Among the most critical elements of any doctoral exam, from the perspective of those who coordinate these complexities, is the search for a strong Chair. Yet this search serves as a perennial challenge to the Doctoral Examinations team. We consider ourselves very lucky indeed if we issue fewer than 10 invitations before confirming 1 chair for an upcoming exam. It is not at all unusual in some disciplines to invite 30 or more chairs before some gracious faculty member agrees to help us out.
If you would like to contribute your time and wisdom to UBC’s doctoral exams:
- Please have a look at the list of upcoming exams below and if one interests you, please send us an email to graduate.doctoral@ubc.ca
- Or send us an email detailing the areas that interest you and days/times that you might be generally available and we'll contact you as new exams are scheduled. Again, send an email to graduate.doctoral@ubc.ca
Please bear in mind that the chair cannot be affiliated with the candidate’s graduate program, or a member of the supervisor's department..
Friday, July 17, 2026 9:00 AM - Zoom
Yutao Kuang
(Chemistry)
Exploring Data-Driven Strategies for Modeling Catalytic Enantioselectivity and Reactivity
Supervisor(s): Professor Jolene Reid
Monday, July 20, 2026 12:30 PM - Zoom
Linnea KALCHOS
(Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education)
A Transnational Feminist Approach to Arts-Based Engagement Ethnography: Newcomer Young Women's Experiences of School Integration
Supervisor(s): Dr Anusha Kassan
Friday, July 24, 2026 9:00 AM - 107, Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory, 2202 Main Mall
Imranul Laskar
(Resources, Environment and Sustainability)
Mitigating Emissions from Ships: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice
Supervisor(s): Professor Amanda Giang
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 2:00 PM - 12th Floor Meeting Room, BC Cancer Research Centre, 675 W 10th Ave
Heather Betz
(Medical Genetics)
Identification and Targeting of ULK1/2-Mediated Autophagy to Overcome Venetoclax Resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Supervisor(s): Professor Xiaoyan Jiang
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 12:00 PM - 126, Mathematics Bldg, 1984 Mathematics Rd
Sharvaj Kubal
(Mathematics)
Nonparametric Estimation in High Dimensions with Applications to Transcriptomics Data
Supervisor(s): Professor Geoffrey Schiebinger, Professor Yaniv Plan
Thursday, July 30, 2026 9:00 AM - Zoom
Hamidreza Aftabi
(Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Unveiling Mandibular Restoration: Towards Predicting Functional and Structural Outcomes of Mandibular Reconstruction Surgery via Computational Modeling
Supervisor(s): Professor S Sidney Fels, Professor Antony J Hodgson
Thursday, July 30, 2026 12:30 PM - Zoom
Mohit Pandey
(Bioinformatics)
Development of Deep Learning Methods for Efficient Exploration of Ultra-Large Chemical Spaces
Supervisor(s): Professor Artem Cherkasov
Friday, July 31, 2026 9:00 AM - Room 200
Zhengyang Yu
(Forestry & Environmental Stewardship)
Exploration of Cellulose-Based Materials for Additive Manufacturing Using Direct Ink Writing
Supervisor(s): Professor Feng Jiang
Friday, July 31, 2026 12:30 PM - Room 203
Shubham Arora
(Asian Studies)
Theorizing Pleasure: An Intellectual History of Sanskrit Erotics, 300-1300CE
Supervisor(s): Professor Adheesh Sathaye
Friday, July 31, 2026 12:30 PM - 2202, Civil and Mechanical Engineering Bldg, 6250 Applied Science Ln
Akshai Bose
(Mechanical Engineering)
Hyaluronic Acid (HA)/Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC) Suspensions as Potential Viscosupplements for Osteoarthritis
Supervisor(s): Professor Dana Grecov
Friday, July 31, 2026 12:30 PM - 2267, Diamond Health Care Centre, 2775 Laurel St
Sigrun Jarlsdottir
(Neuroscience)
Translational Histopathology and Preclinical Intrathecal Drug Delivery in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Supervisor(s): Professor Brian Kwon
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 9:00 AM - X836, ICICS, 2366 Main Mall
Seyed Hossein Alavi
(Computer Science)
Language Models as Interactive Systems: From Game-Based Interaction to Persuasive Experiences
Supervisor(s): Professor Vered Shwartz, Professor Raymond Ng
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 1:30 PM - D213, Chemistry Bldg, 2036 Main Mall
Guojun Chen
(Chemistry)
Molecular Insight into the Folding Mechanism of the Repeat-in-Toxin Domain of Bordetella Pertussis Adenylate Cyclase Toxin
Supervisor(s): Professor Hongbin Li
Friday, August 7, 2026 9:00 AM - Room 200
Shixin Zhou
(Materials Engineering)
Modelling of Run-Out Table Cooling with Power Cooling Unit
Supervisor(s): Dr Matthias Militzer
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 9:30 AM - Zoom
Hongyuan Qi
(Psychology)
Promoting Positive Cross-Racial Relationships
Supervisor(s): Professor Amori Mikami
Friday, August 14, 2026 9:00 AM - Room 200
Juri Kim
(Community and Regional Planning)
Neighbourhood-Level Barriers and Facilitators of Business Recovery from Major Economic Disasters: Evidence from Vancouver Following COVID-19
Supervisor(s): Professor Stephanie Chang, Professor Mark Robert Stevens
Monday, August 17, 2026 12:00 PM - 240, West Mall Annex (WMAX), 1933 West Mall
Jennifer Pierce
(Community and Regional Planning)
Whose Nature, Whose City? Environmental Justice and the Governance of Urban Biodiversity Across Global Cities
Supervisor(s): Professor Maged Senbel
Thursday, August 20, 2026 9:00 AM - 5108, Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
Annie Borch
(Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences)
Basalt Eruptions in Complex Mountain Drainages: Landscape Inundation, Response, and Hazard Implications
Supervisor(s): Professor J. Kelly Russell
Thursday, August 27, 2026 12:30 PM - Room 200
Rodrigo Dos Santos
(Information)
Garden Stories: Supporting More-than-Human Interdependence through Interaction Design
Supervisor(s): Professor Lisa P. Nathan