Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
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.
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.
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:
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.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Feng showed how a leading foodborne pathogen called Campylobacter jejuni responds to environmental stress and survives in particular states. This study demonstrates the potential risk of fragile microorganism in the environment and food system. His work will contribute to food security. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Biswas studied the molecular mechanisms by which virus particles escape infected cells. Utilizing insect viruses, he discovered novel methods by which virus particles interact with host proteins to enable the rapid escape from infected cells. This information is critical for understanding virus pathology and disease spread. | Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Phasuk studied labor migration in Thailand. Her research found that while wages played a key role, raising the price of agricultural products to compensate for increased wages lured a surplus of workers that eventually reduced farm worker's wage rates. This research enriches our understanding of migration and informs labor market policy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Robbins examined attitudes towards contentious animal welfare issues. He also experimentally explored how ordinary people understand the concept of animal welfare. His research highlights the vital role social science and philosophy play in the debate about farm animal welfare. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Kearney used field trials and remote sensing to evaluate environmental impacts of agriculture in El Salvador. He demonstrated that agroforestry provides multiple benefits at the field scale and stores large amounts of carbon across landscapes. He hopes his work will contribute to programs that reward farmers for their stewardship of the land. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Alam studied the infection process of plant viruses. She examined and clarified the mechanism underlying two essential aspects of the viral infection cycle - virion assembly and disassembly. Her work furthers our understanding of how plant viruses establish infection, how new viruses form, and virus disease control. | Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Ma investigated eco-physiology of effects of red/far-red light ratio on tomato and common weeds. Her research improves our understanding of how red/far-red ratio modifies plant growth, which affects plant-plant interactions. This understanding will help in management of agro-ecosystems to minimize crop losses due to weeds. | Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Hergesheimer examined small-scale farmer participation in international fair trade banana and mango supply chains in Haiti and Ecuador. His work explores practical mergers between market-based approaches, such as fair trade, and more radical approaches such as food sovereignty. His work informs policy for more equitable, sustainable and participatory international trading arrangements. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Pankowska researched the role of terroir and VQA certification in pricing and sales of BC made wines. Her results show that terroir has limited importance in wine pricing. She also proved that VQA certification positively influences the volume of wine sales, but it doesn't impact wine pricing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2017 | Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient for healthy growth and brain development, especially during pregnancy and infancy. Dr. Schroder developed a novel method for convenient and minimally invasive diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency. This method has been clinically translated and used in newborns here in Vancouver as well as in field studies in Indonesia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD) |