UBC Computer Science Professor Dinesh Pai’s research

projects in robotics, reality-based modelling and mul-

timodal interfaces share a common goal—to create more

interactive and immersive virtual environments.

It seems only logical that in order to make virtual reality morerealistic, one needs to observe the real world for clues. The science,however, is very complex. Dinesh Pai’s research encompasses a mul-tifaceted field that involves measuring real world physical interac-tions, constructing computational models, automating these func-tions using robotics (see sidebar on p.3), and building interactive,multimodal simulations and interfaces that allow users to fullyexperience an immersive virtual environment. The goal is to makethe technology more useful for applications in e-commerce, com-puter games, training simulations, and virtual surgery.

“We have been creating synthetic reality for some time, butnothing you can really get your hands on,” says Pai. He meansthis both physically and literally. The more that allof our senses are involved, the more immersive thevirtual experience. And the more this happens inreal time, the more interactive it becomes. Pai andhis colleagues are working on modelling threeintegral components of interactive behaviour:contact texture, deformation (what happens whena soft object is squeezed) and contact sound.

Much work has already been done on touchand haptic interfaces, which provide force feed-back. In UBC ’s Act ive Measurement Faci l i t y(ACME), Pai demonstrates a haptic wand thatgives the sensation of poking a computer modelof a “plastic” bunny. He notes that current inter-face technology works very well in applications

that simulate touching an object with a tool, such as remote surgery.However, they still don’t give you the feeling of touching somethingwith your bare hand. He demonstrates another computer model ofa plush toy tiger. Although texture can be modelled by sampling asurface at numerous locations, it is still difficult to “pet the tiger”or feel its fur.

Inside

In the News

Changing withthe Weather

Zeroing in onElectrical Resistance

UBC's ScienceBrain Gain

OrchestratingTransformation

Taking the Long Way Home

Noteworthy

Bits & Bytes

Getting Connected

24

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ChemistryComputer ScienceEarth & Ocean Sciences

MathematicsMicrobiology & Immunology

Physics & AstronomyStatisticsZoology

Advancing Research

and Teaching in the

University of British Columbia

Faculty of Science

cont'd on p. 3

Computer Science ProfessorDinesh Pai is a member of UBC’sLaboratory for ComputationalIntelligence, the Institute ofApplied Mathematics, and afellow of the BC AdvancedSystems Institute.

Getting Real

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 2

P h y s i c s & A s t r o n o m y I n t h e N e w s

FOR SCIENCE FICTION AFICIONADOS, ANTIMATTER IS THE

stuff that fuels warp drive engines and makes upthe parallel universe. In fact, physicists have proved that antimatter exists and can even make it in par-ticle accelerators. They just haven’t found any occurring naturally in the universe. There appears tobe only matter. Three particle physicists at UBC are studying the huge asymmetry in matter and anti-matter. Christopher Hearty, Janis McKenna and Tom Mattison belong to a mammoth research collab-oration involving 73 institutes in nine countries. The group has built and are operating a 1,200-tonnedetector, named BaBar, at the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) in California. BaBar allows the studyof B mesons, elementary particles that are five times heavier than protons and live one trillionth ofa second.

“We don’t actually observe the B mesons themselves, but their decay particles,” says Chris Hearty,Canada’s representative on BaBar’s executive board. They were able to measure that B mesons decaydifferently than their anti-B meson counterparts. While the phenomenon, called charge parity (CP)violation, falls within predictions of the Standard Model, it still doesn’t account for all of the miss-ing antimatter in the universe. (The Standard Model unites weak and electromagnetic forces and hasincredible predictive power, although it doesn’t account for gravity.)

BaBar’s drift chamber, a crucial measuring device, was designed by Hearty and international col-leagues and assembled at TRIUMF with funding from NSERC and US collaborators. Mattison, the onlyCanadian on the technical board, notes that many UBC graduate, summer and co-op students have alsoworked on BaBar. To be able to observe and prove discrepancies with the existing model is the dreamof anyone exploring the boundaries of New Physics.

Accounting for Missing Antimatter

DEEP IN AN ABANDONED NICKEL MINE IN SUDBURY, SCIENTISTS HAVE SOLVED

the mystery of missing solar neutrinos. Physics Professor ChrisWaltham is a member of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) research team, who have evidencethat solar electron neutrinos actually change to tau or muon neutrinos en route from the sun to theEarth. “This means that the total number of neutrinos coming from the sun is pretty much what thesolar model predicts,” says Waltham. “The missing neutrinos are really changelings.” This change ofstate also means that neutrinos have a measurable mass, albeit extremely small. What the team haslearned about the tiniest and most elusive particle challenges the Standard Model, which doesn’t allowneutrinos to switch flavours. Their findings also dispel the theory that neutrinos could account forthe missing “dark matter” that makes up nearly one-third of the mass of the Universe.

At current threshold levels SNO can detect roughly 10 solar neutrino events

Neutrino Flavour Testing

MARK HALPERN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY, IS ALSO TESTING

theories of the Big Bang and the predictive power of the Standard Model—on thecosmological versus subatomic scale. He is the only Canadian on a 13-member research team that

launched a NASA satellite mission last June to answer fundamen-tal questions about the age, origin and fate of the universe.

