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All living things depend on the sustainability of the earth’s resources, and understanding how to protect and better manage those limited resources is crucial to our survival. Critical environmental issues like water pollution, food shortages and rising temperatures could have a catastrophic effect on our ability to meet basic human needs in the near future. Experts in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems are working on solutions to many of these challenges.

Our researchers are studying everything from climate change and storm water management to the relationship between food, nutrition, diet and health. The research discoveries being made here have the potential to reach across borders for world-wide applications.

We are also sharing what we’ve learned with the next generation of scientists - our students. They come to us with a strong sense of global responsibility, passionate about creating positive and lasting change on issues of importance. We believe that by providing them with the opportunity to learn outside the traditional classroom - taking part in a community-based experiential learning project or studying overseas - we can enhance their education and help them develop to their full potential.

 

 

Research Facilities

The Faculty of Land and Food Systems offers unique hands-on learning sites for graduate students, in addition to traditional labs where food science, food processing, and nutrition and health research take place.

UBC Farm is 24-hectare site on UBC Vancouver campus, which is a living laboratory that contains agricultural, forest, and transitional landscape areas for interdisciplinary field research. The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) located at UBC Farm is a unique research centre that aims to understand and fundamentally transform local and global food systems towards a more sustainable, food secure future.

The Dairy Education and Research Centre, located a 2-hour drive from UBC Vancouver campus, is an internationally recognized dairy cattle research centre supporting the development and adaptation of new technologies for the dairy industry in British Columbia and beyond. The Centre has a large research herd that can provide sufficient numbers of experimental animals at a given physiological stage to meet most research requirements. These features support a vibrant critical mass of students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, visiting scientists, and faculty. A 10,800 square-foot student residence building opened in September 2015, which allows students and researchers to live on-site at the Agassiz, B.C. research station, and more closely monitor their research projects in dairy cattle welfare, animal reproduction, and resource recovery.

The Wine Research Centre has sites at both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan campuses, with modern and fully equipped laboratories. Researchers in the Wine Research Centre also have access to the outstanding research facilities in the Michael Smith Laboratories (MSL) which is conveniently located adjacent to the Centre. The MSL has established itself as a force in the global biotechnology research community. Research areas include grapes, vineyards, and soils; wine and fermentation; winery performance and sustainability; and wine territory competitiveness.
 

 

Research Highlights

In the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, our researchers are focused on finding viable solutions to pressing global crises and are known worldwide for their innovation and leadership in areas such as food science, dairy reproduction and animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and community health and nutrition.

Our researchers have attracted millions of dollars in research funding from sources including Genome Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Michael Smith Scholar, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Our experts are conducting ground-breaking research in many areas including:

  • animal biology, health, and welfare;
  • ecofriendly alternatives in pest management;
  • food technology, genomics, and safety;
  • food processing and food waste management;
  • plant and soil health;
  • watershed management;
  • food security and sovereignty;
  • community health and nutrition;
  • agricultural land use and impact.

