Research works

Exploring the Impact of Maternal Sleep Disruption on Fetal Neurodevelopment

Jolie Wu was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Jolie presented the research titled “Exploring the Impact of Maternal Sleep Disruption on Fetal Neurodevelopment.” About 1 in 10 Canadians are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), yet...

The Pharmacist Will See You Now

Priya Samuel was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Priya presented the research titled “The Pharmacist Will See You Now.” In June 2023, pharmacists in British Columbia gained the authority to prescribe independently for 21 medical conditions,...

Myelin Alterations in Fragile X Syndrome : Insights into the Leading Inherited Form of Autism

Shaima Hourani was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Shaima presented the research titled “Myelin Alterations in Fragile X Syndrome: Insights into the Leading Inherited Form of Autism.” Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of...

Probing Dark Matter with Nature’s Magnifying Glass

Hrishabh Srivastava was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Hrishabh presented the research titled “Probing Dark Matter with Nature’s Magnifying Glass.” Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive foreground galaxy bends the light from a more distant...

Tackling Privacy Concerns in Contact Tracing Apps

Angela DeMarco was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Angela presented the research titled “Tackling Privacy Concerns in Contact Tracing Apps.” Contact tracing apps can slow the spread of infectious diseases when widely adopted, but in practice...

Landscape-Level Detection of Gwininitxw Archaeological sites using Airbonre Laser Scanning

Mara McLaughlin was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Mara presented the research titled “Landscape-Level Detection of Gwininitxw Archaeological sites using Airborne Laser Scanning.” Identifying archaeological sites in the remote, dense forests of...

Forever Chemicals : Foam, Flash, Finish

Sepideh Saghafifar was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Sepideh presented the research titled “Forever Chemicals: Foam, Flash, Finish.” What if the water you drink contained chemicals designed to resist breakdown for decades? Per- and polyflu...

Seeing ALS in High Definition : Revealing the Biology Behind MRI Changes

Jacqueline Palik was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Jacqueline presented the research titled “Seeing ALS in High Definition: Revealing the Biology Behind MRI Changes.” Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease...

Breathing Better : Understanding Oxygen Delivery

Parker Sutherland was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Parker presented the research titled “Breathing Better: Understanding Oxygen Delivery.” Teleost fish are among the most widespread and diverse groups of animals on Earth. Their incredible...

Rethinking Smartphone Use and Attention Regulation among Adolescents

Haoyu Zhao was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Haoyu presented the research titled “Rethinking Smartphone Use and Attention Regulation among Adolescents.” The present study aims to examine the longitudinal association between habitual smartp...

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? The Two Faces of Heparanase in the Diabetic Heart

Gala Araujo was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Gala presented the research titled “Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? The Two Faces of Heparanase in the Diabetic Heart.” Diabetes affects more than six million Canadians and significantly increases the...

Woody Debris on Arctic Coasts

Isaac Guld was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Isaac presented the research titled “Woody Debris on Arctic Coasts.” The community of Tuktoyaktuk, within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Mackenzie-Beaufort area of the western Canadian...

Exploring the Role of Redirection to Reduce Pediatric Emergency Department Crowding

Erica Qureshi was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Erica presented the research titled “Exploring the Role of Redirection to Reduce Pediatric Emergency Department Crowding.” Many children come to the pediatric emergency department (ED) for mi...

Weighing in on Weaning : Benchmarking Calf Growth on Dairy Farms

Elizabeth Russell was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Elizabeth presented the research titled “Weighing in on Weaning: Benchmarking Calf Growth on Dairy Farms.” Dairy calves experience several early-life events that can influence their welfare, i...

Automating Testing Without Automatic Thinking

Sarah Dagger was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Sarah presented the research titled “Automating Testing Without Automating Thinking.” Software bugs can often be traced back to a deceptively simple cause: a scenario that nobody thought to te...

Mapping the Future : How Preterm Brain Injury Shapes Neurodevelopment

Cynthia Li was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Cynthia presented the research titled “Mapping The Future: How Preterm Brain Injury Shapes Neurodevelopment.” Every year, many babies are born preterm, putting them at risk for short- and long-t...

Initializing a Forest Growth Model Using Light Detection and Ranging

Cody Lai was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Niko presented the research titled “Initializing a Forest Growth Model Using Light Detection and Ranging.” Traditional forest management in British Columbia relies on a two-phase inventory methodo...

Advancing Seahorse Conservation in Sri Lanka

Samara Polwatta Lekamlage was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Samara presented the research titled “Advancing Seahorse conservation in Sri Lanka.” Seahorses are globally threatened due to habitat loss, overexploitation, and bycatch, yet thei...

Day-1 Colostrum Feeding Shapes Lifelong Calf Health : A controllable window to program neonatal immunity

Sissi Xu was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Sissi presented the research titled “Day-1 Colostrum Feeding Shapes Lifelong Calf Health.” A calf’s first day of life may determine its future health. Newborn calves are born with immature immune...

Deciding Together : Patients and Physiotherapists Transforming Arthritis Care

Maribeth Anne Gelisanga was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Maribeth presented the research titled “Deciding Together: Patients and Physiotherapists Transforming Arthritis Care.” Arthritis is a long-term condition that often involves ongoing...