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) satellite essentiallytravelled back in time, to an orbit 2 million kilometres from Earthto collect full sky data on cosmic background radiation. The veryearly universe was opaque, and light was trapped in it. It wasn’t until300,000 years after the Big Bang that light, in the form of cosmicbackground radiation, was emitted. “We are looking at the oldestlight in the universe,” he says. “By measuring minute variations intemperature and density, we will be able to answer questions about

the age of the universe and what caused it to expand and leave its prints on the sky.” The universe also cools as it expands, so MAP’s measurements will shed light on whether it will

continue to expand, stay stable, or collapse. Halpern notes that there is already a hint that we are veryclose to the stable point, and the Standard model predicts that we should be just above that. “The mostexciting thing is that we will be able to measure whether current ideas about the cause of the Big Bangare correct.”

Let there be Light

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M o r e N e w s

“While haptic displays are still being perfected, every computer has the capac-ity to produce interesting sounds of good quality,” says Pai. These ambient sound effects, called Foleysounds, convey a sense of realism, quality and presence in virtual environments. Although they are

widely used in animation, film and games indus-tries, most sound effects are still painstakinglyadded by hand.

Pai and associates Kees van den Doel and PaulKry have developed breakthrough software thatsynthesizes realistic sound effects for interactivesimulations. “Instead of thinking about the sounditself, we considered what was producing thesound and looked for a force or excitation thatcould be measured,” says Pai. By capturing thesubtleties of an object’s continuous movementover various surface textures, and the contactforces involved, they were able to develop realis-tic sound simulations.

While excellent for contact sounds, the modelhas i ts l imitat ions when i t comes to MotherNature’s more abstract sounds—like wind forexample. “There will always be a role for theartistic contribution of the sound designer and filmcomposer,” says Pai. “But the vast majority ofsound effects will eventually be automated.” Inboth the real and virtual world, hearing—as wellas seeing and touching—is believing.

Dinesh Pai; cont'd from p. 1

CHANGING CAREERS IS HIGHLY

stressful, and with today’seconomic uncertainty, some of the best prospects are in information technology. A variety of diplomacourses are available, but tuition can range from $15,000 to $30,000 at private institutions. Or stu-dents can take UBC’s Alternate Route to Computing (ARC), a 28-month post-baccalaureate diplomaprogram that combines academic courses with paid, co-op work-terms. While most IT transition pro-grams focus on software applications and project management, ARC students take regular computerscience courses and pay the same tuition fees as other undergraduates.

Taking Alternate Routes to Computing (ARC)

THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN SLIME MOLD TO GET YOUNG

students interested in science. For the past year, theDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology has been hosting workshops for science teachers in theLower Mainland. The first, held last November and sponsored by the American Society for Microbi-ology, was so successful that the department has continued to sponsor them. Their goal is to give teach-ers better skills to help educate students and get them interested in microbiology at an earlier age.“The initial workshop was open to anyone teaching grades six to twelve,” says Karen Smith, co-instruc-tor along with Diane Oorebeek. “Last October we held a workshop in lab techniques and in the futurewe hope to target elementary school teachers.”

The intensive, two-day workshops are held over a Friday and Saturday, and the fee is a nominal$50. Included is an array of printed materials, books, microviewers, and even mold cultures that teach-ers can take back to the classroom. “These workshops are some of the best professional developmentI have done in years,” says participant Sheila Marshall. Fellow teacher, Connie Williams, is lookingforward to having students test their tongues, their noses and the water around their community forbacteria. “Our philosophy is to keep everyone very busy, and inundate them with experiences they cantake back to the classroom,” says Oorebeek. “It must be working, because they always come back thesecond day.” www.microbiology.ubc.ca/mdw

Microbial Discovery Workshops

ACME- Measuring UpMeasurements of everyday physical objects, such as shape,

reflectance, sound, and contact forces, are integral to buildingreality-based computational models. Computer scientist DineshPai is the director of UBC’s Active Measurement Faculty (ACME),an integrated robotic measurement facility. ACME is equipped witha laser range finder, 3 CCD colour video camera, stereo vision sys-tems (from Point Grey Research) and various sensors to probe andprovide precise motions and range measurements of test objects.

It is also a telerobotic system with 15 degrees of freedom,designed for on-line control. “ACME was planned for remote oper-ations,” says Pai. “A researcher in another city or country couldsend us an object that they wanted to build a model of, and oncewe set it up, they would control the measurements roboticallyover the Internet.” Pai and his lab are planning a collaborationwith MD Robotics, a division of MacDonald Dettwiler and

builders of the Canadarm. ACME is supported by NSERC and the Institute of Robotics and

Intelligent Systems (IRIS), one of the Networks of Centres of Excel-lence. Pai leads the IRIS project in reality-based modelling and isprincipal investigator in two other projects. “The challenge is get-ting the technology out of the lab and working for industry,” saysPai.

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Photo: Dinesh Pai

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 4

For most of us, adapting to our environment means reorga-nizing the wardrobe, changing tires or stocking up on anti-

histamines. Our genes are given little credit, even though they are hard at work acclimatizing us toongoing environmental change. For Patricia Schulte, new faculty member in Zoology, understandingchanges in gene expression is critical to understanding the evolution of functionally important phys-iological traits. Schulte’s research integrates approaches in molecular biology, biochemistry, physi-ology, population genetics, and evolutionary biology. "Since I come from such an interdisciplinary per-spective, it is critical that I have good colleagues in all of these areas to keep my research rigorousand relevant," she says. "UBC has a great research climate and a particularly strong evolutionary biol-ogy group." Schulte credits the work of Dolph Schluter (Synergy 5.2), and Peter Hochachka (Synergy2.2) who inspired her as a former graduate student at UBC.

