-planned, while offering warmth and care to her little girl

When UBC Okanagan researchers decided to test a behaviour modification app for people living with eating disorders who were waiting for care, the first thing they had to do was modify an existing app.

Dr. Maya Libben, Associate Professor of Psychology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, studies issues around eating disorders and body image. Her research now includes digital interventions that can act as interim support for people on waitlists.

Wait times for people with eating disorders can be extensive, sometimes up to five years. There are several reasons for this, including the need for specialized services, travel barriers, cost and limited coverage, Dr. Libben explains.

She also notes that some people are not fully ready to engage in treatment when they are first referred.

“There can be a lot of ambivalence, shame and uncertainty, which can make it harder to take that next step,” Dr. Libben says. “Longer wait times can mean higher dropout, lower engagement once treatment starts, and in some cases more serious risks, particularly for individuals with anorexia nervosa. Waiting can take an emotional toll, with people often describing worsening symptoms and feeling less motivated over time.”

Due to the waitlists, Dr. Libben, along with doctoral student Amané Halicki-Asakawa, decided to explore app-based support. They immediately came across a roadblock.

“We realized that there weren’t any existing apps designed specifically for people with eating disorders who are waiting for care,” Halicki-Asakawa says.

They partnered with Resiliens, a company that had developed MI-Coach, a motivational interviewing–based app designed to support general behavioural change. Together, they adapted the platform to create MI-Coach: ED, which is specifically tailored to the needs of individuals with eating disorders.

“The goal of the modified app is to offer structured and accessible support while people are on waitlists,” Halicki-Asakawa says. “It helps people stay engaged, reflect on their motivation, and feel more prepared for treatment when it becomes available.”

Once the app was up and running, the research team ran several studies to validate whether the app was making a difference. In the first, they interviewed patients and clinicians working in eating disorder services. Halicki-Asakawa says both groups emphasized how problematic waiting for care can be.

“People described it as emotionally draining and demotivating due to the limited contact with services which led to a growing sense of feeling stuck,” she adds. “Clinicians echoed this, describing feeling stretched and frustrated that they were limited in their ability to provide meaningful support during that time.”

Within that context, MI-Coach: ED was viewed as a helpful interim support. Both users and clinicians described it as accessible, structured and helpful with recovery. In particular, the app seemed to help people reflect on their own reasons for change, reconnect with their values, and feel some momentum while waiting for services.

The research, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, was initiated due to a sense among clinicians who are feeling burnt out and aren’t well equipped to manage the increase in demand for people with eating disorders, particularly when trying to support people while they are waiting.

“The goal of our research was to try to address both sides. On one hand, providing something meaningful and supportive for those waiting for care, and creating something that could be integrated into clinical workflows without adding additional burden to already stretched services.”

A subsequent study with women on waitlists, published in JMIR Research Protocols, examined the feasibility, engagement and early outcome patterns. While the study group was small, participants used the app consistently, and the overall acceptability of the app was high, with most participants reporting they found it useful and would recommend the app.

“In this study, most participants remained relatively stable over the four-week period, which is meaningful in this context given how much symptoms can fluctuate during waitlist periods,” says Halicki-Asakawa. “There were also some early signals that motivation may be an important area to target, though larger studies are needed to better understand clinical outcomes.”

The researchers are now looking at the efficacy of the app, moving beyond feasibility and acceptability to better understand how it impacts motivation and clinical outcomes. It is now being used in programs in BC with support from Interior Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Island Health, and Fraser Health. This phase is focused on how the app works in real-world settings, including how it integrates into existing workflows, how clinicians experience using it, and how effective it is when embedded within the healthcare system.

“Though MI-Coach: ED was acceptable for the participants, this project has also highlighted some important considerations for implementation on a broader scale, such as the variability in waitlist procedures and service demand across different clinical settings,” says Halicki-Asakawa. “However, we feel that by offering structured support during a neglected phase of care, MI-Coach: ED shows promise as a complementary model to existing stepped-care approaches.”

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UBC research shows that while research on energy expenditure and dietary intake has grown, studies involving animals are outpacing those done with humans.

While scientific studies about obesity and general health are on the rise, a new analysis has determined that more studies are using animal modelling research than human modelling.

