15 ways UBC researchers broke new ground in 2025

From breakthroughs in organ transplantation to alerting us to the risks of space junk, UBC research made headlines in 2025, capturing global attention and sparking important conversations.  

Beyond the most-read stories, other discoveries quietly pushed boundaries, from effective deer-management methods to innovative approaches to cancer care and recycling.  

Here are 15 highlights showing how UBC researchers and key partners advanced knowledge, technology and real-world solutions in 2025, listed by date: 

1. Where do Canada’s fruits and vegetables come from? New website maps the flow into provinces 

Canada Food Flows, a new web tool, shows that most fruits and many vegetables are imported—mainly from the U.S. and Mexico—revealing Canada’s trade dependencies and climate vulnerability. 

1. One in four chance per year that rocket junk will enter busy airspace 

Calculations revealed a 26-per-cent yearly chance that uncontrolled rocket debris crosses busy airspace, prompting calls for stronger global policies as launches rise. 

1. Graphic novel brings Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) Elders’ voices to a new generation 

Centuries-old Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation (HFN) stories found a new life in comic form in Xwémalhkwu Hero Stories: A Graphic Novel, led by HFN and journalist Tchadas Leo. 

1. ADHD misinformation on TikTok is shaping young adults’ perceptions 

Analysis of top TikTok videos found that fewer than half of ADHD claims matched clinical guidelines, fueling misconceptions, self-diagnosis risks and overestimated prevalence among young adults. 

1. New stir stick detects drink spiking in seconds 

Spikeless, a discreet stir stick, detects drink-spiking drugs within 30 seconds, offering an affordable, single-use solution.  

Media assets: Dropbox 

1. Researchers develop new way to match young cancer patients with the right drugs 

A pan-Canadian team grew young patients’ tumours in chicken eggs, analyzed proteins and identified personalized drugs fast enough to guide treatment. 

Media assets: Dropbox 

1. Robotics, AI advancing wildfire, agricultural research at UBCO 

Drones and robots are now used for autonomous fire-line creation and chemical-free crop monitoring, boosting wildfire mitigation and precision agriculture 

1. A digestive ‘treasure chest’ shows promise for targeted drug treatment in the gut 

GlycoCaging, a plant-based drug activated by gut bacteria, showed strong anti-inflammatory effects in mice at low doses, promising new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. 

Media assets: Dropbox 

1. Mapping a crisis: UBCO student builds wildfire website from evacuation zone 

An emergency wildfire site built by UBCO student Jenna Taylor during Manitoba’s evacuation integrated real-time maps and data to support community-focused disaster response. 

1. How lottery-style bottle returns could transform recycling 

Replacing a 10-cent refund with a 0.01-per-cent chance to win $1,000 increased recycling by 47 per cent—proving that big-win thrills can drive sustainable behaviour. 

1. UBCO professor spearheads global effort to translate, analyze rare 13^th-century text 

The use of AI tools to digitize and translate General e grand estoria, a 13th-century Spanish universal history, unlocked new insights. 

1. UBC launches world’s first mushroom-powered waterless toilet 

MycoToilet uses mycelium to break down solid waste into compost, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional sanitation. 

1. UBC enzyme technology clears first human test toward universal donor organs for transplantation 

A kidney was successfully converted from blood type A to universal type O, a breakthrough for organ transplantation. 

1. Study finds Indigenous-led hunting most effective for tackling deer overabundance on B.C. islands 

Indigenous-led hunting best manages deer hyperabundance and restores ecosystems and culture on B.C.’s Gulf Islands, new research found. 

1. UBC ‘body-swap’ robot helps reveal how the brain keeps us upright 

A robot simulating altered body perception reveals how the brain integrates sensory signals for balance—advancing rehabilitation, robotics and human equilibrium research.