Biology Opportunities

Plants host a plethora of root-associated microbiota. These microbes can both help or harm the plant under different conditions. The Chen lab uses a combination of in vivo experiments and bioinformatic analyses to understand (1) what effect different microbes have on plants, (2) how plant-microbe relationships change given environmental factors, and (3) what ecological or evolutionary traits differentiate beneficial and harmful bacteria. Each semester,there may be projects for BISC 498 / ISS/ USRA / Work-Study students under any one of these topics. Projects may include either/both wet-lab (isolate culturing, molecular techniques) and dry-lab (bioinformatics, statistics) components.

The Mooers Lab (part of the HartGonMoo collective, which itself is the rump of the recently-decomissioned FAB-lab) is always open to supervising independent undergraduate research projects. We are generally involved in comparative (multi-species) studies on the value of biodiversity, with current interests in conservation phylogenetics and conservation genetics. Recent undergraduates have enumerated the “lost” species of cichlid fish globally, have tested the dilution effect of biodiversity on tree disease, have estimated extinction rates of amphibians based on changes in IUCN Red List data, and have calculated population prioritization metrics based on neutral genetic variation: for a list of recent publications, see https://arnemooerssite.wordpress.com/publications/ (click website URL button to be taken to the publications site).

Vision is of fundamental importance in the lives of many animals. We are interested in cellular specializations and physiological mechanisms that determine the ability of animals to detect and process the colour and polarization of light, as well as the ecological functions of such visual capabilities in nature. Our research ranges from identifying cellular mechanisms that control visual pigment protein (opsin) expression in photoreceptors of the vertebrate retina to ecological investigations of ultraviolet and polarization sensitivity in aquatic animals. Please visit the linked website for publications.

The primary aim of the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Physiology Laboratory is to better understand the physiological factors that limit exercise tolerance across the spectrum of health and chronic lung disease. The long term goal of this research program is to develop more effective rehabilitation interventions to improve exercise performance and quality of life for those suffering from chronic lung diseases. Dr. Guenette has supervised students pursuing MSc and PhD degrees through the UBC Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program.

The Gordon Lab studies how neural circuits process taste information and control feeding behaviours. Specifically, using a fruit fly model system to study this relationship.

Research Goals - To understand the molecular mechanisms by which synaptic connections in the brain are formed, remodeled and eliminated; - To determine how disruptions in the formation and/or plasticity of synaptic connections perturb brain function; - To determine whether restoring synaptic function in the diseased brain can normalize cognitive and functional abilities. Synapses of the central nervous system are highly specialized regions of cell-cell contact designed to rapidly and efficiently relay signals from one neuron to another. By establishing a dynamic yet precise network of synaptic connections, the brain is able to attain a level of functional complexity that enables not only simple motor tasks, but also sophisticated emotional and cognitive behaviour. The study of how synapses form and function is therefore essential to our ultimate understanding of higher brain functions such as learning and memory as well as our understanding of how things go awry in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders such as intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety disorders, addiction and Alzheimer’s disease.

Throughout each year, 45 – 50 undergraduate students are trained at the HLI through co-operative education programs, directed studies programs or various employment opportunities. Students gain hands-on basic science laboratory experience in a research project and are mentored by Principal Investigators and laboratory staff or senior trainees including graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Not only does each student learn, in detail, several laboratory techniques per 4-month or 8-month placement but, more importantly for this formative period of development, students learn the critical logic of designing scientific experiments and interpreting data.

Opportunities are available for undergraduate students to gain experience and conduct research at the GSC. Co-op Programs Students enrolled in university co-op programs such as those at University of British Columbia, University of Victoria or Simon Fraser University may apply to the GSC. These are usually decided in early January for May (Summer), May for September (Fall) and September for January (Spring). Summer Studentships A limited number of summer positions for undergraduate students are usually available. Most of these are dependent on the receipt by the candidate of a competitive summer Studentship funded by the BC Cancer Foundation, the UBC Faculty of Medicine or NSERC. Students should check with the different agencies for eligibility and deadlines. Directed Studies It is also possible for advanced undergraduate students at UBC to do a directed studies project or honours thesis during the academic year (eg. Medical Genetics 448) under the supervision of GSC faculty.

