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 Centres

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.

Graduate Degree Programs

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
Brar, Gurcharn Plant biology; Cereal pathology (wheat and barley in particular); Functional pathogenomics; Fungal biology; Genetics of host-pathogen interactions - disease resistance in crop plants; Plant imaging; Population genetics and genomics; Resistance breeding
Carrillo, Juli Plant-insect interactions; Agroecology; Invasive species; evolution; Ecology; community ecology; Environmental Change; Plant evolution; Population Ecology
Castellarin, Simone viticulture and grapevine physiology; physiological and molecular aspects that underlay fruit ripening and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and how they are modulated by the environment and viticultural practices; molecular 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 Environment and natural resources economics; Food sciences (including food engineering); Natural resource management; Agri-food Transformation Products; aspartic proteases; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Biophysics; Enzymes and Proteins; food chemistry; food proteins; funtional amyloid; meat analogues; Nanomaterials; Nutriceuticals and Functional Foods; prions; protein aggregation; protein engineering; Protein Folding; protein nanofibrils; Proteins; psychrophilic enzymes
Frommel, Andrea Animal physiology, environmental stress; Sustainable Aquaculture; climate change; Early development in fish; Alternative feeds in aquaculture; Fish physiology
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, 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
Krzic, Maja Soil sciences; Soil quality; Soil management
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
Martens, Tabitha
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
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
Protopopova, Alexandra Animal; Community Health / Public Health; rabbit; dog; cat; animal shelter; Animal behaviour; Animal welfare; community initiatives; climate change and pet ownership; cultural differences in human-companion animal relationships; free-ranging dogs; one health

Pages

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

Steven Bristow

Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD)

Precision irrigation under a changing climate: Preparing BC growers to monitor plant-water relations.

Alysha Deslippe

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)

EATing in a GENdered world (EatGen): How teens involved in high school sports can be empowered to make informed food choices

Hadis Mozaffari

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)

Examining the Impact of Dietary Diversity on Type 2 Diabetes

Sydney Moore

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)

Improving herd health detection of dairy cows through the use of automated sensory technologies

Thomas Brenner

Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)

Characterization of bacteriophages as an alternative treatment strategy for foodborne salmonella in the poultry industry

Adelia Jacobs

Master of Science in Human Nutrition (MSc)

Nutritional Epidemiology

Jens Johnson

Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD)

Disentagling drivers of wild bee abundance and diversity and pollination services

Anna Ratuski

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)

Use of environmental enrichment to improve the welfare of rodents used in science
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Sean Xia

Master of Food Science (MFS) [2013]

Job Title
Plant Manager / Consultant

Employer
Clear Ocean Seafood Ltd./ Sirocco Food + Wine Consulting

Elisabeth Ormandy

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Co-founder and Executive Director

Employer
Animals in Science Policy Institute

Andrea Goldson Barnaby

Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Lecturer and Programme Coordinator

Employer
University of the West Indies

Naomi Robert

Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS) [2015]

Job Title
Research Associate

Employer
Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Elaine Anderson

Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) [2009]

Job Title
Regional Environmental Protection Coordinator

Employer
Correctional Service of Canada

Isaac Jonas

Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)

Job Title
Founding CEO

Employer
Impact Africa
All Alumni 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.

 

The modulation of light quality on carotenoids in maize (Zea mays L.) sprouts
Publication: Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences
UBC Author(s): Siyun Wang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 5
Publication Date: 30 December 2022

View Publication
Application of a HyPer-3 sensor to monitor intracellular H<inf>2</inf>O<inf>2</inf> generation induced by phenolic acids in differentiated Caco-2 cells
Publication: Analytical Biochemistry
UBC Author(s): David Kitts (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00032697
Volume: 659
Publication Date: 15 December 2022

View Publication
Behaviour Real-Time Spatial Tracking Identification (BeRSTID) used for Cat Behaviour Monitoring in an Animal Shelter
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Nitrous oxide emissions from productive and degraded potato fields in the Fraser Valley delta of British Columbia
Publication: Canadian Journal of Soil Science
UBC Author(s): Maja Krzic (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00084271
Volume: 102
Page Range: 1000-1004
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Effects of increasing soil pH to near-neutral using lime on phosphorus saturation index and water-extractable phosphorus
Publication: Canadian Journal of Soil Science
UBC Author(s): Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00084271
Volume: 102
Page Range: 929-945
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Invertebrate research without ethical or regulatory oversight reduces public confidence and trust
Publication: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
UBC Author(s): Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Air exposure moderates ocean acidification effects during embryonic development of intertidally spawning fish
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Andrea Frommel (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Spray freeze drying of dairy products: Effect of formulation on dispersibility
Publication: Journal of Food Engineering
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 02608774
Volume: 335
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Production of high loading insulin nanoparticles suitable for oral delivery by spray drying and freeze drying techniques
Publication: Scientific Reports
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)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Folic acid intervention during pregnancy alters DNA methylation, affecting neural target genes through two distinct mechanisms
Publication: Clinical Epigenetics
UBC Author(s): Katja Yvonne Lamers (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 18687075
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2022

View Publication
Effects of intake-based weaning and forage type on feeding behavior and growth of dairy calves fed by automated feeders
Publication: Journal of Dairy Science
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00220302
Volume: 105
Page Range: 9119-9136
Publication Date: November 2022

View Publication
Body-composition phenotypes and their associations with cardiometabolic risks and health behaviours in a representative general US sample
Publication: Preventive Medicine
UBC Author(s): Tamara Cohen (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00917435
Volume: 164
Publication Date: November 2022

