Research Projects

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Currently Open Research Projects

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Position Title Supervisor(s) Faculty Research Classification
One fully funded Ph.D. position in machine learning for medical imaging Ilker Hacihaliloglu Faculty of Medicine Biomedical signal processing, Image guided surgery systems
Postdoctoral Fellow - PRIME Robotics Lab Faculty of Applied Science Mechanical engineering
Doctoral Student - PRIME Robotics Lab Faculty of Applied Science Mechanical engineering
Master's (MASc) Student - PRIME Robotics Lab Faculty of Applied Science Mechanical engineering
Green Deathcare and Relationships to Nature Kai Chan, David Hardisty Faculty of Science Ecopsychology
PhD Student in Quantum Software and Algorithms Olivia Di Matteo Faculty of Applied Science Quantum information, computation and communication, Quantum technologies, Programming language and software engineering, n.e.c., Computer engineering, n.e.c.
Postdoc Fellow in Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Research UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Medical, health and life sciences
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Research Mary De Vera Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology)
Postdoctoral position (clinical research) with ICORD's autonomic laboratory Andrei Krassioukov Faculty of Medicine Rehabilitation medicine
Postdoctoral position (basic science research) with ICORD's autonomic laboratory Andrei Krassioukov Faculty of Medicine Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects

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Faculty Members Recruiting Students

This list shows a selection of faculty members who are currently looking for new graduate students. They may have specified particular projects they wish to fill. Please ensure to review the departmental profile of each faculty member to learn more about their research interests and to ensure a good fit to your intended studies at UBC.

Last namesort descending First name Research Interests Desired start dates: Project areas
Abdul-Mageed Muhammad Artificial intelligence (AI); Deep Learning; Natural Language Processing; Machine Learning; Computational Linguistics; Social Media Mining; Arabic Any time / year round

Deep Learning. Deep learning of natural language. Natural Language Processing. Computational Linguistics. Natural Language Inference. Machine Translation. Misinformation. Detection of Negative and Abusive Content Online. Applications of deep learning in health and well-being.

Abolmaesumi Purang Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Artificial Intelligence; Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Technologies; Cancer Imaging; Computer Assisted Interventions; Image Guided Surgery; Machine Learning; Medical Imaging; Surgical Robotics; Ultrasound Imaging Any time / year round

We are actively looking for individuals with strong mathematical, computer science, and engineering background with interest in machine learning applications in biomedical engineering and medical imaging.

Ameli Ali Geology; Applied Hydro-geochemistry; Climate Changes and Impacts; Environmental Tracer; Ground Water and Water Tables; Groundwater Ecohydrology; Groundwater-Surfacewater & land Interaction; Hydro-geological Engineering; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Numerical analysis; Watershed Management Any time / year round

My research explores below questions:

1) Where does water go after it rains?

2) How does chemistry of rainwater alter on its way from being rainfall to being streamflow?

3) How do resource developments impact water pathways and stream water quality?

4) Where are suitable locations for agricultural and forestry activities with a minimal impact on water quality?

Anglesio Michael Obstetrics and gynecology; Premalignant disease (precursors); Cancer molecular targets; Cancer of the Reproductive System; Host-Tumour Interaction; Endometriosis; Cancer Diagnosis and Detection; animal models of endometriosis and cancer; Cancer prevention; early detection biomarkers; endometriosis associated cancers; gene-expression and transcriptomics; genomics; Immunology; microenvironment; ovarian cancer etiology Any time / year round, 2024, 2025

I am currently recruiting graduate students to join a dynamic and growing research team. If you are interested in joining my team please read and respond to the opportunities. 