Dr. Sarah Purcell, an assistant professor with UBC’s Southern Medical Program and UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, researches energy metabolism, dietary energy requirements, body composition and obesity. Her latest study reviewed health publications over the past decade, looking specifically for differences between clinical animal research and human studies in the context of rising obesity rates.

“Obesity is now the most prevalent chronic condition in high-income nations and is rapidly rising in low- and middle-income countries as well,” says Dr. Purcell. “Addressing this complex epidemic requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying drivers of energy balance, specifically the difference between dietary intake and energy expenditure.”

Understanding the interplay between these factors is key to developing effective ways to prevent and manage obesity and its associated health issues, she adds. The goal of this paper was to discover publication deficits, knowledge gaps and research funding priorities needed to support global efforts in reducing obesity and related health conditions.

Published recently in Nutrition and Health, the study shows how the science behind obesity research is evolving and that published research using animal models is growing more than twice as fast as human research.

For this study, the researchers reviewed preclinical papers involving people and animals for clinical or biomedical purposes related to energy expenditure and dietary intake, Dr. Purcell explains. This included interventions, longitudinal data, case studies and mathematical modelling.

Co-authored by doctoral student Sarah Craven, the study analyzed some 7,600 peer-reviewed articles published over the past 10 years. More than 4,100 studies focused on animal models and 3,462 on human research. Overall, the number of publications increased each year, with animal research growing by more than 10 per cent and human research at about four per cent.

“Animal studies are growing much faster than human studies, suggesting researchers are increasingly relying on animal models to study metabolism and energy use,” says Craven. “While animal studies are still essential for uncovering insights that cannot be easily studied in humans, some aspects of energy balance research may be better addressed in human studies.”

The slower rate of human research reflects the higher costs, complexity and ethical constraints involved, she suggests.

While it is encouraging that research on energy expenditure and dietary intake has grown, which shows scientific interest in the issue of rising obesity rates, Dr. Purcell says it’s disconcerting that the human studies aren’t keeping pace with animal studies.

“Obesity rates keep rising, and effective prevention and treatment depend on accurately understanding the balance between energy expenditure and dietary intake,” she says. “But we have demonstrated where the gaps are in this field and that human research is lagging. The result could mean that it takes longer to translate those discoveries into real-world nutrition guidance, clinical care and public health policy.”

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The Coquihalla highway was severely damaged after an historic atmospheric river in November 2021. UBCO engineers have created a bridge screening index to help decision-makers prioritize bridge inspection and maintenance schedules. Photo courtesy of BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

The combination of extreme weather conditions, like atmospheric rivers, and aging infrastructure is putting increasing pressures on Canadian highways, bridges and tunnels—many of which are almost 100 years old.

UBC Okanagan researchers caution that these systems are facing hazards they weren’t considered in their original design, and this increases their vulnerability to failure. This growing strain is putting significant pressure on local governments, which must secure funding to upgrade and maintain these critical transportation networks, says UBC Okanagan School of Engineering postdoctoral researcher Dr. Alaa Al Hawarneh.

He is the lead author of a recently published paper in Automation in Construction that gives crews guidelines for spotting wear or climate-related damage on bridges and roads. The study also introduces a data-driven decision-support framework that helps agencies systematically prioritize infrastructure interventions under limited budgets.

“Engineers today are increasingly concerned about extreme climate-driven hazards,” says Dr. Al Hawarneh, who works with UBCO’s Applied Lab for Advanced Materials. “Climate change is steadily raising average temperatures and sea levels, which in turn intensifies hydrological processes such as extreme rainfall, flooding and severe storms.”

He points to the November 2021 atmospheric river, which caused bridges to collapse, highways to washout and major routes to close—cutting off BC’s lower mainland from the rest of Canada.

While climate change is part of the problem, Dr. Al Hawarneh notes that Canada’s aging infrastructure compounds the issue because many structures are approaching or exceeding their intended lifespan.

“More than 40 per cent of highway bridges in Canada and nearly half the tunnels owned by rural municipalities were constructed before 1940, meaning they were not designed for current traffic demands or evolving climate conditions. Half of these structures are rated between very poor and fair condition.”

Dr. Al Hawarneh also says many governments have limited funding for maintenance and repairs, and the estimated cost across Canada could reach hundreds of billions of dollars.

