Quiet THE EDGE

March 28, 2007

>>> A Glimpse Into the Ongoing Research at UNBC_ ;
Type-2 Diabetes a “Tsunami’

Making Waves - A
Short Interview with
Professor Mathew Reid

MitrcHet. Grant, PHoto Eprror

Professor Matthew Reid in his
office.

MrrcHet. GRANT
PuHoto Epiror

In the past few weeks we have
been flooded at OTE and the Uni-
versity with horrible news and
even worse responses. This issue
we felt it would be nice to con-
centrate on the positives, and the
three research articles that OTE
is covering this issue are perfect
examples of some of the positives
of UNBC, Professor Matthew
Reid’s record breaking work most
especially.

Professor Reid is a physics
professor here at UNBC and has
been working with the Advanced
Laser Light Source in Montreal
and their team in the field of laser
generated terahertz waves where
recently he has broken a record
for the largest laser based power
source generated terahertz wave.

When asked what got him in-
terested in physics and math Dr.
Reid replied that he always had
enjoyed the puzzle aspect of the
fields, and that as he reached high-
er level courses he realized there
were more and more interesting
aspects to physics than just what
the first year courses emphasized.

How he got into the field of
terahertz however was not so
directed, as it was a complete
“fluke”. While he was looking
into grad research at the Univer-
sity of Alberta, it seamed to be the
most interesting project one of his
profs and been working on, and so
he was introduced to a project that
could have far reaching implica-
tions, let alone in his own home
town.

Using a power source the size
of cell phone, with about as much

radioactivity to it, Dr. Reid is
able to cast waves through wood,
though admittedly a full sized log
will still be a challenge, to deter-
mine the wood’s fiber quality and
thus what best to use it for. The
low radiation level makes the use
of Terahertz technology safe to
use with huge benefits to indus-
tries like security and of course
the wood and the paper and pulp
industries. P

For the security industry it
means that in airports people can
now see through clothes and other
materials, and while of course
moral implications are holding
back its implementation, terahertz
waves could be used to determine
if potential passengers are hiding
a weapon on their person.

In the wood industry as stated

above, it will allow a mill.to de-

termine the wood’s fiber quality
and how to use it best, and with
the mountain pine beetle problem
growing larger by the day, this can
help save the industry millions.

The relatively low cost of
lasers now for industrial use has
made this the right time for laser
based terahertz technology, where
it can move from the research lab
into the applied world. If the pow-
ers of funding allow, Reid hopes
to have this technology practically
applied within the span of a year
to the wood industry, at least in
prototype form.

In a time of supposed strife for
UNBC, with so much up in the air,
Dr. Reid agrees that it is good tim-
ing for research of this caliber to
be released, showing that UNBC
is still pushing the fields with the
quality of research that it is com-
ing out of such a small University.
He believes it helps to showcase
why we are one of the top schools
in the country.

On-top of that, much of this
new research can be assisted with
by undergrads, something rare in
other universities, offering a leg
up to students who wish to. con-
tinue on to graduate research and
studies as they have a chance for
experience that none of their other
competition will have. °

Most of all Dr. Reid believes,

that “this is a good example of
what UNBC is intended for, be-
ing in the north for the north” and
provides examples of how his re-
search applies.

Professor Warns
Dr. Hanh Huynh leading the fight of
the global epidemic

CAMERON ORR
News Epiror

Standing in front of the metal-
lic doors of the Northern Health
Centre’s elevator, Dr. Hanh Huynh
motions towards it with dissatis-
faction.

“These are deadly,” he says.

He’s not referring to impaired
safety protocols in the machine
but rather to the problems inherent
in a machine designed to move for
us. In short, he says, it contributes
to our sedentary lifestyle.

Dr. Huynh is heading a plan
to research the prevalence of dia-
betes in youth while actively try-
ing to promote better living for
those same young people.

“T have been developing this
project for the last three years,”
says Huynh. “It’s a time consum-
ing, labourious project. It takes
almost two years to establish the
relationship and the trust between
the proposal, the school district,
the schools, and the parents in or-
der to solicit the participation into
the study.”