(N03.2023) Graduate Students (MSc/PhD) – to take on genomic and biomarker centric research on endometriosis. Optimal candidates will have experience with PCR-based methods, sequencing,... Read More

Arcese Peter Global change biology; Ecology; Conservation Biology; Evolutionary Biology; conservation finance Any time / year round

Applied ecology, conservation, and genetics of free-living species

Ardern Clare Electronic health (e-Health); Mobile health (mHealth); Patient and citizen engagement research; Health equity; Physical therapy; Sports medicine; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Orthopedics; Sex and gender-based analysis; musculoskeletal conditions; Digital health; eHealth; orthopaedics; sports medicine; rehabilitation; meta-science; peer review; research impact 2025
  • Designing digital health resources with underserved communities
  • Integrating physiotherapy into primary health care services
  • Female athlete health and performance
  • Applying machine learning (including large language models) in research reporting and grant peer review contexts

 

Austin Jehannine Clinical genetics (except cancer genetics); genetic counseling; genetics services; mental health 2025

I am only interested in contact from people who have already completed training as genetic counselors for additional research based training.

Bacca Mattia Mechanical engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Solid Mechanics; Biophysics; Soft materials; Fracture Mechanics and Adhesion Any time / year round

Cutting and Puncture Mechanics of Soft Materials; Biological Membranes; Cytoskeletal Mechanics; Adhesion

Badir Patricia English language; Canadian Modernism; Early Modern Drama; Early Modern Literature and Religion; Medieval Drama; Shakespeare; Shakespeare in Canada Any time / year round

Early modern literature and religion; Shakespeare and his contemporaries; Shakespeare in Canada

Bamji Shernaz Medical and biomedical engineering; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; neurodevelopmental disease; primary neuronal cultures; synapse biology; transgenic mouse models Any time / year round

genetic causes of autism and intellectual disability

Bayrampour Basmenj Hamideh Psychosocial, sociocultural and behavioral determinants of health; Electronic health (e-Health); Mobile health (mHealth); Midwifery; Health information systems (including surveillance); Perinatal mental health; Perinatal Anxiety; Pregnancy Outcomes; eHealth; mHealth Any time / year round

Perinatal mental health

eHealth

Pregnancy outcomes

 

Beauchamp Mark Kinesiology; social determinants of health; Health Promotion; Quality of Life and Aging; Mental Health and Society; Children; Exercise Psychology; Group Processes; Health Psychology; Intervention; Leadership; Older Adults; Physical Activity; Social Cognition; Sport Psychology Any time / year round

Peer-Leadership and Physical Literacy Intervention with Children; Group-based Physical Activity for Older Adults; Teamwork; Physical Activity and Health Promotion Interventions

Bedaiwy Mohamed Other clinical medicine; Endometriosis; Recurrent Pregnancy Loss; Infertility; Minimally Invasive Surgery

Endometriosis

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Infertility

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Bedi Robinder Counselling psychology; Investigating counselling and psychotherapy as Western cultural healing practices; Counselling psychology disciplinary and professional issues in Canada; Heterodox issues in counselling psychology that challenge its dominant narratives and sacred ideas; Counselling/psychotherapy/mental health with Punjabi/Sikh individuals; Neglected topics in the Psychology of Men and Masculinity Any time / year round

Please see my websites for further information:

Bedke Matthew Philosophy; Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies; Foundations of Ethics; Social Organization and Political Systems; Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice; epistemology; ethics; metaethics; philosophy of law; political philosophy Any time / year round

The nature of normativity, expressivism, moral epistemology, moralism

Benedet Janine Law and legal practice; Penal Law; Labor Standards and Laws; Human Rights and Liberties, Collective Rights; prostitution and pornography; sexual abuse of girls; sexual harassment in employment and education; sexual violence against women 2024, 2025

Criminal justice system responses to sexual assault of women across the lifespan

Best practices toward the elimination of the demand for the prostitution of women

Berlinguette Curtis Combinatorial Chemistry; CO2 conversion and utilization; clean energy; advanced solar cells; electrochromic windows; dynamic windows; hydrogen fuels production; catalysis; robotics and automation; machine learning / artificial intelligence Any time / year round

See this site for more information: https://groups.chem.ubc.ca/cberling/research/

Berryman Sylvia Philosophy; Ancient Greek natural philosophy; Aristotle's ethics; ethics and global poverty; Philosophy, History and Comparative Studies Any time / year round

Aristotle's ethics; ancient Greek ethics; history of natural philosophy

Bettinger Julie Public and population health; Epidemiology; Vaccination; Infectious diseases; Health Promotion; Community Health / Public Health; Infectious disease epidemiology; vaccine clinical trials; Vaccine hesitancy; vaccine programs; vaccine safety

Vaccine preventable disease epidemiology, vaccine safety, vaccine hesitancy, both qualitative and quanitative methodologies.