Schulte does most of her research on populations of killifish, a common little fish found all alongthe east coast of North America, from Newfoundland to Florida. To the casual observer, killifishfrom the northern and southern coastal waters appear identical. But physiologically they are quite dif-ferent. Since fish are cold-blooded, their blood temperature changes with the temperature of the envi-ronment. However, when killifish from each area were put into a tank at 10˚C and then exposed to acurrent in a swim tunnel, the fish from the northern genotype fared much better. Conversely, their south-ern cousins swam much better in warmer water.

Understanding how genes regulate enzyme and protein production, and what turns them on andoff, is a focus of Schulte’s research. She and her lab have associ-ated performance differences between northern and southern kil-lifish with differences in levels of the lactic dehydrogenase (LDH-B) enzyme. (Anyone who has felt the lactic acid muscle burn during

an over-strenuous workout hasexperienced LDH-B at work.)The northern fish express 2-fold

more of th isenzyme in the liverand hear t thansouthern killifish.And this differ-

ence in gene expres-sion is maintained, even after alifetime in a lab tank at a com-mon temperature of 20º. "Thisshows that killifish differ genet-ically in ways that affect theirperformance," says Schulte.

When the ki l l i f i sh werestressed by lowering water lev-els in the tanks, Schulte foundan unexpected correla t ion

between stress hormone levels and LDH-B. These powerful hor-mones, called corticosteroids, can alter metabolism and the immunesystem. Schulte’s work suggests that they are also involved in tem-perature regulation. When complicated protein molecules arestressed, they start to unfold. In response, heat-shock proteinsstop the unfolding and help put the long-chain proteins backtogether. "We are now testing the hypothesis that adaptation totemperature has something to do with adaptation to stress," she says."I am just beginning to unravel some of the mysteries of these lit-tle fish and they are leading me in many exciting directions."

Zoology Assistant ProfessorPatricia Schulte recently came toUBC from the University ofWaterloo, where she received thePremier’s Research ExcellenceAward for Ontario.

Z o o l o g y

Changing with the Weather

Detox ParadoxZoologist Patricia Schulte’s work in

the genetic regulation of killifish hasuncovered many unanticipated results.For example, not only do these innocuouslittle fish survive in the toxic harbours ofNew Jersey—they seem to thrive. Andthey are genetically different from theircountry cousins, who enjoy a more pris-tine environment. Paradoxically, theurban killifish are deficient in the naturaldetoxifying enzyme. For manmade toxins,such as PCB’s, this enzyme works inreverse, and turns the chemical soup intoa more lethal brew. For killifish living inNew Jersey harbour, this mutation isactually an environmental adaptation.

Schulte and her lab are using a vari-ety of approaches to study this phenome-non, including the latest DNA micro-array technology, which allows them tostudy changes in the expression of thou-sands of genes simultaneously. By ran-domly isolating all of the genes from cer-tain tissue, such as the gills, andexposing it to chemicals, they can iden-tify the ones that change.

"The next step is trying to understandwhat happens under a combination ofstressors, such as low oxygen, tempera-ture, pollutants, or predators." Her workis funded through NSERC Operating andStrategic Grants, and AquaNet, a Net-works of Centres of Excellence.

Since the time of Darwin

we have known that

organisms and species

adapt to changing

environments.

Multidisciplinary

biologist Patricia Schulte

believes the secret to

adaptation is in our

genes. Her research

examines the role that

gene regulation has in

adaptive evolution.

Photo: Patricia Schulte

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 5

IN THE DAYS OF NEWTON, SCIENTISTS DREAMT OF

building a perpetual motion machine. Today,materials physicists such as Doug Bonn dream of discovering a substance with zero electrical resis-tance at room temperature. In an ordinary conductor, such as copper wire, electrons lose energy inthe form of light and heat as they migrate from one atom to another. Superconductors are able to con-duct electricity without the loss of energy. Their discovery in 1911 shattered a fundamental law ofphysics, called Coulomb’s law, that like charges repel and opposites attract. In a superconducting state,electrons form pairs that are able to move seamlessly through the vibrating atomic lattice, sidestep-ping tiny obstacles and impurities. And without friction, there is no loss of energy.

For most of the 20th century, however, this phenomenon was only observed in certain metals whencooled to temperatures near absolute zero (0 degrees Kelvin or -273.15 degrees Centigrade). The fieldexploded in 1986, with the discovery of high temperature (35°K) copper oxide or ceramic super-conductors. Bonn just happened to be a graduate student working with materials scientists at the time.“When I talk to my students now, it sound like I’m reminiscing about the good old days, but it reallywas a remarkable moment in the history of condensed matter physics and superconductivity in general.”

Bonn credits the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIAR) for helping to create the highlycollaborate research environment that allows Canadian scientists to remain competitive. “Our contribution in the field really burst forth out of all proportion to our numbers and funding.” He andcolleagues Walter Hardy and Ruixing Liang at UBC’s Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Lab-

oratory (AMPEL) have set international benchmarks in fabricating and understand-ing the yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBCO), which is superconducting at 93°K. Bymeasuring how far microwaves penetrate into the superconducting fluid, they wereable to correctly measure itsdensity.

