Latest News

Event: Climate Emergency Week at UBC highlights collective action

his week through Feb. 16 is Climate Emergency Week at UBC, building on the university’s declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 and a climate action report in 2021 that focuses on climate justice.

Feb 6, 2023

UBC experts on health care funding in Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s premiers are to meet in Ottawa on Tuesday to work out a new arrangement for funding health care in Canada. UBC experts are available to comment.

Feb 6, 2023

The Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program is a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada that aims to provide a pathway to success for Black Canadian students at UBC.

Celebrating Black History Month at UBC

In honour of Black History Month, the University of British Columbia is celebrating the programs and initiatives that support the university’s Black community members.

Feb 2, 2023

After 42 years of ownership, Gibbs decided to return his decidedly aged, in places torn and threadbare, faded, yellow Thunderbirds T-shirt to the UBC Bookstore, playfully demanding an exchange.

Prized T-shirt returned to UBC Bookstore after 42-year ordeal on Welsh rugby player

Most of us have a T-shirt relic from decades past, usually stuffed into the dark recesses of a drawer only to slowly fall to pieces or be tossed out by next of kin.

Feb 1, 2023

Owners of the priciest properties in Vancouver pay very little income tax, UBC study finds

A new study from UBC’s Sauder School of Business shows that owners of $3.7-million homes in Vancouver pay just $15,800 in income tax.

Jan 27, 2023

UBC experts on decriminalization of hard drugs

From Jan. 31, the federal and B.C. governments will decriminalize possession of small amounts of certain drugs—opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy—intended for personal use. UBC experts are available to comment.

Jan 26, 2023

UBC experts on Black History Month

February is Black History Month. UBC experts are available to comment on various related topics.

Jan 25, 2023

fMRI shows decreased functional connectivity in the brain following exposure to traffic pollution.

Traffic pollution impairs brain function

First-in-the-world study suggests that even brief exposure to air pollution has rapid impacts on the brain

Jan 24, 2023

Music from Final Fantasy, which will be performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at The Orpheum on April 14-15 as part of the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy tour, is the subject of PhD research by UBC music scholar Marina Gallagher.
Photo credit: AWR Music Productions, LLC

UBC scholar’s Final Fantasy is a PhD in ludomusicology

At the turn of the century, Marina Gallagher was a young piano student who played a lot of video games between piano lessons. The Final Fantasy series was her favourite.

Jan 23, 2023

Why does the date of Lunar New Year change?

This lunar new year falls on Jan. 22, making it one of the earliest in recent history. So why does the date of the lunar new year change?

Jan 19, 2023

Southern Resident killer whales swimming. Photo Credit: Paul Cottrell, DFO. Usage: Single Use Only

Toxic toilet paper and long-lasting chemicals found in endangered killer whales

A chemical used in the production of toilet paper and ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in the bodies of orcas in B.C., including the endangered southern resident killer whales.

Jan 12, 2023

UBC pharmaceutical sciences researcher Dr. Corey Nislow will discuss how space flight has changed yeast and algae cultures. Photo: Justin Ohata/UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Event: Unboxing of space-travelling yeast and algae

Media are invited to capture the unveiling of two UBC science experiments that have circled the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis 1 lunar mission.

Jan 10, 2023

Looking for a faster way to learn a language? Try historical linguistics

A new study conducted by UBC English professor Dr. James Stratton finds that one of the best ways of fast-tracking your language acquisition may be to learn a bit of language history – at least when it comes to learning a historically related language.

Dec 20, 2022

A family of black bears cross a highway in Canada. Photo credit: Liam Brennan. Usage: Single Use Only

Most wildlife bridges are bear-ly wide enough

Canadian researchers measured wildlife overpasses around the world and found 71 per cent in North America are narrower than recommended.

Dec 19, 2022

UBC experts on 2022 FIFA World Cup final

France and Argentina will meet in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday. UBC experts are available to comment.

Dec 16, 2022

UBC engineers want to save whales from drowning…in noise

Chronic ship noise can lead to stress, hearing loss and feeding problems for marine mammals like whales, dolphins and porpoises. UBC researchers are diving in to help address the issue.

Dec 15, 2022

Cells treated with the compound (right) showed reduced infection from the Omicron variant compared to untreated cells (left). Photo credit: Dr. Selvarani Vimalanathan, Molecular Biomedicine

From COVID-19 to the common cold: UBC scientists identify broadly effective, infection-halting compound

Researchers at UBC’s Life Sciences Institute have identified a compound that shows early promise at halting infections from a range of coronaviruses, including all variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the common cold.

Dec 14, 2022

UBC experts on the holiday season

The holidays are just around the corner. UBC experts are available to comment on topics related to the season.

Dec 13, 2022

Climate change contributing to real Christmas tree shortage

UBC Faculty of Forestry professor Richard Hamelin explains how climate change continues to plague the real Christmas tree market and what should be considered for improving the worldwide growing supply chain shortage.

Dec 9, 2022

Winter holidays a final opportunity to visit MOA before temporary 2023 closure

The upcoming winter holidays present a final opportunity for visitors to explore the Museum of Anthropology at UBC before it closes for much of 2023. This temporary closure is to complete the seismic upgrades of its famous Great Hall and accomplish other work on the building.

Dec 8, 2022