Meet Dr. Milan Valyear, a new researcher who is exploring the science of behaviour - Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health | DMCBH Growing up in a small town in Ontario, Dr. Milan Valyear always enjoyed tinkering and building things, and in particular, one memory stands out. “It was

What drives us to act and when do we stop?

Dr. Milan Valyear (@milanium.bsky.social) is a new @psych.ubc.ca faculty member studying the brain circuits behind reinforcement and disengagement.

From childhood tinkering to cutting-edge neuroscience, his work is all about curiosity and discovery.

Huge congratulations to Dr. David King and the project team on receiving a 2026/27 TLEF award for "Centering Queer Voices: Story-Driven Learning in Psychology."

Read more: psych.ubc.ca/news/2026-27...

UBC Psychology alumni in the Lower Mainland, this one’s for you 👀

Join us on April 23 for a casual mixer at Please! Beverage Co. Reconnect with faculty (Toni Schmader, Benjamin Cheung, David Klonsky, Jill Dosso) and fellow alumni.

🎟️ Grab your ticket: event.fourwaves.com/psychologymi...

#UBCPsych

Celebrate Learning Week is a week-long campus-wide initiative of events highlighting learning that happens across seasons and spaces. May 4–8 | Browse events ctlt.ubc.ca/clw

Congratulations to UBC Psychology Professors Dr. Kristin Laurin and Dr. Toni Schmader who received 2026 Dean of Arts Mentorship Awards for their commitment to guiding and inspiring the next generation of scholars!

Read more: psych.ubc.ca/news/2026-ar...

If you missed Giving Day, it's not too late! Visit this link to make a donation: givingday.ubc.ca/32770/gd2026...

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Giving Day a success! All of our challenges were unlocked and our community came together to raise over $31,000 for the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund—and the next generation of scientists. 💙

We appreciate your support!

With support from the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student (PIE) Fund, undergraduate student Jasmindeep Kaur was able to dedicate herself to research with both financial support and confidence. On #UBCGivingDay, let's support more students like Jasmindeep: givingday.ubc.ca/32770/gd2026...

Psych honours student Peter King discovered his passion for research through the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Fund‘s Early Research Award. This UBC Giving Day, help create more stories like Peter's by supporting the PIE Fund: givingday.ubc.ca/32770/gd2026...

ONE more donor unlocks the PIE Student Fund Donor Challenge! Right now we have 24 (Thank you 💙 ) and when 25 donors give to the PIE Fund today, a gift of $2,500 from Psychology Faculty will be unlocked!

Donate here:
givingday.ubc.ca/32770/gd2026...

🔓 The PIE Student Fund Donor Challenge: When 25 donors give to the Psychology Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Student Fund on April 8, a gift of $2,500 from Psychology Faculty will be unlocked.

🔓 The PIE Student Fund Alumni Challenge: When 15 UBC alumni give to the Psychology Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Student Fund on April 8, a gift of $6,000 will be unlocked.

🔓 The PIE Student Fund Double Match: The first $10,000 in donations to the Psychology Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Student Fund on April 8 will be double-matched. That means every $25 you give will become $75 for the PIE Student Fund!

Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund - UBC Giving Day 2026 Support equitable access to psychology education and research training.

Today is #UBCGivingDay! Help us empower our students with a gift to the Psychology Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Student Fund. Your donation to the PIE Fund today will be boosted by our matching and challenge funds, unlocking even more support for our students: bit.ly/PIEGivingDay

Climate in Action: Earth Day Celebration - UBC Department of Psychology Learn about the Psychology Climate Action Committee's projects and initiatives—and the steps you can take to lower your emissions:

Join our Climate Action Committee on Earth Day, April 22, to connect and explore how small, informed decisions can contribute to meaningful climate action. Pls RSVP: bit.ly/PsychEarthDa... @jiayingzhao.bsky.social

Driven by our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, the PIE Fund helps psychology students from historically marginalized and equity-deserving communities overcome barriers to learning by providing financial support, research preparation, and access to hands-on academic experiences.

Support a more inclusive future in psychology on UBC Giving Day - UBC Department of Psychology On April 8, UBC Psychology will once again take part in UBC Giving Day to support our students through the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund.