“We actually discovered afundamentally new flavour ofsuperconductor,” says Bonn.The electrons move in pairs thatare classed in a similar mannerto the orbitals of normal elec-trons. The electron pairs in con-ventional S-wave superconduc-tors have a uni form wavefunct ion. High temperatureYBCO superconductors haveasymmetric, cloverleaf shapedD-wave orbitals. The shape ofthe wave function determinesthe density of superconductingelectrons and their temperaturedependence. I t could a lsoshed light on why these

materials can paradoxically also exhibitantiferromagnetic insulating states.

“We know this to be an experi-mental fact, but the connection isnot yet well understood theoreti-cally,” says Bonn. Understanding thebasic physics behind these perplexingelectron pairs is the first step in discov-ering the real potential of these exotic materials.

P h y s i c s

UBC Physics Professor Doug Bonnis the recipient of a SteacieFellowship, UBC Killam ResearchPrize, BC Science and TechnologyAward, and the CAP HerzbergMedal

Zeroing in on Electrical Resistance

Microwave Applications Just as basic research in conventional superconductors

has led to the development of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), high temperature superconductors are being exploredfor use in high-speed trains, which float on superconductingmagnets, as well as for applications in power management,transmission and generation. Doug Bonn’s group at UBC hasbeen working with companies like Superconductor Tech-nologies in Santa Barbara to develop microwave filters forwireless applications.

Microwave frequencies used in wireless applicationshave a very narrow bandwidth on the electromagnetic spec-trum. The research done by UBC’s superconductivity groupis helping to build high-performance microwave filters thatallow companies to increase the capacity of this narrowbandwidth and selectively bridge bandwidth blocks.

While superconducting electron pairs shieldmicrowaves, single electrons absorb them. “D-wave elec-

tron pairs break apart very quickly with a smallincrease in temperature,” says Bonn. Since

microwave filters depend upon very lowmicrowave absorption, designing themrequires a very delicate balance.

“Our specialty is actually growing verypure, high quality crystals in order to under-

stand the fundamental properties of the mater-ial,” says Bonn. “That’s been the central quest of

our group since Walter Hardy started working on thisin 1987. And Ruixing Liang, our materials scientist, grows thebest crystals (left) of this kind in the world.”

Understanding the

properties of solids and

liquids fuels the largest

research field in

contemporary physics.

UBC condensed matter

physicist Doug Bonn is a

world-leader in the study

of high temperature

superconductors—one of

the most perplexing and

least understood

materials.

Photo: Ruixing Liang

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 6

MICHAEL BENNETT,M a t h e m a t i c s .

Research: Diophantine problems from a variety of per-spectives. “My true specialty is self-inflicted injuries, viasoccer, rock climbing and innovative cooking practices.”ALLAN BERTRAM, Atmospheric Chemistry. Research:chemical and physical processes important in the atmos-phere. “Our research goal is to improve the scientificunderstanding of such processes as tropospheric chem-istry, urban-air pollution, and climate change. Whennot in the lab, you can probably find me at a hockeyarena.”JENNIFER BRYAN, Statistics. Research. The developmentof statistical techniques for computational problemsarising in modern molecular biology research, particu-

larly in genomics. “Away from work, I indulgein the simple joys of gardening, cooking, dog-walking, and doing nothing at all.”JIM BRYAN , Mathematics. Research:

Geometry, Topology, and Algebraic Geom-etry. “I am currently enthralled by the

beauty and intricacy of the higherdimensional geometry in string theory.

When not thinking about

mathematics,I’m usually walking in the Endow-ment Lands with my wife Jenny and my dog Buzzy or play-ing jazz on my piano.”NANDO DE FREITAS, Computer Science. Research: Prob-abilistic Machine Learning. “My research is about design-ing computers that can learn. These learning devices playan important role in web search engines, data mining,genomics, and planetary exploration. This is an excitingfield with many future benefits for humankind.”

SUBRAMANIAN IYER, Chemistry: “My research interests arein the design and synthesis of ligands and study of macro-cyclic coordination complexes. I am also very muchinterested in teaching chemistry. When not at the benchor in the classroom I enjoy colour slide photography.”JUERGEN KAST, Chemistry/Biomedical Research Centre.Research: Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics. “FollowingSocrates’ dictum ‘I know that I know nothing,’ I use therichness of chemical structures and powerful analyticalmethods to try to understand the principles and mech-anisms of life on a microscopic level. In my spare time,I study life on a macroscopic level while hiking or trav-eling.”LAKS (VIRAVANALLUR SUNDARAM) LAKSHMANAN, ComputerScience. Research: Data management and mining. “Mymain focus is semantics, which entails asking questionslike: ‘what is the meaning of what I just computed?’ and

‘what is worth computing/mining fromthis data store?’

