An Omicron winter: SFU experts available over the holidays

Canadians will once again be celebrating the holidays with caution under new restrictions introduced to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

While in the Fraser Valley, flood rebuilding efforts continue with snow in the forecast to arrive across the Lower Mainland later this week. 

The following Simon Fraser University experts are generally available over the holiday break to provide comment on breaking news and offer their insights on various ongoing issues.

IMPACTS OF OMICRON:

CAROLINE COLIJN, Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health 
ccolijn@sfu.ca
Expertise: COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, role of data modelling in predicting disease spread, COVID-19 variants, vaccines and vaccinations  

JULIANNE PIPER, research fellow and project coordinator for Pandemics and Borders research team
julianne_piper@sfu.ca
Expertise: Cross-border measures, travel/border policies, public health intelligence/Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN)

JULIA SMITH, assistant professor, health sciences & faculty member, Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity
604.837.4285 |  jhs6@sfu.ca
Expertise: The impact of the pandemic on women, including her new studyhighlighting the struggles faced by women physicians

VALORIE CROOKS, Canada Research Chair in Health Service Geographies
604.417.9007 | crooks@sfu.ca 
Expertise: The impending departure of Canadian snowbirds for winter, ongoing travel & border measures, vaccine tourism

HEALTH:

ANGELA KAIDA,  associate professor, health sciences & Canada Research Chair Tier II in Global Perspectives in HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health 
 angela_kaida@sfu.ca
Expertise: Countering stigma and discrimination of women living with HIV; sharing results of a study on the topic through a new film, HIV Made Me Fabulous. See more on this topic here.

POLITICAL ISSUES:

STEWART PREST,  lecturer, political science (limited availability)
 stewart_prest@sfu.ca
Expertise: B.C. politics and health restrictions

WEATHER EVENTS:

JOHN CLAGUE, professor emeritus, Earth sciences
604.921.9904 | jclague@sfu.ca
Expertise: Climate impacts on natural hazards/earthquake activity

PASCAL HAEGELI, NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Avalanche Risk Management
604.773.0854 |  phaelgeli@sfu.ca
Expertise: Impact of rainfall on snow melt; high to extreme avalanche alerts

BRENT WARD, professor, Earth sciences, co-director, Centre for Natural Hazards Research
604.771.5829 |   bcward@sfu.ca
Expertise: Impact of natural landslides on creeks, rivers & fish habitat
- How to make communities more resilient to climate change & flooding
- Lingering impacts of flood events

CONTACT 

MELISSA SHAW, SFU  Communications & Marketing 
236.880.3297 | melissa_shaw@sfu.ca 

Simon Fraser University
Communications & Marketing |  SFU Media Experts Directory
778.782.3210

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As Canada’s engaged university, SFU works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today’s problems. With campuses in British Columbia’s three largest cities—Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey—SFU has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 144 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 170,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.