View Publication
Flavor Microencapsulation for Taste Masking in Medicated Chewing Gums—Recent Trends, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Publication: Coatings
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: November 2022

View Publication
Molecular Basis for the Simultaneous Enhancement of the Aroma-Generating Capacity and Bioactivity of Maillard Reaction Precursors through Mechanochemistry
Publication: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
UBC Author(s): David Kitts (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00218561
Volume: 70
Page Range: 13637-13650
Publication Date: 26 October 2022

View Publication
Vitamin B supplementation for sickle cell disease
Publication: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
UBC Author(s): Crystal Dawn Karakochuk (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 14651858
Volume: 2022
Publication Date: 18 October 2022

View Publication
Editorial: Cannabis IPM – insect pests and diseases
Publication: Frontiers in Agronomy
UBC Author(s): Andrew Riseman (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 4
Publication Date: 12 October 2022

View Publication
The Entrepreneurs: Dairy farmer perspectives on finding an industry solution for the surplus calf issue—A participatory case study
Publication: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
UBC Author(s): Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: 6 October 2022

View Publication
Efficacy of Repeated Applications of Bacteriophages on Salmonella enterica-Infected Alfalfa Sprouts during Germination
Publication: Pathogens
UBC Author(s): Siyun Wang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Modulation of grape cuticular wax composition following multiple heatwaves influences grape transpiration
Publication: Environmental and Experimental Botany
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00988472
Volume: 202
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Molecular Effects of Iodine-Biofortified Lettuce in Human Gastrointestinal Cancer Cells
Publication: Nutrients
UBC Author(s): Barbara Stefanska (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Extracts from Frangula alnus Mill. and Their Effects on Environmental and Probiotic Bacteria
Publication: Plants
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap-Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Assessing cognitive performance in dairy calves using a modified hole-board test
Publication: Animal Cognition
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Marina von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 14359448
Volume: 25
Page Range: 1365-1370
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Effects of personality on assessments of anxiety and cognition
Publication: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 01497634
Volume: 141
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Warm, but not hypoxic acclimation, prolongs ventricular diastole and decreases the protein level of Na<sup>+</sup>/Ca<sup>2+</sup> exchanger to enhance cardiac thermal tolerance in European sea bass
Publication: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology
UBC Author(s): Anthony Farrell (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 10956433
Volume: 272
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication
Characterization and application of bacteriophages for the biocontrol of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli in Romaine lettuce
Publication: Food Control
UBC Author(s): Siyun Wang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 09567135
Volume: 140
Publication Date: October 2022

View Publication

Pages

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
2022 Dr. Caballero measured how much lysine children use when they eat different plant-based foods, such as rice, oats and corn. Her work will help develop dietary guidelines for children that consume a predominantly plant-based diet. These guidelines will ensure they meet their lysine requirement, which is important for adequate growth and development. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2022 Dr. Koralesky used institutional ethnography to investigate how animal sheltering policies and animal protection laws organize what happens to animals. Her research illuminates frontline work practices involved with responding to concerns about animals in distress, helping animals with behavioural problems and keeping people and animals together. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Turki used novel stable-isotope-based techniques to evaluate new dietary therapies for people with inborn errors of metabolism such as modified cornstarch in glycogen storage disease type I, and glycomacropeptide in phenylketonuria. The results of the series of studies will contribute to improving nutritional management in this population. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2022 Dr. Falardeau studied how the cheese microbiome affects the growth of foodborne pathogens. He discovered that differences between traditional and industrial cheese production practices affect the final cheese microbiome, and likely the risk of foodborne illness. This finding can help cheesemakers produce safer cheeses. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2021 Dr. Feng developed several novel chemosensors to rapidly and selectively detect different chemical hazards in various food matrices. The chemosensors developed in his study not only simplify food hazards detection process but also present excellent detection sensitivity. His work will contribute to public health as well as agri-food industry. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2021 Using wearable technologies, Dr. Schirmann investigated how the behaviour of dairy cows changes in response to illness. Her work has shown that cows change behaviours in response to illness and her findings are a key step to identifying automated ways of identifying unwell animals when housed in large groups. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Ma developed rapid and sensitive methods to detect antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Her work offers novel perspectives to understand how bacteria gain antibiotic resistance in food supply chains. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2021 Dr. Zhang coined the Integrated Respiratory Assessment Paradigm for accurate, precise, repeatable and comprehensive respiratory phenotype characterization for individual fish. This high throughput method allows biologists to develop and integrate a metabolic model with a genomic-physiology-ecology axis, leading to a better understanding of evolution. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Ede examined the potential of place aversion to assess affective pain in dairy calves. Basing the experimental approach on the animal's memory of common painful procedures such as injections and disbudding, calves were shown to display an emotional response to pain. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2021 Automated activity monitors used on dairy farms help detect periods of sexual receptivity, called estrus, in lactating cows. Dr. Madureira's research demonstrated that estrous expression detected by such monitors was associated with better fertility and reduced pregnancy loss, and can help the efficiency of reproductive management in dairy herds. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)

Pages

Interesting Links

https://www.landfood.ubc.ca/faculty/
 

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

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Dr. Siyun Wang delves into what exactly a “best before” date means on RED FM

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Research aims to investigate dog cognition and therapy dog programs

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UBC team developing oral insulin tablet sees breakthrough results

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