About
The Science Spotlight on Undergraduate Research showcases the diversity of research happening across our Faculty, as well as the people who are doing it. This includes research that ranges from course-based group projects to directed studies research to volunteering or working in a lab or even published research articles. A selection of submissions are displayed on screens in Science buildings. Find more information on how and when to submit.
2024/25 research projects
A Seal That Heals: Humanizing Dementia Care with PARO by Yuka Ohno
Integrating PARO, a social robot, in long-term care reveals emotional and social aspects of human-robot companionship for older adults. These insights shed light on innovative approaches to dementia care.
Affiliated lab: UBC IDEA Lab
I grew up in Taiwan and Japan, where aging populations are rapidly growing. This inspired my research interest in gerontology and dementia. I’m graduating in summer 2025 with a degree in COGS Cognition and Brain, and I hope to explore innovative approaches to support older adults.
Plant Development During Heavy Metal Stress Response by Thea Do
I use microscope to observe model plant Arabidopsis thaliana root system to study the cell division and gravitropic response during heavy metal stress.
Affiliated Lab: Ashraf Lab
I’m a second-year Microbiology and Immunology student who is studying how plants respond to heavy metal stress. I enjoy research, and I am certainly open to research opportunities abroad!
ResponsiveView: Enhancing 3D Artifact Viewing Experience in VR Museums by Boge Ling
Developed ResponsiveView, a 3D viewer that dynamically adapts key viewing parameters in Virtual Reality (VR) museums. As a result, our design improved the overall viewing experience. This project has been published.
Affiliated lab: Heritage, Edutainment, and Reality (HER) Lab
I’m a second-year CS student who is interested in the design and development of human-centered software. Hope to make contribution to contribute to building intuitive, inclusive, and impactful technologies for everyday users.
NCAM-1 Intracellular Domain Effects On RIG-3 C. Elegans by Charlotte Lee
Discovering if the NCAM-1 intracellular domain suppresses the uncoordinated phenotype in RIG-3 Caenorhabditis elegans mutants. I am learning more about neurobiology and developmental genetics.
Affiliated lab: Mizumoto Lab
I’m a third-year Microbiology and Immunology student with a strong interest in genetics and healthcare research. I enjoy studying immunology and molecular genetics, and outside of academics, I like to run and play music.
N-Linked Glycosylated and SNAT2 in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma by Kiana Pashaoskooie
Compared stability of glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of SNAT2 in PDAC cell lines to better understand implications related to amino acid uptake. I learned more about biochemical research.
Affiliated Lab: Parker Lab
I’m a third-year student in the Biology Honours program and I have a passion for anatomy, physiology, cell biology, and biochemistry. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors, playing volleyball, and going for bike rides.
Automating Forest Segmentation Using Machine Learning by Mufaro Machaya
We’re attempting to develop a program capable of delineating forests using image recognition on aerial images, and we hope to see how effective this could be. I learned a lot about Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks (R-CNNs) and Python! This project is in progress and co-authored with Tai Belke.
Affiliated Lab: Integrated Remote Sensing Studio
I’m a first-year in Science One from Houston, Texas that intends to major in Physics, but I’m interested in research that focuses on making tools and resources for the benefit of people and the environment!
Nuclear Movement in Polarized Root Hair Cell by Jessica Orr
I use cell biology approach to study the dynamic nuclear movement in polarized root hair cells of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Affiliated Lab: Ashraf Lab
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology. My research interests include understanding how nuclear positioning affects root hair development. I enjoy combining cellular biology, genetics, and molecular biology to explore fundamental questions in science. I am originally from Kamloops, British Columbia. Outside of research, I enjoy playing basketball.
Bridging Remote Healthcare: Low-Cost Tele-Ultrasound by Inzaghi Moniaga
Leveraging real-time object pose tracking to enable remote experts to precisely guide novice operators in performing ultrasound exams for rural and remote communities that lack local experts. This project is in collaboration with David Black, supervised by Tim Salcudean, and is sponsored by Mitacs and Rogers Communications.