#UBCGivingDay is one week away! We are proud to once again feature the Psychology Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Student Fund on Giving Day.

Your donation on April 8 will be boosted by our matching and challenge funds, unlocking even more support for our students.

bit.ly/2026PIEFund

Join us tomorrow for our colloquium with Dr. Samantha F. Anderson. 12:30-2:00pm | AERL 120 | Please RSVP: psych.ubc.ca/events/event...

Arts in the Media: March 2026 - Faculty of Arts This February, UBC Arts faculty were featured in major outlets including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, BBC, and The Guardian. Their expertise informed stories on topics rangi...

From geopolitical conflicts to Canada’s shifting immigration landscape to new research on AI, UBC Arts scholars were featured in several major outlets throughout the month. 🌍️🤖

📰 Check out the March 2026 roundup of Arts in the Media ⬇️ www.arts.ubc.ca/news/arts-in...

1 more week to register for NOWCAM.
visit. nowcam.org for details.

“This opportunity was not only crucial to serve as proof of experience for future positions, but also provided me the chance to explore my research interests and discover a love for research.”
- Peter King, PIE Fund Early Research Award Recipient

How the PIE Fund shaped Peter King’s research journey - UBC Department of Psychology Peter shares how the PIE Fund advanced his research and ensures equity and diversity in the field.

Meet Peter King, a UBC Psychology Honours student who discovered his passion for research through the Psychology Inclusive Excellence Student Fund's (PIE) Early Research Award.

This UBC Giving Day (April 8), help create more stories like Peter's 💙.

Read Peter's story: psych.ubc.ca/news/pie-fun...

An excellent overview of contemporary issues with dopamine - WTF? (What's the function).

Time to burn all the theories down, or maybe a set of adversarial collaborations?

Are you a trainee at a VCHRI research centre or program with a passion for science & a curiosity for cutting-edge research? 🙋 Join the VCHRI Trainee Committee for the Science Social Hour on Apr. 10! Register to attend: www.vchri.ca/ScienceSocia...

A green airplane on a painted globe against a light blue background.

Got a conference coming up? Cut your emissions with our Travel Decision Guide. Created @jiayingzhao.bsky.social and our Climate Action Committee, this guide will help you decide if you should stay local or fly smarter.

Download here: bit.ly/stayorfly

From skateparks to synapses: Meet Dr. Zach Pennington - Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health | DMCBH When Dr. Zach Pennington was growing up, he never imagined he would become a scientist. “I wanted to be a professional skateboarder, a guitarist in a punk

Meet @zachtpennington.bsky.social, a new researcher at the DMCBH and @psych.ubc.ca who is exploring how the brain regulates stress and emotion. He is also an advocate of building open-source tools to make science more accessible for all.

Read more: www.centreforbrainhealth.ca/news/from-sk...

Ask an expert: What are some signs that gambling is starting to affect my brain health? From slot machines and scratch tickets to sports betting and loot boxes, gambling has become increasingly common in today’s society. For many people it is a form of entertainment, but for others it…

🎰 How does gambling affect brain chemistry? When do gambling habits become a concern? How can research help improve treatments for gambling addiction? VCHRI investigator Dr. Luke Clark shares insights into how gambling impacts brain health: www.vchri.ca/stories/2025... #BrainAwarenessWeek

Close the Divide (2023) A gripping journey to bridge the divide on climate change, revealing how uniting diverse perspectives can spark innovative solutions.

My film debut is now free to watch online! The award-winning director Tom Acton sat me down for an interview that ended up in his powerful documentary - Close the Divide - to bridge the divide on climate change.

Watch here: tubitv.com/movies/10005...

All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus Meeting, Dr. Jiaying Zhao YouTube video by Kim Pate

Last week, I had the honour of presenting my latest research on guaranteed basic income to the All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus in the Parliament, led by Senator Kim Pate @kpateonthehill.bsky.social , MP Elizabeth May, and MP Sean Casey.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R16r...

Pokémon turns 30 — how the fictional pocket monsters shaped science The Japanese media sensation has inspired generations of researchers in fields as diverse as evolution, biodiversity and research integrity.

Thank you to Nature News for highlighting our research in a recent story about Pokémon turning 30: www.nature.com/articles/d41...