Simran Gill
Supervisor: Dr. Christine Voss
Program of study: PhD in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences

What’s your research focus?
My research focuses on the physical activity behaviors of children living with type 1 diabetes in the Interior of BC. I have measured their activity levels using wearable devices and conducted interviews with children and families to understand the barriers that make it difficult to stay active, as well as the supports that help. With insights from these conversations and collaboration with individuals who have lived experience of T1D, I am developing a tailored intervention to help children integrate physical activity into their daily routines, which I will soon be putting into action.

Why did you come to UBC Okanagan to pursue your studies?
I moved to UBC Okanagan to work with Dr. Christine Voss because her research on physical activity behaviors in children resonated with my passion for promoting health in young people. Her expertise in wearable technology and commitment to understanding how these behaviors influence health outcomes align closely with my values.

What do you love about living in the Okanagan?
The Okanagan is so beautiful, and I feel very fortunate to live here. It’s a place where the natural beauty speaks for itself—between the lakes, mountains, and endless trails. There is always something to explore whether it’s going to a winery, spending time by the water or hiking. Most importantly, it’s the people who make it feel like home.

Where’s your favourite place in the world to visit? And why?
My favorite place in the world is Harrison Hot Springs. Growing up, my family would go there every year, and it brings back so many happy memories of time spent with loved ones. There’s something special about the peaceful atmosphere and the way it always felt like a little escape.

What’s your most frequently used emoji?
Heart emoji

Brain Canada has selected Dr. Ryan Hoiland as part of its fifth cohort of Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research. This year, $2.1 million in funding has been awarded to 21 promising early-career researchers, each receiving a $100,000 grant.

Brain Canada’s flagship program continues to drive innovative research that has the potential to transform our understanding of the central nervous system and its impact on our health. The new funding will support Dr. Hoiland’s research to better understand the pathophysiology of hypoxic ischemic brain injury following cardiac arrest.

“The project will couple high-frequency patient physiology data with proteomic analysis of tissue samples including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissue,” says Dr. Hoiland, assistant professor at UBC Okanagan and investigator with the Centre with Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. “We hope to determine the specific disease processes that are associated with brain injury due to low brain oxygen levels in humans.”

This program is made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund, an innovative arrangement with the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, and Brain Canada, and the Azrieli Foundation, as well as numerous major donors who believe that solving the brain’s mysteries will significantly improve the quality of life for people in Canada.

Nicole Ketter
Supervisor: Dr. Brodie Sakakibara
Program of study: Rehabilitation Sciences

What’s your research focus?
For my thesis, I investigated the prevention and self-management of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM), which is the diagnosis of two or more of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. We identified depression, poor vision, high blood pressure, chronic pain and mild activity limitations as new risk factors of 3-year CM onset. We also interviewed people with CM to learn about their experiences of managing multiple chronic conditions and how they self-managed their health.

Why did you come to UBC Okanagan to pursue your studies?
I did my undergrad at UBCO and loved the campus. I met Brodie during my BSc and worked in his lab for two years as a research assistant. I knew there would be no one better to do my MSc with, so I stuck around!

What do you love about living in the Okanagan?
Being able to experience distinct seasons that bring along all the best ways to get outside and play. And the mountains of course.

Where’s your favourite place in the world to visit? And why?
Somewhere with a beach! I’m torn between Melbourne Beach in Fl, Waimea Bay and Costa Azul Beach. The sun and saltwater combination can’t be beat.

What’s your most frequently used emoji?
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Ty Sideroff
Supervisor: Dr. Christine Voss
Program of study: Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences, MSc

What’s your research focus?
My work up to this point has focused on physical activity behaviours in children with diabetes. The effect of physical activity on health outcomes, specifically quality of life, in children is what I’m most interested in. Starting my MSc this spring, I’m looking to continue studying physical activity and quality of life in children and plan to expand my research to children with congenital heart disease.

Why did you come to UBC Okanagan to pursue your studies?
When I transferred to UBCO in 2021 to finish my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Kinetics, I was attracted to the idea of staying in the Okanagan, where I grew up. As an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to find a home as a research assistant in Dr. Voss’ Lab of the CCDPM. Beyond gaining research experience, I formed relationships with professors and trainees who have supported and continue to push me to reach my goals. This year it was an easy decision to stick around when the opportunity came to do an MSc with Dr. Voss at the CCDPM.