In my spare time, I listen to and reasonabout Carnatic music, South Indian classical music, oneof the most beautiful formal systems, which at onceengages the intellect and the senses.”XIN LI, Botany/Biotechnology Lab. Research: How plantsdefend themselves against pathogens. “So far I havealways been surprised and amazed by the adaptability ofplants. Next time you see sessile or stalkless plants, lookat them and ask: How can they survive if they cannot runfrom predators?” KEQIN LIU, Mathematics. Instructor. “I enjoy preparinglectures carefully and presenting them in an under-standable way. When I have time, I like to think aboutproblems in Lie algebras.”MARK MACLACHLAN, Chemistry. Research: Supramolec-

UBC’s Science Brain Gain

N e w F a c u l t y A p p o i n t m e n t s

Michael BennettMichael Bennett

Jennifer BryanJennifer Bryan

Nando de FreitasNando de Freitas

Juergen KastJuergen Kast

Xin LiXin Li

Mark MacLachlanMark MacLachlan

Serguei NovocelskiiSerguei Novocelskii

Matt RamerMatt Ramer

Greg MartinGreg Martin

Keqin LiuKeqin Liu

Laks (ViravanallurSundaram) LakshmananLaks (ViravanallurSundaram) Lakshmanan

Subramanian IyerSubramanian Iyer

Jim BryanJim Bryan

Allan BertramAllan Bertram

Greg Morton / UBC Media Groupexcept Martin and Scull by Thé Ha / UBC Mathematics

The Faculty of Science

welcomes new faculty

members with a glimpse

into their research and

their passions outside

of the lab.

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 7

ular materials chemistry—creating new elec-tronic and optical materials from molecules.“When I’m not playing in the lab, I like to con-template the natural materials in Pacific SpiritPark.”GREG MARTIN, Mathematics. Research: Numbertheory. “Prime numbers are the atoms of arith-metic: any number can be broken up into itsindivisible prime factors. Unfortunately, unlikethe atomic elements with their periodic table,the primes have a much more haphazard struc-ture. In my research I try to understand the reg-ularity and randomness of their distribution.”SERGUEI NOVOCELSKII, Mathematics. Instructor.“I believe that anyone can learn math—andenjoy it. I try to provide a comfortable, non-threatening learning environment and strive tomake mathematics an exciting subject by engag-ing students with a combination of group activ-

ities, challenging projects and Web resources.”MATT RAMER, Zoology/CORD (Collaboration onRepair Discoveries)/Neurosurgery. Research:Spinal cord injury and chronic pain. “In work,I am interested in the balance between sensa-

tion and perception after spinal cord injury. Inlife, I strive for balance generally, and enjoy

being active in music and the theatre.”ZINOVY REICHSTEIN, Mathematics. Research:

Lie theory, algebra,

algebraic geometry, invariant theory. “Mywork is mostly theoretical, but some of it dealswith more applied subjects, such as error-cor-recting codes and crystallography. The common

theme for much of what I do is the study of sym-metry in its many manifestations.”MOSHE ROZALI, Physics. Research: String The-ory, Quantum Field Theory and Quantum Grav-ity. “The work I do is aimed at modifying thestructure of theoretical physics. The basic ideais to replace point particles that dominated20th century physics, by extended object-strings, to allow for a quantum theory of grav-ity. Such theory is needed to investigate theearly universe, the physics of black holes andmany more fascinating problems.” LAURA SCULL, Mathematics. Research: Equi-variant algebraic topology. “My work involvesstudying the geometry of spaces with certainsymmetries. My favourite symmetries are rota-tions and I spend a lot of time thinking in cir-cles.”VESNA SOSSI, Physics. Research: “I am apply-ing physics tools to the understanding of brainfunction. My area of expertise is brain imagingusing positron emission tomography. Topicsof research include data quantification andreconstruction as well as biological interpre-tation of the images. And on a sunny day, hik-ing is a really good option!”YAN ALEXANDER WANG, Chemistry. Research:Theoretical/ computational quantum chemistryusing pencils, paper, blackboard, computers,human brains, and humour (but never chem-

icals!). “I enjoy readingbooks on philosophy, socialpsychology, poetry, and reli-gion, listening to classicalmusic, watching movies,

and most of all, practicingZen Buddhism.”

DONALD WITT , Physics.Research: Global tech-niques in classical andquantum gravity, and stringtheory. “In particular, Iwork on Topological cen-

sorship, AdS/CFT correspon-dence, and the Samle con-

jecture. I got into physicsbecause I have always beencurious as to how thingswork—and it’s an interest-

ing way to make a living. To relax, I enjoyspending time with my two sons and wife, cook-ing, and watching bad science-fiction on TV.”

T i d b i t s

dynamics ofSteller sea lions. Wong worked as a researchassistant, studying scat samples of captivesea lions. The job might not sound glam-orous, she admits, but comparing differencesin diet and available prey can shed light onwhy populations of Steller sea lions in BritishColumbia and Oregon are growing while pop-ulations of their Alaskan cousins are indecline.

Both Wong and Eaton say Co-op hashelped them focus their studies and realizethe importance of an in terdisc ip l inarygrounding. When asked if she had any wordsof wisdom to impart to fellow students, herresponse is: “Don’t limit yourself to lookingat jobs posted on a company’s website. Goafter what you really want to do.”

