Land and Food System Scholar Series

 

Invited scholar: Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe

 

Hosted by:  Crystal Karakochuk, Human Nutrition

 

Title: Modeling host diet- gut microbe interactions in the ‘Robobut’ bioreactor model

 

Abstract: There is now abundant evidence that the microbial consortium associated with a host – its microbiome – is critically important to the health of the host.  The gut microbiome is the most diverse ecosystem in the human body and how we feed this ecosystem, through the diet that we consume, plays a major role in the shaping of the ecosystem in terms of its composition and function.  However, studying complex microbial ecosystems from the human gut is not a trivial exercise. In this talk, I will describe the development of the Robogut as a model system to allow study of dietary shifts and their effects on the colonic microbiome, showcasing my lab’s work on microbiomes associated with Type 1 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and hunter-gatherer populations, respectively.

 

Biography: Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe obtained her BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of London, and her PhD in Molecular Microbiology through an industrial partnership with Public Health England.   Emma started her faculty career at the University of Calgary in 2005, with a Fellow-to-Faculty transition award through CAG/AstraZeneca and CIHR, to study the normal microbes of the human gut.  In particular, she was among the few that focused on trying to culture these ‘unculturable’ microbes in order to better understand their biology.  To do this, she developed a model gut system to emulate the conditions of the human gut and allow communities of microbes to grow together, as they do naturally.  Emma moved her lab to the University of Guelph in late 2007, and has been a recipient of several Canadian Foundation for Innovation Awards that has allowed her to develop her specialist anaerobic fermentation laboratory further. This was boosted by the award of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Gut Microbiome Function and Host Interactions, where she focuses on ‘missing microbes’ from the industrialized microbiome . In 2013, Emma co-founded NuBiyota, a research spin-off company that aims to create therapeutic ecosystems as biologic drugs, on a commercial scale.  The research enterprise for this company is also based in Guelph.

 

Join in-person or via Zoom:

Date: January 26, 2023

Time: 10:00-11:00 AM PST

Location: In-person at MCML 258, or via Zoom

This presentation will be followed by a meet and greet from 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.

 

In-person seating is limited (capacity of 38), please register here by Jan 23.

Title                                        Soils Technician

Term                                        *March 1, 2023 – September 1, 2023

*May 1, 2023 – September, 1 2023.

#203 – 19292 60 Avenue

Surrey BC V3S 3M2

*Extension of the job offer will be reviewed within 30 days of the term end date

Status                                     *Term, Full-Time

*Overtime hours may be required and will be mutually agreed upon with conditions and compensation in alignment with the BC Employment Standards Act.

Reports to                            Justin McTavish PAg Vice President Agriculture and Soils.

Pay Details

Starting Wage                        $26.50

Pay Periods                           Every Second Friday

Overtime Eligibility               Applicable

 

Role Profile Details

Line of Business                   Environmental and Natural Resources Consulting Services

Training Requirements  Full onboarding and orientation process will occur within the first week, and subsequent on the job training will take place as required

Environment                         The position is dynamic in nature and will is primarily field work based in the summer months.;

Other Requirements             Working hours are dictated by that of client’s schedule. This position will include working long hours (possibly 10-to-14-hour days) at times, weekend work, and early morning start-up (i.e., 7:00 AM) at times. Valid Class 5 Drivers Licence and personal vehicle, mileage will be reimbursed at $0.65/km for personal vehicle use. Use of company and personal vehicles, dependent on the job and location.

Role Profile Description

The Soils Technician (ST) will organize and perform field tasks in a safe and effective manner. The ST will assist in various components of large-scale environmental projects in the utility, oil and gas, government, and private sectors. The ST will provide support related to construction monitoring, soil stripping recommendations based on soil pit observations and maintaining agricultural land capability during construction on ALR properties. The ST will work closely with junior and senior professional agrologists.

Key technical duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Work collaboratively and provide direction to oil and gas contractors (and other clients as needed) on soil stripping and soil handling procedures and general agricultural impacts from construction
• Complete work in a safe manner following all site-specific safety protocols
• Work with other McTavish staff for soils related support
• Complete daily monitoring reporting and manage all other related reporting requirements
• Attend weekly McTavish meetings when needed
• Provide updates on current projects
• Be active in professional development opportunities
• Maintain and calibrate equipment used for soil field
• Maintain positive relationships with existing and new

Application Details

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Justin@mctavishconsultants.ca

On behalf of the Psychology Graduate Students’ Association (PGSA) at the University of Regina, could you please forward this message to members of your organization?

We invite you to join us for the next session in our Anti-Racism Speaker Series:  The Intersections of Racism and Fatphobia in Therapy

The details:

When: Friday, January 27th 12pm-1pm CST; 1pm-2pm EST; 10am-11am PST

Where: Please register on Eventbrite for the zoom link (please note the zoom session will not be recorded).

Who: Sonalee Rashatwar (they/he), LCSW MEd is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, adjunct lecturer, and grassroots organizer. The session will be moderated by Vincci Tsui (she/her), RD, who is a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor.

What: Sonalee will deliver a 30 minute workshop focused on examining the intersections of racism and fatphobia. Questions are welcome during the Q+A portion!

For Whom: All interested mental health trainees and providers, students, and community members are invited to join us. Please feel free to invite your colleagues and friends to come learn together!