Beznosov Konstantin Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; computer security and privacy; mobile security and privacy; online social networks security and privacy; usable security and privacy Any time / year round

Security and privacy for mobile devices, privacy for online teenagers, enterprise security and privacy.

Bi Xiaotao Chemical engineering; Biomass and Bioenergy; Electrostatics of Powders; Fluidization; Fuel Cells Water Management; Green Engineering; Industrial Symbiosis; Life Cycle Analysis; Multiphase Chemical Reactors; Particle technology

Biomass catalytic pyrolysis and torrefaction in pilot fluidized bed reactors.

Bigazzi Alex Civil engineering; Transport planning; active transportation; Pedestrians; bicycles; travel behaviour; Transportation Systems; motor vehicle emissions; Climate impacts 2025, 2026, 2027

Please see information here: https://reactlab.civil.ubc.ca/prospective-students/

Bizzotto Dan Electroanalytical chemistry; Electrochemistry; Colloid and surface chemistry; Electrochemical Systems; Surface Characterization; Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Layers; Sensors and Devices; Electrochemical and Fuel Cells; biosensors; electrocatalysis; fluorescence microscopy; interfacial analysis; self assembled monolayers; spectroelectrochemistry Any time / year round

Characterizing modified electrochemical interfaces Electrochemical biosensors Electrocatalysis Spectroelectrochemical studies of DNA modified electrodes

Black Thomas Andrew Biometeorology; Soil physics; Microclimate modification Any time / year round

Measurement of greenhouse gas fluxes in agricultural systems

Boerner Katelynn Pediatrics; Health equity; Gender and health relationship; Sex and gender-based analysis; Health psychology; Clinical child psychology; Developmental psychology; Patient and citizen engagement research; chronic pain; pediatric psychology; Qualitative research; intensive longitudinal methods; sex and gender based analysis; gender diversity; Autism; neurodiversity; clinical psychology; Health Equity; rehabilitation; chronic illness; eating disorders; medical trauma; Health Psychology; Development; Adolescence 2025, 2026, 2027

Gender and Sex Influences on Pediatric Chronic Pain
In adult pain research there is a common finding that women experience more frequent, intense, and interfering chronic pain. Many studies also suggest that pain care is often biased towards dismissing the pain of female-identifying individuals. However, very little research has considered the impact of sex and gender on... Read More

Bouchard Marie-Eve Humanities and the arts; Sociolinguistics; Linguistic Anthropology; ethnography; language ideologies; Language and identity; migration; Language variation and change; Language contact; Creole languages Any time / year round

French minorities in Canada

French-speaking immigrants of Africa

Language attitudes among learners and teachers of French

Britton Ben Metals and alloy materials engineering; Manufacturing engineering; Materials characterisation & microstructure; Metallurgy; Electron diffraction & microscopy; Deformation; Microstructure/property models; Manufacturing Any time / year round

characterization of metals, ceramics and alloys

scanning electron microscopy

quantitative microscropy

Brondani Mario Dentistry and oral health; Community Health / Public Health; Dental Health; social determinants of health; Health Policies; Quality of Life and Aging; Adult Education and Continuing Education; Epidemiology; Access to care; Dental Education; Dental Geriatrics; Dental Public Health; Epidemiological data; Health Policy; Qualitative research Any time / year round

Dental Public Health (Underserved-access to care, Marginalization, Community-based participatory research, Stigma and Discrimination); Health Policy; Dental Education (Community Service Learning, Reflective Journaling, Teaching Pedagogies, Social Responsibility); Dental Geriatrics (Undergraduate and Graduate Education, Frailty, Access to care), COVID-19 (vaccine hesitancy).

