Dr. Madeleine Ransom, Assistant Professor, Philosophy awarded Canada Research Chair (Tier 2)

Dr. Madeleine Ransom, a philosopher from the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, is the latest addition to UBC Okanagan’s growing cohort of Canada Research Chairs, having been announced today as the university’s Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence, Wellbeing and Ethics (Tier 2).

Her research takes a human-centered approach to AI, and is informed by her background on the nature of human perceptual expertise and bias.

“To understand how to guide the development of these technologies we have to get a grip on the value of human expertise and its role in our individual and collective well-being,” she says. “Then we can think about when and how these technologies ought to be integrated into our lives because we know what is important to us, and so what we stand to lose.”

Asking the right questions is essential to her work, says Dr. Ransom. “When adopting new technologies, we should always ask: how will they serve us as individuals and help us live in a flourishing society? Is AI enhancing our well-being and providing us with opportunities for self-growth? Is it advancing the specialized knowledge and skills of our expert communities? Is it fostering meaningful connection with others? Is it helping to correct biases that have harmful consequences for vulnerable groups? If not, these tools need to be changed.”

The newly announced CRC funding will enable Dr. Ransom to hire more students and support collaboration with scholars from economics, political science, computer science and Indigenous studies to translate and broaden her research outputs into more public-facing work.

 “I’m delighted to see Dr. Ransom’s talent and expertise honoured with such a prestigious recognition,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “Canada Research Chairholders are some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds, contributing to and improving global knowledge, impacting quality of life and helping train the next generation.”

Optimistic about the potential of AI, Dr. Ransom is keen to combine her new CRC appointment with her expertise in the field of humanities to help contribute to the development of policy on how AI should be implemented and regulated. She cautions for a careful approach, however, stressing the crucial role of interdisciplinary experts in shaping system design.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to develop technologies that enhance well-being, at both the individual and collective level, and the humanities have an important role to play in guiding this development.”

In addition to her individual research, Dr. Ransom is also a member of the Digital Transparency Research Excellence Cluster at UBC, where she is leading a project on trust and transparency in AI with a team of computer scientists, psychologists, political scientists and archival scientists.

Read the government of Canada’s announcement

Michael Smith Health Research BC is providing funding to 44 early career researchers across the province through its Research Trainee program. The program supports post-doctoral or health professional researchers in the training phase of their research careers to enable career development and enrich BC’s health research talent.

The funding, announced today, includes a total of 34 awards to trainees at UBC and affiliated health research institutions, with four awards going to UBCO research trainees.

The 2024 UBCO award recipients are investigating important topics including relationships in foster care families, stroke rehabilitation and Type 2 diabetes as they continue developing as the next generation of the best and brightest health researchers.

Since 2001, Health Research BC has granted more than 1,400 Research Trainee awards, supporting the launch of successful careers in research, biotech, health policy and other sectors.

Read the Health Research BC announcement

UBC Okanagan funding recipients

•  Jelena Komanchuk
  Caregiver-Child Sleep and Relationships in Canadian Foster and Kinship Families
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
• Justine Magnuson
  A personalized approach to non-physical practice after stroke
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
• Alexis Marcotte-Chénard
  Integrating Exercise Snacks into Type 2 Diabetes Care: feasibility and management of cardiovascular risk factors
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus
• Elise Wiley
  Exploring the natural history of chronic disease self-management and health resource utilization after stroke
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus

Other UBC funding recipients

• Maryam Asadi Aghbolaghi
  AI-based Platform for Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Discovery and Refinement
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
• Taqdir Ali
  Advancing Orthopaedics Diagnostic Intelligence: Deep Learning and Generative AI models for Fracture Identification and Dialogue-driven documentation and Decision Making
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
• Mehwish Anwer
  Using unbiased whole brain methods to understand how impact direction affects the neuropathology of traumatic brain injury in mice
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
• Ania Bogoslowski
  How do neurons in breast cancer tumours control anti-tumour immune responses?
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Ariel Buchler
  Matriptase-Selective Radiotheranostics for Metastatic Carcinoma
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Cancer
• Daljeet Chahal
  Cerebrovascular physiology of circulatory death in patients undergoing medical assistance in dying (MAiD)
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Transplant, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver General Hospital
  Partners: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
• Sing-Young Chen
  Understanding sex differences in beta-cell resilience to stresses in type 1 diabetes
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Wassim Elkhatib
  Structural and Functional Investigation of Neuronal Calcium Channel Modulation
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Lanlan Fang
  Investigating oncogenic mechanisms in DICER1 syndrome-associated ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Jack Bell Research Centre
• Manjurul Haque
  Use of CAR Tregs to induce transplantation
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
• Isabelle Hardy
  Consequences of preconception bariatric surgery for fetal size and pathological growth restriction: a linked population registry study.
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
• Ihoghosa Iyamu
  Promoting the sustainability of digital interventions for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in Canda: A multi-methods study
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Centre for Disease Control
• Sanne Janssen
  Elucidating how the Sotos Syndrome gene NSD1 controls gene expression during neuronal differentiation
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Life Sciences Institute
• Ingrid Jarvis
  Investigating the influence of residential green space on cognitive decline and dementia
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Zhen Jin
  Uncovering the role of long non-coding RNA PAN3-AS1 in acute myeloid leukemia
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Cancer Research Centre
• Mai-Lei Kinshella
  Gender equity through strengthening maternal nutrition and health in resource-limited settings
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Laura Labonté
  Risk factors for cognitive impairment and substance-induced psychosis in people living in precarious housing or homelessness
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Mental Health & Addiction Research Institute (BCMHARI)
• Jerry Leung
  Engineering Transfusable Platelets for Improved Hemorrhage Control
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Life Sciences Institute
• Claire Liu
  Surgical, oncologic, and patient reported outcomes following breast conserving surgery versus mastectomy: a longitudinal study
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Providence Health Care, UBC School of Population and Public Health
• Jai Mahto
  Structure-function relationship of retinal guanylyl cyclase, a key enzyme in phototransduction
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
• Yan Mei
  Triggered release of anti-cancer drugs using hybrid lipid nanoparticle technology
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Life Sciences Institute
• Richard Morrow
  Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care services for hepatitis B
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Centre for Disease Control
• Sheila Novek
  Engagement and citizenship in long-term care: An exploration of resident and family councils
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
  Partner: Alzheimer Society of B.C.
• Clement Quintard
  Advancing Cardiovascular Research: Developing Vascularized Heart Organoids-on-Chips Integrating Immume Cells
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Life Sciences Institute
• Jordyn Rice
  SuPA Mobility: Supporting Physical Activity for Mobility in Older Adults with Mobility Limitations
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Centre for Hip Health and Mobility
• Santanu Sasidharan
  Development of mutation-robust vaccines and antibodies, and their implications for the evolution of SARS-CoV-2
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Michael Smith Laboratories
• Yao Sun
  Sensorimotor interactions between the lower limb and pelvic floor: neuroplasticity and implications for management of urinary dysfunction after spinal cord injury
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)
• Sofie Tolmeijer
  Accelerating the implementation of blood-based genomic testing for people living with metastatic prostate cancer in British Columbia
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus, Vancouver Prostate Centre
• Karoliina Tuomela
  Developing novel strategies to enhance CAR Treg manufacture and testing in transplantation
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
• Kaitlin Winter
  Addressing antimicrobial resistance through the design and preclinical evaluation of a Klebsiella pneumoniae vaccine
  Host Institution/Research Location(s): University of British Columbia/BC Children’s Hospital Vaccine Evaluation Centre

SEE FULL LIST OF 2024 RESEARCH TRAINEE AWARD RECIPIENTS

Two UBC Okanagan-led research projects are among 52 projects funded at UBC through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Spring 2024 competition.

UBC Okanagan Professor Barb Pesut from the School of Nursing was awarded $1,208,701 as Principal Investigator for a research project developing supports for older persons living with serious illness to stay at home and experience good quality of life, particularly in rural communities.

Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science Assistant Professor Kirk Bergstrom was awarded $879,750 as Principal Investigator for his biomedical work in infection and immunity, research that aims to treat inflammatory bowel disease and improve gut health.

In addition, Assistant Professor Brodie Sakakibara in the Southern Medical Program at UBC Okanagan is Co-PI on a research project with a Vancouver team seeking to improve delivery of evidence-based community exercise programs for people who have experienced strokes.

UBC researchers are leading 39 projects awarded Project Grants, and 13 were awarded Priority Announcement Grants.

In total, the 52 projects led by UBC researchers were awarded $34.2 million in combined funding.

See all UBC CIHR awards

The federal government today launched the new Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, which will impact researchers making new applications for funding through the federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and CFI.

The policy outlines Sensitive Technology Research Areas and Named Research Organizations (NRO). The NRO list is composed of research organizations and institutions that pose the highest risk to Canada’s national security due to their direct, or indirect connections with military, national defence, and state security entities.

Starting in early 2024, research grant and funding applications submitted by a university or affiliated research institution to the federal granting councils and the Canada Foundation for Innovation involving research that advances a sensitive technology research area will not be funded if any of the researchers involved in activities supported by the grant are affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, an NRO.

This policy will be implemented through an attestation by researchers that have a named role (for example, applicants, co-applicants, and collaborators) as part of the grant / funding application process for research projects advancing sensitive technology research areas.

We are awaiting further details from the granting agencies about how these new requirements will be integrated into applications, and will share additional information as it becomes available.

• Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern
• Sensitive Technology Research Areas
• Named Research Organizations
• Frequently Asked Questions

We appreciate that this new federal policy may create uncertainty as well as additional requirements and responsibilities for our research community. UBC continues to enhance support through our research security team, which will provide guidance around definitions and interpretations of the new policy. The team, funded through the federal Research Support Fund, will provide broader information and training around matters relating to research security and developing research relationships and grant applications in alignment with policies, best practices, guidelines and requirements. The team will also monitor risks and guide researchers on evolving threats.

Researchers with any questions are encouraged to connect with Akshay Singh, Director, Research Security, at research.security@ubc.ca

UBC remains dedicated to enabling an open and collaborative research environment, while being committed to providing support to its research community to effectively safeguard research and sensitive information

For more information on safeguarding your research and to subscribe to receive updates and information on new training opportunities and resources, visit our Safeguarding your Research page.

The Office of the Vice-Principal Research and Innovation is pleased to welcome a new member to our team in support of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

Hanna Paul has joined VPRI in the role of Indigenous Research Facilitator to help further support faculty researchers conducting Indigenous-led research. Services for researchers at UBC Okanagan include one-on-one facilitation, research design support and grant proposal support for Indigenous-led projects.

In her role, she will help convey associated best practices to centralize Indigenous collaborators’ priorities and protocols with guidance from tri-agency, UBC and OCAP policies and welcomes collaboration opportunities with other units on campus that align with the strategic priorities of her position.

Hanna is Métis and Beaver First Nation on her father’s side and Ukrainian and French on her mother’s side from Northern Alberta. Her Métis family names are Paul, Lizotte, Lambert and Lafleur. She is a UBC Okanagan Master of Arts alumna with a specialization in anthropology, Indigenous studies and interdisciplinary studies. Expertise in community-engaged research led to her recognition as Master’s Student Researcher of the Year in May, 2023.

Learn more about collaboration possibilities and Indigenizing research resources at ORS Research Facilitation.

UBCO Announces New Principal’s Research Chairholders

UBC Okanagan is pleased to announce the newest cohort of appointments under the Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) program.

Deans submitted nominations for the PRC call in July 2022, which were jointly reviewed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic and the Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation.  We are pleased to announce that five UBCO faculty have been designated Principal’s Research Chairholders by the Principal and Deputy-Vice Chancellor.