Most deterioration occurs gradually through corrosion, fatigue or repeated use, and regular inspections usually catch problems long before they pose a safety concern. However, because resources are limited, transportation agencies must determine which bridges should be repaired first, balancing cost with safety, performance and wider socio-economic impacts.

“Our approach helps agencies screen and rank bridges efficiently without detailed structural analyses, which are often costly and impractical during the early stages of infrastructure planning. Instead, the framework relies on readily available inspection and operational data to support rapid and informed decision-making.”

He notes that while all provinces have regular highway and bridge inspection schedules, supported by manuals and regulations, this research adds a broader framework that also weighs traffic demand, economic impact and community disruption to help prioritize repairs.

“Our research contributes to the next step of the process. Inspection manuals tell engineers the condition of each bridge, but governments must still decide which bridges should be repaired first when budgets are limited,” explains Dr. Al Hawarneh. “Our research helps them make transparent, data-informed decisions to prioritize inspections and repairs.”

The team developed a bridge screening index using structural, operational and community factors, such as daily traffic, detour time and length, accident risk and the potential economic or social impacts of disruption. They combined these factors into a simplified mathematical expression with weighted indicators, allowing each bridge to be assigned a single score that reflects its overall priority for maintenance or rehabilitation.

Using a ranking system, the team found that not all evaluation criteria contribute equally to maintenance decisions. Out of 21 potential indicators, they identified 11 factors as truly significant for prioritizing bridges. Structural condition emerged as the most influential parameter, followed by user-related impacts such as delay cost, fuel consumption and the cost of potential detour-related accidents.

This means that decisions are not based on engineering conditions alone, but also on how bridge deterioration affects the public and the economy.

A total of 10,000 simulations were conducted across seven scenarios to test different “what-if” situations to show how changing priorities can affect which bridges are ranked most critical. This helps decision-makers see how sensitive the results are to different policy choices, explains Dr. Shahria Alam, Director of UBC Okanagan’s Green Construction Research and Training Centre.

“Overall, the research advances bridge management practices by introducing a robust and scalable decision-support tool,” says Dr. Alam. “While it has its limits—such as dataset size and the exclusion of time-dependent deterioration—it provides a strong foundation for future enhancements, including the integration of larger datasets into the model and the use of emerging tools like artificial intelligence to better prioritize infrastructure.”

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Researchers say exercising for a few extra minutes makes more of a difference than intensity when it comes to controlling blood sugar levels for those living with Type 2 diabetes.

A recent study from UBC Okanagan suggests that results depend less on how you exercise and more on how long you keep moving—especially for people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (T2D)

Researchers found that longer exercise sessions—especially early in an exercise program—were the strongest predictor of improvements in blood sugar control among inactive adults who were newly diagnosed with T2D.

Dr. Jonathan Little, a professor in UBCO’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, says the findings come from a follow-up analysis of data from the MOTIVATE T2D trial. The 26-week personalized exercise program tracked 58 adults who wore fitness watches, allowing researchers to analyze their exercise behaviours in real time.

“We saw a clear signal that exercise duration stood out above all other factors,” says Dr. Little. “People who spent more time exercising during each session, regardless of the type or intensity, experienced bigger improvements in blood sugar levels.”

The participants had their blood tested and blood sugar monitored before and after the intervention. Using data from fitness watches, the researchers tracked the exercise duration, volume, frequency and consistency during the 26 weeks.

The analysis was broken down into two phases. In the first 13 weeks, participants received significant coaching support. During the final 13 weeks, coaching support was reduced.

Dr. Jonathan Low, who completed the study for his doctoral studies at UBCO, says the main takeaway is that duration matters most—especially in the first few weeks. He also says neither exercise intensity nor type, whether it was aerobic or strength training, independently predicted blood sugar outcomes.

“This tells us that helping people build longer exercise sessions early on may set the foundation for lasting metabolic benefits,” says Dr. Low. “Duration appears to be a more stable and sustainable behaviour, especially for people learning to adjust to life with T2D.”

To put the findings into practical terms, the researchers found that each minute added to an average exercise session was linked to a measurable drop in glycated hemoglobin, a key marker of long-term blood sugar control.