Brooks-Wilson Angela Bioinformatics; Clinical oncology; Genetic medicine; Genomics; cancer families; cancer genetics; genetic susceptibility; human genetics; longevity; Super seniors Any time / year round

Genetics of healthy aging. Genetics of lymphoid cancers in families.

Brotto Lori Human reproduction and development sciences; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Clinical psychology; mindfulness; Sexual Dysfunctions; sexual desire; treatment of sexual concerns; women's sexual health; asexuality; digital health interventions Any time / year round

Eye tracking studies of women with sexual dysfunction; online RCT of mindfulness-based treatment for sexual dysfunction

Gynecologic cancer survivors and sexual health interventions

Brown Kelly Medical, health and life sciences; childhood rheumatic diseases; Inflammation; phagocytes 2025

We are a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team of scientists that are motivated to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for children and youth with a rheumatic disease through the discovery of driving mechanisms and prognostic biomarkers. Priority rheumatic diseases are: vasculitis - which develops when blood vessels carring oxygen to critical organs in the body (inclusive of the... Read More

Brown Carolyn Janet Bioinformatics; Clinical oncology; Genetic medicine; Genomics; Health counselling; Applied Genetics; Chromosomes: Structure / Organization; DNA methylation; Epigenetic control of gene expression; Gene Regulation and Expression; Genes escaping X-chromosome inactivation; Long non-coding RNAs; X-chromosome inactivation; XIST RNA 2023

X-chromosome inactivation occurs early during mammalian development to transcriptionally silence one of the pair of X chromosomes in females, thereby achieving dosage equivalence with males who have a single X chromosome and the sex-determining Y chromosome. Research in the Brown lab is directed towards understanding both the mechanisms involved in the inactivation process and the clinical... Read More

Brunham Liam Medical, health and life sciences; Lipids; Genetics; Pharmacogenomics; Cardiovascular diseases Any time / year round

1. SAVE BC (www.savebc.ca) is a provincial study of families with extremely premature cardiovascular disease, aimed at identifying molecular causes of this condition and reducing the burden of premature cardiovascular disease. 2. Pharmacogenomics of adverse drug reactions. We are using human stem cells to study the pharmacogenetic mechanisms of specific... Read More

Bryce Benjamin Historical studies; Argentina; Canada; Education; health; migration; Race and ethnicity; The Americas; Transnational history Any time / year round

Latin American history

History of migration

History of Argentina

Bryman Douglas Particle physics, experimental; Experimental Particle Physics; Applied physics; physics Any time / year round

Particle physics experiments at CERN, Geneva, TRIUMF, and the Paul Scherr Institut (Villigen, Swtizerland); advanced detector technology development; data analysis and machine learning projects.

Burton Cole Forestry sciences; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Ecological Trends; Animal; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; Landscape and Restoration; Environment Management and Protection; Biodiversity conservation; Ecological Monitoring; Landscape ecology; Mammal Ecology; Population and Community Ecology; Wildlife Management

Terrestrial mammal conservation; wildlife population and community modelling; animal movement simulation; cumulative environmental impact assessment; adaptive management; human-wildlife coexistence; biodiversity trends

Byers Michael International relations; Public international law (except international trade law); international law; international relations; Outer Space; Arctic; Law of the Sea; Laws of War; International Human Rights; International Environmental Law Any time / year round

Governance of Outer Space; Sustainable Development of Outer Space; International Space Law; Astrophysics

See: outerspaceinstitute.ca

Cameron Maxwell Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Monarchy, Federalism, Parliamentarism, etc.); Social Organization and Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom Any time / year round

Democracy and democratization in Latin America; Global challenges of democracy; political ethics

Campbell Kristin Clinical oncology; Physical therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Biomarkers; Breast Cancer; Exercise Physiology; oncology; physical function; Physiology; Quality of Life and Aging; rehabilitation

The role of exercise and physical therapy in oncology treatment and oncology care. 