Research Supervisors in Faculty

Name Research Interests
Barichello, Richard Agricultural economics
Black, Jennifer Human nutrition and dietetics; Community Health / Public Health; food banks; food environments; Nutrition; Public health; school food environments; social determinants of health
Black, Thomas Andrew Biometeorology; Soil physics; Microclimate modification
Carrillo, Juli Plant-insect interactions; Agroecology; Invasive species; evolution; Ecology; community ecology; Environmental Change; Plant evolution; Population Ecology
Castellarin, Simone Enology and viticulture; Horticultural crop growth and development; Crop physiology; Fruit ripening; Secondary metabolism; Environmental stresses; Viticulture
Cerri, Ronaldo Animal and dairy sciences; Animal behaviour; Animal developmental and reproductive biology; Animal physiology; Agricultural Machinery and Technology; Animal Production; Animal Reproduction; Biotechnology and Activity monitors; Dairy cattle reproduction; Endocrine Regulation; Endometrium-conceptus cross communication; Estrous cycle physiology in cattle; Inflammation and stress; Production medicine in dairy cattle
Cohen, Tamara understanding the interplay between different lifestyle behaviours; how eating behaviours relate to weight management; Obesity
Cornelis, Jean Thomas Earth and related environmental sciences; Pedology; Biogeochemistry; Soil-Plant Interactions
Dee, Derek Enzymes (including kinetics and mechanisms, and biocatalyst); Proteomics; Nanofabrication, growth and self-assembly; Food chemistry (including fermentation); Protein Folding; protein stability; protein aggregation; protein engineering; funtional amyloid; bacterial amyloid; protein nanofibrils; food proteins; legume proteins; aspartic proteases; psychrophilic enzymes; precision fermentation; Biophysics; food chemistry; alternative food proteins; optical tweezers; single molecule force spectroscopy; cryoEM
Frommel, Andrea Animal physiology, environmental stress; Sustainable Aquaculture; climate change; Early development in fish; Alternative feeds in aquaculture; Fish physiology
Guan, Leluo Functional Genomics, Animal Microbiome
Gulati, Sumeet Agricultural economics; Economics of Human Wildlife Conflict; Economics of Urban Transportation; Effectiveness of Carbon Taxes; Effectiveness of Environmental Policy; International Trade and its Effect on the Environment; Political Economy of Environmental and Trade Policy
Jessri, Mahsa Human nutrition and dietetics; Community Health / Public Health; Epidemiology; Nutrition; Health Policies; Lifestyle Determinants and Health; Health Promotion; Health Prevention; Statistics and Probabilities; Preventive Medicine; Artificial Intelligence; Chronic Disease Prevention; clinical epidemiology; Dietary Assessment; Dietary Pattern Modeling; Dietetics; Machine Learning; Nutritional Epidemiology; predictive analytics; Public and Population Health; Simulation
Jovel Ayala, Eduardo Ethnobotany, mycology, natural product chemistry and Aboriginal health
Karakochuk, Crystal Dawn Human nutrition and dietetics; Nutrition; Global Health and Emerging Diseases; Hematology; Biochemical markers of iron status; Clinical dietetics; Determinants and causes of anemia; Inherited blood disorders (sickle cell, thalassemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency); International nutrition; Maternal and child nutrition; Micronutrients (namely iron, folic acid, and zinc); Risk-benefit of micronutrient supplementation
Kitts, David Food chemistry and toxicology, cellular and molecular mechanism, oncology
Knipfer, Thorsten
Kontogiorgos, Vasileios Food colloids, gels, foam and emulsions; Food chemistry (including fermentation); Food rheology, food texture and sensory evaluation; Nutraceuticals, functional foods and bioactive; food chemistry; Physical chemistry of foods; Food colloids; Food emulsions; Food polysaccharides; food proteins
Krzic, Maja Soil sciences; Soil health; Soil management; Soil science education
Lamers, Yvonne Human nutrition and dietetics; Nutrition; Nutrients; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Breast Feeding and Infant Nutrition; Clinical Chemistry; Maternal and child health; Micronutrients; Newborn Screening; Nutritional Biochemistry; Nutritional Biomarker; Periconceptional folic acid supplementation; Pregnancy; Prenatal Supplements; Toddler Nutrition; Vitamins
McAusland, Carol Interactions between globalization and public good provision, impacts of trade liberalization on environmental politics, potential use of trade policy to stem damages from exotic species introductions and biological invasions Environmental impacts of international trade, implications of skilled labor migration for the global provision of public goods
McKendry, James Musculoskeletal biology and physiology; Health promotion and disease prevention; Aging process; Human nutrition and metabolism; Nutritional physiology; Clinical nutrition; Exercise physiology; Sports nutrition; Kinesiology; Skeletal Muscle; Protein metabolism; Aging; Nutrition; exercise; Sarcopenia; Protein; Muscle Disuse; Stable Isotope Tracers; Omics; Cell Culture; Microscopy
Measday, Vivien Chromosome segregation in the budding yeast using molecular biology and genomic tools
Noack, Frederik Interaction of economic development and the environment
Pratap-Singh, Anubhav Environment and natural resources economics; Food sciences (including food engineering); Natural resource management; Agri-food Transformation Products; cold plasma; food engineering; food processing; Functional Foods; heat transfer; high pressure; mass transfer; novel non-thermal processing; Nutriceuticals and Functional Foods; pasteurization; pulsed light; sterilization

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

 

Publication: NPJ Ocean Sustainability
UBC Author(s): Andrea Frommel (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 3
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Chemistry Advances
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 5
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Plant Methods
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 20
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Trials
UBC Author(s): Crystal Dawn Karakochuk (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 25
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Hydrocolloids
UBC Author(s): David Kitts (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 0268005X
Volume: 156
Publication Date: November 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Hydrocolloids
UBC Author(s): Derek Dee (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 0268005X
Volume: 156
Publication Date: November 2024

