University of Lethbridge Theses
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- ItemCanadian psychologists' and psychology graduate students' perceptions of psychedelic therapy(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2025) Cobuz, Victoria D.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Luft, Toupey M.The field of psychedelics has seen a revival in recent years that has yielded preliminary evidence for their therapeutic benefits. As clinical trials of psychedelic therapy increase, it is essential to understand psychologists' perceptions of this treatment, as these are likely to influence the future implementation and accessibility of psychedelic therapy. The current study aimed to explore the perceptions and knowledge of psychedelic therapy among psychology graduate students and registered psychologists, and to assess how perceptions varied based on registration status, knowledge, and demographic factors. An online survey was employed to gather data on 137 participants’ perceptions and knowledge of psychedelic therapy. Results revealed a general consensus on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, with no significant differences between students and psychologists. Participants highlighted a notable lack of formal education on the subject, yet most expressed a desire for psychedelic therapy to be included in psychology training. The findings also revealed that higher levels of knowledge were associated with more favourable perceptions of psychedelic therapy. Personal experience with psychedelics was associated with both more favourable perceptions and higher levels of knowledge. Gender did not significantly impact perceptions or knowledge. These insights emphasize the need to address the shortage of trained providers and incorporate psychedelic therapy into psychology curricula so that that future psychologists are well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to incorporate this emerging field into their practice. The current findings provide important insights into the current understanding and attitudes toward psychedelic therapy within the field of psychology, particularly in Canada.
- ItemRiver metabolism and carbon cycling in a heavily impacted agricultural watershed(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 2024) Janvier, Ilyanna K.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Bogard, Matthew J.Rivers support people in many ways, including for agriculture and irrigation, drinking water, and recreational and cultural uses. Streams and rivers also play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle as they not only transport C and nutrients to the ocean, but they also store, emit, and transform different sources of C. Consequently, rivers contribute large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Human activities can modify food web metabolism and the cycling of C in rivers in complex ways that are hard to predict. For streams and rivers in southern Alberta, one of Canada’s most heavily impacted agricultural landscapes, riverine metabolism and C cycling are not well quantified. Here, I explore these issues in the Little Bow River (LBR) and Mosquito Creek (MCR). I used a combination of methods including both low and high frequency measurements to calculate CO2 flux, microbial incubations to measure C consumption, and whole-river metabolism. My research revealed that concentrations of CO2 were low compared to the global average, and as a result, emissions were also generally low in the river network. I found that modelled rates of metabolism in the river network, on average, were higher for gross primary production (GPP) but lower for ecosystem respiration (ER) than median rates reported for global rivers, and the network was generally on the low side for metabolic rates compared to streams in other agricultural regions. I document a shift in C cycling patterns from headwaters to the lower river, by showing increased coupling of GPP and ER, decreased bioavailability of DOC, and ultimately, elevated pH and lower CO2 emissions downstream. Human controls on flow regimes appeared to be the driving factor for differences between sites throughout the network. My research presents new network-scale patterns of river C cycling in drought-stressed agricultural landscapes.
- ItemBuilding adolescent executive functioning through a play-based curriculum(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, 2024) Oldfield, Jade S. L.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Gibb, Robbin L.Executive functions (EFs) are critical skills that impact all aspects of a persons’ life and are more predictive of life success than academic achievement (Alloway & Alloway, 2010). While there are different perspectives on how to categorize EF, herein we focus on the three distinct, yet interrelated behaviors of inhibition (the ability to withhold a response), working memory (the ability to keep in mind and manipulate information; Diamond, 2013), and cognitive flexibility (the ability to move from one frame of reference to another; Best & Miller, 2010). Of particular interest is the development of EF during adolescence as this is currently a large gap in the research. Adolescence is a dynamic and fundamental period of growth and change for the brain, during which EF matures (Gee & Casey, 2015). If an environment is not optimal for EF maturation, individuals may have poorer life outcomes (Tooley et al., 2021; Zysset et al., 2018). Therefore, the current study outlines a detailed and accessible play-based intervention that shows promise in helping adolescents build EF and hypothesizes that participants will see improvements in inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. While significant results are seen in the post-test results, they appear to be limited to the domain of inhibition or inhibitory control.
- ItemInvestigating the efficacy of cannabis as a novel therapeutic modality for aggressive pediatric brain and nervous system tumors(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 2024) Malach, Megan Shirley; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Kovalchuk, Olga; Kovalchuk, IgorCannabis sativa is a plant that has been used medicinally for thousands of years. In recent decades, interest in cannabis as an anti-cancer therapy has gained interest and numerous preclinical studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer abilities of a variety of human cancer types. However, most of these studies have been in only adult cancers and tumors and have almost entirely used individual cannabinoids as treatments. Here, we demonstrate the anti-cancer abilities of a cannabis extract on models of two pediatric brain tumors, neuroblastoma and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors. Neuroblastoma is an extremely common pediatric solid tumor of the nervous system, and its high-risk iterations pose a clinical problem requiring novel therapeutic solutions. Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors are extremely rare solid tumors of the central nervous system that occur almost exclusively in children under 3 and extremely poor prognoses. Thus, the investigation of novel treatment strategies for this tumor is warranted. Here, we demonstrate that cannabis extract is able to reduce viability and induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in models of both tumor types, and that this effect is driven not via the constituent cannabinoids of the extract, but via the entourage effect, as individual cannabinoid and terpene components of the extract, whether alone or in combination, failed to reproduce the anti-cancer effects of the whole extract. We also demonstrate that two of these terpenes, citronellol and α-cedrene, are capable of inducing anti-cancer effects, including reductions in viability, small increases in apoptosis, and similar mechanisms of cell cycle arrest as whole extract. However, the effect of individual agents, even in combination, fail to recapitulate the observed anti-cancer effects of whole extract. Overall, this research demonstrates that investigation of whole-cannabis extracts is a novel and worthwhile pursuit for pediatric solid nervous system tumors in need of novel therapies.
- ItemBoreal ecosystem changes due to permafrost thaw across the discontinuous to sporadic permafrost zone(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography and Environment, 2024) Flade, Linda; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Chasmer, Laura; Hopkinson, ChristopherThis PhD thesis developed a framework to model, quantify, and improve understanding of spatially explicit changes in short-to-tall-stature vegetation structure in the southern Taiga of northwestern Canada. This region is still changing due to the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet since the last glacial maximum (~22.1 cal ka BP). In addition, climate change has caused rapid ecosystem changes, for example due to permafrost thaw, with implications to carbon sink strength and wildland fire susceptibility, amongst others. Regional allometric equations for shrubs and short-stature trees were developed to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) and live aboveground plant carbon stocks using 1D, 2D, and 3D field measurements. Spatially coincident bi-temporal airborne lidar data were used to develop a single AGB model applicable across changing relationships between lidar point clouds and AGB magnitudes as ecosystems change form, ecosystem boundaries expand and recede, and airborne lidar technologies evolve. By fusing field data with bi-temporal airborne lidar data, the study quantified and analyzed changes in vegetation structure and aboveground plant carbon stocks. By employing geospatial statistical analysis and machine learning the underlying important drivers of these changes were identified. Key findings of this thesis were the following: (1) the developed framework has improved understanding of the magnitudes and directions of short-to-tall-stature vegetation structural changes over the past decade (2010 to 2019); (2) increases in the growth and abundance of short-stature vegetation were substantial across the study region and need to be integrated into carbon accounting frameworks with extension to unmanaged forest and peatland ecosystems. Overall, the established framework could aid in the modelling of wildland fire fuel dynamics and fire behavior also in peatlands, which could reduce community risk to fire in this region.