Cao Yankai Chemical engineering; Machine Learning; optimization; Renewable energy systems; Process Control Any time / year round

My research group focuses on the design and implementation of large-scale local and global optimization algorithms to tackle problems that arise in diverse decision-making paradigms such as machine learning, stochastic optimization, and optimal control. Our algorithms combine mathematical techniques and emerging high-performance computing hardware to achieve computational scalability.

... Read More

Caragata Lea Social oppression and marginalization; Counselling, welfare and community services; Social policy; welfare systems; Poverty; labour markets; lone mothers; social policy; youth provisioning Any time / year round

Current SSHRC on youth provisioning in low income lone mother led families

Carlsten Christopher Environment and Respiratory Diseases Any time / year round

We have several projects running at any given time (see the lab website and publications for a sense of what we do).
Candidates are matched with an appropriate project based on interest and expertise.
Our general approach is to welcome outstanding candidates (the very best) at every level of training to contribute to our award-winning team.

Carvalho Rick Other health sciences, n.e.c.; Biomaterials; materials interfaces; bonding to hard tissues; materials development 2025

Development and testing of innovative materials for dental and other medical applications

Cavell Richard Anthony English language; Media and Society; Media Influence on Behavior; Media Types (Radio, Television, Written Press, etc.); media studies; media theory Any time / year round

Media and literature
Multimodal fiction
Composed theatre
Soundscape poetics

Chan Kai Natural environment sciences; Human Ecology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; Applied Ethics; Values and Lifestyles; Sustainable Development; conservation finance; Conservation science; cultural ecosystem services; Ecosystem services; environmental assessment; environmental values; incentive programs; payments for ecosystem services; resilience; social-ecological systems; sustainability science

See http://chanslab.ires.ubc.ca/people/chan/

Chapman Mary Ann Arts and Cultural Traditions; Arts and Literary Policies; Arts and Technologies; Arts, Literature and Subjectivity; Social Determinants of Arts and Letters; Artistic and Literary Marginality; Artistic and Cultural Heritage; Artist or Author Social Identity; Artistic and Literary Movements, Schools and Styles; Artistic and Literary Theories; Literary or Artistic Work Analysis; Literary or Artistic Work Dissemination or Reception Contexts; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Writing and Literary Experimentation; Poetry; Novel and Short Story; Essays; Gender Relationship; Audiences and Mass Media; Media and Democratization; Media and Society; Media Influence on Behavior; Civil and Social Responsibilities of Media; Stereotypes; Electoral System; Printing Art; Persuasion Strategies; Social Movements; Publics; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Social Networks; American Literature; Asian American Literature; Asian Canadian Literature; Suffrage; Public Pedagogy of the Arts; Public Humanities

Sui Sin Far (Edith Eaton); Onoto Watanna (Winnifred Eaton); US literature; American Literature; print culture; periodicals; suffrage literature, literature of social movements; 20th century American poetry; 19th-century American literature; race, class and gender; Asian American literature; public humanities; public pedagogy; alt-ac careers

 

Chen Jingyi Algebraic and differential geometry; Differential Geometry, Partial Differential Equations 2022

Geometric Analysis 

Chen Frances Health psychology; social connection; social support; stress; coping; conflict and negotiation; hormones; Neuroendocrinology Any time / year round

I am currently recruiting postdocs interested in:

  • understanding how hormonal changes during puberty affect teenagers’ social and emotional development
  • investigating how loneliness and social contact “get under the skin” to affect our physical health

  • developing interventions to promote social connection
Chen Jiahua Statistical theory and modeling; empirical likelihood; finite mixture model; sample survey; asymptotic theory; imputation 2025

I have research problems related to empirical likelihood, mixture models, and survey sampling. It is up to students to explore and take adventures.

Chrostowski Lukas Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Optics and Photonics; Micro and Nanoelectronics; Nanotechnologies; Manufacturing Processes; biophotonics; biosensors; optics; optoelectronics; photonics; quantum computing; semiconductor lasers; silicon photonics Any time / year round

silicon photonic device and circuit design, nanofabrication, quantum computing, single photon devices

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