Evoking the famous Kenny Rogers song, a new study by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Stan Floresco took a closer look at the sections of the brain that decide when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, walk away, or alternatively, risk going all in. The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, used animal models to identify which segments of the brain’s prefrontal cortex help make decisions that may offer a reward but require some level of risk or uncertainty.
On an average day in many kindergarten classrooms, you might see toys thrown through the air, one child push another and tears. This kind of misbehaviour not only impedes learning, it can cause a lot of stress among teachers and students.
We sit a lot. On average, Canadians are sedentary for more than eight hours per day, according to Statistics Canada1. This can lead to health problems down the line. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, Dr. Kenneth Madden, shares what you can do to safeguard yourself against the sitting scourge.
While rare, childhood cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death among Canadian children1, and affects approximately 1,000 children under the age of 15 each year2. Translational cancer research being conducted at the Vancouver Prostate Centre is investigating a therapy for childhood solid tumours that combines a proven immune system engaging molecule and a protein derived from the malaria parasite.
Walking the halls of the emergency department as a cardiology fellow, Dr. Christopher Fordyce saw how some cardiac arrest patients waited longer than others to receive an essential cooling treatment. It occurred to Fordyce, who is now a cardiologist at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, that the varying times before a cooling treatment was administered might impact patients’ health outcomes.
When patients are discharged from hospital, it’s hoped their recovery will continue with the help of medical providers in their communities. Unfortunately, when complications arise, some patients end up back in the emergency department. BC has one of the highest readmission rates in Canada. Now, a virtual care platform aims to reduce unnecessary readmissions by providing answers to patient’s health concerns through two-way texting.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Research Challenge for point-of-care nursing and allied health staff is designed to support point-of-care staff who do not have research experience. The Research Challenge is run in partnership with VCH Professional Practice and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
We encourage VCH staff members to consider a practice area that might be improved and create a research project to discover how best to improve it.
One in seven Canadian men will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer at some point during their lifetimes. A protein bioengineering core of specialists and equipment being established at the Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC) could open the door to new treatment avenues for men with the deadliest forms of the disease.
