Professor Laurie Hing Man Chan, Ph.D.

Dr. Donald Rix BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health

NSERC Northern Research Chair in Food Safety and Food Security

 

 

 

Prof. Laurie Chan joined the Community Health Program at UNBC in January 2006.  He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Phil. from the University of Hong Kong and Ph.D. from the University of London.  He holds a prestigious BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health with a $4.5 million endowment.  He is also one of the six NSERC Northern Research Chairs in Canada. 

 

            Prof. Chan was a founding member of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment at McGill University (1993-2005).  He has received over $4 million in research funding from 45 research grants and contracts, published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 18 book chapters and technical reports and owns 2 patents.  He has presented over 200 abstracts and scientific papers, and has given over 60 invited talks.  He has supervised 40 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.  Currently, he holds 12 research grants and supervises 2 post-doctoral fellows and 7 graduate students.

 

Prof. Chan’s work involves both basic and applied research in environmental toxicology and nutrition toxicology. He has conducted extensive studies on the risk and benefits of the consumption of traditional food and impacts of environmental changes on food security. Prof. Chan also serves as an advisor for numerous national and international governments and organizations and Aboriginal communities on environmental health issues.

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

 

  1. Gwich'in Traditional Food for Health (CIHR)
  2. Effectiveness of a Community Intervention Program on Food Security and Dietary Quality (CIHR)
  3. Persistent Organic Pollutants and Human Health (ArcticNet)
  4. Climate change, key traditional food species and community health (ArcticNet)
  5. Risk Assessment of Shellfish Consumption in Coastal Communities in the Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia (Health Canada)
  6. Combining Traditional and Scientific Knowledge to Maximise Use of Traditional Food and Minimise Toxic Risk (CIHR)
  7. Dietary effect on toxicity of environmental contaminants (NSERC)
  8. Environmental Contaminants Food Security and Indigenous Peoples of the North (NSERC)
  9. Estimation of dietary exposure to brominated fire retardants, perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates via consumption of traditional foods (Health Canada)
  10. Adaptation to climate change in 3 communities (Natural Resources Canada)
  11. An ecosystem approach to Hg and human health (NSERC)
  12. On-line Nutrition Course in Nunavut (Government of Nunavut)

 

Publications (2000- current) Total 82.  Underlined authors are students under my supervision

 

1.  Chan HM and Receveur O (2000) Mercury in the traditional diet of indigenous peoples in Canada. Environ Pollut. 110 (1): 1-2.

2.  Chan HM and Yeboah F (2000) Total toxaphene and specific congeners in fish from the Yukon, Canada. Chemosphere. 41 (4): 507-15.

3.  Chapman L and Chan HM (2000) The influence of nutrition on methyl mercury intoxication. Environ Health Perspect. 108 Suppl 1 29-56.

4.  de Lafontaine Y, Gagne F, Blaise C, Costan G, Gagnon P and Chan HM (2000) Biomarkers in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) for the assessment and monitoring of water quality of the St Lawrence River (Canada). Aquatic Toxicol. 50 (1-2): 51-71.

5.  Kuhnlein HV and Chan HM (2000) Environment and contaminants in traditional food systems of northern indigenous peoples. Annu Rev Nutr. 20 595-626.

6.  Wen YH and Chan HM (2000) A pharmacokinetic model for predicting absorption, elimination, and tissue burden of toxaphene in rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 168 (3): 235-43.

7.  Chan HM, Kim C and Leggee D (2001) Cadmium in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) kidneys: speciation, effects of preparation and toxicokinetics. Food Addit Contam. 18 (7): 607-14.

8.  Kuhnlein HV, Receveur O and Chan HM (2001) Traditional food systems research with Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Int J Circumpolar Health. 60 (2): 112-22.

9.  Parsons EC and Chan HM (2001) Organochlorine and trace element contamination in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the South China Sea. Mar Pollut Bull. 42 (9): 780-6.

10.  Regoli L, Chan HM, de Lafontaine Y and Mikaelian I (2001) Organotins in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and sediments of the Quebec City Harbour area of the St. Lawrence River. Aquat Toxicol. 53 (2): 115-26.

11.  Calciu C, Kubow S and Chan HM (2002) Interactive dysmorphogenic effects of toxaphene or toxaphene congeners and hyperglycemia on cultured whole rat embryos during organogenesis. Toxicology. 175 (1-3): 153-65.

12.  Kuhnlein HV, Chan HM, Leggee D and Barthet V (2002) Macronutrient, mineral and fatty acid composition of Canadian Arctic traditional food. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 15 (5): 545-566.

13.  Skopp S, Oehme M, Chu FL, Yeboah F and Chan HM (2002) Analysis of "total toxaphene" and selected single congeners in biota by ion trap HRGC-EI-MS/MS using congener-optimized parent ion dissociations. Environ Sci Technol. 36 (12): 2729-35.

14.  Chan HM, Scheuhammer AM, Ferran A, Loupelle C, Holloway J and Weech S (2003) Impacts of mercury on freshwater fish-eating wildlife and humans. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. 9 (4): 867-883.

15.  Holloway J, Scheuhammer AM and Chan HM (2003) Assessment of white blood cell phagocytosis as an immunological indicator of methylmercury exposure in birds. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 44 (4): 493-501.

16.  Kuhnlein HV, Chan HM, Receveur O and Egeland GM (2003). Canadian Arctic Indigenous peoples', traditional food systems and POPs in Fenge, T. and Downey, D. (Eds), Northern Lights against POPs:  Combating Toxic Threats at the Top of the World, McGill Queen's University Press, pp. 22-40.

