Federal government gives UBC $11.4 million for research

By Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun – March 27, 2010 p. A16

Research into neuroscience, cancer screening, pediatrics, psychology, balance disorders and economics at the University of B.C. received an $11.4-million boost from the federal government Friday.

North Vancouver MP Andrew Saxton made the funding announcement at the Neural Control of Posture and Movement Lab, one of the beneficiaries of the Canada Research Chairs grants, which will fund three new research chairs at UBC and nine existing ones.

The new research chairs are:

Theoretical and experimental evolution. Sarah Otto, professor of zoology and director of the Biodiversity Research Centre, will research the uses of mathematical, experimental and genomic tools to understand evolution.

Social psychology. Associate professor Toni Schmader of the psychology department will research the interplay between negative stereotypes, self-esteem, emotion, motivation and performance.

Sujatha Ramdorai, a mathematics department professor, is the new chair of mathematics and her research will focus on arithmetic, geometry and algebraic number theory.