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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Dr. Hu developed several novel analytical techniques to rapidly and accurately determine food adulteration. The methods developed in her studies can be applied by governmental laboratories and the food industry to better guarantee the authenticity of food products and protect consumers from economic loss and potential health risks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Levay explored the implementation of British Columbia's school food and beverage sales policy. This research provides insight into the complexity of implementing food systems-related public health policy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2018 | Drawing from national data, Dr. Tugault-Lafle characterised the determinants of diet quality among Canadian children on school days and how diet quality has changed from 2004 to 2015. These findings provide evidence to inform policy debates about the potential roles schools could play to influence the diet of Canadian children. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD) |
| 2018 | Soils play a crucial, but often under-estimated, role in the water cycle. Dr. Roa-García analyzed the properties of common soils in the Colombian Andes, and found that nano-particle size minerals increase the ability of these soils to hold and release water. This knowledge informs management practices to optimize water for food and communities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sumner demonstrated that promoting cooperation among dairy farmers and veterinarians can identify shared goals and improve communication across their diverse perspectives in improving calf welfare. | Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Hingston identified genetic elements associated with strains of the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes that possess enhanced tolerances to food-related stresses. This research has improved our understanding of stress tolerance in Listeria monocytogenes and may be used to assess the risks associated with strains found in foods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | How does forest management affect the carbon and water balances of mountain pine beetle-attacked lodgepole pine stands in BC? Using measurements and modifying a model, Dr. Meyer found that not harvesting stands resulted in a positive carbon balance with relatively quick recovery and plateauing productivity during the second decade following attack. | Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Edward studied intersections of queer identity, ecology, and agricultural practices in farmers. His work demonstrated how queer identity shapes practices and perceptions of agriculture and ecology even as agriculture and ecology shapes queer identity. His work impacts fields ranging from queer theory to agroecology. Yes, he studied gay farmers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD) |
| 2018 | Studies have shown that chlorogenic acid (or CGA) found in plants may provide health benefits. Dr. Liang studied the effect of CGA isomers present in coffee. She discovered that these isomers mitigated oxidative stress and inflammation. Her findings are important for understanding the potential influence of CGA isomers on human intestinal health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Wiedeman focused on the essential dietary nutrient choline. She examined the association between choline intake and plasma levels at different stages of the life cycle. Her findings contribute to our knowledge about human choline nutrition and suggest that current dietary recommendations may be overestimated for infants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD) |