We are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Leonard Foster as Dean and Vice-Provost pro tem, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, for a one-year term effective August 1, 2026.

Graduate and postdoctoral education are fundamental to UBC's academic mission of cultivating academic excellence and impact in a global context. As UBC advances its Strategic Directions, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will continue to play a vital role in driving discovery and innovation, creating more flexible pathways for learners, and advancing the responsible development and application of emerging technologies. Professor Foster's distinguished record as a researcher, educator and academic leader positions him well to lead the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in supporting graduate excellence and fostering the next generation of scholars, researchers and academic leaders.

Professor Foster holds a professorial appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Michael Smith Laboratories (MSL). He earned his B.Sc. from Simon Fraser University and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto, where he studied the cell biology and biochemistry of insulin's effects on adipocytes. He joined UBC in 2005 as one of the founding members of the Centre for High-Throughput Biology. He currently serves as Director of the Life Sciences Institute (LSI), one of Canada's largest research institutes, with more than 800 researchers. He previously served as head of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and as an advisor on the Canada Foundation for Innovation to the Vice-President, Research & Innovation.

Professor Foster's research group applies quantitative proteomic methods to study host-pathogen interactions across a range of systems, from humans and related model systems to honey bees. He has led or co-led five Genome Canada-funded national research projects in systems biology topics, and holds research funding from CIHR, NSERC, Genome Canada, Genome BC, MITACS, CFI, and several philanthropic organizations. He established the UBC Proteomics Core Facility, hosted jointly between MSL and LSI, and has served as its Director since 2007.

I would like to thank Dr. Shannon Hagerman for serving as the Dean and Vice-Provost pro tem from June 16, 2025, to June 15, 2026. My thanks also go to Dr. Alison Lister for stepping in as Dean and Vice-Provost pro tem from June 16 to July 31, 2026. Their leadership and service to the Faculty and UBC's community of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows have been greatly appreciated.

Please join me in congratulating Professor Foster on his appointment. I look forward to working with him and the leadership team in G+PS over the coming year.

Janice Stewart 
Acting Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver