Author: liamaria

The Canary in the Coal Mine is Black and White: Chemical Contaminants of Concern and Hydrocarbons in Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales

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IOF SEMINAR – March 15, 2024

The Canary in the Coal Mine is Black and White: Chemical Contaminants of Concern and Hydrocarbons in Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales from BC, Canada
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) from British Columbia (BC, Canada) are among of the most contaminated cetacean species in the world. They are ecologically, culturally and economically-important species in Canada’s west coast and powerful spiritual beings for coastal First Nations communities. Yet, endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKWs), with a small population of ~73 or 74 individuals, are affected by cumulative environmental stressors and human-made threats, including lack of both quality and quantity of its main diet item (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), physical disturbances by underwater noise (acoustic pollution), marine pollution and climate change.  Concentrations and potential health implications of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), new persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in SRKWs have been scarcely documented. In this seminar, I will share the findings of the first concerted ecotoxicological assessment of CECs: alkylphenols (APs), triclosan, methyl triclosa;  and, new POPs such as  hexabromocyclododecane [HBCCD], and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), known as “forever chemicals” (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS), as we ll as PAHs in skeletal muscle and liver samples of SRWK and investigate in utero transfer of these contaminants. Samples were collected from stranded, necropsied individuals from 2006-2018 in BC, Canada, in collaboration with Fisheries and Ocean Canada (DFO) and the Animal Health Centre, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The most prevalent compounds were 4-nonylphenol (4NP), a predominant AP (median 40.84 ng/g ww), and interestingly, 7:3-fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (7:3 FTCA) was the primary PFAS (median 66.35 ng/g ww) observed for first time in killer whales from BC, followed by PFOS and PFOSA. For PAHs, C3-phenanthrenes/anthracenes (mean: 632 ng/g lw), C4-dibenzothiophenes (mean 334 ng/g lw), and C4-phenanthrenes/ anthracenes (mean: 248 ng/g lw) presented the highest concentrations across all tissue samples. PAH diagnostic ratios indicated a dominant petrogenic-sourced contamination for SRKWs (i.e., more contaminated with hydrocarbon coming from oil/petroleum sources) in comparison to Bigg’s (transient) killer whale, which showed  a dominant signal of pyrogenic hydrocarbon sources (e.g., coming from vegetation and coal biomass burning and wildfires). A mother-fetus skeletal muscle pair revealed evidence of CECs, POPs, and PAH maternal transfer. Maternal transfer ratios indicated 4NP as the most transferred contaminant from mother to fetus (95%), while low molecular weight PAHs (C3-fluorenes, dibenzothiophene, and naphthalene) also exhibited higher maternal transfer rates. Our contaminant data serve to inform regulation and mitigate pollutant sources and contamination by emerging chemicals (e.g., “forever chemicals” or PFASs) in SRKWs’ critical habitat and prevent oil spills by improving hydrocarbon emission regulations and transitioning away from fossil fuel consumption with the aim to conserve this iconic species.
Juan Jose Alava
Research Associate, IOF
PI, UBC’s Ocean Pollution Research Unit
Friday, March 15, 2024 – 11:00am  – 11:50am
Live: AERL Theatre, 2202 Main Mall, UBC
Online over Zoom

GradUpdate – Policy Briefs and Policy Reports, Interviews, Getting Unstuck, Part-time work on campus, Citation Practices in Academic and Professional Writing, Gen AI and Universal Design for Learning, and more.

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GradUpdate

In this issue, Policy Briefs and Policy Reports, Interviews, Getting Unstuck, Part-time work on campus, Citation Practices in Academic and Professional Writing, Gen AI and Universal Design for Learning, and more.

Registration Open

Three Minute Thesis Semi-finals & Final
Join the audience, listen as graduate students share their research.
In-person, with online options | Semis: Tuesday, Mar 12, 10 am – 12 pm & 3 – 5 pm or Thursday, Mar 7, 10 am – 12 pm | Final: Thursday, Mar 14, 5 – 7 pm

Semi-final Final

Policy Briefs and Policy Reports
Online | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 12:30 – 2:30 pm

Register

Interviews
Online | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 4 – 5 pm

Register

The Practice of Realignment, or, Getting Unstuck – Staying on Track in Grad School Series
Online | Thursday, Mar 21 | 2 – 3:30 pm

Register

Seats available

Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) Info Session
Are you a doctoral student whose research extends beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, and for the public good through collaborative, action-oriented, and/or creative forms of scholarship? Visit the PSI website to learn more and apply by May 12. Questions? Join the info session:
Online | Tuesday, Mar 19 | 12 – 1 pm Register

Events and Opportunities

A selection of upcoming events are highlighted below.  I’ve also highlighted some online, on-demand recordings to check out if you have end-of-term time.
Visit  community.grad.ubc.ca and grad.ubc.ca/current-students/professional-development for our full events calendar.