Co-op; cont'd from p. 10

ARC was designedfor mature students with a wide range ofbackgrounds and little or no programmingexperience. During the first eight months,classes are small and the program providesextra support and teaching assistance. Selec-tion is based on academic and personalachievement, as well as communications andlife skills. Although few “hard science” pre-requisi tes are required, the program isextremely challenging. ARC was initiated bySWIFT (Supporting Women in InformationTechnology). Currently 57 percent of gradu-ate and registered students are women. Theprogram is offered by UBC’s Computer Sci-ence Department with support from theNational Research Council, Information Sci-ence and Technology Agency, the Ministry ofWomen’s Equity, and approximately 20 com-panies in the IT sector.www.arc.cs.ubc.ca

ARC; cont'd from p. 3

a day. Las tJune, researchers added salt to the 1,000tonnes of heavy water in the detector. Thisallows them to count the total number ofneutrinos by counting neutrons, a by-prod-uct of the neutral current reaction betweenany type of neutrino and a deuteron. With theaddition of salt, neutrons emit an energeticgamma ray, detectable by Cerenkov radia-tion. The result is a much better measurementof the total neutrino emission rate from theSun.

Neutrino; cont'd from p. 2

Zinovy ReichsteinZinovy Reichstein

Laura ScullLaura Scull

Yan Alexander WangYan Alexander Wang

Donald WittDonald Witt

Vesna SossiVesna Sossi

Moshe RozaliMoshe Rozali

i s s u e 7 . 1 f a l l / w i n t e r 2 0 0 1 p a g e 8

CHEMISTS LOVE A GOOD CHEMICAL REACTION THE WAY MUSI-cians love a great score. But it took the anomalies of

the lanthanides metals—and better career prospects—to lure Laurel Schafer away from a professionin music. As a high-school student she played and taught piano, and as an undergrad she played organand directed her church choir. Now an assistant professor in Chemistry, Schafer is one of several newScience faculty members. She recently came to UBC after completing postdoctoral work at Berkeley.

Organometallic compounds, characterized by metal-carbon bonds, are natural materials withvery complex chemistry. An example is Vitamin B-12, which has an active site similar to hemoglobinand is a naturally occurring, metabolically important organometallic compound. It contains both organiccomponents (porphyrin and protein) and metal (cobalt).

Schafer is interested in lanthanide metals in particular because of their potential as reagents orcatalysts in organic chemistry. The lanthanides are inner-transition elements that have also been clas-sified as “rare earth metals,” although curiously they are not rare at all. Many are abundant innature, primarily as an aggregate of other oxides, but they are very difficult to extract and separate.

“They are quite intriguing from a fundamental perspec-tive because their basic chemistry remains largely unexplored,” saysSchafer. “From an applications perspective, in the last seven yearssome transformations have been discovered that are totally uniqueto the lanthanide series and can’t be accomplished by any other met-als.” They also display extremely low toxicity and are relatively inex-pensive, making them attractive metals for industrial applications.Lanthanide chelates are also used in biomedical diagnosis such as

MRI. Schafer’s interest is in pharmaceutical andtherapeutic applications.

Ligands are molecules or ions that are capa-ble of forming a complex with a central metalatom. When lanthanides are bound to chiral (non-superimposable) ligands, they can form catalyststhat selectively prepare either right-handed orleft-handed molecules in a chemical reaction (seesidebar). But the properties of the lanthanidesmake them very challenging metals to work with.Unlike other metals, there is little chemical dif-ference between lanthanide ions. However,their large ionic radii vary

dramatically in size. “Think of a lanthanideion as a big ball of positive charge that wantselectron density,” says Schafer. These ionsstrongly bind to oxygen and nitrogen. Conse-quently, lanthanide chemistry requires a glove boxand vacuum line techniques to avoid exposure to air.

Schafer and her lab have already prepared a widerange of ligands with tuneable electronics and sterics, orsize, to probe the reactivity of lanthanide metals. Since the ligandsof lanthanide complexes are easily exchanged with one another, itis important to incorporate multiple donor atoms to effectively“anchor” the ligand to the metal centre. “By encapsulating themetal in one of these multidentate frameworks, we hope to gener-ate more stable complexes with a wider range of reactivity,” saysSchafer. “The biggest problem with lanthanides is building a ligandthat will sufficiently take up the space around the metal centre, butleave enough space to do some chemistry.”

C h e m i s t r y

Assistant Professor Laurel Schafersees the learning experience “as adynamic and responsive system,”much like the chemistry sheteaches. In the lab she isinterested in asymmetry—outsideit she strives for balance.

Orchestrating Transformations

Organometallic chemist

Laurel Schafer studies

metal-carbon bonds and

their reactions, and

inorganic complexes that

assist in catalyzing

organic transformations.

She is trying to harness

the properties of certain

metals for use as

catalysts in chemical

transformations.

Chiral HandshakesOptical isomers, or enantiomers, are

molecules with structures that are non-superimposable mirror images of eachother. Their properties are identical inordinary chemical reactions, but differentin the presence of other chiral (or non-superimposable) molecules. Chiral lig-ands are used extensively inorganometallic chemistry for catalyticasymmetric transformations. LaurelSchafer and her lab are investigatingtheir application in lanthanide chemistry.

Normal chemical reactions result in a50-50 mix of right-handed and left-handed molecules. “But some naturaltransformations are selectively right-

handed or left-handed,”says Schafer, “so

the interest is tobe able to make

one or the other in thelab.” There are two

main ways to do this.The most commonis to use a chiral

auxiliary, or an add-on component that helps to funnel reac-tivity in a specific direction. The problemis that they also have to be removed,which is very costly and inefficient forindustrial applications.

