New Fellows
Prof. Colin Brauner (Department of Zoology)
Colin Brauner is internationally recognized for discovering novel physiological mechanisms of gas exchange in fish and has revealed new insights into the early evolution of vertebrates including the vertebrate transition from water to air. He has also made significant contributions to developing practical solutions to the impacts of environmental change on aquatic animals, fish conservation, aquaculture and the management of salmon fisheries, a crucial, yet threatened, Canadian resource.
Prof. Carolyn Brown (Department of Medical Genetics)
Carolyn Brown is a pioneering geneticist whose discovery of the XIST gene revolutionized our understanding of chromosome-wide gene regulation. Her groundbreaking work on X-chromosome inactivation, escape mechanisms, and RNA-based silencing transformed epigenetics and opened new therapeutic frontiers. A global leader in human genome regulation, she has shaped modern molecular biology and inspired new paradigms in translational medicine, mentorship, and the biology of sex differences.
Prof. Stan B. Floresco (Department of Psychology)
Stan B. Floresco is a leading scholar on the neural mechanisms of decision making and executive functioning. He has uncovered fundamental principles of how dopamine and prefrontal-subcortical circuits facilitate cognition in the healthy brain, aided by his development of innovative translational behavioural assays that have been widely adopted. His work has reshaped our understanding of how pathology in these systems contributes to psychiatric illness, elevating psychology and neuroscience worldwide.
Prof. Claire Kremen (Department of Zoology and Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability)
Claire Kremen is an internationally renowned conservation scientist. She has made key intellectual contributions at the leading edge of conservation biology, ecology, and agroecology, seeking solutions for working landscapes that provide a sustainable future for humanity and biodiversity. Her research into diversifying agriculture has identified paths that benefit both humans and nature. Increasing uptake of these techniques is reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture worldwide.
Prof. Megan Levings (Department of Surgery and School of Biomedical Engineering)
Megan Levings is a pioneer in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and an international leader in advancing their use as cellular therapy. She drives innovations in engineering Treg specificity and function, expanding their therapeutic potential. Her biomarker discoveries provide key insights into immune-mediated diseases and guide clinical trial interpretation. She is distinguished for transforming fundamental immunology discoveries into nextgeneration therapies for diverse disease.
Prof. Xin Li (Department of Botany and Michael Smith Laboratories)
Xin Li is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Plant Immunity and a world-leading expert in plant microbe interactions. She uses molecular genetics, genomics, and biochemical tools to study signal transduction in model plants and phytopathogenic fungi. She has made many groundbreaking discoveries and published consistently in top journals including Science, Cell, and Nature. In 2024 and 2025, she was recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher.
Prof. David Metzer (School of Music)
From a roar in a symphony to the rapture of a power ballad, David Metzer has explored how 20th and 21st-century music has shaped our emotional lives and our understanding of social forces and institutions. His four monographs have forged bold trails through such topics as emotions in popular music, sampling in hip hop, and musicians’ responses to incarceration. The curiosity and imagination driving his scholarship have established Dr. Metzer as a leading historian of modern music.
Prof. Timothy Murphy (Department of Psychiatry)
Timothy Murphy is internationally recognized for transformative discoveries that have reshaped understanding of neuronal signalling, circuit plasticity, and brain repair, generating insights relevant to many brain diseases. He has created platforms for cutting-edge in vivo and mesoscale imaging that have substantially strengthened national research capacity. His technological innovations, including development of novel imaging, optogenetic, and behavioural assessment tools, have elevated neuroscience worldwide.
Prof. Tarek Sayed (Department of Civil Engineering)
Tarek Sayed’s work on road safety evaluation and optimization methods is considered a fundamental departure from the past 50 years of reactive safety management. He has made significant contributions to improving the understanding of road-users’ behaviour and collision avoidance mechanisms. His research has been applied worldwide and has led to significant societal benefits in terms of saving lives and reducing injuries. He has received numerous national and international awards.
New Fellows - Incoming to UBC
Prof. Julian Olden (University of Washington)
Julian Olden is a pre-eminent Canadian freshwater ecologist who advances the science of sustainable freshwater management. Olden is globally recognized for his foundational advancements in ecohydrology, invasion biology, and macroecology, with his most influential contributions involving pioneering work on the study and implications of biotic homogenization for biodiversity conservation. Olden’s citation rate is among the highest in ecology, and his work is frequently used to inform freshwater management and policy.
Prof. Olden is joining UBC in 2027 as the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada in Freshwater Ecosystem Sustainability in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences (Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship) and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (Faculty of Science).
Read announcement from IOF.
New Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
Prof. Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Mary De Vera, Associate Professor at UBC and Canada Research Chair in Health Outcomes and Treatment Adherence, is an internationally recognized epidemiologist whose innovative multi-method research integrates population-level evidence with patient perspectives to improve chronic disease management. With a primary focus on arthritis and cancer, her work on treatment adherence and survivorship combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to advance health equity, shape patient-centered care, and influence policy and practice.
Prof. Adam T. Ford (Department of Biology, UBCO)
Adam T. Ford, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology, is an internationally recognized scientist that unites ecological theory, quantitative modeling, and Indigenous knowledge. He spearheads process-based restoration that integrates community ecology and the well being of people affected by access to nature. Highly cited by the scientific community, his research routinely shapes conservation policy and practices in Canada and across the globe.
Prof. Feng Jiang (Department of Wood Science)
Feng Jiang is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship at UBC and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Functional Biomaterials. He is a world-leading expert in converting cellulose, the world’s most abundant polymer, into functional materials to substitute petroleumbased products. The innovations he has developed are applicable in the fields of textiles and clothing, building insulation, sustainable packaging, wearable electronics and sensors, water treatment, and energy harvesting and storage. He was named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in 2025.
