UBC research measures an accurate and precise dose of radiation

Delivering just the right dose of radiation for cancer patients is a delicate balance in their treatment regime. However, in a new study from UBC Okanagan and Duke University, researchers have developed a system they say may improve the ability to maximize radiation doses to cancer tissues while minimizing exposure to healthy ones.

“Radiation is a significant part of cancer therapy and it’s important to make it as effective as possible,” says Andrew Jirasek, a UBC Okanagan physics professor and senior author of the study. “The challenge is that radiation, while great at attacking rapidly dividing cancer cells, is also damaging to the surrounding healthy cells. Our solution is to make it easier to see exactly which tissues are getting a radiation dose and how much.”

The new system uses a specialized polymer gel used to assess both the 3D location and the dose of the treatment. The team’s first step was to validate the spatial accuracy of the gel, known as a dosimeter. They compared the dosimeter readings with traditional radiation treatment planning algorithms and found that the gel dosimeter was accurate in mapping the spatial location of the delivered radiation. Measurements of the radiation dose were also validated and visualized with the dosimeter.

The new system also allows for direct visualization of the radiation dose immediately after therapy, which results in highly efficient and accurate testing.

“Advances in delivery technology have enabled radiation beams to be rotated and adjusted to target the tumour and spare the healthy tissue, which reduces side effects,” he adds. “Now more advanced measuring devices are required to ensure that the dose and delivery of the treatment is accurate.”

Jirasek worked with colleagues from Duke University to take advantage of positioning systems already in place on most linear accelerators that deliver a radiation beam to the patient. The advantage of using the existing systems allowed for a new adjustment to be implemented without significant changes to the equipment.

“For the first time we are able to visualize a radiotherapy dose in true 3D and very quickly after the radiation has been delivered,” says Jirasek.

More than 50 per cent of all cancer patients benefit from radiation therapy as it helps manage their disease. However, because radiation affects both healthy and tumour tissue, accurate and tightly controlled dosing is crucial. This new system may lead to improvements in dose accuracy, sensitivity and localization during therapy.

“The next steps are to improve the process so that it can move into the clinic—the sooner successful therapy is implemented, the better for the patient,” he adds.

Supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant, this research was published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics.

April is Daffodil Month

For more than 60 years, Canadians have been acknowledging and supporting those affected by cancer by purchasing daffodils during the month of April. Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society have funded research, information and patient support services. Partially through these efforts, the cancer survival rate has increased from 35 to 60 per cent since 1950. In 2017, about 565 Canadians were diagnosed with cancer each day.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

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UBC experts discuss relationship between academic ability and hirability

As grade-schoolers concentrate on the three Rs, many university students are already planning their future careers. Many believe top grades are the key to landing successful jobs, but does this always hold true? UBC Okanagan researchers, including Assoc. Prof. Andis Klegeris and Heather Hurren, have published new findings that highlight the importance of problem-solving skills and how these are not always correlated with an A+.

What do you believe employers are looking for?

Assoc. Prof. Andis Klegeris: Today’s job market is highly competitive across almost all sectors. Previous research findings have shown that the most sought-after skills of new employees are the ability to work in a team environment and being able to apply meaningful problem-solving skills.

Can you explain how you define problem-solving skills?

AK: Problem-solving skills involve several interconnected tasks such as processing information, reasoning, planning and decision-making. We believe that these are learnable, with experience, but they tend to be unteachable through classical lecturing because often, there is no clear path or “right answer.”  Examples may include how to fix a broken appliance, putting furniture together and travelling abroad without knowledge of the local language.

What was your most recent research and what are the take-homes?

AK: In our latest study, we administered a generic problem-solving test to almost 1,000 university students. We compared the scores achieved in this test with the students’ academic marks and found that these two measures were not correlated. In other words, academic learning and problem-solving may represent two independent skill sets for students. This further suggests that high academic grades are not are not a predictor of problem-solving ability. And receiving great marks doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be an exemplary employee.

What can universities do to enhance a student’s employment success?

AK: Many employers already distinguish academic and job-related abilities as independent skills by placing less emphasis on grade-point-averages than students do.

We believe that different classroom approaches can be used to enhance problem-solving skills and employability. For example, some of our instructors are already using flipped classroom approaches with self-guided learning, interactive discussion and collaborative work.

A helpful approach might be to develop a problem-solving skills testing tool, with the aim of eventually developing a comprehensive student portfolio that would highlight achievements in various categories of skills. This would provide future employers with broader information about a student’s ability.