2022 Principal’s Research Chairholders

Tier 1   Leadership, Learning, and Wellbeing  Professor Sabre Cherkowski | Okanagan School of Education | Retention Stream | effective July 2022

Tier 1  Critical Disability Studies Professor Rachelle Hole | Faculty of Health and Social Development Retention Stream | effective July 2022

Tier 1   Sustainable and Smart Manufacturing Professor Abbas Milani School of Engineering Retention Stream | effective July 2022

Tier 1  Trans-Pacific Digital Platform Studies Professor Kyong Yoon | Faculty of Creative & Critical Studies |Retention Stream | effective July 2022

Tier 2  Sensors and Microelectronics Associate Professor Mohammad Hossein Zarifi | School of Engineering | Retention Stream | effective July 2022

These new appointments are evidence of the importance and quality of research on our campus. We anticipate that the research findings and creative scholarly activities of these outstanding researchers will translate into tangible benefits to our region and global society.

2022 PRC Recruitment Allocations:

An additional PRC position has been allocated to enable new recruitments.

Tier 1  Computational Biology | Recipient TBD | Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science | Attraction Stream | by June 2023

About the PRC Program:

The Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) program provides internal funding support for top-tier researchers engaged in outstanding research or creative scholarship.

Supported by the UBC Okanagan Excellence Fund, the goals of the PRC program are to:

• Enable recruitment of outstanding new faculty
• Retain top researchers
• Promote research intensification
• Generate international recognition of research achievements

The requirements of the PRC program are aligned with the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) program criteria and recipients of the award are appointed to a renewable five-year term.

VIEW CHAIRHOLDERS

Should you have questions regarding the Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) or Canada Research Chairs (CRC) programs, please contact Nicole Bennett.

Best regards,

Rehan Sadiq
Provost and Vice-President Academic pro tem, UBC Okanagan

Philip Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation

two new research clusters funded

Two new Clusters of Research Excellence were awarded Eminence funding in the 2021 competition that closed on September 16^th, 2021.

Two existing clusters also received a second round of funding based on special criteria, including progress achieved towards cluster goals and potential for financial sustainability.

The Office of the Vice-Principal, Reseach and Innovation has funded 19 interdisciplinary research teams focused on solving key challenges facing society since the Eminence Program launched in 2017.

2021 Clusters of Research Excellence:

Urban Indigenous Wellbeing
Responding to urban Indigenous community needs through a holistic approach to spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health.

Cluster leads: Donna Kurtz and Gabrielle Legault; 7 cluster team members

Plastic Recycling
Addressing plastic waste from diverse technological, environmental, management, social and policy-making perspectives.

Cluster lead: Mohammad Arjmand; 5 cluster team members

2021 Funding Renewals:

1. Green Infrastructure (Green Construction Research and Training Centre) Cluster lead: Shahria Alam; 8 cluster team members
2. Indigenous-Led Impact Assessment Cluster lead: Kevin Hanna; 7 cluster team members

Special thanks to the committee who adjudicated the 2021 Eminence Fund competition.

2022 Competition:

Letters of intent for the next cycle of funding will be accepted starting in August 2022 with award notification in November 2022.  Please contact Nicole Bennett with any questions.

Best regards,

Dr. Phil Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation
University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

Celebrating Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarly Activity

Dear colleagues,

I am delighted to announce this year’s faculty and student Researcher of the Year award recipients. Each has made significant contributions to research and creative scholarly activity at UBC Okanagan. Please join me in congratulating this year’s outstanding awardees.

2022 Faculty Researchers of the Year

Jennifer Davis | Faculty of Management

Health award

Jennifer Davis is a Canada Research Chair in Applied Health Economics. Her research focuses on improving the health of older Canadians at risk for falls or cognitive decline. Jennifer assesses the economic value of dementia and mobility intervention and prevention efforts through partnerships with clinicians. Her international collaborations have resulted in policy change and significant advancements in applying health economic evidence to lifestyle interventions.

Kyle Larson | Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING award

Kyle Larson is an innovator of analytical techniques for tectonics research. Kyle’s novel methods have led to fundamental discoveries about how major mountain belts form, including a solution to a decades-old geological controversy surrounding the origin of the Himalaya. As Director of the Fipke Laboratory for Trace Element Research (FiLTER), Kyle has helped develop paradigm-shifting methods for rapid dating of geological material.

