A stunning 30 per cent of health care spending in Canada may be wasted on services that are either ineffective or harmful.  That’s the conclusion of many health care analysts. The solution?  A better understanding of human psychology. This unique approach is at the core of the upcoming annual public lecture at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (C2E2). The feature speaker is Steven Lewis, a health policy analyst and consultant. 

Can keeping up with your walking regimen protect your brain from the effects of aging? Dr. John Best, a researcher with Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and his colleagues found good evidence that maintaining a walking routine can have protective effects on the physical structures and functionality of the brain.

Wearable fitness trackers are great motivators to meet fitness goals—but they don’t work the same for everyone. The people most in need of motivation—patients with chronic disease that can be improved with exercise—have different needs from fitness devices than healthy people. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) research scientist Dr. Linda Li is figuring out how to reap the benefits of fitness trackers while overcoming their limitations. She tested the Fitbit wearable with a variety of arthritis patients and conducted focus groups on their experience.

While campfires have been banned across BC this summer, many are unaware of the significant risk of burns from BBQs and other sources. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) research scientist and plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Papp wants people to become more aware of a dangerous type of burn called accelerant burns. These burns are caused when using products like gasoline, propane, or butane to start BBQs and bonfires, burn garbage and even manufacture drugs. 

Needle phobia is very real for many people, and the thought of immunizations, or having blood drawn, can send them into a panic. But for transgender (trans) males, that is, individuals who were born considered female but self-identify on the male spectrum, regular injections of testosterone deep into muscle are a necessary pain as part of gender affirming therapy. 

Aside from being a good form of physical exercise, outdoor activities like hiking come with additional benefits from decreased stress levels to improved health and relaxation. However, physical impairments from conditions such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and stroke can prevent some people from taking advantage of Canada’s many wilderness trails. This is why a team of researchers, led by Ben Mortenson of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), examined a longstanding program that helps people with disabilities go on hikes. 

It’s now common practice for politicians, corporate leaders, and legal authorities to use Twitter to share information and anecdotes with the public. Though social media offers speed and access to wider audiences, with it also comes the pitfalls of potentially sharing information that may not be appropriate for the public realm. 

The immortal cell line of Henrietta Lacks, known as HeLa, has had innumerable applications in medical research, from developing a vaccine for polio to new cancer treatments. However, these advances came at an ethical cost, as consent for conducting research on Lacks’ cervical cancer cells was not obtained when her tissue sample was taken in 1951. 

Flash forward to today, and much has changed in ethics research. Groups like BC’s Ovarian Cancer Research Team (OVCARE) are collecting tissue samples to make innovative discoveries, but with the full knowledge and consent of patients. 

This May, the Government of Canada released a “Federal Action on Opioids” plan, part of a push to reduce the unnecessary use of prescription painkillers and combat the growing fentanyl and carfentanil crisis. ICORD researcher Dr. John Kramer has been watching these developments closely, as his latest research may provide inroads for new pain reduction interventions.  

Air pollution is the third most important risk factor for global mortality. “It’s a massive problem,” says Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Chris Carlsten. Dr. Carlsten has just completed a review of the latest research linking air pollution from traffic to allergic respiratory disease. The review found allergic disease is on the rise in many regions of the world, particularly in Asia, where traffic pollution is most severe. And the new reality of climate change is making things worse.