“Extending an average workout from 30 to 45 minutes was linked to about 0.3 per cent reduction in glycated hemoglobin,” explains Dr. Little. “That may seem small, but over multiple sessions each week, it could make a meaningful clinical difference. It can also add to the benefits of other lifestyle changes and medical treatments.”

Dr. Kaja Falkenhain, a former UBCO doctoral student now at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was a key collaborator on this work. She says exercise is a cornerstone of managing T2D, and is known to improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular health and metabolic function.

“However, advice on what matters most in an exercise prescription—duration, intensity, frequency or volume—has been inconsistent,” she says. “This study helps demystify that question,” she adds. “For people newly diagnosed with T2D, encouraging longer, manageable workouts may be one of the most effective and realistic strategies to improve blood sugar control.”

The study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, highlights that early support can help people change their exercise habits.

While the study was not originally designed to test these exact ideas, Dr. Little notes that the results still show that exercise—especially longer sessions—matters.

“Of all the different types of exercise variables we explored, workout time seems to matter more for lowering glucose than exercise type, intensity, calories burned or frequency,” he adds. “So, find something you like and do it for as long as you can.”

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By using high-resolution sensors on a tree’s stems and time-lapse photography, UBC Okanagan researchers can watch for the visual clues some trees present when water stressed.

With the arrival of spring a few weeks ago, new buds and colours on the trees started to appear.

Along with that new growth, a UBC Okanagan researcher has determined that some trees in spring also provide simple, visual clues—raised or lowered branches—to indicate that they are rehydrating or water-stressed.

Dr. Magali Nehemy studies forest hydrology with UBCO’s Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. Her latest paper, published in Hydrological Processes, examined how tree branches shift as they start to rehydrate when winter ends.

“Spring rehydration is one of the key transitions in forest ecosystems,” says Dr. Nehemy. “It marks the moment when trees begin to restore internal water reserves and prepare for the growing season.”

Using high-resolution sensors on the tree’s stems and time-lapse photography, the researchers recorded branch movements of balsam fir while the trees rehydrated during snowmelt and rainfall events. During drier periods, the branches gradually drooped downward, indicating a deficit in the tree’s water.

The study took place from early March to mid-May on a grove of balsam fir in Ontario’s Muskoka region. Using sensors, the researchers took stem radius measurements every 15 minutes. This data reveals cycles of contraction and expansion related to water loss and replenishment within the tree. At the same time, images captured by time-lapse cameras showed subtle but consistent changes in branch positions. The two signals closely tracked each other, she says.

“When the stems expanded—indicating rehydration—branches lifted. When water stress increased, branches drooped.”

As climate change impacts the amount and timing of snowmelt and water availability in northern forests, understanding these plant–water interactions is becoming increasingly important. Simple processes visible to the naked eye—such as whether branches are lifting or drooping—may offer another window into how forests respond to changing environmental conditions, she explains.

“Interestingly, freeze–thaw cycles on cold spring nights caused sharp changes in stem size but had little effect on branch orientation,” she adds. “This suggests that branch posture reflects longer-term water status rather than short-term temperature fluctuations.”

The findings also raise questions about how different species respond. In the same forest, nearby deciduous trees without leaves showed little or no branch movement, while evergreen conifers showed clear posture changes.

The idea that plants move in response to their environment has fascinated scientists for centuries, dating back to Charles Darwin’s studies of plant movement in the 19th century. Yet many aspects of these movements remain poorly understood.

“Branch movement is not a replacement for scientific instruments such as dendrometers or plant water sensors,” says Dr. Nehemy. “But it could offer a visual, low-cost indicator of tree hydration, and this is especially useful for field observations or ecosystem monitoring.”

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Dr. Leanne ten Brinke’s research focuses on dark personality traits. She has just published a book providing guidelines on how to live and work with “poisonous people”.

Most people know someone like this: a friend who suddenly turns on you, a co-worker who smiles while undermining your work or a romantic partner who seemed so perfect until it all went sour.

While there are many words for such people, including bully, bad apple or simply difficult, personality researchers call them “dark tetrad”—people with narcissistic, psychopathic, sadistic or Machiavellian tendencies.

Dr. Leanne ten Brinke is an associate professor of psychology at UBC Okanagan and directs the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences‘ Truth and Trust Lab. Her research focuses on psychopathic personality traits. She calls people high in dark tetrad traits “poisonous people” because they can have a broad, harmful influence on those around them. She recently published a book, Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life.