Schafer’s approach is to create cata-lysts that can perform “chiral hand-shakes,” or interact with starting materi-als to make either right-handed orleft-handed products. In addition to beinga more efficient strategy for chemicalsynthesis, chiral handshakes are alsomuch more “friendly” to the environment.

From Aspinall et al. Organometallics, 2000, 19, 5416

THE REALM OF QUANTUM FIELD THEORY, STATISTICAL MECHANICS, AND

probability is Deep Space Nine for most people. But it’s aplace where David Brydges feels right at home. There is beauty and symmetry here, though the routeto finding it can be circuitous indeed. Brydges had all but abandoned his first successful program on“random” and “self-avoiding walks” to follow other strategies when his colleague and former grad-uate student Gordon Slade convinced him to move to UBC from theUniversity of Virginia, where he was Commonwealth Professor inMathematics and Physics.

A random walk is often described as a drunkard’s walk home.It stumbles around in circles and doubles back without a clue asto where it has already been. A self-avoiding walk is much morecomplex—imagine never being able to retrace your steps or crossthe same path. Both models are used to try to answer fundamen-tal questions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and com-puter science. For example, long-chain molecules, or polymers,were first modelled as random walks to compute their end-to-enddistance. Brydges points out the irony (consider the drunkardabove) and beauty of the formula: the end-to-end distance of a sim-ple random walk equals the square root of the number of steps—in any number of dimensions.

Unfortunately, monomers or subunits in long-chain moleculessuch as proteins and DNA like to fold up so that each is next to the“right sort” of neighbour. These intricately twisted molecules stillmanage to obey the law of physics that states no two atoms can

occupy the same space. “Conflict or contradic-tions, such as a protein monomer wanting to stickto itself without stepping on itself is a sign of ahard problem,” says Brydges. “Being a typicalmathematician, I try to simplify the problem.” Hestarted by using self-avoiding walks and whenthis proved too difficult, he used weakly self-avoiding walks—where the monomers couldoccupy the same place, but were mathematicallypunished if they did.

To do this, he and colleague Tom Spencer atthe Insti tute of Advanced Study in Princeton

devised a formula called the Lace Expansion (see sidebar) thatrewrites self-avoiding walks as random walks with larger steps.They were able to prove that these weakly self-avoiding walks hada similar square root end-to-end law—in five or more dimen-sions. But they still hadn’t found the holy grail—the end-to-enddistance of original self-avoiding walks in three and possiblytwo dimensions. Their enthusiasm waned.

“Gordon Slade then quickly solved self-avoiding walk prob-lems in dimensions much higher than five,” says Brydges. Eventu-ally, Slade and Takashi Hara from Nagoya University proved the bestpossible result. “They astonished me by showing that lace expan-sion is useful for many other problems.” Brydges is glad to beworking with Slade again on the next generation of this research,but he misses his colleagues in Virginia, particularly his appren-ticeship with a master carpenter. “I miss working with an oldfriend in the tactile three dimensions of wood.”

Taking the Long Way Home

Lace ExpansionComputer scientists can quickly

model practical answers to physicalproblems. Experimental physicistssearch for measurable results. Mathe-maticians such as David Brydges want tounderstand the mysteries of nature at thefundamental levels of beauty, simplicityand interrelatedness. His “lace expan-sion” formula uses graphs to express thecomplicated behaviour of self-avoidingwalks the way algebra uses letters torepresent unknown numbers. “Theinvention of algebra made calculationspossible that were unimaginable before,”says Brydges. “Feyman took the nextstep to show us how to replace algebrawith graphs.”

Lace-like graph formulas help mathe-maticians represent various patternsalong self-avoiding walks and calculatetheir end-to-end distances. “So we con-nect graph theory with algebra and ran-dom walks,” says Brydges. “But we alsofound connections with quantum fieldtheory.” He and John Imbrie from theUniversity of Virginia were able to com-pute the end-to-end distance of self-avoiding branched polymers in threedimensions. “It turns out that the gener-ating sum for branched polymers in three

dimensions equals the pressure forhard core gases in

onedimension.” His excite-ment is contagious. Whether or not weunderstand the scientific connection, thegeneral tenet is there. The apparentlyhaphazard tango of natural phenomenais choreographed and connected inunfathomable ways. The language ofmathematics is a way into the dance.

random walk

nonreversing walkself-avoiding walk

David Brydges is a

mathematician who likes

to tackle physical

problems. Finding the

exact formula to verify

experimental results can

be a transcendental

experience that takes

researchers on a

mathematical voyage of

hairpin turns in multi-

dimensions.

Canada Research Chair inMathematics David Brydgesbegan his distinguishedcareer at Cambridge, UK. Hehas taught at institutes inFrance and Switzerland andhe recently came to UBC fromthe University of Virginia.

Diagram: Brian Hayes / American Scientist

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M a t h e m a t i c s

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N o t e w o r t h y

DANIEL EATON AND MANDY WONG ARE TWO OF NEARLY 800 AMBI-tious undergrads that UBC’s Science Co-op program matches

with industry employers each year. Their stories clearly indicate the benefits of the program.Daniel Eaton, a third year science undergrad, doesn’t mind working hard; he’s currently completing

a combined honours degree in math and computer science—with a physics minor on the side. How-ever, he admits that his first co-op placement with MacDonald Dettweiler was a bit daunting. It wasn’t until three weeks into his term that his supervisor discovered he was a second-year undergrad,not a master’s student. His project involved digitizing aerial photographs of urban areas in order totranspose large images of roads and buildings into CAD maps. To screen the data from every photo-graph, human operators had to scroll through the images and precisely mark the vertex of each build-ing and each road intersection, a labour-intensive process that cost the company 300,000 man hoursper year.

