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University of Northern British Columbia – Research Labs and Teams (Comprehensive Guide)

These are the research labs, centres and teams working on research across the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) campus — spanning engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, health and the social sciences. Browse by theme or search by name or principal investigator, and select any team to view its dedicated page.

Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology

Lab

Advanced Building Vibration & Acoustics Laboratory

Dr. Jianhui Zhou

Researches vibration and acoustics in mass-timber buildings and develops design guidelines for long-span floor systems and occupant comfort.

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Lab

Bartels Research Lab

Dr. Sarah Bartels

Investigates how rapid environmental change affects forests, ecological communities and species populations to inform forestry and conservation.

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Lab

Computer Science & Robotics Labs

Department of Computer Science

Teaching and research labs including graphics, networking and robotics labs equipped with microprocessor boards, robotic arms, sensors and vision systems.

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Facility

Enhanced Rock Mechanics Infrastructure for Energy Resources Research

Dr. Wenbo Zheng

Offers equipment such as true triaxial test devices to study hydraulic fracturing, rock mechanics and geomechanics for energy resources.

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Facility

Hakai Cryosphere Node

Dr. Bill Floyd, Dr. Brian Menounos

Uses remote-sensing technologies including LiDAR to measure snowpack and glacier water and to understand how climate change affects water resources.

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Centre

High Performance Computing Centre (HPC)

Dr. Peter Jackson

Provides high-performance computing clusters to researchers across UNBC; founded in 2000 and used across many disciplines.

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Research Group

High-Performance Materials & Matter (MATTER) Team

Dr. Hossein Kazemian

Studies materials science for environmental remediation, sustainable energy and air quality, and manages the Seawise Biopolymer Processing Lab developing plant-based, eco-friendly packaging.

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Lab

Hydro-Climate Informatics Lab (HCIL)

Dr. Siraj ul Islam

Develops hydrological forecast systems using advanced modelling, data assimilation and machine learning to predict streamflow and water temperature under climate change.

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Lab

INFORM Lab

Dr. Sajal Saha

Applies machine learning to intelligent wireless communications, IoT traffic analysis and cybersecurity, including detection of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

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Lab

Molecular & Population Genetics Lab

Dr. Brent Murray

Provides DNA sequencing, population genetics and environmental DNA (eDNA) services for analyzing fish, fungi, insects and microorganisms.

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Facility

Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS)

Dr. Hossein Kazemian

A hub for scientific analysis in northern BC (founded 2016) with advanced instruments for accredited analyses; hosts the Northern BC Environmental & Climate Solutions…

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Lab

Northern BC Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Research Lab (NBC-NIRS)

Dr. Luke Harris, Dr. William Tippett

Uses non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy and physiological sensors to study brain function and human health during exercise and cognitive tasks.

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Lab

Northern Soil & Groundwater Remediation Research Laboratory (NORREL)

Dr. Jianbing Li

Studies remediation of soils and groundwater contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons and salts and develops new remediation techniques.

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Lab

Plant Lab (Plant Biochemistry & Physiology)

Dr. Lisa Wood

Equipped for microscopy, tree-ring measurement, cell quantification, densitometry, chemical analysis and plant experiments in a collaborative environment.

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Hub

Terahertz Innovation Hub

Dr. Matt Reid

Develops and applies terahertz (THz) technology for spectroscopic and imaging applications and fosters industrial partnerships within the School of Engineering.

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Facility

Terrestrial & Aquatic Ecology Facilities

Dr. Dezene Huber, Dr. Eduardo Martins, Dr. Mark Shrimpton

Includes the Freshwater Fish Ecology Lab and the Aquatic Animal Holding Facility studying fish thermal preference, physiology and environmental impacts on aquatic animals.

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Lab

Tree-Ring (Dendrochronology) Lab

Dr. Lisa Wood

Houses dendrochronology equipment and tree-ring software within the Enhanced Forestry Laboratory.

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Lab

Wildlife and Ecosystem Bioindicators (WEB) Lab

Dr. Heather Bryan

Examines wildlife responses to environmental change using bioindicators such as parasites, hormones and immune function, including work in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area.

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Program

Wildlife Tissue Biobank (BC Furbearer Project)

Dr. Jamie Gorrell, Glen Cartwright

Builds a biobank of furbearer tissue samples (collected via an app developed by Dr. Waqar Haque) supporting research on animal health, genetics, pollutants, hormones…

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Lab

Wood Innovation Research Laboratory (WIRL)

Dr. Ron Kozak, Dr. Thomas Tannert

A downtown Prince George facility for building and testing large-scale cross-laminated timber structures, with a strong floor/wall for full-scale structural testing, built to Passive…

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Natural Resources, Geography & Environment

Institute

Community Development Institute (CDI)

Dr. Greg Halseth

Founded in 2004 to support community, regional and economic development across Northern BC through planning and diversification strategies.