The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) is competitive award to support a student’s return to BMSC for a short time during a subsequent semester (typically less than 4 weeks), to complete research started during a BMSC course. Individual students and teams of students are eligible. Teams of students (up to 4 students) wishing to apply should submit a single proposal.

Our research program seeks to understand variations in marine primary productivity and cycling of nutrient elements in the oceans. The main focus of our research is the ecological physiology of silicon, nitrogen and carbon utilization by unicellular planktonic algae and the sensitivity of the uptake mechanisms to changing environmental conditions. Studies are conducted in the laboratory and on oceanographic cruises to coastal and open ocean waters, utilizing an array of techniques from biology, biochemistry and geochemistry.

Shifts in metabolic balance and nutritional energy trigger responses that collectively change how we grow, reproduce, and maintain our health during aging. In the Templeman lab, the goal of our research program is to better understand how our metabolic health and the food we eat affect the fundamental biological processes of reproduction and aging.

Investigates genome evolution and cell biology using modern molecular and computational approaches.

Please review the lab website for more information on its research.

About the lab: The global redistribution of species is leading to large-scale community change. Gaining a process-based understanding for what factors create species and community resilience with environmental variability is an important research objective for our time. We address this theme by linking physiological thresholds of organisms to the environment they experience, quantifying changes in animal behaviour, the outcome of species interactions, and distribution patterns. Our team applies experimental protocols, complementary laboratory and field approaches, meta-analytic approaches, and modern statistical tools to link spatial and temporal trends in abiotic variables at biologically relevant scales. A pool of water near Hveravellir, Iceland, captured with a FLIR infrared camera. Such tools allow us to visualize the temperature gradient present in a habitat, and how inhabitants like the freshwater snail, Physella acuta, may alter their behaviour to utilize the air/water interface in accordance with physiological tolerance thresholds.

Every undergraduate student is welcome to apply for research opportunities that are available in our bustling lab. If you make a substantial contribution to research, you may earn yourself a co-authorship on a published paper! This is a large feather in your cap and a great way to kick-start a career in research and beyond. Volunteering: Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and opens the door to additional opportunities (listed below). In fact, many of our current graduate students started in our lab as undergraduate volunteers! Volunteering can range in weekly time commitment anywhere from 1 hour and up, so if you don’t have large windows of time, we still encourage you to reach out! Furthermore, if part-time jobs or other financial responsibilities are preventing you from exploring volunteering, please contact us and we will see if there is anything we can do, such as a work study position. If you’re already volunteering, make sure to ask your graduate student mentor about any/ all of the following opportunities! Directed Studies Courses (BISC 298/497W/498/499): In a directed studies course, you essentially get credit for doing research! Expect to spend the same amount of time doing your research as you would for a 3-credit course (~10 hours/week). You will be in charge of collecting your own data, reviewing the literature, and writing your own (mini) manuscript! Don’t worry, you will be guided all along the way, and you will acquire new skills in the process. Independent Study Semester (ISS) (BISC 490/491/492): An ISS is similar to the courses listed above but it is more intensive. An ISS is worth 15 credits and involves studying full time with a faculty supervisor for one semester. To complete the requirements for an ISS, you will write a research proposal, carry out research, present your findings in a thesis, and defend it to your advisory committee – similar to a mini-MSc project. More information and how to apply here. Summer USRA: Ask us about applying for an undergraduate student research award (USRA). As an award winner, you will do research in our lab for a 4-month term (typically in the summer). Guided by a graduate student mentor, you will experience the many thrills of research: collecting data, trouble-shooting experiments, and presenting findings in our weekly lab meetings. The deadline to apply for these awards is in January each year. What to expect when you are in the Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher: All students in our lab are very friendly and helpful! So, no need to be shy! Introduce yourself to other graduate students (pro tip: they love being asked about their research). Join our group lunches or Friday beers. Introduce yourself to Regine, our lab manager and chemistry wizard, as she is the most helpful and knowledgeable of us all. Things to ask us about when you are here: Friday lab meetings Presenting your work at a local conference Letter of recommendations Career advice Statement on our undergraduate recruitment strategy: As we recruit a significant number of graduate students from undergraduate student researchers in our lab, we strive to make this recruitment equitable. To that end, we try to widely advertise undergraduate research opportunities through the departmental web page and through recruitment drives in large introductory biology classes that tend to have the widest breadth of students before they specialize in their studies. In an effort to not exclude those with less familiarity with academia and scientific research, we also strive to fully describe the nature of research positions and how to apply for them (see below).

PROSPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS We are sometimes looking for motivated volunteers who would like to gain experience with working in the outdoors! Please contact me if interested. I also accept ISS students on a case-by-case basis.

Paid 40-hour laboratory research experience for biology undergraduates with no prior research experience.

We are always looking for self-motivated and friendly students (summer/undergraduate intern and graduate) and postdoctoral fellows to join our diverse team.

The Forde lab specializes in molecular biophysics, specifically focused on the relationship between chemical composition and mechanical properties of biological macromolecules. We utilize a range of techniques from physics, chemistry and biochemistry to manipulate and characterize these systems. This project focuses on collagen, the predominant structural protein building block of our connective tissues and extracellular matrices. In spite of its key importance to our physiology and health, and its wide use in a variety of biomaterials, fundamental questions remain unanswered regarding its structure and mechanics at the molecular level. Summer projects focus on characterizing the mechanics of this protein at the single-molecule level, using the imaging technique of atomic force microscopy (AFM) or with a high-throughput force spectroscopy technique, centrifuge force microscopy (CFM), both established techniques in our lab. Alternative project possibilities may involve instrumentation design and calibration of new microscopy and force spectroscopy instruments, and/or development of new image analysis algorithms.

We are always looking for self-motivated and friendly students (summer/undergraduate intern and graduate) and postdoctoral fellows to join our diverse team.

All living organisms face several fundamental physical challenges in their everyday existence. Among these are: the maintenance of order despite the propensity of everything to eventually get messy (a.k.a., the Second Law of Thermodynamics); and the performance of mechanically demanding tasks with the incredibly jiggly materials at hand (a.k.a., proteins). My group’s theoretical and computational biophysics research focuses on determining in this context the design principles for effective operation of molecular machines (proteins that convert between different forms of energy, but are 100 million times smaller than the car engines that engineers already know how to design). More specifically: what are the physical limits on how well these machine can operate; what kinds of designs achieve these limits; and (in collaboration with experimentalists) do real, evolved biomolecular machines actually conform with these theoretical predictions? We have a few projects (either working independently or in collaboration with a graduate student or postdoc) that involve computational simulation of the behavior of model molecular machines, such as ATP synthase (an ingenious crankshaft that makes the basic chemical currency in all living things) and kinesin (an equally ingenious bipedal ‘walker’ that transports cargos along the cytoskeletal tracts that criss-cross every cell). With this simulation data we can examine the soundness and usefulness of recently developed theoretical frameworks (our own and others’) to understand how molecular machines can maximize their miles per gallon. A successful summer would produce theoretical ideas to be tested in later experiments, and (with some follow-up during the next school year) would produce a paper for publication. The day-to-day work involves writing computer programs to simulate dynamics (typically in Python, Matlab, or C/C++, but we are flexible), debugging (sad but true) and testing your programs to make sure they do what you intend, and analyzing the data you generate.

We are always looking for self-motivated and friendly students (summer/undergraduate intern and graduate) and postdoctoral fellows to join our diverse team.

