Melody Salehzadeh spearheads glove recycling program to address pandemic-related plastic waste
Melody Salehzadeh’s project to combat plastic waste has collected roughly 48,700 gloves, diverting 146.1 kilograms of waste from landfills this year.Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Desiree Seib receives ’Society to Cell’ Clyde Hertzman Memorial Fellowship
Join us in congratulating Dr. Desiree Seib, who received a ‘Society to Cell’ Clyde Hertzman Memorial Fellowship to support her research project Effects of a maternal high-sucrose diet on fetal brain development and physiology. Funded by the Social Exposome Cluster and the Human Early Learning Partnership, this fellowship financially supports UBC trainees who are conducting […]
Dr. Kiran Soma received a Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring, marking a first for the department of psychology—and formally recognizing his exceptional mentorship. Dr. Soma has trained over 100 undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians from diverse backgrounds. His trainees have gone on to successful careers in academia, medicine, law, business, government, engineering, and […]
New research from the Soma Lab shows that a high-sugar diet impacts steroid and dopamine signalling in the brain
The study investigated the effects of a high sugar diet on hormone levels and markers of metabolic function in female rats.New study by the Soma Lab looks at the effects of aging on testosterone and androgen receptors in the brain
This research raises the possibility that some areas of the brain have the capacity to buffer themselves against drops in testosterone in the blood by simply making their own.Dr. Kiran Soma awarded $1.7M in CIHR funding for two research projects
Dr. Kiran Soma been awarded two project grants totalling $1,717,425 to advance his research through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)’s Project Grant: Fall 2019 Competition. The Project Grant competition, one of CIHR’s flagship funding programs, supports multi-year grants for researchers at various stages in their careers as they conduct research projects that cover […]Immersive learning is changing the way psychology students learn about the brain
UBC psychology students are taking a 3D tour of the brain using HoloBrain webVR technology. In the course Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience (PSYC 270), students learn about the connections between our brain and behaviour. Taught by UBC Psychology Professor Dr. Kiran Soma and Teaching Assistants Debra Bercovici, Susan Heritage, Nicole Jenni, and Melody Salehzadeh, the course covers a range […]Kiran Soma is collaborating with UBC researchers and Soma Lab alumna Kim Schmidt to improve equity in child health
UBC Psychology researchers Kiran Soma and Anita DeLongis are members of a new research cluster at UBC, the Social Exposome Cluster. This collaborative, cross-discipline research partnership will study how children’s health and development are impacted by their social, physical, and psychological exposures. Led by Michael Kobor, professor of medical genetics at UBC, the Social Exposome […]
Join us in congratulating Brandon Forys, a Research Assistant in the Soma Lab, for receiving the HSBC Emerging Leader Scholarship, the designation of Wesbrook Scholar, and the Suedfeld Scholar Award. The HSBC Emerging Leader Scholarship is an annual scholarship awarded to eight UBC students who have demonstrated leadership, community service, and high academic achievement. The Wesbrook Scholar is an annual designation awarded […]
Soma Lab alumnus George Kachkovski is using his psychology experience to begin a career in nursing
Most people don’t like hospitals, let alone enjoy them—but George Kachkovski isn’t like most people. He likes the buzz of the energy and research taking place in hospitals. This led him to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UBC’s School of Nursing after graduating with BA Hons in Psychology from UBC in May […]Video: Dr. Kiran Soma’s pioneering research is vital to understanding the behavioural effects of steroids
Using a multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Kiran Soma and his research team at the Soma Laboratory are exploring the important roles of steroid hormones, such as testosterone and estradiol, in regulating brain, behaviour, and immune function. In order to conduct high-throughput steroid profiling, the lab is pioneering the use of mass spectrometry, an emerging and […]Can testosterone be produced by the brain? Brain Bytes features Daniel Tobiansky
Post-doctoral Fellow Daniel Tobiansky is featured in an episode of Brain Bytes, a web series featuring the latest neuroscience research at UBC. Daniel’s work looks at testosterone and how it is created in the brain. He was curious about local levels of testosterone in the brain, as measured by LC-MS/MS. More. Learn about his research in this […]
Dr. Kiran Soma, a professor and neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology, was awarded a 2017-18 James McKeen Cattell Fellowship. This annual fellowship awards recipients with a longer sabbatical period, allowing researchers to extend their one semester research period to a full year. Dr. Soma’s research examines the effects of steroids on behaviour, the brain, […]
Congratulations to Jenn Ferris! One of the figures from her paper “Neuronal Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) and Astrocytic Gonadotrophin Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH) Immunoreactivity in the Adult Rat Hippocampus” was selected to be a cover image for the Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Jenn completed her undergraduate degree at UBC with Honours in Psychology. During her time as an […]
Soma Lab research reveals a new way stress hormones affect our immune system
Dr. Kiran Soma recently published his 100th paper entitled “Lymphoid organs of neonatal and adult mice preferentially produce active glucocorticoids from metabolites, not precursors” in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. This new research, which he co-authored with former UBC Ph.D. student Matthew Taves, explores the role that stress plays in our immune system. Publishing […]
Capable of simultaneously measuring multiple steroids with excellent sensitivity and specificity, our liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system greatly advances our pursuits at the cutting-edge of endocrine research. This instrument was purchased with funds from CFI and BCKDF and enables us to push the technological boundaries of what can be achieved in steroid analysis […]
Dr. Kiran Soma named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
UBC Psychology Professor Kiran Soma has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Dr. Soma has been awarded the distinction of Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the field of behavioural neuroscience, particularly the roles of local steroid synthesis in brain and […]