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 is located at UBC Vancouver campus and it has a modern and fully equipped mass spectrometry laboratory. 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 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 groundbreaking 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 Capitlization of Government program benefits , quota systems and markets, agricultural policy, trade,industrial and agricultural pocliy reform in South East Asian Countries, economics of raw material export
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
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
Farrell, Anthony Angiogenesis
Fraser, David Welfare of animals on farms, animal ethics, animal behaviour, Animal welfare, innovations in animal housing and management, practical and cultural dimensions of applying ethics to animal issues
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 Environment and natural resources economics; Forestry sciences; Natural resource management; Soil sciences; Agriculture; Integration of multimedia and soil science; Soil science; 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
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

Graduate Student Stories

Asmita Sharma

Master of Food Science (MFS)

CHINCHENG LIN

Master of Food Science (MFS)

Connie Fan

Master of Food Science (MFS)

Trevor Arsenault

Master of Food Science (MFS)

Jordie Fischer

Master of Science in Human Nutrition (MSc)

Benefits and potential harms of iron supplementation on iron status and gut inflammation in Cambodian women

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

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.

 

Electro-based technologies in food drying - A comprehensive review
Publication: LWT
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00236438
Volume: 145
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
Organo-mineral associations largely contribute to the stabilization of century-old pyrogenic organic matter in cropland soils
Publication: Geoderma
UBC Author(s): Jean Thomas Cornelis (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00167061
Volume: 388
Publication Date: 15 April 2021

View Publication
Encapsulation of betacyanins from the peel of red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus L.) in alginate microbeads
Publication: Food Hydrocolloids
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 0268005X
Volume: 113
Publication Date: April 2021

View Publication
Anemia prevalence and anthropometric status of indigenous women and young children in rural botswana: The san people
Publication: Nutrients
UBC Author(s): Crystal Dawn Karakochuk (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems), Jennifer Black (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: April 2021

View Publication
Regulated deficit irrigation strategies affect the terpene accumulation in Gewürztraminer (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes grown in the Okanagan Valley
Publication: Food Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 03088146
Volume: 341
Publication Date: 30 March 2021

View Publication
Exploring the Relationship Between Human Social Deprivation and Animal Surrender to Shelters in British Columbia, Canada
Publication: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: 10 March 2021

View Publication
Biosynthesis and Cellular Functions of Tartaric Acid in Grapevines
Publication: Frontiers in Plant Science
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: 4 March 2021

View Publication
Ohmic heating in the food industry: Developments in concepts and applications during 2013–2020
Publication: Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: 2 March 2021

View Publication
Antibiotic resistance in shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli isolates from surface waters and sediments in a mixed use urban agricultural landscape
Publication: Antibiotics
UBC Author(s): Siyun Wang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 10
Page Range: 1-16
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Biochar affects silicification patterns and physical traits of rice leaves cultivated in a desilicated soil (Ferric Lixisol)
Publication: Plant and Soil
UBC Author(s): Jean Thomas Cornelis (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 0032079X
Volume: 460
Page Range: 375-390
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Human casualties are the dominant cost of human–wildlife conflict in India
Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
UBC Author(s): Sumeet Gulati (Food and Resource Economics / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00278424
Volume: 118
Publication Date: 23 February 2021

View Publication
Integrated crop-livestock systems: A sustainable land-use alternative for food production in the Brazilian Cerrado and Amazon
Publication: Journal of Cleaner Production
UBC Author(s): Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 09596526
Volume: 283
Publication Date: 10 February 2021

View Publication
Combined metabolite and transcriptome profiling reveals the norisoprenoid responses in grape berries to abscisic acid and synthetic auxin
Publication: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 16616596
Volume: 22
Page Range: 1-21
Publication Date: 1 February 2021

View Publication
Tree species identity drives soil organic carbon storage more than species mixing in major two-species mixtures (pine, oak, beech) in Europe
Publication: Forest Ecology and Management
ISSN: 03781127
Volume: 481
Publication Date: 1 February 2021

View Publication
Impact of local and landscape complexity on the stability of field-level pest control
Publication: Nature Sustainability
UBC Author(s): Frederik Noack (Food and Resource Economics / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 4
Page Range: 120-128
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Intake Vaccinations Reduced Signs of Canine Respiratory Disease During an Outbreak at an Animal Shelter
Publication: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: 1 February 2021

View Publication
Associations of freestall design and cleanliness with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, and risk of high somatic cell count
Publication: Journal of Dairy Science
UBC Author(s): Marina Von Keyserlingk (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00220302
Volume: 104
Page Range: 2231-2242
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
An indigenous Saccharomyces uvarum population with high genetic diversity dominates uninoculated Chardonnay fermentations at a Canadian winery
Publication: PLoS ONE
UBC Author(s): Vivien Measday (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Technical note: Validation of an in-house bovine serum enzyme immunoassay for progesterone measurement
Publication: Journal of Dairy Science
UBC Author(s): Ronaldo Cerri (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00220302
Volume: 104
Page Range: 2455-2462
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
The effects of social environment on standing behavior and the development of claw horn lesions
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: 104
Page Range: 2195-2211
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Multicomponent column optimization of ternary adsorption based removal of phenolic compounds using modified activated carbon
Publication: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Salt stress reduces root water uptake in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) through modification of the transcellular transport path
Publication: Plant Cell and Environment
UBC Author(s): Thorsten Knipfer (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 01407791
Volume: 44
Page Range: 458-475
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
The global divide in data-driven farming
Publication: Nature Sustainability
UBC Author(s): Hannah Wittman (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 4
Page Range: 154-160
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Endogenous metabolites released by sanitized sprouting alfalfa seed inhibit the growth of salmonella enterica
Publication: mSystems
UBC Author(s): Siyun Wang (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Influence of Non-Saccharomyces on Wine Chemistry: A Focus on Aroma-Related Compounds
Publication: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 26
Publication Date: 26 January 2021

