Newsletter

The newsletter, distributed quaterly, highlights opportunities, initiatives, events, and success stories within the Social Exposome Cluster (SEC). We are always looking for additional content, so feel free to email Ruanne at ruanne.vent-schmidt@bcchr.ca if you have any announcements that you would like included.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Virtual SEC Trainee Research Day is happening on November 3, 2020. 

Click here to learn more, submit your abstract, and register

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Dr. Nadine Provençal!

SEC faculty member Dr. Nadine Provençal, is named to the 2020-2022 cohort of CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars.

Dr. Nadine Provençal’s research will examine how social stress “gets under the skin” to change children’s brain and behaviour development.

Read more here

Congratulations to Dr. Sophia Frangou!

Dr. Sophia Frangou, faculty member of SEC, was awarded the Society of Biological Psychiatry 2020 Honorific Award.

Dr. Frangou was awarded the Educator Award, which is made to recognize the need for educational excellence, innovation, scholarship, and engagement in teaching biological psychiatry. 

Read more here

IN THE NEWS

Mental health impact of coronavirus pandemic hits marginalized groups hardest

SEC researchers Drs. Emily Jenkins and Anne Gadermann's Op-Ed in The Conversation was published in The Vancouver Sun.

"The mental health consequences of COVID-19 can be described as the 'fourth wave' of the pandemic, and are projected to result in the greatest and most enduring health footprint."

Read more here

The long-term biological effects of COVID-19 stress on kids’ future health and development

"SEC researchers Drs. Michael Kobor, Candice Odgers, Kim Schmidt and Ruanne Vent-Schmidt published an Op-Ed in The Conversation."

One fortunate aspect of COVID-19 is that children have been less directly affected by the disease. But despite the relatively low incidence of severe illness in children, the response to the pandemic may have long-term adverse effects on the health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Read more here

Paris Beehives Trace Notre-Dame's Toxic Fallout

SEC researchers Kate Smith and Dr. Dominique Weis's study was highlighted in The New York Times.

"Bees can act as tiny pollution detectors, say researchers, who found higher but still safe lead levels in honey gathered downwind of the cathedral."

Read more here

The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of families and children

SEC researchers Drs. Anne Gadermann, Kimberly Thomson, Ruanne Vent-Schmidt and Emily Jenkins wrote an Op-Ed for The Canadian Science Policy Centre.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused intense anxiety and stress resulting in profound mental health consequences. Being described as the 'Fourth Wave' of the pandemic, these mental health consequences are expected to result in significant health and social costs."

Read more here

As the planet gets warmer, are Canadian cities ready to face the heat?

CBc's What on Earth host Laura Lynch talks to SEC researcher Dr. Sarah Henderson, who explains that "socioeconomic status and access to green space are big factors in whether you might die in a heat wave."

Read more here

Long-term biological effects of COVID-19 stress and kids' health 

SEC lead Dr. Michael Kobor has been working hard to talk about the long-term biological effects of COVID-19 stress on kids’ future health and development to the public.

 

TRAINEES' CORNER

Congratulations Dr. Maria Aristizabal!

Former SEC trainee Dr. Maria Aristizabl was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia working with Dr. Michael Kobor and the University of Toronto working with Dr. Marla Sokolowski. She started a position as an assistant professor at Queen's University in August 2020. Dr. Aristizabal was an integral part of SEC and she served on the Trainee Steering Committee. Dr. Aristizabal will continue to stay in the SEC as an affiliate member.

Read more about Dr. Aristizabal's research here

Call for SEC Trainee Steering Commitee Member 

With the departure of Dr. Maria Aristizabal, the SEC Trainee Steering Committee is looking for a new member. Members of the SEC Trainee Steering Committee have the opportunity to network with experts in this broad field, be a part of cutting edge research, and expand their knowledge on the impact of the social exposome. If you would like to volunteer, contact Kelsey at Kelsey.Cochrane@ubc.ca.

Interested? Click here for more details

UPCOMING EVENTS

SEC Virtual Research Seminar 

Join us for a virtual research seminar! We are honoured to welcome Dr. Sophia Frangou who will be talking about non-genetic influences on brain organization in children and during adolescence and Dr.Tomas Paus who will be discussing about geomapping as a means for modeling exposures relevant to psychopathology. Save the date in your calendars and more information will be available closer to the date.

Date and time: Oct 29, 2020 from 11am-12pm.