Cost: Free! Thanks to the event’s sponsor: Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG)

Stay tuned for future emails, follow us on Instagram (@urpsychgrads), like our Facebook page or reach out via urpsychantiracism@gmail.com to stay in touch.
We hope you will join us,

Psychology Graduate Students’ Association

University of Regina

 

The University of Regina is situated on Treaty 4 lands with a presence in Treaty 6. These are the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation. Today, these lands continue to be the shared Territory of many diverse peoples from near and far.

Join us for a thought-provoking seminar on the intersection of technology, climate change, and agriculture. Dr. Tomas Nilsson will speak to the #MFRE students this Friday, Jan 20, 2023. check out the details in the post below.

TECHNOLOGY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE

Date: Friday, January 20, 2023

Time: 3:00- 4:30 PM

Location: MCML 160

Tomas Nilsson has a doctorate from Purdue University, a master’s degree from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and holds a Certified Analytics Professional designation from INFORMS. Before joining Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, he worked in the private and public sectors in Canada, the U.S. and Sweden. Tomas teaches courses in the Agriculture Technology Integration and Precision Agriculture programs and researches digital agriculture technologies at the college. Tomas is also involved in developing the new Bachelor of Digital Agriculture Degree. He has been on the faculty since 2020.

For information about the upcoming MFRE Speakers, Please visit here.

Regards,

Olivier Ntwali, BSc Ag. Econ, MFRE
Academic Program Manager
Master of Food and Resource Economics| Land and Food System
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory
Macmillan Building – 348A- 2357 Main Mall | Vancouver BC | V6T 1Z4 Canada
Phone: 6047718961| olivier.ntwali@ubc.ca| http://mfre.landfood.ubc.ca/

 

This week’s IRES Seminar is in the Beaty Museum Theatre.  Reminder: No food or drinks allowed in the Museum. 

January 19, 2023: IRES Student Seminar with Vincent Chireh and James Wu

Time: 12:30pm to 1:20pm

Location: Beaty Museum Theatre (2212 Main Mall)

Click here to register in advance to receive a Zoom link.

Zoom Rule: If we encounter technical difficulties during the first 5 to 10 mins of the seminar, Zoom will be terminated.

Water Demand Management and Conservation Practices in British Columbia, Canada

Talk summary:

As climate change amplifies water challenges, especially in urban areas, policymakers are adopting innovative measures and practices to keep pace with water demand. Coupled with rising water demand, competing use for water, high infrastructure cost, and pollution, local jurisdictions in BC are progressively integrating demand management into water management. It is important to explore what measures are being implemented, the motivation for adoption, the impact on water pricing/billing, and affordability. Survey data from 97 local jurisdictions show that water-use restrictions, volumetric pricing, and conservation campaigns are the measures cities and municipalities commonly implement. Even though metering presents a clear chance to monitor, measure, and regulate residential water use, many jurisdictions face financial and personnel challenges in implementing it. Public engagement, financial stability, and effective planning can assist in ramping up WDM to reduce wasteful water consumption and save the environment.

  Vincent Chireh, PhD Candidate at IRES

Bio:

Vincent is a PhD Candidate at IRES in UBC, working under the supervision of Leila Harris and Jordi Honey-Rosés. His research broadly focuses on water governance, global climate change, environmental sustainability, and political ecology. His PhD project explores the social equity implication in water governance policies in BC in the context of regulating demand and conserving water in response to climate change. He has also collaborated with BC municipalities to explore strategies to implement climate policies to achieve equitable outcomes. His research agenda builds on this foundation to explore social equity in environmental management, including resource management, climate mitigation and adaptation.

How does framing influence preference for multiple solutions to societal problems?

Talk summary:

Solutions to environmental and social problems are often framed in dichotomous ways, which can be counterproductive. Instead, multiple solutions are needed to solve the problem. Here we examine how framing influences people’s preference for multiple solutions to environmental and social problems. In a pre-registered experiment, participants (N=1,432) were randomly assigned to one of four framing conditions (multi-cause frame, multi-impact frame, multi-solution frame, and control). In the first three conditions, participants were presented with a series of problems (e.g., climate change, plastic pollution, homelessness, police reform), each framed with multiple causes, multiple impacts, or multiple solutions to the problem. The control condition did not present any framing information. Participants indicated their preferred solution, perceived severity and urgency of the problem, and their dichotomous thinking tendency. Pre-registered analysis showed that none of the three frames had a significant impact on the preference for multiple solutions, perceived severity, perceived urgency, or dichotomous thinking. However, exploratory analyses showed that perceived severity and urgency of the problem were positively correlated with people’s preference for multiple solutions, but dichotomous thinking was negatively correlated with multi-solution preference. These findings show a limited impact of framing on multi-solution preference. Future interventions should instead focus on increasing perceived severity and urgency, or decreasing dichotomous thinking to encourage people to adopt multiple solutions to address complex environmental and social problems.

  James Wu, MSc student at IRES

Bio:

James Wu is a Master of Science student at IRES under the supervision of Dr. Jiaying Zhao and Dr. Claire Kremen. His current research focuses on behavioural interventions aimed at reducing dichotomous thinking and promoting a multi-solution approach to important societal issues (e.g., climate change, plastic pollution). James is also an ecologist by training, and has been involved in projects that examine the interplay between biodiversity, agricultural intensification and crop productivity, as well as how climate change generates trophic cascades.

See you on Jan 19 in the Beaty Museum Theatre! 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Bonnie Leung

RES Program Support (she/her/hers)

Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES)

University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory

Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL Building)

Room 429 – 2202 Main Mall | Vancouver, BC | V6T 1Z4 | Canada

 

Email: bonnie.leung@ubc.ca

Tel: 604-822-9249