UBC Science

Chemistry alum seeks paw'sitive solution to pet fertility Dr. Sherry Zhao has founded a biotech company that is developing a method to spay and neuter dogs and cats with injections instead of intrusive surgery.

UBC Chemistry alum Dr. Sherry Zhao has founded a biotech company that's developing a method to spay and neater dogs and cats with injections instead of surgery. @chem.ubc.ca @alumniubc.bsky.social

science.ubc.ca/alumni/profi...

Congrats the recipients of the 2025 UBC Science Excellence in Service Award! The award recognizes the outstanding staff and faculty whose contributions have had a significant positive impact in achieving the Faculty’s goals.

science.ubc.ca/faculty/work...

Bright light seen in B.C.'s night sky was a 'fireball' meteor, NASA confirms | CBC News Residents around B.C. reported hearing a loud boom and seeing a bright flash of light in the sky Tuesday evening. Experts say it was it was a meteor entering earth's atmosphere.

UBC astronomy professor Dr. Brett Gladman said the fireball, caused by the natural entry of a 10-centimetre sized rocky asteroid fragment, entered the Earth's atmosphere north of Coquitlam. @ubcphas.bsky.social

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

On April 9, UBC’s AI and Health Network is hosting a half-day forum focused on translating AI innovation into real-world health impact. The event will highlight early progress and explore how AI-enabled tools can address complex health challenges. @cs.ubc.ca

www.med.ubc.ca/transforming...

What the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting reveals about regulating AI | CBC News Can AI systems reliably detect real threats? And where’s the line between safety and privacy? Following the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., questions are mounting about what artificial intellige...

“We just can't rely on the companies to voluntarily stand up,” says Dr. Alan Mackworth, UBC computer science prof. emeritus. “There needs to be some public accountability by having a regulatory agency with enforcement powers to check standards.” @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social
bit.ly/3N2V3rH

End of hallucinations? How Vancouver AI firms achieve accuracy Ventures increasingly train AI agents on retrieval augmented generation (RAG) systems that containerize data in small data sets

“Our goal is to ensure that these AI tools are as reliable as possible so that professionals and the public can trust it,” says UBC computer scientist Dr. Vered Shwartz on training AI on RAGs (retrieval augmented generation) to limit hallucinations. @cs.ubc.ca

www.richmond-news.com/technology/e...

Convergent and lineage-specific genomic changes shape adaptations in sugar-consuming birds High-sugar diets cause human metabolic diseases, yet several bird lineages convergently adapted to feeding on sugar-rich nectar or fruits. We investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms in hummin...

UBC zoologists are part of a new study in Science looking at genomic adaptations to sugar-rich diets in hummingbirds, parrots, honeyeaters and sunbirds.
@zoology.ubc.ca @science.org

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Shrinking cold-water habitat means more whales get caught in nets, research finds | CBC News Humpback whales are more likely to get entangled in fishing gear in years when rising ocean temperatures make cold-water habitat harder to find, according to new research published Wednesday.

"Humpbacks, unfortunately, when they get caught in something, they have a tendency to roll in it and they can wrap themselves up so tight and they have an inability to get out of it," said Dr. Andrew Trites www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Global BC Curious Minds: Sharing Indigenous astronomical knowledge | Watch News Videos Online Watch Global BC Curious Minds: Sharing Indigenous astronomical knowledge Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

Dr. Shandin Pete is reconstructing Salish astronomical knowledge to share his ancestors' knowledge of the night sky. @eoas.ubc.ca

globalnews.ca/video/117088...

1,000+ high school students build catapults and pole climbers at UBC Physics Olympics Media are invited to cover the 48th annual UBC Physics Olympics, where 1000+ high school students showcase their understanding of scientific concepts, problem-solving skills and collaborative abilities.

Media are invited to cover the 48th annual UBC Physics Olympics, where 1,000+ high school students put physics knowledge, problem‑solving and creativity to the test across six events.

There'll be projectile launchers, pole climbers, mystery labs and more.

To RSVP ⤵️
news.ubc.ca/advisory/48-...

March's Nature Club is all about marvelous marine invertebrates! Our family-friendly activities are geared towards kids 5-12; everyone is welcome to join in! Sign up online or drop in between 10:30am-1pm on Saturday, March 7.

Tell us about your favourite invertebrate below! 🐙 🪸 🐚 🪱

“Most vegetable seeds used in Canada are bred internationally,” says Dr. Loren Rieseberg of UBC Botany. “This is an opportunity to increase our local breeding capacity, give B.C. a competitive edge and reduce our reliance on international suppliers.” @ubcbotany.bsky.social

OpenAI safety reps called to Ottawa after Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting: minister | CBC News Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon has called representatives of OpenAI to Ottawa to discuss safety concerns after learning the killer in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was banne...

Computer scientist Dr. Alan Mackworth said that many professionals, such as teachers and doctors, have a "duty to report" any suspected case of harm to or abuse of a minor.

"Similar obligations should be placed on social media and AI companies." @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social

bit.ly/4ayhYnU

Dr. @marieaugermethe.bsky.social selected as a Science meets Parliament delegate
oceans.ubc.ca/2026/02/23/d...

