News Releases

As a survivor of domestic and sexual violence and with hundreds of new cases of missing Indigenous women every year, Annita Lucchesi, a University of Lethbridge doctoral student, started a database of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). “The domestic violence almost killed me and I almost became one of the women on this list,” she says. “If that had happened to me, I would want my story to have meaning; I would want it to be used in the struggle to make sure that other women and girls don’t experience that, too.”

Cancer is a major global health issue. Nearly one in two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and one in four will die from the disease. Accordingly, it is of the utmost importance to research the underlying causes and mechanisms of this disease.

If the student researchers in Dr. Paul Vasey’s lab aren’t out in the field collecting data in far-flung places, they’re presenting at international conferences and publishing articles. In early July, an article in Playboy called Scott Semenyna and Lanna Petterson, both doctoral students in Vasey’s lab, “rising stars” of sex research in Canada and termed the University of Lethbridge a “hotspot” for this type of research.

What: Potato Research Lab Open House Who: Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko, his students, and potato industry stakeholders Where: WS2086, Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building When: 11 a.m., Friday, August 17 The University of Lethbridge is opening the doors to Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko’s potato research laboratory in an open house designed to give potato growers and processors an opportunity to see the research work being done and talk with the researchers themselves.

Last summer’s Kenow Wildfire destroyed more than 19,000 hectares in Waterton Lakes National Park and the resulting loss of vegetation has revealed archaeological sites that were previously hidden in the underbrush.

New research from the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge has shown that strong and consistent social relationships are linked to a reduced anxiety response and more exploratory behaviour among female rats — a finding that could have implications for humans because of the growing use of electronic communications.

Wednesday, Aug. 1 marks the first ever annual RNA Day, a celebration of the vital biological molecule, ribonucleic acid. RNA is a close relative of the commonly known molecule, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), and they, along with protein, are the three major biological molecules required for life.

Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may search for an alternative to the stimulant medication that is typically prescribed for the disorder, but the effectiveness of alternative approaches hasn’t been well established. Dr. Brenda Leung, assistant professor and the Emmy Droog Chair of Complementary and Alternative Healthcare at the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences, hopes to change that with a new study that’s the first of its kind in North America.

Drs. Olga and Igor Kovalchuk at the University of Lethbridge, in collaboration with researchers at Qiqihar Medical University in China, the University of Michigan and Boston University, have shown for the first time that interactions between microRNAs, which are very small ribonucleic acid molecules, and transfer RNA (tRNA) can affect cell reproduction and cell death.

Eager campers will top-off their week of learning with a trip to a cattle ranch Destination Exploration, in collaboration with Carlson Cattle Company and Dr. Lorraine Beaudin, will be offering its very first Farm Camp – July 23-27. Campers will discover how science and technology helps keep fresh food on the table through hands-on experiments and activities. The week of camp will be topped off with a visit to a beautiful working ranch, west of Magrath.