Issues and Experts

Battling HIV/AIDS

Tue, 07 Jun 11 07:00:00 UT

Battling HIV/AIDS
Thirty years ago, when the world was just coming to grips with the first reported case of AIDS in North America, no one was seriously studying the disease or HIV, says Jamie Scott. The SFU professor of molecular biology and biochemistry says she didn’t start her work on finding a vaccine for HIV until about 1999. Scott can discuss where she is in her research now and her belief that HIV/AIDS will only be beat once scientists have nailed down a three-pronged attack on the virus and the disease. “A cure will only be achieved once we can detect latently HIV infected cells, stop viral replication in newly infected cells and administer a vaccine to prevent infection,” notes Scott.

Jamie Scott, 778.782.5658, jkscott@sfu.ca

Antimatter, AIDS, ebooks, new-music

Mon, 06 Jun 11 07:00:00 UT

Scientists hold atoms
SFU physics PhD student Mohammad Dehghani Ashkezari is part of the Canadian team working in CERN that has discovered a way to hold antimatter atoms for 1,000 seconds. This breakthrough allows scientists to study the antimatter atoms and solve some mysteries associated with The Big Bang. “According to our understanding of physics laws, the same amount of antimatter should have been created as matter when the universe was created,” said Ashkezari.” But there is no observation confirming the existence of large amounts and stable antimatter in the universe leaving scientists wondering what happened to the antimatter.” SFU physicist Mike Hayden also worked on the project.

Mohammad Dehghani Ashkezari, mda38@sfu.ca, +41.764.87.5524

(Note: Ashkezari is working at the CERN facility in Geneva, Switzerland, until 3 a.m. (PST), Tuesday. Time difference between Vancouver and Geneva is nine hours. Hayden is travelling and unable for comment.)

AIDS marks 30 years
Today marks the 30^th anniversary of the first reported AIDS case in the U.S. Back in 1981 John O’Neil, SFU’s dean of health sciences, was a graduate student in San Francisco. “Our seminars were often about this new disease that was a major issue in the gay community. San Francisco was at the epicenter of the emerging epidemic,” remembers O’Neil. He can discuss how the world’s view of AIDS has changed over the last 30 years and how he came to be an expert on the impact of HIV/AIDS on Canadian aboriginal communities.

John O’Neil, 778.782.5361, joneil@sfu.ca

e-books dominate sales
E-books have now outpaced their print counterparts for the first time. Amazon has for the past six weeks sold 105 e-books for every 100 printed books. While they’ve outsold hard covers previously it’s the first time they’ve exceeded sales of all books. SFU business instructor and stats researcher Nathaniel Payne can talk about the changes in the publishing marketplace.

Nathanial Payne, 778.892.0774; njpayne@sfu.ca

Musician-grad turns sirens to song
Hidden in alcoves and peering over balconies in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s four-storey rotunda, musicians in the Negative Zed Ensemble will perform new-music by three emerging B.C. composers tomorrow at 8 p.m. One of them is John O’Callaghan, an SFU Bachelor of Fine Arts student graduating this spring with a manuscript of major musical accomplishments under his arm. O’Callaghan can explain how his instrumental translation of sounds from sirens, truck horns and a busking saxophonist will help transform the gallery’s rotunda into a hauntingly ethereal chamber of music.

James O’Callaghan, 778.241.5208, jdo1@sfu.ca

SFU has Canuck fever

Wed, 01 Jun 11 07:00:00 UT

Surrey campus
Be part of the crowd in Surrey’s Central City outdoor plaza on game day. Watch the action from the viewing gallery that will be set up during all the Stanley Cup final games, starting Wednesday, June 1, 5 p.m. Wear your game day colours and be prepared to cheer!

The shopping centre and city of Surrey are partnering as official hosts of the games and are working with RCMP and security to provide the family friendly viewing areas. The site, fronting 102^nd Avenue (which will be closed 3 – 10 p.m. game days), will open at 4 p.m. in advance of the games with activities for the family, including face painting, a youth zone, arts and crafts and more.

Dedicated walkways to the shopping centre and SFU will be available during game times.

Marianne Meadahl, SFU PAMR, mhamilto@sfu.ca, 778.782.9017

Burnaby campus
Hockey fans can watch the Stanley Cup finals on the big screen at SFU’s Burnaby campus. Come cheer on your favourite team as the Vancouver Canucks take on the Boston Bruins. The public is invited to Burnaby Mountain for each game. Doors open at 4:15 pm. Limited seating.

More info: http://at.sfu.ca/lIMDwA

Dixon Tam, SFU PAMR, dixont@sfu.ca, 778.782.8742

Assessing B.C.’s new health plan

Wed, 25 May 11 07:00:00 UT

B.C.’s new health plan
A sweeping new health plan for B.C. that will target smoking, obesity and sedentary living is a step in the right direction, say health advocates. As part of the plan, as many as 50,000 individuals can receive up to $50 each as an incentive toward gym memberships and other physical activity programs. “At first blush this is an interesting approach that is likely to have impact….though the question is, will we be measuring it?,” asks SFU kinesiologist Diane Finegood. Finegood, who studies obesity, and health sciences professor Scott Lear, whose research also includes childhood obesity, and cardiovascular health, can both provide comment on the government’s move to curb chronic disease.

