Blog posts from 2021

A global trend is emerging in teenagers that’s both cause for concern and piquing the interest of researchers: they’re going through puberty at a younger age, especially girls.

A link between soft scald in storage and water stress during development is discovered in a highly valued apple variety.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) researchers have been studying contaminants in the Arctic through the Northern Contaminants Program run by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada since the early 2000s. In recent years, the Community-based Monitoring of Seawater in Nain, Nunatsiavut began as a joint project between ECCC researchers and the Nunatsiavut government.

Researchers from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) team have looked at whether exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy could have an impact on children’s early development.

For those of us who struggled through high school math classes, it’s hard to imagine it could actually be used to save lives! But that is exactly what scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) are doing—using data analysis to create forecasts based on mathematical models.

“The Arctic and the polar bear always enthralled me,” says Dr. Robert Letcher, a senior research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). He still remembers his epiphany after completing his Masters degree in chemistry.

Why are some babies smaller than others while they are growing inside their mother, or have a lower birth weight?

Researchers from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) are examining links between chemical exposure and how it may impact babies at birth.

Research Scientist, Dr. Liisa Jantunen, explains that it is important to study contaminants as many accumulate in the Arctic where levels of concentration can be higher and long-term impacts are unknown. “Certain substances are considered forever chemicals as it is hard for the environment to break them down,” she says.

Pregnancy is a unique time in a family’s life, both for the expecting parents and their growing baby. Researchers from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) team are studying how environmental factors impact mothers throughout pregnancy and for the rest of their lives.

Since 2007, a team of scientists at Health Canada, have been working on an ambitious, multi-year study of environmental chemicals and their possible health effects on mothers, starting during pregnancy and throughout childhood development, from infancy to adolescence.

Have you ever been worried that you had strep throat? Maybe you had to miss school, or cancel a date, and go see the doctor. You might have wondered how you got sick and whether you could pass your illness on to others. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is working to answer these questions by tracking and analyzing Group A Strep infections to understand how the disease is changing and how best to support regional labs during outbreaks.

As increased human activity in the Arctic generates economic opportunities, it comes with the risk of greater levels of pollution and other impacts on the environment. A new collaborative study started this year out of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, to address concerns about seabird health in the region.

When we think of our public library, we think of rows and rows of books. However, libraries are much more; they are a central point of information sharing, a hub of knowledge and a pillar of support in communities. Sharing knowledge and responding to local need is how libraries across Canada got involved in the Radon Monitor Library Lending Program.

Could we consider the unassuming raspberry a superfood? When Dr. Kelly Ross took a closer look at raspberries, she found evidence of their potential to enhance human health and benefit diabetics.

The Outbreak Management Division (OMD) at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) consists of a team of highly qualified individuals from different backgrounds that assess, detect and coordinate investigations of enteric illness outbreaks (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria) occurring in multiple provinces and territories in Canada, or at least one province or territory and another country.

At the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), epidemiologists play an important role in protecting the health of Canadians as they study patterns of disease so they can understand what causes an illness and how best to prevent it.

We all know that road traffic is a source of air pollution, but it’s easy to forget that highways are not the only place we can see traffic. Large marine vessels contribute to air pollution in the port cities they visit on their shipping routes.

Climate change is one of the most significant global health concerns of the 21st century. In Canada, our average land temperature has risen 1.7°C since 1948, and if no action is taken, it’s expected to increase by about 5.44°C in major cities by the end of the century.

Many Canadians wonder if the sniffles and sore throat they had in 2020 or 2021 was a simple head cold or COVID-19.

The far corner under the bed may be one of the safest places in most homes for house dust to hang out. But still, it was not safe from Health Canada researchers who wanted to know what’s in dust anyway?

"In my view, I have always worked in leadership and support to operations, and it is just the nature of the operation that has changed. Where before the operation was military operations or ship building and repair, and now the operation I need to support is critical scientific research. The other constant is leading and supporting people. That part of the job is a constant."

"Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself and evolve through your experiences. If you learn something everyday, you’re making a difference in your own abilities, in your life, and your career. "

When hit with a pandemic such as COVID-19, northern, remote and isolated communities in Canada can be particularly vulnerable. These communities are home to many First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples who have historically experienced obstacles and challenges with equitable access to health care services.

When Karina Richters realized that extreme heat was increasingly impacting the safety of her two children on trips to the playground, she set out to find a solution.

Scientists have been trying to solve the mystery of why most fruit extracts don’t show the same health benefits compared to eating the entire fruit.  The same phenomenon occurs with vegetables. 

What we eat and the way we prepare our foods is constantly evolving. Over the past few years, you may have discovered some new foods in your grocery store, like new frozen desserts. Or, you may have started using new cooking tools, like an air fryer, to cook your kids’ favourite chicken fingers.

