February 19, 2015
Public Health and Urban Nutrition Research Group awarded CIHR grant to work with Vancouver’s Food Banks
Feb 19, 2015
In February 2015, a research team lead by Jennifer Black was awarded $200,000 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Population Health Intervention Research funding program for a project titled: “Evaluating the Impact of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society’s Food Hub Programs on Dietary Intake and Food Security“.
This project brings together diverse researchers from the University of British Columbia (Jennifer Black, Nathan Lauster and Gail Hammond) and Simon Fraser University (Scott Lear, Nadine Schuurman and Charles Goldsmith) who will work closely with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society (GVFBS) as they transform their delivery model. Having developed a food philosophy that will set nutritional standards for food banks, the GVFBS is currently implementing a ‘food hub’ program that will provide opportunities for members to select foods from a healthier array of offerings, and engage with diverse agencies who provide health promotion, nutrition education, and social service referrals. Through enhanced partnerships with local farmers and gardening programs, members are also able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at subsidized prices.
This project will involve trainees from the Public Health and Urban Nutrition Research group, including Ellie Holmes. Ellie, a registered dietitian pursuing a MSc in Human Nutrition at UBC, is helping to lead the development and analysis of key survey tools for this project.
The evaluation of this intervention will inform the transformation of the food banking system in Vancouver. In the long-term, findings will provide valuable insight about how food banks across Canada could leverage longstanding infrastructure and trusted community relationships to better meet broader health equity and community food security goals.
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February 12, 2015
In Memoriam: Hugh Daubeny
Feb 12, 2015
Alumnus Hugh Daubeny (BSc Ag ’53, MSc Ag ’55) passed away on January 2, 2015. After graduating from UBC, Hugh spent almost 40 years with Agriculture Canada in Agassiz, Vancouver, and Abbotsford, developing raspberry and strawberry cultivars; most notable are the Totem Strawberry and the Tulameen Raspberry, which have become the international standard for berry quality.
Hugh was awarded the Wilder Silver Medal for fruit breeding from the American Pomological Society, was a Friend of the UBC Botanical Garden, and regularly contributed articles to Seeds of Diversity Canada magazine and the newsletter of the Native Plant Society of B.C.
A celebration of life is planned for this Saturday, February 14th from 12:30 – 4:30 at UBC Botanical Garden.
With files from the Vancouver Sun obituary, January 10, 2015.
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February 4, 2015
Antibiotic-resistant E. coli detected on Vancouver farmers’ market produce
Feb 4, 2015
UBC researchers have detected antibiotic-resistant E. coli bacteria on lettuce from several Vancouver farmers’ markets.
Researchers collected samples from 14 vendors at five different, unidentified markets in Vancouver, and tested them for a range of different bacteria. Coliform bacteria was detected in 72 per cent of samples, of which 13 per cent harbored E. coli. Resistance to one or more antibiotics was detected in 97 per cent of the E. coli samples. One-fifth of the E. coli in the samples suggested fecal contamination.
Lead author of the study, Jayde Wood, a former master’s student in Food Science with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, stressed that all the samples fell within Health Canada guidelines. But she said the findings warrant further investigation. [read the full media release]
See also: Boiled Salad, Anyone?
Related stories in the media:
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February 2, 2015
Dan Weary Receives Killam Research Award
Feb 2, 2015
Dan Weary, Associate Dean Graduate Students, and Professor in Animal Welfare, has been awarded a UBC Killam Research Prize, recognizing outstanding research and scholarly contributions.
Prof. Weary was one of four recipients of the prize in the Applied Science, Sciences – Senior Category. Researchers are nominated by their peers, and the winners are selected by UBC’s Faculty Research Award Committee, which spans arts and humanities, business, education, applied science, science, and medicine.
This is Prof. Weary’s second Killam Prize; in 2014, he was awarded the Killam Teaching Prize in recognition of his outstanding teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The award reception will be held on Tuesday March 31, 2015 in the Glass Lobby of the Chan Centre.
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