UBCZoology

Meet Dr. Callista Yee, a new Assistant Professor in @zoology.ubc.ca! Coming from an unconventional path, she found her footing in neuroscience research, specifically researching the mechanisms that control synaptic gene expression in C. elegans. 🔗: www.centreforbrainhealth.ca/news/how-cur...

One month left in Daphne Boyer's exhibition Li bootee mishiwayitay – The Beauty of It All. Experience her digital beading technique, where seeds and berries become individual beads in patterns that echo traditional Métis handwork. On until November 22nd, 2026.

"This is not a build Canada while protecting our environment act," said UBC evolutionary biologist Dr. Sarah Otto. "It is a build Canada strong while damaging the environment [act]." @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social @zoology.ubc.ca @src-rsc.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

I'm excited to share that my first paper is finally out and about! We unpack how the resource cost of traits varies across environments. I did this work during my MSc at UBC @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social, @zoology.ubc.ca. I'm grateful for all I learned from @sarperotto.bsky.social in this journey.

UBC's Dr. Kayla King delivered the Francis Crick Lecture at the Royal Society in London on the implications of her research for predicting pathogen virulence and patterns of genomic evolution in a changing world. @royalsociety.org @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social @zoology.ubc.ca bit.ly/4zVnElR

Listen to UBC evolutionary biologist Dr. Sally Otto discuss her latest research and questions of evolution, biodiversity and the future of life on Earth on The Blue Hour podcast from CiTR. thehourisblue.com/evolution-in...

Biodiversity Lecture Series: Building, Using and Teaching the Tree of Life, with Doug and Pam Soltis, Tuesday, November 17! What can the Tree of Life reveal about our planet, and how can it help address some of society’s biggest challenges? Check beatymuseum.ubc.ca/bls for more details. #BeatyMuseum

WATCH: Did you miss last week's IOF seminar "Climate change, keystone predators, and the coastal marine biodiversity of British Columbia" with Dr. Chris Harley? Watch now! @zoology.ubc.ca www.youtube.com/watch?si=Rhp...

SEMINAR: Climate change, keystone predators, and the coastal marine biodiversity of BC. Speaker: Dr. Chris Harley, Professor #UBC IOF & @zoology.ubc.ca Friday, September 18 @ 11:00 am PT. Live: AERL Theatre (UBC Vancouver), or over Zoom. Info/RSVP (required): oceans.ubc.ca/news-and-eve...

ICB Comparative #Biologists and #Aerospace Engineers: Important Allies to Explore the Secrets of Natural Flight Jasmin Wong , Vikram B Baliga , Christina Harvey doi.org/10.1093/icb/... connect with Jasmin www.linkedin.com/in/jasmincmw... #biomechanics #science

Congratulations to Drs. Colin Brauner, Claire Kremen and Xin Li on being named fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. They join over 60 Faculty of Science researchers recognized by the RSC since 2000. @src-rsc.bsky.social @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social @zoology.ubc.ca science.ubc.ca/news/2026-09...

Congratulations to all @src-rsc.bsky.social new Fellows and in particular to @zoology.ubc.ca ✨Claire Kremen and ✨Colin Brauner! 🤩 @ires.ubc.ca @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social @science.ubc.ca @ibiosprogram.bsky.social

How does sexual selection produce strikingly different phenotypes from the same genetic material? Find out at our next keynote lecture by @judithmank.bsky.social, Professor of Evolutionary Genomics at @zoology.ubc.ca & @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social. 📅 August 25 at 11:00a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried

For those not able to make it to #socialviruses this year, Sam is live-tweeting all three days of talks, touching on all aspects of social evolution in viruses! #evosky #virosky 🧪 🦠 🔬

For neuroethologists everywhere and those at #ICN2026 at University of British Columbia, Canada, this week, don't miss JEB's Neuroethology subject collection for all of the most exciting recent developments journals.biologists.com/jeb/collecti...

💡Reminder: The program including the updated abstract booklet can be found here: ↘️ icn2026vancouver.com/program/ ↙️ Check it out and share widely 🤗

JEB is proud to sponsor the 2026 International Congress for Neuroethology at the University of Bristish Columbia, Canada icn2026vancouver.com

Why aren’t there insects in the open ocean? New research on deep-diving lake fly larvae challenges one of the leading explanations thanks to their air sacs that can withstand pressures equivalent to more than 400 m deep. Read more ⤵️ news.ubc.ca/2026/07/inse...

How do you get a pigeon to wear a backpack and a hood? UBC zoologists equipped pigeons with small backpacks and heat-mounted cameras to track how they fly and, hopefully, improve how drones fly, too. @zoology.ubc.ca VIDEO: www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

To study how pigeons see while flying, UBC researchers hand-sewed custom falconry-style hoods and miniature backpacks to carry tiny cameras and computers. The footage revealed unexpected eye movements that could help inspire smarter autonomous drones. @zoology.ubc.ca science.ubc.ca/news/2026-07...

In their affectionate Obituary for Alan Wilson FRS bsky.app/profile/roya..., Andrew Biewener, Glen Lichtwark and Craig Franklin reflect on his extraordinary abilities as an intrepid biologist, engineer, community builder and fierce champion of JEB journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

Biotic Ligand Models (BLM), used to generate local water quality criteria for metals have received little traction in the global south. We generated a BLM to predict acute copper toxicity in the tropical zebrafish, the most studied fish worldwide. doi.org/10.1021/acs....

#UBCOceans announces the laureates of its 2nd cohort Africa-UBC Oceans and Fisheries Visiting Fellows: Dr. Rael Adhiambo (Kenya) - who will be working with @ires.ubc.ca's Leila Harris - and Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Talba (Nigeria) working @zoology.ubc.ca's Chris Wood oceans.ubc.ca/2026/06/15/s...