What do you love about living in the Okanagan?
I have loved growing up in the Okanagan because it provides endless opportunities to explore the outdoors. I ride my motorcycle every summer and snowboard every winter, but I still have so many trails left to find. I also appreciate the amazing people who live here and the opportunities they provide to get involved with the community, such as the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes that is happening on June 23, 2024!

Where’s your favourite place in the world to visit? And why?
My favourite place in the world to visit is my parents’ house in Summerland. Especially in the summer when my two older brothers are in town, it’s the best place to sit in the sun and enjoy mom’s home-cooked dinner with a bottle of Okanagan wine. I owe a lot to my family and it’s never a dull moment when we all get together.

What’s your most frequently used emoji?
The thumbs-up emoji is always my go-to

On April 24, the Centre for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Management and Centre for Health Behavior Change hosted the UBCO SCI Research Day, bringing together researchers, community members, and experts in spinal cord injury (SCI) from four different labs on the Okanagan Campus. The event was marked by a keynote speech from Paralympic champion Josh Dueck, who shared his personal journey and experiences.

The event also featured an insightful panel discussion with researchers, healthcare professionals, and individuals living with SCI and MS, who shared their diverse experiences with research. These discussions facilitated an exchange of ideas among researchers, practitioners, and community members.

Dr. Ryan Hoiland has been appointed Assistant Professor (tenure-track) with the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences (CPS) and Investigator with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM) effective July 1, 2024.

Dr. Hoiland completed his PhD and MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies with UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences where he was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal. His graduate training focused on the physiologic mechanisms that regulate and preserve oxygen delivery to the human brain in acute and chronic hypoxic settings. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Hoiland joined Vancouver General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit research team in 2019, and the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) in 2020.

Most recently, he has served as an Assistant Professor (grant tenure) with the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, Division of Critical Care Medicine. In his new role, Dr. Hoiland will lead a research program that simultaneously integrates basic and clinical research on acute brain injury and advances the research priorities of the CCDPM and the Department of CPS.

Local adults 19 to 65 years-old needed for new health study

A UBC Okanagan study is recruiting individuals from the Central Okanagan to support a new health research project.

UBC Okanagan Assistant Professor Dr. Sarah Purcell is exploring the feasibility and acceptability of weekly measures of resting metabolic rate (RMR) for 6 weeks using a portable indirect calorimeter.

Dr. Purcell, investigator with the UBC Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management says, “We hope to gain a deeper understanding of how repeated monitoring of RMR may be feasible for future randomized interventions.’”

Individuals that meet the following criteria are invited to apply:

• 19 to 65 years old
• A body mass index (BMI) above 18.5 Link to BMI calculator
• Able to read, write, and speak English
• Have access to mobile device (smartphone or tablet) with reliable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
• Live within the Central Okanagan. Travel to UBC Okanagan required

Participating in this study would involve two in-person visits (~3.5 hours/visit) to the UBC Okanagan campus for measurements of body composition, resting metabolic rate (“metabolism”) and health behaviour questionnaires. Participants will be provided a portable device for measuring RMR. Participants will be asked to use the device once a week for 6 consecutive weeks and answer an online survey. Each participant will receive an honorarium for their time.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the following pre-screening survey  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_55vpDk6Jwh4GuPQ

For more information or questions, contact Sarah Craven at sarah.craven@ubc.ca

Dr. Christopher West has been appointed the new Assistant Dean, Research (ADR) for the Southern Medical Program (SMP) for a one-year term. Dr. West is an Investigator with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management based at UBC Okanagan and an Associate Professor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences. Dr. West is also a member of the UBC ICORD (International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries Research Centre.

Dr. West earned a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Essex University followed by a MSc and PhD in Exercise Physiology at Brunel University. He then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) at UBC. Dr. West has previously been a Michael Smith Foundation Health Research Scholar and a Heart and Stroke National New Investigator who also served as an Assistant Professor with the UBC School of Kinesiology. Dr. West’s research explores the circuits controlling cardiovascular and autonomic function following spinal cord injury. His research laboratory relocated to the SMP and UBC Okanagan in 2018.

In his new role as ADR, Dr. West will oversee and support the operation of health research activities in the Interior Health region. He will liaise and work with all faculty members of SMP to set the strategic research direction, ensuring alignment with the Faculty of Medicine. Through collaborations with scientists and clinicians and in partnership with UBC Okanagan and Interior Health, Dr. West will support investigators to achieve their research goals, build research capacity, and facilitate undergraduate and graduate students in research.

The UBCO Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference continues to exceed expectations. Over 200 people attended the student-led conference which featured research and public health experiences from 68 students and represented six different faculties at UBC Okanagan.

