Latest news with #SarahWood
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Could honeybees help us understand FASD? This Saskatoon researcher watches hives for clues
A researcher from Saskatoon wants to learn more about the effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) by using honeybees. Sarah Wood, research chair in pollinator health at University of Saskatchewan, has looked at how FASD affects the movements of bees, and now she is looking to see how it may affect bees socially. "There's this genetic connection between the social behaviour of honeybees and humans that we thought we'd like to explore in the context of FASD," said Wood. She says a previous study that looked at honeybees is a potential model for autism in humans. "What they found was that for honeybees that were socially non-responsive in certain situations, they had some of the same genes unregulated as humans with autism," said Wood. Her research around FASD is already being carried out and led by a masters student who is raising honeybees in the lab — from larvae to adults. At the same time, Wood says they include low concentrations of ethanol through the larval diet to observe how it impacts the development of the honeybee until they are fully grown. Honeybees are then introduced to an observation hive. "This is a glass-sided hive where we can observe the behaviour of the honeybees and we can look at how they interact with their nest mates, how they share food, how they communicate and also how the bees interact with their queen," she said. Each honeybee will be identified by a numbered tag attached to their thorax so they will be easy to identify and compare the treatments and controls, said Wood. Link between bees and humans Wood says honeybees are a eusocial species where they have cooperative brood care — they work together to care for larvae and have overlapping generations. "And they have division of labour," said Wood, noting that different ages of bees have different jobs in the hive. "All of those properties, you know, we can sort of see in our own human society. And so perhaps it's not surprising that honeybees might be a good model for human conditions," she said. Stephen Pernal, a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says honeybees offer a lot of potential when it comes to looking at the progression of a disease and what factors may affect it. "Now with the advent of genetic technologies, we can look at gene expression," said Pernal. "And we do know, some of the genes that honeybees have are common in terms of expression between autism in people and an insect." He says "animal models" are commonly used for research because it would be unethical to treat humans with disease to look for cures or at progressions of the disease. "They could be fish, they could be things like worms, like nematodes and in fact sometimes insects are used in animal models as well," said Pernal. Beyond ethics, Pernal says using an animal model is often cheaper and quicker when it comes to getting answers to the questions that may want to be used in a human model. "Honeybees are super social. They have co-operative group care, they have division of labour, they have tasks which reduce diseases by social skills," said Pernal. He says a honeybee's social behaviour can be characterized by observing their role in a hive. "I believe the idea is if you were to expose honeybees to some sort of threat, in this case alcohol, we could look at their effects on their social skills as adults and use that as a model to compare what might actually happen in people." Pernal says there aren't a lot of other systems that could be used to explore changes in adult behaviours and socialization in other animals. What the research shows so far Wood says when looking at how the ethanol affects a bee's development, they noticed the honeybees that have been exposed to higher concentrations of ethanol have covered less distance compared to those that had less. "They weren't moving normally compared to the controls," she said. Looking forward, Wood says the more immediate outcome of her research would be to spark more positive conversations around FASD and support for the families affected. "The long-term goal for this research would be to develop a drug discovery animal model as sort of a cheap and easy model that we could use to screen potential therapeutics for treatment of FASD," she said.
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Reserve Bank expected to pause OCR cuts
business economy 27 minutes ago The Reserve Bank is expected to put a pause on its series of cuts to the Official Cash Rate on Wednesday. chief executive Sarah Wood spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.