Experience a one-night-only celebration where fashion, biodiversity, and Indigenous storytelling come together beneath the skeleton of the largest animal on the planet. Purchase tickets here beatymuseum.ubc.ca/whale-runway Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM #VIFW #BeatyMuseum #

Happening tomorrow, Tuesday May 26 at BIOL1000 Join us at 2pm for this special public lecture by Peter Grant and Rosemary Grant to celebrate the graduates from @ubcbiology.bsky.social @ubcbotany.bsky.social @science.ubc.ca @zoology.ubc.ca zoology.ubc.ca/event/2026/0...

Does branch excision bias our #photosynthesis data? New paper led by #MarcellaCross shows excision increases water potential but reduces photosynthesis in most species, with trait-dependent effects, so excised branches underestimate intact rates. www.researchgate.net/publication/... #MichaletzLab

Thousands of students are graduating from UBC this spring—and behind each degree is a unique story. Meet six grads whose journeys reflect resilience, curiosity and impact. 🎓️ Read more ⤵️ news.ubc.ca/2026/05/ubc-...

How do plants adapt as the planet warms? 🌱☀️ Genome BC-funded research at UBC is exploring how plants may experience epigenetic changes in response to climate change. Read more: https://letstalkscience.ca/news-media/adapting-warming-how-plants-change-beat-heat# Let's Talk Science

Join us for a public lecture by alums Drs. Peter (PhD, Zoology '64) & Rosemary Grant (Zoology, RA '60-'64). Both are distinguished for their long-term studies of Galápagos finches, and are 2026 UBC Honorary Degree Recipient May 26, 2:00 pm @zoology.ubc.ca zoology.ubc.ca/event/2026/0...

Dr. Chris Harley talks about anthropogenic effects on how science, power and decision-making is communicated. @zoology.ubc.ca #UBCOceansSymposium

🪸Thank you Sarah! 🪸 Last week, we had a wonderful time with you learning about your research on corals and their resistance to bleaching during heat stress events. You were a fantastic plenary speaker and guest. Please come back soon!

I had the best time at @zoology.ubc.ca's annual Debbie and Justin Wragg-Schmidt Zoology Spring Symposium! What a privilege to be invited as their plenary speaker and I got to nerd out with so many cool people! Was lovely being back in the motherland 🇨🇦 talking about corals 🪸

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the Data Science Catalyst Program Poster Session - everyone is welcome!! 😀 @science.ubc.ca @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social @ires.ubc.ca 📍ESB 5104 ⏰from 1pm!

Scientists have found evidence of “evolutionary rescue”—a kind of rapid evolution in which organisms genetically adapt to severe conditions—in monkeyflower populations found throughout western North America. @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social www.popularmechanics.com/science/a708...

University of B.C. students share out-of-this-world experience of speaking with astronaut and UBC alumna Jessica Meir live from the international space station. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

New research "underscores the unfortunate truth that even the red- and blue-listed species in B.C. are not afforded effective legal protections by the province,” said UBC's Dr. Sarah Otto. @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social thetyee.ca/News/2026/03...

Spring Break 2026 - Marine Invertebrates - March 20 and 25. Marine invertebrates are a huge part of the ecosystem, and research on one group, the copepods, has spanned decades at UBC. Learn about two researchers in the video below: explore.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/researchers-revealed/c_forbes/ Visit

For the first time in the wild, researchers have shown plant populations can evolve quickly enough to rebound from extreme drought. The study is a rare ray of hope in an often gloomy climate landscape. @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

"This shows that at least some populations have the capacity to run fast enough through evolution to stay on the treadmill," says Dr. Amy Angert, a botany and zoology professor at UBC. @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Is climate change is happening too fast for evolution to keep up? “Our research shows that for monkeyflower, & likely similar wild plants, they can indeed keep pace & ‘rescue’ themselves from extreme climates by evolving,” said Dr. Amy Angert of @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social bit.ly/4sBmUyu

“The heatwave had widespread ecological effects, including an almost 400% increase in wildfire activity & negatively affecting more than three-quarters of the species studied,” said UBC zoologist Dr. Diane Srivastava. @zoology.ubc.ca @srivastavalab.bsky.social www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-...

A sweeping new study of the 2021 heat wave reveals major ecological losses—but also surprising species that thrived, offering crucial insight into how climate extremes reshape ecosystems. @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social science.ubc.ca/news/2026-03...

This work was a major collaborative effort, uniting researchers across disciplines, institutions, and regions through the 2021 Western North American Heat Dome Data Consortium. @science.ubc.ca @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social @zoology.ubc.ca @ubcbotany.bsky.social @news.ubc.ca @forestry.ubc.ca

What causes kidney stones in farmed salmon? UBC + UiB introduce an in vitro model showing how sudden CO₂ drops after metabolic compensation can trigger mineral precipitation, helping explain nephrocalcinosis in aquaculture. Link to the paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.aq...

UBC researcher suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious. The findings help explain why raccoons thrive in urban centres like Vancouver. @zoology.ubc.ca @sarahba.bsky.social science.ubc.ca/news/2026-03...

If your heading to #ICBF2026 in Vancouver later this year, the deadline to submit your poster or oral presentation abstract is TOMORROW (3 March), so don't miss this exciting chance to share your newest discoveries with the excited fish biologists at UBC icbf2026.com/abstracts/

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/...

Environmental conditions relevant to fish community health & resilience were explored in two Amazonian Rivers during the 2023 drought: in the black waters of the Rio Negro and white waters of the Rio Solimões. Impacts on the fish community are discussed. URL doi.org/10.1111/jfb....

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...