Updates, news and stories

Reconnect with colleagues at the Staff & Faculty BBQs

As the new academic year gets underway, staff and faculty on both campuses are invited to the annual complementary BBQ lunch, where they can enjoy live entertainment and build connections with colleagues and community partners.UBC Okanagan Welcome Back BBQ and Info Fair will be held on Aug. 26, and the UBC Vancouver Staff and Faculty BBQ will take place on Sept. 10.

MS may begin far earlier than previously thought

UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers, Professor Helen Tremlett and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Marta Ruiz-Algueró, have found that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) increased their healthcare usage up to 15 years before classic symptoms appeared—offering new opportunities for earlier detection and intervention.

Teaching in focus: Tamara R. Etmannski

Tamara is an assistant professor of teaching in the Civil Engineering department. She wants her students to be more than just technically strong—they need to be thoughtful, ethical, and globally minded. Learn more about her desire to reshape how future engineers think, and why it matters.

Thousands more BC women chose top-tier birth control after patient costs eliminated

New UBC research shows a 49-per-cent jump in the use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) after the province of BC made contraception free in April 2023.Researchers found that more than 11,000 additional women opted for LARC—which is the most effective form of birth control—within just 15 months of BC making prescription contraception free.Learn more

Edward Hornibrook named Associate Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation at UBC Okanagan

Meet the spring recipients of UBC’s 2025 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

This spring, the Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund was awarded to 16 inspiring university-community initiatives. These projects show how UBC students, faculty, and staff are developing reciprocal partnerships through diverse teaching and research projects.

The math behind bees, blooms and better harvests

Extension of Dr. David Kitts as Dean pro tem, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Staff in focus: Stacey Nguyen Clarke

Name:Stacey Nguyen ClarkeMy Pronouns:She/herTitle:Technical Delivery ManagerFaculty/Department/Unit:UBC IT / Enterprise Automation and Solution Delivery / Technical DeliveryLocation:VancouverYear I started working at UBC:2022

Faculty Research Awards — call for nominations

I am pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the annual UBC Faculty Research Awards. These awards acknowledge research excellence across all disciplines and at different career stages at UBC.Recognition at the university level can also lead to increased opportunity at the national and international level. I strongly encourage you to consider equity, diversity and inclusion principles in your nominations.Application process for 2025:

Using technology to get ahead of wildfires

Wildfire season is no longer something that comes and goes; it’s becoming a year-round concern. In BC, wildfires can shape the entire year, and we want to know what’s coming, what’s at risk and how to prepare.That’s why researchers at UBC Okanagan are using the latest data and technology to predict where and when wildfires may occur, rather than responding to them.

Quantum discovery reveals how enzymes tame free radicals

UBCO research has uncovered the surprising role of quantum forces in biological control.A new study, published by  UBC Okanagan chemistry researchers Dr Gino DiLabio and doctoral student Hossein Khalilian is creating a major rethink of how enzymes work.They discuss their research paper about how quantum Coulombic interactions can manage and prevent unwanted cell damage from free radicals and how the discovery could lead to new ways to design drugs, enzymes and catalysts.