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.

 

 

Upcoming Information Sessions

Professional Programs Info Session from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Date: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Time: 10:00 to 11:00

Critical 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 (LFS) are working on solutions to many of these challenges: we offer five unique professional programs that will provide you with the essential workplace skills needed to address local and global challenges in food science, nutrition, food and resource economics, and the responsible use of the earth’s finite resources.

Join this webinar to hear directly from faculty members and advisors about career pathways, professional development opportunities, and admissions criteria for the LFS professional masters and graduate certificate programs. Read more about our professional programs and sign up for this webinar below.

Register

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
Atoji Henrique, Katia ,
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 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
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
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
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

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

Hadis Mozaffari

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)

Examining the Impact of Dietary Diversity on Type 2 Diabetes

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)

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.

 

Evaluating hedgerows for wild bee conservation in intensively managed agricultural landscapes
Publication: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
UBC Author(s): Sean Smukler (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 01678809
Volume: 326
Publication Date: 1 March 2022

View Publication
Local plant richness predicts bee abundance and diversity in a study of urban residential yards
Publication: Basic and Applied Ecology
UBC Author(s): Risa Sargent (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 14391791
Volume: 58
Page Range: 64-73
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Optimization and validation of a SPME-GC/MS method for the determination of volatile compounds, including enantiomeric analysis, in northern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)
Publication: Food Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 03088146
Volume: 368
Publication Date: 30 January 2022

View Publication
Individual and environmental factors associated with defecation while lying down in dairy cows
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: 726-733
Publication Date: January 2022

View Publication
Negatively charged phospholipids accelerate the membrane fusion activity of the plant-specific insert domain of an aspartic protease
Publication: Journal of Biological Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Rickey Yada (Faculty of Land & Food Systems / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00219258
Volume: 298
Publication Date: 1 January 2022

View Publication
Intuitive eating and its association with psychosocial health in adults: A cross-sectional study in a representative Canadian sample
Publication: Appetite
UBC Author(s): Tamara Cohen (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 01956663
Volume: 168
Publication Date: 1 January 2022

View Publication
Limited effects of century-old biochar on taxonomic and functional diversities of collembolan communities across land-uses
Publication: Soil Biology and Biochemistry
UBC Author(s): Jean Thomas Cornelis (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00380717
Volume: 164
Publication Date: January 2022

View Publication
Host-pathogen-environment interactions predict survival outcomes of adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) released from fisheries
Publication: Molecular Ecology
UBC Author(s): Anthony Farrell (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 09621083
Volume: 31
Page Range: 134-160
Publication Date: January 2022

View Publication
Maternal vitamin B 12 status in early pregnancy and its association with birth outcomes in Canadian mother-newborn Dyads
Publication: British Journal of Nutrition
UBC Author(s): Katja Yvonne Lamers (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00071145
Volume: 126
Page Range: 1823-1831
Publication Date: 28 December 2021

View Publication
Modifications of Grapevine Berry Composition Induced by Main Viral and Fungal Pathogens in a Climate Change Scenario
Publication: Frontiers in Plant Science
UBC Author(s): Simone Castellarin (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: 8 December 2021

View Publication
Public Policies for Agricultural Diversification: Implications for Gender Equity
Publication: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
UBC Author(s): Hannah Wittman (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 5
Publication Date: 3 December 2021

View Publication
Concurrent Validity of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire in a Canadian Sample
Publication: Frontiers in Psychology
UBC Author(s): Tamara Cohen (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: 2 December 2021

View Publication
Attitudes of laboratory animal professionals and researchers towards carbon dioxide euthanasia for rodents and perceived barriers to change
Publication: Laboratory Animals
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 00236772
Volume: 55
Page Range: 531-539
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Using approach latency and anticipatory behaviour to assess whether voluntary playpen access is rewarding to laboratory mice
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Pterostilbene leads to DNMT3B-mediated DNA methylation and silencing of OCT1-targeted oncogenes in breast cancer cells
Publication: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
UBC Author(s): Barbara Stefanska (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 09552863
Volume: 98
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Innate antiviral defense demonstrates high energetic efficiency in a bony fish
Publication: BMC Biology
UBC Author(s): Anthony Farrell (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 19
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Optimal ultrasonication process time remains constant for a specific nanoemulsion size reduction system
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Comparing microfluidics and ultrasonication as formulation methods for developing hempseed oil nanoemulsions for oral delivery applications
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: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Incursions of divergent genotypes, evolution of virulence and host jumps shape a continental clonal population of the stripe rust pathogen Puccinia striiformis
Publication: Molecular Ecology
UBC Author(s): Gurcharn Brar (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 09621083
Volume: 30
Page Range: 6566-6584
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Feasibility of an at-home adult stool specimen collection method in rural cambodia
Publication: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
UBC Author(s): Crystal Dawn Karakochuk (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 16617827
Volume: 18
Publication Date: December-1 2021

View Publication
Pain in the weeks following surgical and rubber ring castration in dairy calves
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: 12881-12886
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Public consultation in the evaluation of animal research protocols
Publication: PLoS ONE
UBC Author(s): Daniel Weary (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Impact of Product Formulation on Spray-Dried Microencapsulated Zinc for Food Fortification
Publication: Food and Bioprocess Technology
UBC Author(s): Anubhav Pratap Singh (Food, Nutrition & Health / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
ISSN: 19355130
Volume: 14
Page Range: 2286-2301
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
The effects of cow dominance on the use of a mechanical brush
Publication: Scientific Reports
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: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
The role of artificial photo backgrounds of shelter dogs on pet profile clicking and the perception of sociability
Publication: PLoS ONE
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Protopopova (Applied Biology / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 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
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)
2021 Dr. Lecorps investigated the effects of some common stressful and painful procedures on dairy cattle welfare. He found that some procedures likely induce negative mood and that some personality traits (e.g. pessimism) may render calves more vulnerable to stressors. His work shows that more research is needed to improve the welfare of dairy cattle. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Mills studied farmer decision-making and the role of their advisors to improve the welfare of dairy cows. The goal of this work is to help farmers better manage their businesses and improve the lives of the animals under their care. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
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)

Pages

Interesting Links

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

New study shows the toll industrial farming takes on bird diversity

New study shows the toll industrial farming takes on bird diversity January 2022 – A new UBC-led study looking into the impacts that large industrial farming has on biodiversity found that increased farm size causes a decline in bird diversity. “Wildlife is a good indicator of a healthy...

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BC Cancer dietitian receives Michael Smith Health Professional-Investigator award

The post BC Cancer dietitian receives Michael Smith Health Professional-Investigator award appeared first on Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

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Message from the Dean for LFS Community Connects: December 2021

Message from the Dean for LFS Community Connects: December 2021 I hope that you are preparing to ring in the holiday season with friends and family. I am cautiously optimistic that our family gatherings will still take place over the holidays, but I’m keeping an eye on the Omicron variant...

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LFS Winter 2021 Grad Ceremony

LFS Winter 2021 Grad Ceremony A huge congratulations to our Class of 2021! We were so thankful for the chance to celebrate our grads in person in November 2020. The Faculty is proud of their resilience, dedication, and commitment to making the world a better place. Tuum Est! Photos taken...

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Sustainability Education Awards Recognize UBC

Sustainability Education Awards Recognize UBC Two collaborative UBC papers were recognized as high-impact sustainability projects and pioneering research. Both thought-leadership papers received 2021 Sustainability Awards given by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher...

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Eduardo Jovel Interim Director First Nations House of Learning

The post Eduardo Jovel Interim Director First Nations House of Learning appeared first on Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

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