She discusses the science behind the book, why recognizing dark personality traits matters, and how to lessen their influence.

What led you to this type of research?

I grew up in the small town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. One day, my high school sociology teacher played a Nature of Things documentary on psychopathy, and I was immediately fascinated. I went to Dalhousie University in Halifax for my undergraduate degree. There, I volunteered at the Halifax Parole Office and attended weekly treatment sessions for sexual offenders in the community.

It was during one of those sessions that a parolee threatened me, implying that I might be next on his list of victims. That interaction turned out to be pretty pivotal in my career—I decided I would study psychopathic personalities, but not treat them. So, I later pursued a doctoral degree in experimental, not clinical, psychology. I’ve studied deception, dominance and dark personalities ever since.

Can you describe the red flags of a dark personality?

The dark tetrad of traits share a core of callousness, manipulation and antagonism. In other words, they tend to be hostile to other people.

Each trait has unique qualities, too. Psychopathy also involves impulsivity and rule-breaking behaviour. Machiavellianism is more strategic. They tend to use manipulation in pursuit of power. Narcissism involves grandiosity and entitlement, while sadism involves experiencing joy from others’ pain.

Our ability to understand someone’s personality tends to improve the more that we interact with them, but there can be early red flags. For example, highly narcissistic people are more likely to talk about themselves and be overly concerned with their appearance. Highly psychopathic personalities may use hostile or angry language while smiling, or be weirdly calm when others would show signs of stress.

It’s helpful to be aware of red flags, but also to treat your impression of their personality as a running theory that you can update with more evidence.

If someone has dark personality traits, can they change?

Common wisdom is that these traits—and personality, in general—are set in stone, but research in prison settings shows that people with clinical levels of psychopathy are less likely to re-offend after release if they take part in treatment.

In less extreme cases, taking on agreeableness challenges consistently over the course of 16 weeks can also reduce dark traits. Those challenges might include sending an encouraging text to a friend, listing three things you’re grateful for, or trying to take someone else’s perspective in an argument.

Consistency and follow-through are key. Change is slow, but we can all learn to turn down the dial on our dark traits if we commit to it.

How can someone cope with a poisonous boss, friend or co-worker?

When people with dark personalities become part of our workplaces, friend groups or families, they can have a poisonous effect. People with these traits are more likely to bully subordinates at work, leading to high stress and turnover. They are more likely to cheat on their romantic partners and tend to think that gaslighting in relationships is acceptable. In political contexts, candidates with these traits hurl more insults and increase polarization. In this way, one bad apple really can spoil the bunch.

To cope, put explicit rules in place about what behaviour is permitted and what is not. Setting boundaries doesn’t guarantee good behaviour, but research finds that people with psychopathic traits are less likely to break clear rules than the fuzzy ones we don’t write down or enforce. And when rules are broken, rewards can work better than punishment for shaping the behaviour of someone with psychopathy.

One other practical tip is to negotiate with a dark personality over text or email instead of face-to-face. Dark personalities lose some of their power of persuasion when reduced to written words on a page.

Of course, leaving safely may also be a wise option.

Is it possible to take back the power and control?

Absolutely. Dark personalities can seem confident and strong—qualities that align with our stereotypes of leadership. But research shows that narcissism, callousness and manipulation in leadership actually decrease performance. If we can learn to correct our false assumptions about what it takes to be a leader, we can reduce the damage caused by having dark personalities in power.

Another underrated aspect of taking back power is a simple mindset shift. A few bad apples can make us cynical about human nature as a whole, but the vast majority of people do not score particularly high on these traits. Don’t let a malevolent few distract you from the power of a benevolent majority.

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UBCO researcher Dr. Jian Liu is focused on designing, building and testing better batteries, ones with increased lifespan, improved safety and a low purchase cost.

Two UBC Okanagan research projects were awarded a combined $4.15 million in infrastructure funding today as part of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Innovation Fund.

Funded projects include pursuing the development of better, cleaner battery technology in a new, state-of-the-art on-campus facility and the revitalization of endangered Indigenous languages and cultures through a series of resource hubs embedded in regional Indigenous communities.

