Can Canada constrain AI? Dr. Alan Mackworth — professor emeritus with UBC Computer Science — has been studying AI since the 1970s. In this conversation he discusses the challenges of regulating artificial intelligence, if age-based bans on AI make sense, and how chatbots are trained to flag harmful actors.
Read the article at https://bit.ly/4tw1enz or see the link in our bio.
Congratulations to Dr. Bridgette Clarkston, associate professor of teaching with UBC Botany, who has been awarded one of this year's BCTLC West Coast Teaching Excellence Awards.
The award—from the British Columbia Teaching and Learning Council—recognizes Dr. Clarkston’s commitment to enhanced student engagement and learning, her reflective and evidence-based teaching practice, and her ongoing dedication to teaching improvement.
"I'm humbled to be considered for this award and to be recognized for this work that brings me so much joy,” said Dr. Clarkston. “I am privileged to learn alongside students, colleagues and collaborators who are incredibly enthusiastic and engaged.”
Dr. Clarkston’s work exemplifies how UBC faculty and students partner with communities on intergenerational experiential learning projects that advance interest and literacy in science. Her teaching is evidence-based and guided by a deep commitment to inclusion and equity in learning and by the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan.
With a particular focus on biodiversity, Dr. Clarkston has led and contributed to a range of innovative initiatives. She co-created the Haida Gwaii Field School in partnership with the Saahlinda Naay Savings Things House (Haida Gwaii Museum) at Kay Llnagaay and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
She engages students as co-creators in the design and development of educational resources and courses, including a third-year course on Natural History Collections and Biodiversity Science that aims to braid together Indigenous ways of knowing and Western science.
Dr. Clarkston is a highly cited scholar in post-secondary science education and has been recognized by students with the 2025 Alma Mater Society Open Educational Resources Champion Award and the 2026 Alma Mater Society Universal Design for Learning Champion Award, and by colleagues with the 2023 UBC Killam Teaching Prize.
@bclarkston
🎓 Save the date! 🎓 - To attend the public lecture by Peter and Rosemary Grant, two of the recipients for UBC honorary degrees
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Peter and Rosemary have agreed to give a public lecture at 2:00 pm in the Biosciences Building BIOL 1000 on May 26 in honour of 🎓 the graduating students and their families 🎓 in Biology @biologyubc , Botany, and Zoology
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This is a free public lecture: all are welcome to attend!
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UBC 2026 Honorary Degrees: https://news.ubc.ca/2026/03/ubc-2026-spring-honorary-degree-recipients/
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Public lecture event:
https://zoology.ubc.ca/event/2026/05/public-lecture-peter-grant-and-rosemary-grant
On a gloriously sunny day schoolchildren scamper barefoot across a beach on Hornby Island searching for seaweed. Who knew school could be so much fun?
UBC botanist Dr. Bridgette Clarkston did. She and her UBC Botany students are teaching Seaweed School on Hornby Island.
UBC outreach is shoring up science education on Hornby Island — and having ripple effects.
Find out more at https://bit.ly/4tcI3yJ or see the link in our bio.
May is Asian Heritage month. Applied Science is hosting a presentation by Dr. Shibao Guo (University of Calgary) on May 27 about how COVID reignited xenophobia, particularly targeting Chinese Canadians.
Register: https://bit.ly/4eK59cL
An innovative approach to combat the overdose crisis has just launched in BC.
The Ministry of Public Safety’s new two-year pilot program, Track and Trace, is a first-in-Canada technology that analyzes and tracks the flow of toxic drugs in BC communities – helping identify emerging threats sooner and inform faster, more effective health responses.
Track and Trace was inspired by donor-funded research at VGH through the Innovations in Mental Health, Addictions and Pain Program (IMAPP), led by Dr. Pouya Azar. We are proud to empower bold leaders like Dr. Azar, who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in health care – with the support of donors like you.
Learn more at the link in our bio.
VGH+ @dr_pouya_azar
VGH+ @governmentofbc
VGH+ @ubcchem
VGH+ @ubcscience
Are you addicted to your AI chatbot? It might be by design
AI chatbots can grant almost any request—a celebrity in love with you, a research assistant, a book character sprung to life—instantly and with little effort. New research presented at the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems suggests that this genie-like quality is fuelling AI addiction, and that chatbot design could be partly to blame.
“AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude are now part of daily life for millions of people, helping us with everyday tasks,” said first author Karen Shen, a doctoral student in the UBC Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “But with their benefits come risks. Our paper is the first to make a strong case for AI addiction by identifying the type and contributing factors, grounded in real people’s experiences.”
The team examined 334 Reddit posts where users described being “addicted” to AI chatbots or worried that they might be. They analyzed the posts against six components of behavioural addiction including conflict and relapse. Three main patterns emerged: role playing and fantasy worlds, emotional attachment—treating chatbots like close friends or romantic partners—and constant information-seeking, or never-ending question-and-answer loops. About seven per cent of posts involved sexual or romantic fulfilment, including roleplay.
While AI addiction is not yet a clinical diagnosis, researchers found signs of disruptions to daily life. This included an inability to stop thinking about the chatbot, feeling anxious or upset when they tried to quit, and negative impacts on their work, studies or relationships. One person described physical stress and chest pain when they weren’t chatting with AI.
Contributing factors included loneliness, the agreeableness of a chatbot—which continuously reinforces one’s feelings and opinions—and chatbots’ ability to fill roles that users felt were missing in their lives.
Read more at https://bit.ly/4tMLPjm or see the link in our bio.
Science Rendezvous is coming to UBC Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 to 3:00. Join us for a free day of family friendly science activities! Ignite your kid's curiosity.
See the link in our bio for a link to the day's events or go to: https://bit.ly/4m3gW73
This National Volunteer Week we're honouring alumna Sarah Spratley, a UBC Computer Science tri-mentor and one of the amazing volunteers who have been involved during the program's 25 years.
As a woman in science and technology, Sarah Spratley (BSc’88) has learned how to navigate the unique challenges that come with working in a traditionally male-dominated industry. After graduating from UBC in Computer Science, she worked for many years at IBM as a developer, project manager, and manager. Now a program manager at software company SAP, she also spends her time coaching students and advising them as part of UBC Computer Science’s Tri-Mentoring Program, where she has been a mentor for over 15 years.
In this Q&A, she explains how she began mentoring, why it’s important to give back to the community, and what she has learned about herself through mentoring.
How did you start mentoring at UBC?
When I started moving towards a project management career, I was lucky enough to be mentored by a very experienced IBM project manager while working on some projects with her. That experience made me realize how important it is to have someone who can mentor and help you, especially when you make career changes. I realized that mentorship really helps you get perspective on what your options are, what types of jobs are possible, what skills you have, and how you can grow and enhance your skills.
As I moved along my career path and realized that I had advice to offer people, I became interested in mentoring women in tech. I realized that as I looked around, the number of women in the field wasn’t increasing in any way. Around that time, somebody asked me to join the UBC Tri-Mentoring Program. Since then, I’ve mentored women specifically in the program. And it’s really fun—it gives me a lot of insight into how the industry is changing from the students’ perspectives. It also gives me a chance to reflect on my own career and think about who taught me and how I can share that information with the next generations.
Read more: https://bit.ly/3QRBHaw
A new UBC-led initiative, Track & Trace, aims to make a real difference in the toxic drug crisis.
The initiative builds on nearly a decade of work by UBC researchers. The concept first emerged in 2016, when chemistry professors Drs. Glenn Sammis and Dan Bizzotto began exploring how their expertise could be applied to the newly declared public health emergency.
“The program’s focus is on supply patterns and prevention, not arresting people,” said Dr. Sammis. “We want this to have a real-life positive impact on people’s lives. That’s what we’re all trying to achieve: no deaths, fewer overdoses, and better managed care. We want this technology to be useful, and used.”
Read more at the link in our bio.
#UBC #UBCChem
Five amazing teachers across UBC Science have been recognized with 2026 Killam Teaching Prizes! Congratulations to Varada Kolhatkar (Computer Science), Nadine Borduas-Dedekind (Chemistry), Roman Krems (Chemistry), Jess McIver (Physics and Astronomy) and Janis McKenna (Physics and Astronomy).
https://bit.ly/4tacExJ
We invite you to attend the Science Education Open House to celebrate teaching and learning projects across the Faculty of Science. In the spirit of accessibility, inclusion, and creativity, we invite you to share your work, network, and/or spark one-on-one conversations in whatever way suits you!
Tuesday, April 28, 9:30-2:30
Earth Sciences Building
To register, sign up for the poster session or learn more: https://bit.ly/3QR4qZQ