For those living in large urban centres, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic used to be part of the daily grind. But since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to telework, traffic patterns have changed drastically. Has this had an impact on the air quality and air pollution in our cities? Scientists Keith Van Ryswyk and Eric Lavigne from Health Canada set out to find out!

As Canadian public health experts continue to adapt and respond during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of established partnerships in public health has never been clearer. These experts coordinate to share knowledge and support each other so that they can continue producing the best science for Canadians and remain research leaders in the world.

Scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are expanding the frontiers of public health surveillance using advanced techniques to detect COVID-19 in communities across Canada through wastewater analysis.

For many of us, summer means making the most of our great Canadian landscape. Trips to the beach, picnics, backyard barbecues, hiking trails, and children’s summer camps are great ways to enjoy the best of our weather and our wonderful natural resources. However you enjoy the great outdoors, there’s a good chance you use bug spray to cope with those tiny unwanted guests who show up to spoil the fun. The only thing that ruins a barbecue faster than rain is a swarm of mosquitoes!

British Columbia-based ECCC Research Scientist, Christine Bishop, has collaborated with the En’owkin Centre in the Okanagan Valley in the interior of the province for the last twenty years to advance their mutual interest in the conservation of the Western Yellow-breasted Chat. Despite not being able to travel to Penticton in 2020, Christine says the strong foundation in partnership between the two organizations, combined with an adaptive field work protocol, empowered the En’owkin Centre to continue the research project. “When you have a long-term database, you might think one year is just another dot on the graph,” she says. “But it’s actually really important, when you are talking about wildlife populations, to be able to track them from one year to the next because things can change a lot between years.”

Running a world-class research facility involves a lot of precision and expertise. Have you ever wondered how facilities like the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) produce trusted work? The answer lies in part with the brilliant scientists who conduct the research, but also relies on a team of expert support staff who maintain a workplace with strict technical measures at every turn to ensure a quality outcome

Understanding the effects of new products and technologies is increasingly important in our fast-paced world. By understanding the potential health impacts of new products, research scientist provide guidance on ways to use them safely, resulting in policies, regulations and guidelines that weigh risks and benefits of all kinds of innovations.

Dr. Lozeva-Thomas comes from a family of smart, strong, independent, well-educated women. They helped shape her life (and her inquisitive mind) from an early age. She always knew that she wanted to enter the medical profession in order to help people overcome their illnesses. What she didn’t know was how far that dream would take her — and that the different paths she would follow would lead her to where she is right here, right now.

Industrial emissions, or pollutants released into the atmosphere from industrial activities, contribute to local and regional air pollution. In fact, major industries, such as petroleum refineries, power plants, metal smelters and pulp and paper mills are significant emitters of three of the most common outdoor air pollutants particulate matter, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.

In line with ongoing global efforts to combat the pandemic, scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) are working tirelessly to develop new and improved vaccines for COVID-19 and its variants in the upcoming years.

As a child, Dr. Neda Nasheri felt drawn to making a positive impact on the lives of others. However, the odds were stacked against her.

Despite the fact that her educational pursuits were encouraged by her family, the political situation in her country, her gender and her religion meant that she was denied higher education. Not one to back down from adversity, Dr. Nasheri found a way to achieve her undergraduate degree at a specialized private university, which led her to an academic career in sciences and, ultimately, to her work at Health Canada.

This past year the whole world was pulled into the life of an epidemiologist.

Epidemiologists in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Animal Health Science Directorate are used to following infectious diseases around the world as they come and go. These emerging diseases sometimes raise the alarm for scientists in multiple countries. In some cases, when they make it into the mainstream media, family and friends express concern as well. The work of epidemiologists was at the forefront and words like the “R number” became a common household term, as the rise of the SARS-CoV-2 virus brought about a global pandemic. Despite the challenges the pandemic has placed on health systems, economics, food supply, education and mental health, it has also provided opportunities to advance science.

Daily exposure to air pollution can affect our health, potentially leading to chronic lung disease, heart attacks, strokes, and even death. Health Canada Research Scientist Dr. Hwashin H. Shin uses her expertise in mathematics and statistics to better understand the link between air quality and the health of Canadians.

It is no secret that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on youth in Canada. As I have highlighted in my latest annual report, school closures, increased unemployment, limited access to services, and prolonged physical distancing measures have meant that youth have experienced isolation, mental health challenges, and potentially unsafe home environments.

Over the past few decades, advancements in science have greatly improved the methods that are used to study infectious diseases. One of the most powerful of these advancements is genomics – studying infectious diseases on a deeper genetic level to uncover pathogens or “blueprints” of a virus.

It can be easy to take for granted that the air we breathe is healthy. Dr. Scott Weichenthal, a Research Scientist at Health Canada and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, is examining the content of the air we breathe in several cities across Canada. His research seeks to understand the short and long-term health effects of exposure to specific types of airborne particles found in air pollution.