Plastics introduced into the ocean can bind with toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, zinc, and copper — potentially affecting marine ecosystems and human health. To better understand these interactions, our group has developed a MATLAB model that simulates the kinetics of metal adsorption and desorption on plastics and sediments under varying environmental conditions. We are seeking an undergraduate student to assist with running and refining this model to fit experimental data. The goal is to determine the binding and release rate constants and their temperature dependence by systematically comparing model predictions with measured results. This will involve running simulations for different metals, adjusting parameters, and quantifying how changes affect the model’s fit to the data.

Interested in medicine, public health, and evolution? In my lab, we use combinations of evidence from evolutionary biology, genetics, endocrinology, and neuroscience to address outstanding questions in the understanding of human health and disease. In doing so, we determine the roles of trade-offs, genomic conflicts, and Darwinian natural selection in the evolution of human psychological and physiological adaptations and disease risks. We are currently focusing especially on reproductive disorders (such as endometriosis and PCOS) and mental disorders (such as autism and schizophrenia). Research on other topics of interest is also a distinct possibility! See my Google Scholar page for recent publications, and check out my talks that are available on Youtube.

Interested in extending your BPK408W research project? This project is open to BISC and BPK students who have successfully completed BPK408W and the independent hands-on research project. This works well if you are curious about research, interested in taking next steps on your project (or something related), and reasonably independent. Note that this is slightly different than joining a research lab group, as we don't have any graduate students in these projects. I'm happy to support 1-3 students, to form a group that can help each other out. This project is not available in the summer, because we don't have our cell culture on the go.

The Unrau laboratory has research opportunities for motivated undergraduate students interested in RNA research that includes RNA diagnostics, RNA biology and origins of life research.

2025/2026 (498/499/497 students) Please note that pedagogical projects do not qualify for lab credit. I am looking for 6-8 students to work collaboratively on a project aimed at the gamification of or design of a game for the Bisc 202 course (Intro genetics). The project will be divided into several sections that will somewhat vary depending on the skills and interests students bring to the project. We will begin with a literature search on the topic of the use of games in education and the production of an annotated bibliography, followed by the development of a set of best practices in game use/gamification. You will then design a game or gamification strategy for intro genetics, describing the format the game should take, which learning outcomes are best suited for this purpose, how mastery of the outcomes can be rewarded in the game, and how achievement in the game can be connected to course credit (or not). There is a variety of models or forms this can take - you may work in teams or on your own. You will present your work in written form, but may also make an oral presentation if you wish. Note that if the cohort has interests in the development of other educational resources for undergrad biology courses, bring your ideas and we can modify this outline to suit the interests of the participants Skills you will develop or improve: Reading the pedagogical literature Teamwork skills Personal management, organization, meeting deadlines etc. Collaborative writing of rationale, report, and/or proposal CREATIVITY/Design Oral presentation skills (if you wish; most of our recent grads say they didn't have enough chances to develop oral communication skills during their undergrad) Note that these courses don't result in an automatic A. But you'll have lots of feedback and practice that should lead to you improving greatly, especially in writing, so that you can produce work you are proud of. Not a straight A student? Who cares? I am looking for a variety of students, who are looking to develop skills and use some creativity. The more diverse our group, the better it will be. If you are enthusiastic, hardworking, reliable and willing to explore some unknown territory, that is good enough for me. Also, please note that this project does not count as a lab course. And I cannot run it as designed without a large enouch group. I need at least 6 participants!

This group-based pedagogy research project investigates teaching and learning in biology or related disciplines. Students collaboratively choose a course or curriculum element to study, collect and analyze data, and make evidence-based recommendations for improvement. Work is typically completed through BISC 298, 498, or 499.

Early-life environment can have lifelong effects on phenotype, and there is increasing recognition that these effects may differ between males and females. In placental mammals, it has been hypothesized that male and female fetuses follow different strategies, whereby males take a riskier approach in the face of adversity to prioritize growth (but risk short-term survival), whereas females are more responsive to challenges, reducing growth to increase survival. My lab uses animal models as well as human birth records to explore questions in this area, considering both molecular mechanisms and evolutionary perspectives. I am also beginning a project to examine the epigenetics of gender, distinct from sex. Please see my Google Scholar page for recent publications.