“It was inspiring to be surrounded by such keen students both on the planning committee and all the conference participants,” says Richie Mageto, Southern Medical Program student and conference planning committee co-chair. “I’m certain that new connections that were made will only further the research culture here at UBCO.”

This year’s conference was the largest in its eleven years of history. Congratulations to the 2024 top presentations:

Digital Health and Technologies (poster)
Renata Kanerva: Opportunities and challenges parents may encounter when using a digital tool to access tangible social support

Child and Public Health (poster)
Dylan Nemes: Timeline Mapping Congenital Heart Disease

Clinical and Emergency Care (poster)
Belle Stokes: Colon Dopaminergic Response and Concurrent Behavioural Effects in Inflammatory Conditions

Community and Social Health (poster)
Madison Eagle: Discrimination of Chronic Pain: The Role of Patient Weight and Pain Origin

Health Policy and Advocacy (poster)
Haley Berrisford: Is quality participation related to decisions to re-enroll in an exercise program for people with disabilities?

Rural and Remote Health (poster)
Simran Gill: Active Steps: Feasibility of a virtual intervention to promote active lifestyles in children with type 1 diabetes living in rural and remote communities

Biomedicine and Pharmaceuticals (5 min oral presentation)
Keanna Spanggaard: Analysis of the Role of Palmitoyltransferase Genes in Neuronal Cell Death

Child and Public Health (5 min oral presentation)
Morgan Game and Hillary Shaba: Combating Food Insecurity at UBCO through the Community Meal Program with a Focus on Long-Term Viability

Clinical and Emergency Care (5 min oral presentation)
Sara Klick: Exploring stroke-related factors that modulate motor imagery-related brain activation

Community and Social Health (5 min oral presentation)
Negin Kazemian : Unraveling the interplay of gut microbiome, metabolites, and mucus in luminal cholesterol metabolism

Health Policy and Advocacy (5 min oral presentation)
Brandon Hayashi and Samara Reyes: Parental Perspectives On the Self-Injurious Behaviour Intensity Screening Assessment (SIBISA): A New Tool To Assess Self Injury In Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Rural and Digital Health (5 min oral presentation)
Kendra Corman: Evaluating the Social Network Typology of Adults 50 years and Older with Mental Health Concerns in Rural BC

“Audience Choice” (top 10-minute presentation)
Kennedy Wiens: Psilocin Inhibits Select Pro-Inflammatory Functions of Brain Immune Cells

The student organizers would like to acknowledge all of the presenters, adjudicators, and volunteers for making this year’s conference a great success.

“To see the outstanding caliber of students, presentations, and research in this superbly run volunteer student-led academic conference is more than I ever envisioned when planning the very first conference 12 years ago,” says Dr. Charlotte Jones, Professor of Medicine and Director of Student Research with the SMP.

To learn more about planning for the 2025 conference, contact ubco.ishc@ubc.ca.

Introduce yourself: who are you and what do you do?
Hi, I’m Liisa, I’m a PhD candidate in the Translational Integrative Physiology Lab. I’ve also taught anatomy, neuroanatomy, and histology to first- and second-year medical students at the Southern and Frasier Valley campuses of UBC medicine. I am also a kindergarten to grade 3 science teacher at the Balsam school and a wrestling coach.

What is CAME Rising Star award?
The Canadian Association for Medical Educators Rising Star Certificate of Excellence Award is an award given to a medical student, resident, and graduate student from every medical school for demonstrating passion and commitment to medical education. I have been fortunate enough to be nominated and win for UBC across all 4 campuses.

What about educating youth in medicine speaks to you?
I originally started teaching because I thought it was a great way to make myself learn neuroanatomy in great detail for my own work. While I certainly had to do that to be an effective teacher, I wound up being more excited when students would ask me questions, I didn’t know the answer to because it’s an opportunity to learn something new I had never considered before. This actually happens just as often when I teach kindergarteners as when I teach medical students!

What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?
I try to do my best at every task I am given, but for the effort to be noticed by your boss is always a good feeling! Dr. McCorquodale is an important role model in teaching and leadership for me. To be her nominee for this award is the highest honour to me. I am very proud to represent the CCDPM, SMP and UBC as both an educator and grad student.

What are your future aspirations?
I’d really like to finish my PhD! I think I will always do something that has to do with science communication and education, whether that be in academia, industry, or government.

WATCH CCDPM TRAINEE SPOTLIGHT VIDEO

Story and video by the CCDPM Trainee Engagement Committee.