A sample of U of C experts who provide insights to the public via the media.

Brain cells on a chip
It is a breakthrough that seemed more likely to appear in a science fiction novel than an international science journal. Nevertheless, a U of C Faculty of Medicine researcher attracted huge media coverage for a breakthrough that could, a decade from now, help the blind see or amputees better control artificial limbs. U of C neurobiologist Naweed Syed and his colleague Peter Fromherz of the Max Planck Institute in Germany were able to cultivate a network of snail brain cells on the surface of a customized silicone chip. “In the simplest terms, our chip talks to the brain cells and the brain cells talk back to the chip,” Syed explained to the CanWest News Service. What is the long-term application of this discovery for amputees, the blind or those with brain-related ailments? “This provides us with an unquestioned and unparalleled opportunity to devise electronic devices that can be implanted into the brain whereby they can control either artificial limbs, or artificial eyes and also restore memory,” said Syed.

Hockey heroes
Why is Lanny McDonald a bigger cultural icon for Canadians than Sir John A. Macdonald? This is what a Calgary Herald sports writer recently explored with some U of C experts. “There’s a resonance to sports that’s difficult to explain,” said sociology professor Kevin Young. “It’s a 20th-century phenomenon. Another question is where else is there for us as Canadians to go? Canadians don’t go to politicians for role models. There’s a lack of faith there. Actors? Pop stars? For better or worse, hocky players are our icons.” Kinesiology professor and sport psychologist Dave Paskevich added: “(Hockey players) live the fantasy life a lot of people wish for. They have what many want, or think they do. So we turn them into demi-gods. ”

Obesity concern gains weight
A new study by the Health and Stroke Foundation states that obesity in Canada has increased 50 per cent since the 1970s. The increase is now the greatest threat to public health in Canada, adds the report, as overweight people are more likely to get diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and more. This increase is exemplified in the growing number of overweight children with these types of problems, added a U of C researcher to the Calgary Herald. “In the end, we will have a generation of children that will be dying of heart disease before their parents,” warned David Lau, U of C medical professor. Lau called on parents to set a better example for their kids by being more physically active as leisure time has become “lazy time” for many Canadians.

Making airwaves
Doug Storey (biological sciences) provided insights to Global News on BSE and a recent study out of Italy that identified a new strain of Mad Cow Disease … The Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet show recently featured U of C energy researcher Raj Mehta (engineering), who talked about the CCIT’s powerful new virtual reality lab, the Schlumberger iCenter … Beverly Sandalack (environmental design) provided her expertise on urban design issues in Calgary within the context of much debate over development around the Spruce Meadows equestrian facility… Ted Morton (political science) weighed in on the Liberal Party of Canada’s sponsorship scandal on CBC-TV’s The National … and, CBC-TV’s Canada Now talked to James Cross (medicine) about the scientific significance of a South Korean research team’s success in cloning female human embryos and producing stem cells from them.