The Innovation Fund is a grant program that supports large-scale, team-based research projects that require cutting-edge infrastructure to help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation. Funds support researchers in addressing global challenges and making meaningful contributions to the social, health, environmental and economic aspects of life in Canada.

The announcement marks the first time UBCO has been awarded funding through the Innovation Fund, a sign of the university’s continuing research growth and expanding expertise, says Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation.

“I am delighted to see our researchers and their teams recognized for their knowledge, drive and ongoing contributions to such important and impactful areas,” says Dr. Currie. “The urgency for cleaner, more efficient, affordable energy has never been more evident, nor has the need to safeguard endangered languages and cultures that are a prominent part of our region’s history. We are grateful to the CFI for this vote of confidence and look forward to establishing ourselves as leaders in these fields as we continue to make impactful contributions to benefit Canada and the world.”

Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced the funds today at the Université de Sherbrooke as part of more than $552 million in support for Canadian research infrastructure through the Innovation Fund.

A total of 14 projects across UBC were awarded funding.

Dr. Jeannette Armstrong is partnering with scholars, Indigenous educators and community members to help ensure BC’s 34 unique Indigenous languages survive.

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A new UBCO study proves that prescribed exercises to help prevent falls and injuries among older adults are well worth the cost and have strong returns on investment.

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and hospitalization among older adults, placing significant strain on individuals, families and the health-care system.

And new research by UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Jennifer Davis shows that money spent to prevent additional falls and avoid significant injuries among older adults at high risk of future falls yields a strong return on the dollar.

Dr. Davis is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Applied Health Economics and an associate professor in UBCO’s Faculty of Management. She conducts economic evaluations alongside randomized controlled trials, comparing cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses in a variety of clinical settings that include falls, cognition and chronic conditions.

Her latest study, recently published in Maturitas, reports on a 12‑month cost‑analysis of the Falls Prevention Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital. The study demonstrated that every dollar invested in the clinic yielded substantial financial and health returns.

“By preventing falls before additional injuries or fractures occur in older adults who have a history of falls, the Falls Prevention Clinic not only improves quality of life but also reduces costly emergency visits, hospital stays and long-term care admissions,” explains Dr. Davis.

The referral-based, research-driven clinic specializes in preventing falls and fractures among adults aged 65 and older. Most patients have a significant history of falls, and by the time they visit the clinic they have experienced, on average, three falls in the past 12 months.

The clinic provides falls risk assessments and personalized exercise programs proven to reduce additional falls in these adults. Specifically, the exercise program includes progressive strength and balance exercises delivered by a physiotherapist.

The clinic’s goal, Dr. Davis explains, is to keep those with mobility challenges, frailty or multiple chronic conditions independent for as long as possible and maintain their health and quality of life as they age.

“Measuring the financial return of a geriatrician-based care model that includes physiotherapist-led exercise prescriptions shows that this program is both clinically and financially effective. It prevented falls by 36 per cent, providing significant cost savings to the health-care system. The return on investment for this is transformational, ranging from about 500 to 2,700 per cent,” says Dr. Davis.

In 2020, the clinic generated an estimated $956,288 in annual health-care savings. During one year, the clinic provided 543 patient visits, including 240 new assessments. And the cost for a physiotherapist’s salary to support the clinic is $103,000.

“This is a compelling example of how modest, evidence-based changes in existing care pathways can result in significant health and economic gains,” she adds.

Achieving such a strong benefit–cost ratio shows why investing in prevention matters, particularly in an economic climate where resources are more constrained than ever. Providing prescribed exercises and physiotherapy visits for people at risk of falls and injury is a practical, effective and cost-effective approach for Canada’s health-care system, she adds.

“This finding is pivotal because our health-care system already has a geriatrician-based care model. Adding physiotherapist-led exercise prescriptions is a simple change that provides substantial benefits and saves health-care dollars. The bottom line is that a minimal investment to support physiotherapists delivering exercise can lead to extensive gains.”

The research adds to growing evidence that prevention-focused care can make a meaningful difference—an idea at the centre of Embrace Aging Month programming in the Okanagan. UBCO’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention has a variety of events and workshops planned, including a Zoom presentation on fall prevention on March 17.

To learn more about this clinic, or other Embrace Aging Month events, visit: www.okanaganembraceaging.com

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The annual Labour Lecture at UBCO will examine how the agriculture industry aims to protect workers who are exposed to toxic pesticide exposure, hotter temperatures and growing political hostility toward immigration.

