The July 2020 edition of North America Analysis covers a range of policy topics from the region, including comment from the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock about the importance of anticipatory action when it comes to humanitarian affairs
Elsewhere, Osama El-Lissy, Deputy Administrator for Plant Protection and Quarantine at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service shares a story of plant protection that includes commentary on preventing the spread of invasive pests. On a positive note, plants can certainly serve as a symbol of friendship, to help two nations strengthen their bonds, Osama tells us.
We are pleased to welcome back David Shurtleff, PhD, Deputy Director at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. into this edition. David discusses new funding opportunities for cannabinoid research, for example, when it comes to the “potential pain-relieving properties and mechanisms of action of diverse phytochemicals in the marijuana plant.” Could such research help address the public health concerns of chronic pain and opioid epidemics? You can read the piece to learn more.
On the subject of research, we also welcome again the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation, who provide an update about their work in driving discovery and development in chemistry research that improves the quality of life and drives the economy. The authors, Carol Bessel and Melissa Olson, also tell us that challenges in the field remain, such as “better understanding and remediating environmental contaminants” or “capturing and storing energy from more sustainable sources”.
Finally, as part of our Canadian coverage, we include a piece from Victoria Johnson from Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, who sheds light on the connection between vision loss and mental health. Did you know that around 5.4% of Canadians over the age of 15 today live with vision-related disabilities? You can read the article to find out more!
I hope you find this edition intellectually stimulating and look forward to welcoming you to future editions.