We think it would be interesting to follow up with students to see if this is something they would like.

About the authors

• Andis Klegeris is an Associate Professor of Biology in UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences
• Emelie Gustafsson is a sessional instructor of Statistics in UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences
• Heather Hurren is the Manager of Academic Development at UBC Okanagan

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca

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UBC Okanagan’s John Braun is one of several statistics professors making significant contributions to financial risk modelling and probability theory.

UBC is poised to accelerate cybersecurity and financial risk research in Canada and beyond, thanks to a $2-million donation from Scotiabank.

Over the next five years, The Scotiabank Cybersecurity and Risk Analytics Initiative will support research and educational initiatives, including internships, speaker series, engagement activities like “hackathons,” and other collaborative events to advance our understanding of the impacts of cyber attacks and refine risk management tools.

“Data theft costs organizations billions of dollars a year worldwide, and cause psychological and social harm for individual customers. The Scotiabank Cybersecurity and Risk Analytics Initiative at UBC will advance the industry’s collective understanding of how to further protect digital assets,” says Michael Zerbs, Scotiabank’s chief technology officer. “At the same time, Scotiabank’s support will contribute to research and engage students to advance financial modelling to help manage risks and protect customers. We’re proud to support UBC as part our digital strategy and our commitment to building talent in the digital economy.”

Scotiabank’s donation will support ongoing work led by UBC researchers Konstantin Beznosov and Hasan Cavusoglu, who specialize in cyber attack research and the human, social and economic issues concerning privacy and security. Statistics professors Natalia Nolde, Harry Joe, and UBC Okanagan’s John Braun, are making significant contributions to financial risk modelling and probability theory.

The donation will also support the Creative Destruction Lab West (CDL West) at the UBC Sauder School of Business, an extension of the Scotiabank-supported Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. CDL West helps entrepreneurs transition from science-based innovations to high-growth companies.

“There is an urgent need to advance our understanding of information security and financial risk management in an ever more connected, complex world. Thanks to Scotiabank’s generous donation, leading UBC researchers can now deepen their knowledge and train the next generation of financial risk analysts and cyber security experts,” says Professor Santa J. Ono, UBC president and vice chancellor.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. They are dedicated to helping some 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $887 billion (as at January 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com or follow them on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About UBC

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world.

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UBC Professor Lael Parrott.

The American black bear can rest easier thanks to conservation research conducted at UBC’s Okanagan campus. A recent study indicates that while urban sprawl results in more human-bear interactions, human education can hinder negative encounters.

“Unless steps are taken to reduce human-bear interactions, we will see an increase in bears that are habituated to humans, leading to property damage, human injuries and more dead bears,” says Lael Parrott, professor of Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences at UBC Okanagan.

“These situations are unacceptable and sustainable solutions are needed. One approach is to implement education programs that teach humans how to keep their properties attractant-free and how to behave during a bear encounter.”

Parrott, along with UBC mathematics Associate Professor Rebecca Tyson and student research assistants, developed a computer model to simulate the effectiveness of human-bear awareness education about bear movement and foraging behaviour in an urban setting. The program, based on field data, made it possible to run hundreds of scenarios and investigate the outcomes and best practices. In the model, bear awareness education included training about proper garbage disposal and deterrent use.

UBC research indicates bear management strategies need to improve to educate people and protect the bear population.

The researchers found that the biggest contributor to bear status was urban land use. A one per cent increase in urbanization resulted in a 91 per cent increase in human-bear conflict. The model also suggests that education targeting the border areas between the residential community and bear habitats will have the biggest impact on limiting bear conflict.

“Our model suggests that bear management strategies involving education programs reduce the number of ‘conflict bears,’” says Parrott. “Although this is a computer simulation, it is required since some field studies are unethical or extremely difficult to take on. Modelling provides a useful and cost-effective alternative and can be used to select promising programs for further field study.”

Parrott’s team is testing some of these solutions in Whistler, BC.

The American black bear’s habitat includes Canada, the United States, and Northern Mexico. According to Wildsafe BC, British Columbia has one of the highest populations of black bears in the world—between 120,000 and 150,000 animals. And there are some 25,000 reported sightings each year. Bears require about 20,000 calories a day to prepare for hibernation; during this time, some bears are attracted to residential areas by fruit trees and unsecured garbage.

The study, published in Ecological Modelling, was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

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