Huynh’s participants are com-
prised of willing volunteers from
grade one to grade six. Health care
workers, physicians and nurses
volunteering their time, record
the subject’s weight, height, blood
pressure, heart rate, and waist &
hip circumferences. The infor-
mation is kept confidential, even
from the subjects themselves. A
survey of the participants’ food
intake and physical activity level
was also carried out. In the pilot
study, the interview was done by
phone with the parents.

Huynh also makes clear that
the study is. safe and is designed
to maintain the utmost safety for
those involved.

Huynh says these studies need
to be carried out for the next ten
or 20 years to monitor the growth
and development of the popula-
tion of children in the northern
regions.

“This is the type of study that
we have no data since 1981 as
reported by Health Canada. We
have no data on children to work
with.”

Dr. Huynh is passionate about
his work. Behind him as he spoke,
a screensaver he helped develop

cycles through various slides
warning of the dangers of Type-2
Diabetes.

The screensaver is available
on UNBC’s website, and is used
to help give quick, concise in-
formation about diabetes. The
development of the program was
a way to tap into the interests of
today’s youth.

“Children like plying games,
and computers [...] so I thought
how can we get the message out
about the disease to our chil-
dren?” says Huynh about how to
get children’s attention. “Diabetes
has been recognized by the Inter-
national Health Organization as a
global epidemic.”

“{The screensaver] is seven
slides.”

Each slide relates to a particu-
lar issue of diabetes. The slides
detail what diabetes actually is,
the causes of the disease, and
ways to better your life.

~ One particular slide, aimed at
promoting active living, pictures a
pig riding a bicycle, which Huynh
says is very popular.

“Tn this case the kids like it be-
cause they ask ‘how did you get
the pig on the bicycle?’”

Dr. Huynh particularly em-
phasized the role the individual
plays in the development of this
disease.

“Type-2 Diabetes is a pre-
veantable disease, provided that
you can detect it early enough. To
prevent type 2 diabetes, the initial
step an individual willing to take
control of their lives,” he says.

“We need the willingness of
the individual to take charge, to
take control of their lives. That is
a first step.”

Willingness is not, however, a
final solution to preventing Type-
2 diabetes. Responsibility goes far
beyond the individual, and pene-
trates all levels of government.

“Tt’s not just a question of pro-
moting a method of prevention,
but it’s also how can you make it
affordable for these poor families
to live healthily.”

Current city planning weighs
heavily on ways the government
can help alleviate the growing
epidemic. A major problem is that
lower income families have more

difficulty accessing supermarkets
which provide cheaper, healthier
foods. Convenience stores which
provide simple, unhealthy foods
are more accessible in low income
neighborhoods.

“Edmonton is a good city role
model. They have re-designed the
whole city so there is a supermar-
ket within walking distance to all
these [lower income] commun-
ities.”

Other government initiatives
Huynh proposes include subsid-
izing health foods to make them
more attractive to consumers, and
taxing junk foods.

“One of my proposals will be
to tax junk foods heavily, like you
tax cigarettes. But that revenue
should not go back into the gener-
al revenue... That revenue should
go directly into subsidizing in the
form of food coupons for low in-
come families.”

He continues by saying, “If
you live on a welfare check, you
should receive a coupon from the
government, $200 a month per
family for example, but and that
coupon could only be used to
trade in for fresh vegetables, fresh
foods ... no junk foods.”

Preventative means of health
care is important for all Canad-
ians as costs for health care sky-
rocket. The Health Council of
Canada reported on March 5 that
chronic health conditions, which
Type-2 Diabetes is part of, costs
our Canadian economy approxi-
mately $80 billion dollars a year.
The report is titled “Why Health
Care Renewals Matter: Lessons
from Diabetes” and is available
on the Health Council website.

Dr. Huynh casts a bleak image
of diabetes’ place in society, and
repeats warnings that individuals
must make changes to be health-
ier. :
“This global epidemic of dia-
betes is a tsunami,” he declares.

“The tsunami has arrived. The
question is how fast can we run
away from it?”

Information about Dr. Huynh
and his research can be found on
UNBC’s website, under News &
Events, as well as links to down-
load his screensaver.

“We need the willingness of the individual to take charge, to take control of their
lives. That is a first step. - Dr. Huynh