The Spinoff
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
When the Facts Change: Housing market psychology 101
Bernard Hickey talks to CEO Sarah Wood about the psychology of the housing market. Why are so many homeowners holding on and simply not selling, rather than lowering their price to 'meet the market' and 'clear the market' the way other markets do when there's too much supply and not enough demand? Bernard Hickey dives into the psychology of the housing market this week with CEO Sarah Wood. Follow When the Facts Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Property Market Bucks The Trend Of Global Uncertainty
Press Release – Sarah Wood, CEO of says that while global uncertainty persists, New Zealands property market remains remarkably steady, giving buyers and sellers a rare advantage in an otherwise uncertain environment. Is there ever a right time to buy or sell property? Yes – and it's now! The latest data from shows stock levels are high, and prices are stable, giving buyers and sellers the advantage of time. Sarah Wood, CEO of says that while global uncertainty persists, New Zealand's property market remains remarkably steady, giving buyers and sellers a rare advantage in an otherwise uncertain environment: 'We're in something of a holding pen at present. With global economic turmoil, US tariffs, and employment uncertainty, New Zealand is a bit stuck as we wait to see how these pressures play out.' 'But there's a silver lining: today's well-stocked and stable property market offers buyers and sellers time, choice, and flexibility. A fast market is stressful for buyers and sellers; a slower, stable market brings real positives. If you want to have certainty around your buying and selling price, now's a great time to make your move.' Respite for Kiwis as prices remain stable While the financial markets are volatile, the national average asking price has held steady. In April 2025, the national average asking price dipped 1.7% year-on-year to $852,364 — still well within the narrow range of roughly $850,000 to $890,000 that has defined the past two years. 'It's been more than two years since the national average asking price was above $900,000. Over that time, prices have fluctuated by less than 6.0% within a tight $50,000 band. We are in a period of rare stability,' says Wood. Despite the stability, pockets of the country reported year-on-year average asking price growth during April. Most significant were Gisborne (up 17% to $724,168), Central North Island (up 12.6% to $779,099), Wairarapa (up 8.5% to $733,735), and Hawke's Bay (up 8.1% to $778,039). High stock levels give buyers more choice National stock was up 6.2% year-on-year in April 2025, continuing a trend of elevated listings across the country. 'There's plenty of stock available, but we're not seeing a boom in sales activity to move it through yet,' says Wood. Sales data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) shows steady movement but not at peak historical levels. Across the first quarter of 2025, residential sales increased month-on-month, from 3,774 in January, to 6,287 in February, and 7,640 in March. Vendors cool their jets as the weather turns The change in seasons and the arrival of shorter days saw new listings fall, down 29.2% from 12,029 in March to 8,518 in April. Wood says it's typical to see a seasonal dip in new listings at this time of year but notes that new listings were also lower compared to April 2024. 'New listings were down 11.6% compared to last year, but there is still strong interest across the market. We're seeing the highest level of enquiries from buyers in three years. That's a positive sign.' Some of the biggest year-on-year lifts in stock were seen in Gisborne (up 75.0% — though actual listing numbers remain small, rising from just 82 to 144 properties), Central Otago / Lakes District (up 28.2%), West Coast (up 28.0%), Otago (up 22.4%), Central North Island (up 19.6%), Canterbury (up 14.5%), Marlborough (up 11.0%), Wellington (up 10.8%), and Coromandel (up 10.3%). So, is it a buyer's or a seller's market? In today's slower but stable market, both buyers and sellers have real opportunities. For buyers, the current climate offers time to act carefully rather than under pressure. Wood encourages buyers to take full advantage of this breathing room. 'My advice? Visit 50 properties before you buy. You need to know the market, know what's selling, and know what buyers are paying — and right now, you have the time to do exactly that,' she says. 'This market also allows buyers to negotiate terms, like longer settlement periods, and complete thorough due diligence before making decisions.' Wood adds that buyers today have access to more data than ever before: 'Our insights page gives real-time suburb trends and recent sales information, which simply wasn't available five years ago.' Sellers, too, can benefit from stability. Well-priced properties are still moving, and many vendors will soon become buyers themselves. 'If you accept a slightly lower sale price than your original expectations, you're also better positioned to negotiate sharply when you purchase your next property. It's a two-sided opportunity,' says Wood. Note: Glossary of terms: Average asking price (AAP) is neither a valuation nor the sale price. It is an indication of current market sentiment. Statistically, asking prices tend to correlate closely with the sales prices recorded in future months when those properties are sold. As it looks at different data, average asking prices may differ from recorded sales data released simultaneously. New listings are a record of all the new residential dwellings listed for sale on for the relevant calendar month. The site reflects 97% of all properties listed through licensed real estate agents and major developers in New Zealand. This description gives a representative view of the New Zealand property market. Stock is the total number of residential dwellings that are for sale on on the penultimate day of the month. Rate of sale is a measure of how long it would take, theoretically, to sell the current stock at current average rates of sale if no new properties were to be listed for sale. It provides a measure of the rate of turnover in the market. Seasonal adjustment is a method uses to represent better the core underlying trend of the property market in New Zealand. This is done using methodology from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. Truncated mean is the method uses to supply statistically relevant asking prices. The top and bottom 10% of listings in each area are removed before the average is calculated to prevent exceptional listings from providing false impressions.