Affiliated Lab: Robotics and Control Laboratory
I'm a fourth-year Math student who applied the knowledge in Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, VR, and AR to advance healthcare, and biomedical research for over two years. I grew up in a small town in Indonesia, Makassar.
Energetic Costs of HSP70 Expression in Spruce Budworm by Mimi Nguyen
I expose eastern spruce budworm to cold shocks to study the energetic cost of HSP70 protein expression. Measuring protein levels, metabolism, and energy stores through western blot, respirometry, and glycogen assays.
Affiliated lab: Marshall Lab
I’m a fourth-year student pursuing a dual degree in Biology and a Master of Management. My research interest focus on animal physiology and stress response, particularly how organisms survive in extreme environments. I enjoy working with peers and building new lab skills!
Wet-Spinnable Biodegradable Cellulose Polyrotaxane Fibers by Karl Tsang
I synthesized a biodegradable cellulose-grafted polyrotaxane fiber from coconut jelly cellulose, with potential self-healing abilities. I learned much about characterization and synthesis techniques.
Affiliated lab: MacLachlan Group
I’m a fifth-year student in Combined Honours Chemical Physics from Vancouver, BC, passionate about materials science and applications of green materials for a sustainable future.
Anatomical Relations of Median Nerve Branching in the Forearm by Emily Covell
Cadaver dissection study to explore the branching of nerves in the forearm and improve understanding of entrapment syndromes. I was able to present the study results at a conference in Washington, DC. The abstract of this project has been published (page 852).
Affiliated lab: UBC Gross Anatomy Lab
I am in my final year of my BSc and my major is Biology. I am very curious about neurological disorders, especially ALS and related disorders. I grew up on Salt Spring Island and in Calgary and while at UBC went on exchange in Amsterdam.
Knowledge Mobilization in Sexual Health by Vicky Nguyen
Knowledge mobilization of genito-pelvic pain and systemic review of mindfulness based therapy for sexual difficulties at UBC Sexual Health Research. I gained more knowledge in women’s sexual health.
Affiliated lab: UBC Sexual Health Research
I am a second-year student from Saigon, Vietnam majoring in Integrated Sciences (Neurophysiology and Public Health). My research interests involve the social and psychosocial factors of women’s sexual health. Outside scientific endeavours, I am also interested in history and geopolitics.
Analyzing Impact of Rain on Algae in San Diego, California by Gabriella Mallios
Using measurements of algae populations and rain amounts from San Diego’s coast to understand how polluted runoff, rain, and sewage spills trigger harmful algal blooms.
Affiliated lab: URO's Research Experience Program
I’m a first-year science student from San Diego, California pursuing chemical oceanography. This project combines my interests in ocean ecosystems, climate policy, and chemistry.
Sex Differences in Addiction-Relevant Gene Expression by Carina Fota
Employing techniques including in situ hybridization, confocal fluorescence imaging, and machine vision histological quantification to study astrocytes in brain regions implicated in heroin-seeking behaviour.
Affiliated lab: Cambridge Laboratory for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders
I am a fourth-year Integrated Sciences student studying neuroscience, physiology, public health. Currently, I am at the University of Cambridge exploring researching how male and female rat astrocytes differ in their response to addiction.
Exploring M1 Receptor Signaling in Alzheimer's Disease by Alaana Shamji
Investigating the role of M1 mAChR in tau pathology using cultured mouse astrocytes. I learned about tau-induced dysfunction, disrupted cholinergic signaling, and allosteric modulation in Alzheimer’s disease.
Affiliated lab: Abdelrahman Lab
I am a third-year Honours student specializing in Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pathology. I grew up in Vancouver and have a strong interest in brain research. I aspire to pursue a career in medicine.
Adaptive Motion Planning for Humanoid Robots by Radman Rakhshandehroo
Teaching humanoid robots to navigate complex terrains realistically like humans by integrating terrain aware foothold generation and learned decision filters, the humanoid predicts viable movement paths.
Affiliated lab: UBC Motion Control and Character Animation (MOCCA)
I am a fifth-year undergraduate student at UBC with combined major in Biology and Computer Science. My research interests focus on reinforcement learning, computational modeling, and developing intelligent systems capable of human-level decision-making.