Orbital AI data centers could work, but they might ruin Earth in the process If executed at the scale, Musk's orbital data center plan could have devastating effects on the environment and the sustainability of low Earth orbit.

SpaceX's orbital AI data centre would limit opportunities for humans to fly into low Earth orbit. "Could you operate in it? Yeah, but it would come with higher and higher costs," said UBC astronomer Dr. Aaron Boley. @ubcphas.bsky.social has.bsky.social

www.engadget.com/ai/orbital-a...

The Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia invites applications for an Associate Professor position in Evolutionary Biology. @zoology.ubc.ca

ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfac...

‘Go to the bar with your friends’: Strong local connections could help curb impact of AI misinformation New study suggests coordinated AI 'swarms' could mimic human behaviour online, distorting discourse in future elections

“I think the bigger thing is that it changes the extent to which we believe anything,” said UBC computer scientist Dr. Kevin Leyton-Brown. “Maybe go to the bar with your friends and talk to them in the real world.” @cs.ubc.ca

www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-news/g...

Congratulations to UBC astrochemist Dr. Ilsa Cooke (@ilsastellar.bsky.social) on being named a 2026 Cottrell Scholar.
@chem.ubc.ca

Unique Canadian fungus 'bank' with thousands of specimens saved by family foundation | CBC News A unique collection of microscopic fungi used for Canadian medical and biodiversity research has been saved from being shipped overseas.

"It's really difficult to keep culture collections going," said UBC botanist Dr. Mary Berbee. "There aren't that many in the world and I was really worried about this one."
@ubcbotany.bsky.social

www.cbc.ca/news/science...

Community Supports | The University of British Columbia Supporting our campus communities

For university community members impacted by this event and who are seeking support, please visit this site for a list of supports and resources: www.ubc.ca/community-su...

In acknowledgment of this tragedy, the University of British Columbia will be lowering its flags to half-mast.

We are deeply shocked and saddened by the shootings at Tumbler Ridge and extend our deepest sympathy to all those impacted. This is a truly horrific event and our hearts are with the people of Tumbler Ridge and all British Columbians.

How giant galaxies could have formed just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang New radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies could have rapidly merged together in the early Universe.

“In the center, we found four tightly-interacting galaxies forging one star every 40 minutes,” says UBC astronomer Dr. Ryley Hill. “For comparison, it currently takes a whole year for three or four stars to form in the Milky Way.” @ubcphas.bsky.social

bit.ly/4kz4xHO

Dr. Kemi Ola draws on her research and teaching experience to explore how students learn, thrive, and navigate a world suffering from excess. Join us Feb. 23 for this talk in UBC’s Black Excellence in STEM Speaker Series.

Learn more and register: bit.ly/3ZYL8pX%E2%8...

Research led by François Jean reveals compounds with broad-spectrum antiviral activity that protect mice from influenza A. The findings could launch new drugs to treat not only flu but a larger family of viruses that work via the same mechanism.
Read more: bit.ly/4qm2esT

Community Choice Award Voting Now Open!

Voting runs until February 20 and is open to members of the Biodiversity Research Centre community.

View the photos and vote for your favourite photo here:
explore.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/BRC-photo-competition

No sea ice, no problem for these Barents Sea bears — for now By Bianca McKeown Decades of data shows bears' body conditions stable despite global warming affecting sea ice. A lonely polar bear swimming for hours in an ice-free Arctic has been a poster child o...

“It’s clear that their body condition, their survival, their reproduction has been declining with #sea ice,"said Dr. Marie Auger-Methe. “For Canadian #polar #bears, this doesn’t change anything. Our bears are not doing well." www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a... via @RCInet

Please join us Feb. 10 for our first of two Black Excellence in STEM events this month: Swimming to UBC Like a Fish by Dr. Rashid Sumaila, as he recounts the twists and turns of his academic journey, and reflects on what it means to build impact at UBC.

bit.ly/4tttPeq

These polar bears are showing surprising resilience in a warming world | CBC Climate Change News Studying close to 800 bears over nearly 25 years shows that polar bear populations in the rapidly warming Barents Sea, off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia, are doing better than polar bears i...

“For Canadian polar bears, this doesn't change anything. Our bears are not doing well,” says Dr. @marieaugermethe.bsky.social. “It's clear that their body condition, their survival, their reproduction has been declining with sea ice.” www.cbc.ca/news/climate... via @cbcnews.ca @science.ubc.ca

Meet Laszlo Hollander (BSc ‘02), UBC Science’s 2026 Alumni Builder Award recipient. Hollander has dedicated a quarter of a century to supporting undergraduates as they navigate their academic and career journeys in Computer Science’s tri-mentoring program. @cs.ubc.ca

www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2025/09...

Glowing bacterial sensors detect gut illness in mice before symptoms emerge UBC researchers have engineered gut bacteria that dim their fluorescent glow in the presence of illness.

Excited to share our latest publication, led by Dr. Ellie McCallum and Juan Burckhardt!
bit.ly/4kfzQaf
You can access the article for free here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mWb4L7PXu... And more information is available on the updated preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...