Newsworthy research stories, accomplishments, and spotlights from the department
News
Welcome Thea Whitman to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology
As a new assistant professor, Whitman will explore how fires affect microbe-driven carbon cycling in soil.
A Different Kind of Magic Bullet: Host-Directed Antibody Therapies as Antivirals
Read graduate student Connor Thompson's winning entry of The Antibody Society's 2025 Science Writing Competition.
Microbiology and Immunology Hosts Learning and Laboratory Session for CEDAR Campers
To help spark an interest and sense of inclusion in science, our lecturers and graduate students guided local Indigenous youth through an interactive introduction to microbiology.
New Mega RNA Virus May Hold the Key to Mass Oyster Die-Offs
Curtis Suttle and a team of scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada.
Seventy-Year-Old Parkinson’s Drug Shows Promise Against Tuberculosis
A new study led by Yossef Av-Gay reveals benztropine’s potential to treat the world’s deadliest infectious disease and combat growing antibiotic resistance.
Celebrating the Career and Retirement of Karen Smith
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the greater UBC community celebrate the career and retirement of lecturer Karen Smith.