News
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Bits of Bennu asteroid to arrive at UBC
September 25, 2023
This weekend, samples collected from the Bennu asteroid successfully touched down in the Utah Test and Training Range—a milestone for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission and partners at the Canadian Space Agency. UBC has already made major contributions to the mission – a team including… read more
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This parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it’s also an extreme example of genome shrinkage
September 21, 2023
Balanophora shed one third of its genes as it evolved into a streamlined parasitic plant—an extreme degree of genome shrinkage even among parasites—according to new research in Nature Plants. Along the way this subtropical plant developed the ability to induce the host plant to grow… read more
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New rivers in the North? Scientists identify how the dissection of Arctic landscapes is changing with accelerating climate change
September 12, 2023
New research co-led by Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia shows that amplified global warming in the Canadian High Arctic drove a profound shift in the structure of a river network carved into a permafrost landscape in only 60 years. Documenting a powerful interplay… read more
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Canadian mathematicians de-claw graph theory, nab U.S. award
September 6, 2023
Work disproving a 1995 theorem in graph theory has earned UBC mathematician Dr. Stephanie van Willigenburg and colleagues the 2023 David P. Robbins Prize. In its simplest form, graph theory involves studying varying structures of connected nodes in which some nodes (called vertices in discrete… read more
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Five UBC Science researchers join Royal Society of Canada
September 5, 2023
Five new elections to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) are highlighting UBC Science’s strength in the computation sciences, conservation, particle physics and planetary geophysics. Joining more than 60 UBC Science researchers recognized by the RSC since 2000 are Drs. Kevin Leyton-Brown … read more
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Here’s how to conquer math anxiety and succeed this semester
August 30, 2023
So many people struggle with mathematics that there’s a term for the dread you feel when faced with a calculation: math anxiety. But the good news is, math doesn’t have to be scary. Dr. Lindsey Daniels (she/hers), an assistant professor of teaching in the UBC department of mathematics… read more
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NSERC investments boost 63 UBC Science research projects
August 29, 2023
Sixty-three projects across UBC Science have been awarded more than $15 million in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The new projects, which tackle a range of research areas including sustainable food solutions, green chemistry, volcanic eruptions,… read more
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New CRCs focus on Indigenous fisheries, machine learning
August 29, 2023
Dr. Andrea Reid has been appointed the new Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous fisheries science—one of four UBC Science faculty members to be newly appointed or have their CRC renewed this week. Also announced was a newly created CRC in machine learning and single-cell analysis,… read more
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New courses focus on cannabis, data ethics, and machine learning
August 23, 2023
From studies on cannabis, machine learning in physics and astronomy, to ethics in an age of big data—new undergraduate courses at UBC Science will bring widely discussed topics from the real world into the classroom this school year. Learning foundations of biology through cannabis A new… read more
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UBC Computer Science welcomes new leadership
August 22, 2023
Drs. Joanna McGrenere and Margo Seltzer have been appointed co-heads of the UBC Department of Computer Science for a five-year term, beginning September 1, 2023. Dr. McGrenere, an award-winning expert in human-computer interaction, has served on committees at the department, faculty and… read more