COVID-19 in society -- public talks from UBC

[Carolyn Canfield]

The COVID-19 crisis is reshaping politics, healthcare, our communities and society. One Hour @ UBC is a free online lecture series conceived especially for these unusual and turbulent times. Check it out!

Tune into this YouTube channel.

Titles are posted shortly after the lectures are given: April 16 - May 26, 2020. Check back frequently!

Are Healthcare Decisions Made During a Pandemic Still Ethical?

Many people are concerned that decisions made in a pandemic can lead to unjust outcomes by prioritizing the many over the individual patient. Learn how ethical decision-making shifts when we enter a pandemic, and how those ethical frameworks are created.

JORDAN JOSEPH WADDEN is a PhD student and researcher in the Department of Philosophy, focusing on bioethics. He is also currently a clinical ethics fellow with Provincial Health Service Authority and Providence Health Care in Vancouver.

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Viral Genomics - Why the Outcomes of the 1918 Spanish Flu and COVID-19 Will Differ

Compare and contrast the 1918 Spanish flu and the COVID-19 pandemics, and understand how modern technology and the science of genomics – the study of an organism’s complete set of DNA – will influence the outcome of this pandemic.

COREY NISLOW, PhD, is a professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in translational genomics at UBC.

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Supporting Children’s Education During the Pandemic

Online educational resources for children abound, but how do you choose and use the right ones? Get tips on navigating these resources and discuss different ways family members – parents, grandparents and extended family – can support children’s and grandchildren’s learning.

MARINA MILNER-BOLOTIN, PhD, is an associate professor in science education at the Faculty of Education. She is a mathematics and science educator with extensive experience in K-12 and post-secondary classroom and online education.

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Pathological Politics: Trump, Pandemic and the 2020 US Elections

Examine President Trump’s and the US government’s response to COVID-19, its consequences for the American public, and the implications for the 2020 national elections, with comparisons to our experiences in Canada.

PAUL J. QUIRK, PhD, is the Phil Lind Chair in US Politics and Representation at UBC. He earned his PhD in political science at Harvard University, and has published widely on the presidency, Congress, public opinion and policy.

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The Parks and Cafes are Closed: What Happens to Community Engagement?

Social infrastructure, such as parks, cafes and community organizations, brings diverse people together to interact, builds relationships among neighbours and combat isolation. Understand how individuals and organizations are responding to the closure of these important infrastructures.

SEAN LAUER, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. He uses institutional and relational approaches to examine marriage, immigration and community organizations.

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The Bubonic Plague and COVID-19 – Two Diseases in Contrast

During the 1347–53 Black Death pandemic, and subsequent bubonic plague epidemics, doctors, clergymen and government officials tried to mitigate the impact of this lethal disease, the causes of which were not understood. Today, we have the science to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and our mitigation strategies are founded on medical knowledge. Compare and contrast these pandemics in this fascinating lecture.

CHRIS FRIEDRICHS, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of history at the University of British Columbia. He retired in 2018 after 45 years of teaching European and world history at UBC.

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Why it Takes So Long to Develop Treatments and Vaccines

Get an overview of the types of vaccines and various immunization methods that might be useful against COVID-19. Understand testing and, to some degree, the process for approving a vaccine for clinical use, and why it takes as long as it does to develop a vaccine. Discuss issues around testing of current drugs and their potential for treating COVID-19 patients.

MARC LEVINE, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chair, UBC Children's and Women's Research Ethics Board at UBC.

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The Income Tax System as a Tool During the Pandemic

Our income tax system is one of the most important social, political and economic tools that a government has at its disposal. Using tax expenditure theory, this lecture examines the myriad of ways the government is applying – and could be applying – the income tax system in these difficult economic times.

CLAIRE YOUNG, LLB, LLM, is Professor Emerita at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. She is the co-author of two books and the author of numerous articles on tax law and policy. Claire has been awarded the UBC Killam Teaching Prize twice during her career at UBC.

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What Can Integrative Health Systems Offer Us During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Integrative health systems attend to the mind and body. Explore self-led practices such as yoga, meditation and nature immersion (shinrinyoku/salim yok), practitioner-led practices such as Ayurveda, and supplements and other products in promoting health and preventing diseases. Discuss their relevance to improving global mental and physical health.

FARAH M SHROFF, PhD, is a public health researcher and educator with Department of Family Practice and School of Population and Public Health. Her research focuses on integrative health practices and taking action on the social determinants of health, and she has taught self-care practices around the world. Farah is the founder and lead of Maternal and Infant Health Canada.

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How will COVID-19 Affect the Global Sustainable Development Agenda?

Explore the effects the coronavirus could have on the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda, locally and globally. Gain an overview of the agenda and goals, and take part in an interactive activity to understand how the pandemic may affect a key area of sustainable development in the short and long term.

KSHAMTA HUNTER is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, Curriculum and Pedagogy where she is investigating the role of social innovation and youth activism in achieving the sustainable development agenda. She also leads student engagement programming for the UBC Sustainability Initiative.

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What Can Gender Data Teach Us About COVID-19?

The total count for confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed two million. But this data point doesn't capture the total burden of the disease, nor its starkly gendered impacts. This lecture dives into coronavirus gender data, highlighting what we can learn from unconventional data sources like social media platforms and women's shelter call logs. We will also discuss what policymakers can do with this information.

TARA PATRICIA COOKSON, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography. She’s a scholar-activist whose research focuses on how we can influence policy making and create “caring priorities” for women’s wellbeing. Tara regularly hosts public lectures, and recently spoke at the United Nations.

[Carolyn Canfield]

As of today, April 29, three lectures are posted. I hope you find these talks to be interesting. The format is generally a half hour talk followed by a half hour of questions. Watching these talks gives me a healthier perspective on my own feelings of uncertainty, an uncomfortable place where we all find ourselves. Also, reflecting on this background is helpful for my patient partnerships. Happy learning! Best wishes to you. Stay safe.