17.  Kwan KHM, Chan HM and de Lafontaine Y (2003) Metal contamination in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) along the St. Lawrence River. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 88 (1-3): 193-219.

18.  Zuta CP, Simpson BK, Chan HM and Phillips L (2003) Concentrating PUFA from mackerel processing waste. Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society. 80 (9): 933-936.

19. Chan HM and Egeland GM (2004) Fish consumption, mercury exposure, and heart diseases. Nutr Rev. 62 (2): 68-72.

20. Hamilton S, Martin J, Guyot M, Trifonopoulos M, Caughey A and Chan HM (2004) Healthy living in Nunavut: an on-line nutrition course for Inuit communities in the Canadian arctic. Int J Circumpolar Health. 63 (3): 243-50.

21. Legrand M, Lam R, Jensen-Fontaine M, Salin ED and Chan HM (2004) Direct detection of mercury in single human hair strands by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. 19 (10): 1287-1288.

22.  Legrand M, Arp P, Ritchie C and Chan HM (2005) Mercury exposure in two coastal communities of the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Environmental Research. 98:14-21.

23.  Basu N, Klenavic K, Gamberg M, O'Brien M, Evans RD, Scheuhammer AM and Chan HM (2005) Effects of mercury on neurochemical receptor binding characteristics in wild mink.  . Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 24:1444-1450.

24.  Basu N, Scheuhammer AM, Grochowina N, Klenavic K, Evans D, O'Brien M and Chan HM (2005) Effects of mercury on neurochemical receptors in wild river otters (Lontra canadensis). Enviromental Science and Technology. 39:3585-3591.

25.  Basu N, Stamler CJ, Loua KM and Chan HM (2005) An inter-species comparison of mercury inhibition on muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 205:71-76.

26.  Legrand, M., Passos, C J S, Mergler, D. and HM Chan. (2005) Biomonitoring of Mercury  Exposure with Single Human Hair Strand. Environmental Science and Technology 39(12): 4594-4598.

27.  Stevenson A, Scheuhammer AM  and H M Chan. (2005). Effects of Nontoxic Shot Regulations on Lead Accumulation in Ducks and American Woodcock in Canada. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 48: 405-413.

28.  Blanar CA, M A Curtis and H M Chan (2005) Growth, nutritional quality and hematology of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) exposed to toxaphene and tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium dendriticum) larvae. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 48: 397-404.

29.  Stamler, CJ, Basu, N. and HM Chan. (2005) Biochemical markers of neurotoxicity in wildlife and human populations: Considerations for method development. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A. 68(16): 1413-1429.

30. Blanar CA, Curtis MA, Chan HM.  (2005).  Environmental Dose of Toxaphene does not affect the Growth, Stress Response and Selected Physiological Parameters in Juvenile Arctic Charr, Salvelinus alpinus.  Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. . 75(3): 436-42.

31. Lafleur, JP, Lam, R, Chan HM and Salin ED. (2005) Induction heating-electrothermal vaporization for direct mercury analysis of a single human hair strand by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J . Anal . At . Spectrom .20:1315–1317.

32. Canuel, R. Boucher de Grosbois S,  Atikessé L, Lucotte M, Arp P, Ritchie C,  Mergler D, Chan HM, Amyot M, Anderson R. (2006) New Evidence on Variations of Human Body Burden of Methylmercury from Fish Consumption. Environ Health Perspect 114:302-306.

33.  Basu, N., Kwan, M., and HM Chan (2006) Mercury but not organochlorines inhibit muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding in the cerebrum of ringed seals (Phoca hispida).  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health [In press].

34.  Beyrouty, P. Stalmer, C, Jun-Ni Li, Kubow, S and HM Chan (2006) Effects of prenatal methylmercury exposure on brain monoamine oxidase activity and neurobehavior of rats. Neurotoxicology and Teratology [In press]

35.  Beyrouty, P and HM Chan (2006) Co-consumption of selenium and vitamin E altered the reproductive and developmental toxicity of methylmercury in rats. Neurotoxicology and Teratology [In press]

36.  Stamler, CJ, Abdelouahab, N, Vanier, C, Mergler, D. and HM Chan (2006) Relationship between mercury exposure and platelet monoamine oxidase activity in fish consumers from the Lac St-Pierre region, Quebec Canada. Neurotoxicology [In press]

37. Basu N, Scheuhammer AM, Rouvinen-Watt K, Grochowina N, Klenavic K,  Evans RD and HM Chan (2006) Methylmercury impairs components of the cholinergic system in captive mink (Mustela vison). Toxicological Sci [In press]

 

Other Contributions

 

  1. Scientific Advisor to 18 Aboriginal communities and organizations (2000-).
  2. Member of the Expert Review Panel for Arsenic Trioxide in Giant Mine, NWT (2002-).
  3. Member of CIHR Northern and Rural Expert Advisory Committee (2003-)
  4. Member of the Niqiit Avatittinni (Food in the Environment) Committee in Nunavut (2003-).
  5. Member of Review Committee for NSERC Collaborative Health Research Grant (2003-).
  6. Representative of CINE to the University of Arctic (2003-).
  7. Member of Task Force for the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems and Nutrition for the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (2003-)
  8. Founding member of the International Network For Circumpolar Health Research (2004-)
  9. Member of CIHR Aboriginal Research Ethics Committee (2004-).
  10. Member of the Tri-Council Ethics Panel (2006-)
  11. Member of Canada-China S&T Complementarity Study Team (2006)

 

 

Related Links

 

  1. BC Leadership Chair
  2. NSERC Northern Research Chair
  3. Centre for Indigenous Peoples Nutrition and Environment