Margaret MacIntyre Latta | Okanagan School of Education

social sciences and humanities award

Margaret Macintyre Latta is a prominent researcher transforming traditional approaches to education. A champion of interdisciplinary and community-based research, her focus is to advance curriculum as a shared participatory learning experience that inspires reconciliation. Her practice-engaged research with Indigenous, school district and community partners supports educators in decolonizing their curriculum and teaching practices.

2022 Student Researcher of the Year

Rhyann McKay

Graduate Studies (PhD) award

As a PhD candidate, Rhyann McKay conducted leading-edge research in partnership with provincial spinal cord injury (SCI) organizations across Canada to co-develop behaviour change interventions for support providers to enhance wellbeing and self-care. Rhyann is currently a health system impact fellow at the University of Alberta, evaluating the implementation of acute care intervention.

award celebration

We will be hosting a special celebration to honour our 2022 Researcher of the Year award recipients. This is a unique opportunity for our campus community to come together and celebrate our research achievements from the past year. We hope you can attend.

EVENT DETAILS

Date:         Friday, May 6^th, 2022
Location:  Innovation Centre | 460 Doyle Ave
Time:        2:00 – 4:00 pm | Award presentations followed by a rooftop reception
RSVP:        Register to attend the celebration. All are welcome.

Sincerely,

Phil Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation
University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA BACKS TRAILBLAZING CANADIAN RESEARCHERS

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced today a combined investment of more than $550 million for more than 5,500 researchers through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2020 Transformation Competition, the Canada Research Chairs and Tri-Agency scholarships and fellowships.

New Research Data Centre opens at UBC Okanagan as part of a national network of 30 university-based research facilities.

Managed by Statistics Canada, in partnership with UBC, the Research Data Centre (RDC) will offer accredited researchers secure access to microdata gathered through the Census program, population, social, and health surveys. The wide variety of data available includes a Canadian cancer registry, statistics on mental health, financial security, and public health. Accessible information is relevant to many disciplines and will enable Okanagan faculty and students to advance their research without lengthy travel to Vancouver.

Assistant professor Andrea Craig joined UBCO last July in the Department of Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science. She has been travelling to the Lower Mainland almost every month to access the RDC on the UBC Vancouver campus.  Her research focus is on where people choose to live and how they commute for use in urban planning.

Craig will not miss travelling from the Okanagan to Vancouver during the winter months and is looking forward to getting permanently settled in Kelowna. Local RDC access will enable her to focus on research, teaching, and attracting new talent.

“I’m excited to settle in Kelowna and form connections with colleagues. Now that we have access to great data, I can recruit grad students to do their dissertation or thesis.”

The UBC Okanagan RDC is supported by an on-site assistant who manages the operational details and provides administrative services, and a remote analyst who supports data users.

RDC analyst and UBC alumna Wendy Kei is based at the UBC Vancouver campus and provides personalized support to UBCO researchers through MS Teams and virtual meetings. Kei understands the importance of good data. She used census results to attain her PhD in Economics, and helps RDC users navigate data science and answer research questions using statistical insights. Kei has been in her RDC analyst role for five years and describes assisting researchers on their data quests  a richly rewarding experience.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, the only way to close that gap is with reliable information. Having access to accurate data through the RDC is important for people to make wise and unbiased decisions, and research is at the heart of that”.

Associate professor Ross Hickey describes how he uses confidential microdata to assess the effects of income tax policy on charitible giving. He also shares how the new RDC has benefited the campus in the recruitment and retention of new faculty and graduate students.

The secure RDC facility at UBCO is located on the second floor of the Charles E. Fipke Centre for Innovative Research.

A strict vetting process is required to gain access through Statistics Canada including fingerprinting, credit checks, and an oath of secrecy not to disclose any identifiable information to protect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents. Applications for data access can be initiated through the Statistics Canada website. Once approved, researchers can book their sessions through an online portal.

Questions about the UBC Okanagan RDC can be sent to Academic Director Andrea Craig.

Learn more