Diane Finegood, 778.782.3319; finegood@sfu.ca
Scott Lear, 778.782.7916 ; SLear@providencehealth.bc.ca

Homelessness count

Tue, 24 May 11 07:00:00 UT

Homelessness sees improvement
Homelessness in Metro Vancouver is improving, according to the results of the latest homelessness count, revealed today. Among the stats, there were 814 people living on the street within the city in 2008 compared with 421 in 2010. SFU health sciences associate professor Julian Somers is an advisor to the committee that undertakes the count and can provide comment on the latest figures. Somers is the principal investigator for the Vancouver site of a $110-million five-city Canadian research demonstration project in mental health and homelessness, and can talk about related research underway involving SFU.

Julian Somers, 778.782.5049; jsomers@sfu.ca

Postal strike

Fri, 20 May 11 07:00:00 UT

Canada Post strike problematic despite Internet
Canada Post employees could go on strike as early as next Wednesday if negotiations fail between the Crown corporation and union. While SFU communication associate professor Peter Chow-White believes the rise of the Internet and social media makes people less reliant on the postal system, he says a postal strike would be problematic. “This will affect individuals differently depending on their age and connection to the Internet. The postal system is an integral part of the communication infrastructure and culture of Canada, so the effects of a strike would be widespread.”

Peter Chow-White, 778.782.7289, petercw@sfu.ca

Paralysis breakthrough

Fri, 20 May 11 07:00:00 UT

Paralysis breakthrough
For the first time, a man paralyzed from the waist down has made an 'unprecedented' recovery, taking steps on a treadmill and regaining other key functions. The treatment could potentially allow 10 per cent to 15 per cent of people with spinal cord injuries to regain some use of their legs. The research, published online in The Lancet, is big news in the field of FES (functional electrical stimulation), says SFU biomedical physiologist Andy Hoffer, whose own research in the field spans over 30 years. “This clearly shows the benefits of electrical stimulation, to support and reinforce reflex circuitry remaining in the distal spinal cord after an injury, and voluntarily initiate walking,” Hoffer says.

Hoffer created the Neurostep fully implanted assistive device, which uses nerve cuffs to sense and stimulate nerve activity in the paralyzed leg and enable movement in those suffering from neurological disabilities such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or cerebral palsy. Hoffer is familiar with the work of the research's senior scientist Reggie Edgerton and can comment on the achievement and his own related research.

Andy Hoffer, (best reached via email) ahoffer@sfu.ca

Reducing crime, old age and climate change

Thu, 19 May 11 07:00:00 UT

Cameras and crime reduction
Can closed-circuit TV cameras help reduce crime? The City of Surrey is hoping so. A study by SFU criminologists for the city that tracked a pilot project involving a dozen cameras at the Scott Road SkyTrain station, found while there is some evidence of reduction, it’s not conclusive. The study’s lead professor Martin Andresen says police and ICBC data (though not all auto crime is reported) show there was no crime drop from the cameras, while a victimization survey of 300 Skytrain users does indicate a decrease. Andresen says despite the findings he still believes that cameras can be a deterrent to crime.

Martin Andresen, 778.782.7628; Andresen@sfu.ca (available on email today, based at Burnaby campus, will be in on Friday)

Old age and climate change collide
Growing Old in a Changing Climate: Exploring the Interface Between Population Aging and Global Warming, a conference May 25-26, at SFU Vancouver’s Segal Graduate School of Business, will address two big challenges facing humanity. They are population aging and global warming. Carlos Corvalan, senior advisor on risk assessment and global environmental change from the Pan American Health Organization will discuss how climate change strains existing week points in health systems, including caring for an aging population.

For more information on this Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions-sponsored event contact 778.782.7972 or email fc2011@sfu.ca

Civilian investigation of police

Tue, 17 May 11 07:00:00 UT

SFU criminologist Rob Gordon says he’s pleased to hear that B.C. Solicitor-General Shirley Bond has announced the formation of a civilian unit to investigate complaints about the police, by the end of the year. But he notes the announcement has been in the wings of the government’s policy-making stage for quite some time. Gordon is available to comment after 11 a. m. today on Bond’s announcement that the civilian-led unit will focus on cases in which complaints about police are tied to serious injury or death.

Rob Gordon, 778.782.4305, 604.418.6640 (cell), robert_gordon@sfu.ca

Civilian watchdog, Slave Lake

Tue, 17 May 11 07:00:00 UT

Civilian watchdog
David MacAlister, SFU associate professor of criminology and director of SFU’s Institute for Studies in Criminal Justice Policy, is keen to hear who will head up the provincial government’s new civilian watchdog. Commenting on the creation of the agency to investigate police incidents in B.C., MacAlister says whoever is appointed its leader “will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the culture of the new organization. I am also curious to see whether the agency will employ genuine civilian investigators or recently retired police officers. If it’s the latter, it may do little to allay fears that the organization won’t be zealous in pursuing justice in cases involving alleged police misconduct.”

David MacAlister, 778.782.3019, dmacalis@sfu.ca

Rick Parent, an SFU assistant professor of criminology and expert on police ethics, believes the agency’s creation is “a good thing for both the police and the public. The majority of police incidents are justified, however, when examining controversial issues that include a police shooting or a death involving the police it is essential that an unbiased and objective examination occur. The public deserves an independent review of police conduct involving death, serious injuries or controversial matters. The police equally require a process that will either justify their actions or hold them accountable."

Rick Parent, 778.782.8418, rparent@sfu.ca (email best)

Fire devastates community
Provincial and firefighting officials are still surveying the aftermath of a fire that has destroyed half of Slave Lake, Alta., Many residents of the devastated community are waiting to see what is left of their homes after fire tore through the town over the weekend. SFU communication associate professor Peter Anderson specializes in disaster emergency communication and can discuss what authorities are attempting to do during this crisis.

Peter Anderson, 778.782.4921, anderson@sfu.ca