News
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CHIME Outrigger telescopes boost search for fast radio bursts
March 30, 2022
In the quest to identify the origins of one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries – fast radio bursts (FRBs) – Canada’s world-renowned telescope, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), is getting backup. Supported by approximately $10 million in grants from… read more
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Oceanographer wins top UBC award for young researchers
March 29, 2022
UBC sea-going oceanographer Dr. Stephanie Waterman has been awarded the university’s Charles A. McDowell award for excellence in pure or applied scientific research by a young faculty member. Dr. Waterman’s research explores large-scale circulation and the ocean's role in the climate… read more
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New nasal spray treats Delta variant infection in mice, indicating broad spectrum results
March 28, 2022
Researchers have shown a new compound delivered in a nasal spray is highly effective in preventing and treating COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant in mice. The researchers, including at UBC, Université de Sherbrooke, and Cornell University, believe this is the first treatment of its kind… read more
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Indigenous stories reveal the science of the world around us
March 22, 2022
Indigenous stories hold clues to hydrological and geographical features, providing insights into the science of the world around us. Dr. Shandin Pete, assistant professor of teaching in UBC’s department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, investigated a story that may have helped his… read more
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A quantum computer could design your next smartphone
March 14, 2022
Canadian researchers are using quantum computing simulations to accurately predict the colour of light emitted from molecules that produce the colours we see in the latest smartphones, tablets and TV screens. Designing complex molecules for electronics and pharmaceuticals is beyond the… read more
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Discovering the key to birds’ agility could improve drone design
March 9, 2022
While it had been assumed that unstable gliding was the key to agility in bird flight, a collaboration between aerospace engineers at the University of Michigan and biologists at the University of British Columbia revealed that stability also plays a role. The discovery could lead to the design of… read more
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FOCUS: A new digital magazine from UBC Science
February 22, 2022
Message from Dean Meigan Aronson I’m pleased to present the inaugural issue of FOCUS—a new, thematic approach to exploring collaborative research and intellectual connections across and beyond UBC Science. The importance of fundamental research oriented toward solving… read more
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Creating universal blood-type organs for transplant
February 16, 2022
A new study by Canadian scientists has proven it's possible to convert blood type safely in donor organs intended for transplantation. The proof of concept finding—published in Science Translational Medicine by researchers at the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Toronto’s… read more
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Investigating the ‘skunk’ smell and other emissions caused by cannabis production
February 15, 2022
What exactly causes that ‘skunky’ odour emitted by cannabis production facilities, and what do these emissions mean for air quality, workers, and the general public? We should address these and other knowledge gaps while the industry is still developing, according to a new study led… read more
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How UBC women in STEM are supporting each other to succeed
February 9, 2022
February 11th is the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science.Role models for women in Science, Tech, Engineering and Medicine (STEM) are important: 2010 statistics in Canada show women made up 44 per cent of first-year STEM students aged 19 and under in undergraduate degree… read more