ACADEMIC

Crafting Compelling Proposals for Non-Research Grants
Online, Arts Amplifier workshop | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 11 am – 12 pm | Register

CAREER

GAA position – UPROOT team
1 year, 20 – 30 hrs/week | $30/hr | The Graduate Academic Assistant (GAA) will join the UPROOT team and will support several educational and research projects related to decolonizing and Indigenizing pharmacy.
Learn more and apply by Mar 31.

Apply to work learn positions
Paid summer work | up to 20 hrs/week. Apr – Aug | various positions across campus | Learn more and apply. Applications open Mar 11 – 24.
There are 4 open positions in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies including:

  • Job ID: 975309 | Special Projects Coordinator – G+PS
  • Job ID: 973680 | Doctoral Examinations Student Assistant
  • Job ID: 974446 | PDFO/Academic Initiatives Student Assistant
  • Job ID: 975864 | Digital and Social Media Assistant
  • Read the job descriptions and join our team!

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Share your Experiences of Health & Wellbeing as an International Student
Are you an international student at UBC? Share your experiences of health and wellbeing by completing an anonymous and confidential survey. You can enter for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card. Deadline is Mar 24.

RESEARCH

Introduction to Machine Learning: Regression Models
Online | Tuesday, Mar 19 | 1 – 3 pm Register

Introduction to Git and GitHub
Online | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 10 am – 12:00 pm Register

Introduction to Voyant Tools
Online | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 1 – 2 pm Register

TEACHING

Explore and Create: GenAI Chatbots for Teaching and Learning
Online, Hands-on Workshop | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 11:30 am – 1 pm | Register

Generative AI and Universal Design for Learning in Teaching and Learning
Online | Thursday, March 21 | 10 – 11:30 am | Register

WRITING AND COMMUNICATION

Citation Practices in Academic and Professional Writing
Hybrid | Wednesday, Mar 20 | 10 – 11:30 am Register

Thesis Defense – PhD HUNU – Hadis Mozaffari

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UBC – LFS Announces The Oral Examination for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
(Human Nutrition)

Hadis Mozaffari

“The Impact of Dietary Diversity on Type 2 Diabetes: An Investigation of the Cross-national EPIC-InterAct Cohort”

Thursday, March 14, 2024 – 9 AM

Exam Location: 6112, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, 2405 Wesbrook Mall.

EXAMINING COMMITTEE

Chair: Dr. J. Johnson

Supervisory Committee:
Dr. A. Conklin – Supervisor
Dr. R. Murphy – Committee member
Dr. M. Jessri – Committee member
Dr. F. Imamura – Committee member

Defense Committee Composition
Dr. A. Conklin – Supervisor
Dr. R. Murphy – Committee member
Dr. T. Cohen – University Examiner
Dr. S. Stringhini – University Examiner
Dr. D. R. de Souza – External Examiner

Request for Assistance with Promoting a Study

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Participants Needed for an Online Study – Enter to Win a $100 Gift Card

The Substance Use and Gambling Lab at the University of Calgary and the Healthy Families Lab at the University of British Columbia are running a study about substance use and gambling trends among university students across Canada. All University of British Columbia students are invited to participate in a 15-to-25-minute online survey and enter to win one of four $100 gift cards. You can participate even if you don’t use drugs/substances or gamble.

For more information about the study, see the attached information sheet and poster.

Follow this link to join the study: https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_8ufcigA3cZq6lb8

Want more information? Email mcgrathlab@ucalgary.ca or visit https://www.ucalgary.ca/labs/gamblinglab/participate

This study has been reviewed and approved for ethical compliance by the University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board (REB22-1540).

 

Summer registration

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This is a friendly reminder about summer registration.

 

Research students: register for the thesis course (both terms). There is no seminar for the summer. If you are in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Course-based students: register for the summer Major project. If you are in doubt, please check with your Academic Advisor/Director.

Kind regards,

Lia Maria

Vacation alert:
Mar 7 and 8, 2024
Mar 14 and 15, 2024
Mar 21 and 22, 2024
Mar 28, 2024

Lia Maria DRAGAN

Admissions & Administrative Coordinator
University of British Columbia / Vancouver Campus
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

On-campus schedule: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday and Thursday
#291 – 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
Tel.: (604) 822-8373
lia.maria@ubc.ca /landfood.ubc.ca/graduate/

I respectfully acknowledge that I work and live on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Wauthuth Nations.