Latest from Sameer Chhabra
The Dose
This lab asks research volunteers to breathe in toxic fumes — and they do it willingly
As air quality worsens in Canada due to wildfire smoke, UBC's Air Pollution Exposure Lab is one of the only facilities of its kind in Canada gathering pinpoint data to provide insight into the ways poor air quality is harmful to human health and wellness.
This artist is transforming a Greyhound bus into a museum about Black American migration
Artist and historian Robert Louis Brandon Edwards is restoring a classic, 1947 Greyhound bus, planning on turning it into a mobile museum that will highlight the Great Migration, which saw approximately six million Black Americans leave the Jim Crow South for better opportunities.
Canadians spend billions on cosmetics each year, but dermatologists say only a fraction of products are needed
Dermatologists agree that sunscreen, face wash and moisturizer are the three most useful products most people can buy, and suggest that consumers should be skeptical of products claiming to offer results that would usually require clinical treatment to achieve.
THE DOSE
Seasonal allergies are getting worse, but newer medications could offer relief
Experts say the roughly one in five Canadians who experience respiratory allergies aren't imagining things. Seasonal allergies are getting worse. Thankfully, newer medications and treatments, including allergy tablets that dissolve under the tongue, are offering seasonal sufferers more relief.
THE DOSE
What women need to know about hair loss
According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, roughly 40 per cent of women will experience some form of thinning hair by the age of 50. Research suggests that those numbers increase during menopause.
THE DOSE
Despite viral videos, methylene blue won't improve your mood or cognition, experts say
A chemical first synthesized as a textiles dye in the 1800s is making the rounds on social media as an easy way to boost mood and enhance cognition. However, experts say it's only really useful in treating very specific medical conditions.
THE DOSE
Whole-body deodorant is no fix for accepting that everybody stinks sometimes
While pharmaceutical companies continue to market products aimed at encouraging people to cover up their natural scents and help stop sweating, experts say that body odour and sweat are perfectly natural and people shouldn't worry so much about a little sweat and body odour.
The Dose
Thinking about getting a tattoo? Here's what you should know
Tattooing services are regulated and largely considered safe, but there's a growing group of experts concerned over links between tattoo ink and allergic reactions, as well as potential associations between tattoos and certain kinds of cancer.
THE DOSE
How to deal with the intense stress of political, economic uncertainty
Canadians say they're stressed about current events. Experts say there are key steps we can all take — like accepting there are some things beyond our individual control — to learn to live with large-scale global events.
Thinking about creatine supplements for your workout? Here's what you need to know
Health experts say that decades of research support taking creatine to increase musculoskeletal strength and performance. More recent research suggests creatine supplements might have cognitive benefits, too. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits, risks and how to use creatine safely.