June 1, 2026
Three Faculty of Education researchers among new and renewed Canada Research Chairs.
The Chairs are advancing research that addresses critical issues in education, health, equity and technology, with a focus on Black students’ mental health and wellbeing, human agency in AI-mediated learning and healthcare settings and language and literacy development among culturally and linguistically diverse children.
Dr. Jessica Chan | Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Language, Literacy and Early Learning
Dr. Chan’s research focuses on how language and literacy develop in children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including multilingual learners and children at risk for language-based disorders, such as dyslexia and developmental language disorders. Learn more.
Dr. Jillianne Code | Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Learner Agency
Dr. Code’s research explores how students and medical patients can maintain agency over their learning and healthcare experiences in an increasingly AI-driven world through practical strategies, policy recommendations and digital literacy tools that ensure technology supports, rather than limits, human potential.
Dr. Nadena Doharty | Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Black Experiences in and through Education
Dr. Doharty’s research examines how socio-cultural and institutional factors shape Black students’ mental health and wellbeing in post-secondary education. By centring Black students’ perspectives, her work aims to deepen understanding of anti-Blackness and inform more responsive university supports.
To learn more about the fourteen new and renewed UBC Canada Research Chairs, read the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation’s announcement.