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
The Mortgage Collaborative Helps Lender Member Resolve VA Loan Issue, Restoring Lender Authority
SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC) has once again demonstrated the power of its network by swiftly assisting lenders to resolve a critical VA lending issue that had stalled loan processing nationwide. Through rapid collaboration, direct engagement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the persistence of key TMC members, impacted lenders regained their VA underwriting and insurance authority in just one week—ensuring veterans could move forward with their home purchases. On March 13, Max Leaman, CEO of LoanPeople, informed TMC Member Benefits Advocate Sarah Wood that a transition to the VA's new PPM system had inadvertently stripped multiple lenders of their automatic authority and SAR designations. The widespread issue threatened to delay thousands of veteran home purchases, including three loans at immediate risk. Despite repeated attempts by lenders to resolve the matter, progress had stalled. 'Our VA underwriting authority was unexpectedly revoked due to a systems issue,' said Leaman. 'After two weeks and 30+ hours of calls with no resolution, I reached out to Sarah at TMC. She quickly connected us with key TMC members and brought in TMC Director of Membership Growth, Toni Bramley, and their work had us reinstated within 48 hours. This is exactly why TMC exists—when a member faces a challenge, the network mobilizes to find a solution and gets it done.' Wood immediately engaged TMC's member network, bringing in experienced VA lenders to strategize solutions. Industry leaders including Khash Sagahafi and Michelle Massucci (Liberty Home Mortgage Corporation), Kim Mason (Atlantic Bay Mortgage Corporation), and Teresa Rose (Western Ohio Mortgage Corp) provided critical guidance, shared contacts, and helped troubleshoot interim solutions to keep loans moving while compliance issues were addressed. Support continued at TMC's Live Large, Think Big! conference in Dallas (March 16-18), where Wood and Bramley worked behind the scenes, leveraging direct VA connections and coordinating efforts. By March 20, their persistence paid off—lenders had their VA automatic authority and SAR designations reinstated. 'TMC's network is built on collaboration,' said Sarah Wood. 'When a lender faces a challenge, no one hesitates to step in. It's not just about fixing an issue—it's about ensuring real people get into their homes. This was a true team effort, and I'm incredibly proud of the dedication that made it happen.' TMC CEO and President Jodi Hall echoed this sentiment, saying 'Sarah and Toni were relentless. Their dedication is a testament to how greater impact is achieved together and how our accountability to our members' success drives everything we do.' 'This is a relationship-driven network, and that's how you get things done,' added Toni Bramley. [email protected]. About The Mortgage Collaborative ### MEDIA ONLY CONTACT: (not for publication online or in print) Andrew Edwards, Director of Marketing The Mortgage Collaborative [email protected] (503) 803-3855 ### Keywords: Mortgage, The Mortgage Collaborative, Live Large, Think Big! TMC Conference, LoanPeople, SAN DIEGO, Calif. Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P125036 APNF0325A