View Publication
Publication: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
UBC Author(s): Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 01681923
Volume: 357
Publication Date: 15 October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Animal cognition
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 27
Page Range: 66
Publication Date: 12 October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Public health nutrition
UBC Author(s): Tamara Cohen (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 27
Page Range: e206
Publication Date: 10 October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Tianxi Yang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00218561
Volume: 72
Page Range: 22349-22359
Publication Date: 9 October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Ethics
UBC Author(s): Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Ethics
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Current Developments in Nutrition
UBC Author(s): Michael Zulyniak (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Bioscience
UBC Author(s): David Kitts (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 22124292
Volume: 61
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: PLoS ONE
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 19
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: British Journal of Pharmacology
UBC Author(s): Barbara Stefanska (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00071188
Volume: 181
Page Range: 3547-3555
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Advances in Nutrition
UBC Author(s): Crystal Dawn Karakochuk (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 21618313
Volume: 15
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Catena
UBC Author(s): Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 03418162
Volume: 245
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Food Bioscience
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 22124292
Volume: 61
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Publication: Scientific reports
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 14
Page Range: 22063
Publication Date: 27 September 2024

View Publication
Publication: ACS Sensors
UBC Author(s): Tianxi Yang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), David Kitts (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 9
Page Range: 4662-4670
Publication Date: 27 September 2024

View Publication
Publication: Science (New York, N.Y.)
UBC Author(s): Frederik Noack (Food and Resource Economics / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 385
Page Range: 1042-1044
Publication Date: 6 September 2024

View Publication
Publication: Molecules
UBC Author(s): Tianxi Yang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 29
Publication Date: September 2024

View Publication

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Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2024 Dr. Ha investigated the impact of elevated carbon dioxide on plant-insect interactions across multiple insect species. His work narrowed knowledge gaps on how different insect species respond to feeding on CO2-enriched host plants, and contributed towards gaining a deeper understanding of how plant-insect interactions can change in the near future. Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
2024 Dr. Wong found a human friendly virus called bacteriophages to be highly effective against a foodborne pathogen, Salmonella, in various fresh produce. For the Salmonella strains that are less susceptible to bacteriophage attack, she found them to utilize genes that can cleave bacteriophages before attack, thereby protecting themselves for survival. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Mozaffari examined the impact of diet diversity on type 2 diabetes. She showed that a diet diverse in five food groups, and a variety of vegetables and plant protein sources, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. These findings will inform the revision of some dietary guidelines, which currently advocate for a diet limited to only three food groups. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2024 Dr. Nyamaizi examined strategies for reducing excessive soil phosphorus levels in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Her findings provided appropriate phosphorus fertilizer rates and a tool for assessing the potential risk of phosphorus loss. Her research addresses phosphorus management challenges and its potential loss to nearby water sources. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Nogues explored how the personality of dairy cattle and the way they cope with stress can influence how they interact with others in their social group. Better understanding this individual variation in social behaviour can inform management practices that improve dairy cattle welfare. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Zarate-Barrera combines economics and computational methods with large-scale data to understand the effects of environmental stressors on non-health-related outcomes and the causes and consequences of female empowerment in violent contexts. Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
2023 Dr. Madhok conducted his doctoral studies in environmental and development economics. His work documents how economic activity shapes the environment in developing nations, with emphasis on biodiversity loss, air quality, and land use change. His findings inform the design of policies that balance economic growth and environmental conservation. Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
2023 Dr. Williams examined the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation in children with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder. The findings from his clinical trial provide evidence to inform nutritional management and supplementation practices in Canadian children living with this disease Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2023 Dr. Rinaldi examined public discourse and planning processes involving water science and democracy in extractive frontiers in Colombia. She found that narratives are shifting towards a more nuanced understanding of complexity, uncertainty and the role of expert knowledge at the water-energy nexus. Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
2023 Dr. Yan investigated the production of waxy layer on fruit surfaces that protects fruits against environmental stresses such as UV Light and dehydration. Her work revealed the critical roles of wax compounds in improving fruit quality and shelf life. Her work will have significant implications on agriculture and horticulture crop development. Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD)

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