UBC primate experiments draw criticism
VANCOUVER (CUP) — Stop UBC Animal Research held a protest on Jan. 30 to urge the University of British Columbia (UBC) to end research on monkeys.
It was aimed at a proposed experiment that plans to study the development of Parkinson’s disease in monkeys. The experiment, L91, would involve injecting four rhesus monkeys with the compound Lactacystin, which leads to the onset of symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
John Hepburn, UBC’s vice president of research, explained that L91 has yet to be approved for funding, as the most recent attempt was denied by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He also stated that there was no chance the experiment would happen before Apr. 1.
—Fabrizio Stendardo, the Ubyssey
Perfectionism hurts: study
HALIFAX (CUP) — A psychology professor at Dalhousie University has found that perfectionism may be doing some people harm.
“It’s an ugly situation, where you’re striving for more but achieving less,” said Simon Sherry, one of the authors of the new study. “It’s associated with writer’s block, public speaking anxiety [and] fear for failure.” All of these, he said, are traits students can relate to.
The study surveyed approximately 1,300 professors from psychology programs throughout North America. It suggests professors with high levels of perfectionism tend to produce less research.
—Torey Ellis , the Dalhousie Gazette
