UBC chemist Mark MacLachlan named Canada’s top young scientist

January 12, 2017

Headshot of Mark MacLachlan
Mark MacLachlan with his trademark Hawaiian shirt.

UBC chemistry professor and alumnus (BSc, 1995) Mark MacLachlan has won the 2014 Steacie Prize in the natural sciences, Canada’s top award for young scientists. McLachlan has developed an iridescent film made of silica that mimics the structure and properties of beetle shells, which could be used to coat glasses or windows and protect against harmful ultraviolet or infrared light. MacLachlan is the founder of UBC's Interactive Scientists and Professors in Residence (INSPIRE) program, which provides enriched science experiences to students in remote communities. His latest research looks at transforming crab shells and other waste products into biodegradable plastics.

Read another article…

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Faculty of Science

Office of the Dean, Earth Sciences Building
2178–2207 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6T 1Z4
UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. A bookmark An ribbon to indicate a special marker. Calendar A calendar. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Time A clock. Chats Two speech clouds. External link An arrow pointing up and to the right. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. A Facemask The medical facemask. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Lock, closed A closed padlock. Lock, open An open padlock. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Mask A protective face mask. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Money A money bill. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. RSS Curved lines indicating information transfer. Search A magnifying glass. Arrow indicating share action A directional arrow. Spotify The logo for the Spotify music streaming service. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.