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
2020 Dr. Mujica Coopman investigated the relationship of combined B vitamin and related nutrients with offspring birth size and fetal growth programming. Her findings suggest that vitamin B12 characterized maternal B vitamin and nutrient-related patterns and may play a key role in fetal growth and development. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
2020 Dr. Grenz showed how reclaiming an Indigenous Ecology redefines how we approach land and water healing. She has created a values-based decision-making tool that will help lead us toward ecological reconciliation. Her work provides a path forward for scientists to unleash the potential of an Indigenous worldview to illuminate new paths of inquiry. Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
2020 Dr. Padda explored the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in supporting the regeneration of lodgepole pine trees at abandoned gravel mining pits. Her research showed that pine trees associate with these beneficial bacteria as a survival strategy to thrive on such degraded sites, offering the potential to be used as a sustainable reclamation tool. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Puri studied plant-beneficial bacteria living inside the tissues of boreal forest trees growing on disturbed, nutrient-poor soils. His work indicated that these bacteria can enhance tree growth via nutrient acquisition, plant hormone modulation and pathogen regulation, thereby suggesting their use as biofertilizers for boreal forest trees. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Dupuis used computer simulations to better understand how an antimicrobial potato protein interacts with model cell membranes, and the role of its disulfide bonds. His research highlighted regions of the protein most likely to mediate membrane interactions, and that the disulfide bonds may aid in membrane targeting specificity. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Burnett studied the role of automated activity monitors in the reproductive management of dairy cows. Her findings show the correlation between increased estrous expression and improved fertility. This research demonstrates the importance of estrous expression in breeding decisions and provides alternatives for reducing hormonal interventions. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Fong worked on understanding Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen, and bacteriophages, the viruses that predate these bacteria. She identified several bacteriophages with high efficacy in controlling Salmonella that would be of high value to the food industry. Her research sheds insight into mitigation of this human pathogen in the food chain. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Stephens studied the climate trends, carbon, and water use of two forests in central Canada for the past two decades. This study helps to quantify the carbon uptake potential of these forests in the future under further climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Jones studied how various plastic films impact soil and crop micro-climate when they are used as soil mulch covers or on greenhouses. Using data that he collected through field experiments, he developed models to help crop producers around the world make informed decisions when they use plastic films to extend a crop's growing season. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Modi investigated the effects of stumping and tree species composition on the soil microbial communities in the interior cedar-hemlock zone of British Columbia. She observed that stumping can have positive impacts on soil microbial communities when performed along with planting mixtures of tree species such as Douglas-fir with paper birch. Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)

Pages

Interesting Links

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

Leading the Next Wave of Dairy Research

Leading the Next Wave of Dairy Research March 30, 2021 For the past 25 years, the community of Agassiz, B.C., 135 kilometers east of the UBC Vancouver campus, has been home to the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre (Dairy Centre). Located on the same site as Agriculture and Agri-Food...

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Deans Message for LFS Community Connects: March 2021

Deans Message for LFS Community Connects: March 2021 Spring is here, as evidenced by cherry blossoms appearing across the Lower Mainland! Spring is a time for renewal. It is serendipitous that our Faculty is launching our renewed Action Plan this month. Titled Navigating a Better...

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Let’s Talk: New CRC Chair Frederik Noack

Let’s Talk: New CRC Chair Frederik Noack March 2021 – Frederik Noack talks about his research and how his interest in the field of Environmental Economics started. He was recently named a CRC (Canada Research Chair), Tier 2, in Economic and Environmental Interactions. An Assistant...

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Deans Message for LFS Community Connects: February 2021

Deans Message for LFS Community Connects: February 2021 I hope the year has started well for you! I’m optimistic we’ll see a turning point later in 2021 and that gives me renewed energy as we slowly begin to plan for life post-COVID-19. This month the university is celebrating Black...

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Black History Month

Black History Month February 19, 2021 To recognize and celebrate Black History Month, the Faculty is pleased to present a few of our student scholars and alumni. We acknowledge their accomplishments and look forward to following the work of these Black scholars. Many chose to study at UBC...

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Edible Packaging is as Good For Your Food as it is For the Planet

Edible Packaging is as Good For Your Food as it is For the Planet It’s near impossible to avoid plastic packaging in the food industry today. This type of packaging is often non-reusable and non-biodegradable, and when not disposed of correctly, can cause major impacts to the environment...

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