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Facility

Food Security, Mining Reclamation & Holistic Forestry

Dr. Kevin Telmer, Dr. Lisa Wood

Provides greenhouse compartments, instrumentation and field vehicles for research on sustainable agriculture, forestry, mining reclamation and water.

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Facility

Monitoring Extreme Climate & Hydrometeorological Events (MECHE)

Dr. Julie Theriault, Dr. Stephen Dery

Maintains a network of towers, radars and weather stations to observe extreme climate and hydrometeorological events and improve understanding of Northern BC's climate.

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Lab

Mountain Snow Hydrology (MOSH) Lab / Snow in Mountains (SiM) Project

Dr. Brian Menounos, Dr. Joseph Shea

Monitors snowpack and energy exchanges in headwater basins using automatic weather stations and remote sensing to study mountain snow, ice, rivers and landscapes.

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Institute

Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi)

Dr. Phil Levson

Connects more than 80 researchers and communities to advance understanding of ecological processes, social values and earth systems through interdisciplinary research.

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Lab

Northern Wildlife Ecology & Conservation (NWEC) Lab

UNBC Ecosystem Science & Management

Studies the ecology and conservation of northern wildlife and landscapes, including species at risk and conservation management.

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Network

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)

UVic / SFU / UBC / UNBC network

A knowledge network (established 2008) studying climate impacts and developing mitigation and adaptation solutions with government, civil society and industry.

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Field Station

Research Forests: Aleza Lake, John Prince & Quesnel River

Aleza Lake Research Society, Tl'azt'en Nation & UNBC

UNBC's research forests and field stations supporting forestry, ecology, fisheries, geomorphology and socio-economic research, several co-managed with First Nations.

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Health & Human Development

Program

Community Scholars Program

UNBC & UBC Library partners

Provides non-profit and charity workers across BC with access to scholarly research portals and librarian support to build community research capacity.

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Institute

Health Research Institute (HRI)

Dr. Martha MacLeod

Brings together health researchers across UNBC and the Division of Medical Sciences to collaborate on determinants of health, health services, public health and Indigenous…

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Lab

Learning from Eco-Social Approaches to Public Health (LEAPH) Lab

Dr. Margot Parkes

A collaborative space connecting health, ecosystems and equity through eco-social approaches for planetary and public health.

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Lab

Lifespan Development Research Lab

Dr. Sherry Beaumont

Studies social, emotional and personality development from childhood to adulthood using positive psychology and a life-span framework.

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Centre

National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH)

Dr. Margo Greenwood

Hosted by UNBC and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada; focuses on knowledge translation to support First Nations, Inuit and Metis public…

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Centre

Northern Centre for Clinical Research (NCCR)

Dr. Anurag Singh

A UBC-UNBC-Northern Health initiative (launched 2022) enhancing clinical and life-sciences research and access to clinical trials for rural and Indigenous communities.

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Hub

Northern Hub for Health Research (NHHR)

Lheidli T'enneh / HRI / NCCR

A proposed facility on Lheidli T'enneh territory providing state-of-the-art spaces for Indigenous-informed health research focused on equity and reconciliation.

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Research Group

Social Robotics & Human-Centred AI Research

Dr. Shruti Chandra

Investigates social robots and human-centred design to enhance well-being and inclusion through autonomous systems and human-robot interaction.

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Institute

Women North Network / Northern FIRE

Dr. Sarah de Leeuw

The Northern Feminist Institute for Research & Evaluation is dedicated to greater equality for women in northern, rural and remote communities through gendered health…

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Interdisciplinary Innovation & Data Resources

Lab

GIS & Remote Sensing Lab

UNBC Geography

Supports courses and research in Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing.

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Centre

Research Data Centre (RDC)

Statistics Canada partnership

Provides secure access to detailed Statistics Canada microdata for analyses conducted under analyst guidance; typically free for UNBC researchers.

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Lab

Spark Lab

UNBC innovation hub

An innovation hub at the Wood Engineering and Design Centre where students, researchers and the public co-create and prototype community-based ideas.

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Working Group

Sustainable Labs Working Group

UNBC Sustainability Office & McGill Green Labs

An initiative implementing green practices in laboratories, offering training and small-grants programs to improve lab sustainability.

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