What: Open discussion about agriculture, pesticides and climate change
Who: Dr. Anelyse Weiler, University of Victoria
When: Thursday, March 12, 6 to 8 pm
Where: EME 2111, Engineering, Management and Education building, 1137 Alumni Avenue

UBC Okanagan and the North Okanagan Labour Council are hosting a public talk Thursday that will highlight the concerns agricultural workers are facing in a time of pesticide exposure and extreme climate-related heat.

The talk is the keynote presentation in this year’s UBCO Labour Lecture, organized by Dr. Luis L.M. Aguiar, Professor of Sociology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The speaker will be Dr. Anelyse Weiler, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Victoria.

Dr. Weiler’s research examines struggles for workers’ rights, dignified global migration and environmental sustainability. The talk will explore how, despite harsh conditions, labour movements have built the power of working-class people and strengthened workplace safety laws.

Dr. Aguiar notes that North American agricultural workers are facing not only toxic pesticide exposure but also hotter temperatures and growing political hostility toward immigration.

“Globally, farming has become more chemically dependent than ever,” he says. “This event will bring into focus an important issue. We will discover what workers think of our changing climate and their ideas on how to mitigate its impact on the industry and their working experience.”

The annual Labour Lecture is funded by the North Okanagan Labour Council, UBCO’s Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, Department of History and Sociology and Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies.

The March 12 event is free and open to the public. It takes place in UBCO’s Engineering, Management and Education building and starts at 6 pm.

For more information, visit: events.ok.ubc.ca/event/annual-labour-lecture-dr-anelyse-weiler

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Artist Nina Vroemen is teaming up with Dr. Julian Self for the first FEELed Lab residency, where the pair will work on an interdisciplinary research and storytelling project.

A new research lab, tucked into the heart of Kelowna’s Woodhaven Nature Conservancy, will explore creative and scientific collaborations and push possibilities in both research areas.

The FEELed Lab, UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies’ newest research centre, is located at the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre. This spring, it is piloting an Artist-and-Scientist-in-Residence program that brings artists and scientists together to collaborate in a shared space.

The FEELed Lab is a feminist environmental humanities field research facility that brings together students, researchers and community members interested in environmental and sustainability issues from feminist, queer, anti-colonial and disability justice perspectives. FEELed is a play on words for the field work undertaken in this research facility.

The residency will explore environmental and climate justice questions, and bring artists and scientists together to learn from each other and try new ideas. Participants will look at how creativity and scientific research can overlap, explains Astrida Neimanis, Director of the FEELed Lab and Canada Research Chair in Feminist Environmental Humanities at UBC Okanagan.

“I am often struck by the fact that for both artists and scientists, the work emerges from the same place: care for and curiosity about the world,” she says. “But in contemporary universities, art is often treated as the polar opposite of science.”

Artist Nina Vroemen and scientist Dr. Julian Self are teaming up for the first residency to work on an interdisciplinary research and storytelling project. Vroemen uses ceramics and glaze chemistry to explore the ecological and cultural stories that materials carry, while Self studies material science, observing how salts dissolve, crystallize and transform in different environments.

The collaboration is driven by a curiosity about how substances reveal themselves and interact over time, and how watching these processes can create both scientific knowledge and an ecological story, explains Vroemen.

“Together, we explore how artistic and scientific approaches illuminate material processes and the stories they carry, creating a space for dialogue across disciplines,” she adds.

Vroemen and Self will spend 10 days next month in the Okanagan conducting fieldwork and working with students and faculty at the FEELed Lab. They will use Woodhaven’s art studio for storyboarding, writing, research, and to compare their artistic and scientific processes.

“We are excited for this opportunity to share our passions and methods with each other, hopefully creating something more impactful than either could accomplish on our own,” says Neimanis. “In this time of climate catastrophe and political crisis, we need all hands on deck.”

The residency will culminate with an installation featuring printed images, sketches, notes, research papers, diagrams and evolving storyboards.

On March 9, between 2 and 4 pm, the public is invited to the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre for an open studio and workshop to learn more about this residency.

For more information, visit: thefeeledlab.ca/the-woodhaven-feeled-lab-artist-and-scientist-in-residence-asir-2

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