Eaton and his two co-workers were given the task of semi-automating the process. At first, they triedreducing the number of “clicks” each operator had to make, but that approach proved to be too dif-ficult. Instead, they were able to reduce the precision of the clicks, so that the operators could markthe general corner, or vertex, of an image and the software would search for and refine it. “I endedup writing the production line software, which was pretty exciting,” Eaton says. He also wrote a 170-page document outlining his activities with the company. And his experience helped him get into a 500-level graduate course in image analysis. Eaton is looking forward to his upcoming work term—in Japan.

Mandy Wong, a fourth-year undergraduate in animal biology, always wanted to study marinemammals, particularly killer whales, but knew the field was highly competitive. “My hope was thatCo-op would give me the work experience and contacts to get into this field.” Her two placements tookher to opposite ends of the marine biology career spectrum—from examining the scat of Steller sealions to acting as interpretive guide on whale watching charters. “I actually got paid to watch killerwhales,” says Wong, who obviously loved her job with Stubbs Island Charters. It involved visually iden-tifying sea birds, porpoises and individual killer whales, as well as being responsible for passengerinformation, comfort and safety. “By the end of the charters I also was completely at ease giving classpresentations.”

Wong’s prior placement was with the North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium.One of the group’s main projects is to study the role of diet in the population

Creating Careers with Co-op

MATHEMATICAL STATISTICIAN CONSTANCE VAN EEDEN PIONEERED THE FIELD OF STATISTICS

when few women were in academia, and fewer still in mathematics. Her dis-tinguished career has spanned nearly five decades, with two books and over 60 articles to her credit.She has also supervised the work of fourteen PhDs. Honorary Professor of Statistics at UBC and Emer-

itus Professor at the University of Montreal, van Eeden's most recent awards includethe Henri Willem Methorst Medal from the International Statistical Institute and theGold Medal from the Statistical Society of Canada.

In 1960, she was invited to Michigan State as associate professor and there mether husband, statistician Charles Kraft. Van Eeden and Kraft moved to Montreal in1965 to spearhead the discipline of statistics at the University of Montreal. Threedecades later that university established the “Prix Constance-van-Eeden” to recog-nize her achievements. While she retired from U. Montreal thirteen years ago, andfrom teaching five years ago, van Eeden is still actively involved in research, muchof it with UBC Statistics head Jim Zidek. However, she admits she hasn’t touched datafor about 40 years. “All I do is prove theorems,” she says, with relish. She also editsthe journal Statistical Theory and Method Abstracts.

Van Eeden divides her time between her home in The Netherlands and heradopted home at UBC. In 2000 she generously donated $100,000 to establish anendowment for the Department of Statistics, which supports lecture programs, a res-

idency, summer school, and admission awards. Clearly statistics is her passion. “UBC has a small, verygood department,” she says. “I wanted my money to go to something I love.”

Constance van Eeden

cont'd on p. 7

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Phot

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Photo: Jackie Hancox

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B i t s & B y t e s

UBC Mathematicians receive Top Awards Mathematics head George Bluman was recently awarded the Canadian Mathematical Society’s 2001

Adrien Pouliot Prize for significant contribution to mathematics education in Canada. He alsoreceived the first Pacific Institute for Mathematical Science’s (PIMS) Education Prize. Brian Wettonwas co-winner of the first PIMS Industrial Outreach Prize. Nathan Ng was awarded the CanadianMathematical Society’s 2001 Doctoral thesis prize. Jingyi Chen won the 2001 Andre-Aisenstadt Prize,which recognizes achievements in pure and applied mathematics by young Canadianmathematicians.

Richer appointed Canadian Scientist for GeminiUBC astronomer Harvey Richer has been appointed the Canadian scientist for Gemini, aninternational astronomy project involving two of the world’s largest telescopes. The team, withmembers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile will build two eight-metertelescopes in Hawaii and Chile. Richer is responsible for coordinating the activities and he also sitson the Gemini board of directors.

Statisticians HonouredProfessor Nancy Heckman was named Fellow of the American Statistical Association for exceptionalindividual achievement in the advancement of statistics. This annual designation is only awarded toone-third of one percent of the Association’s total membership. Statistics head James Zidek has beenawarded the Distinguished Achievement Medal by the American Statistical Association for hisoutstanding contribution as a statistical scientists working on environmental problems.

Knorr, Ng and Zamar collaborate on Best PaperRaymond Ng and Ruben Zamar, faculty members in Computer Science and Statistics, and ComputerScience PhD student Edwin Knorr received the Best Paper Award from the 2001 ICM SIGInternational Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining.

Royal Society of Canada Elects Five New Members from ScienceTom Tiedge (Physics), David Dolphin (Chemistry), Brett Finlay and Terry Snutch (Biotechnology Lab),and Dolph Schluter (Zoology) were all recently elected to the Royal Society of Canada. MatthewChoptuik (Physics) was awarded the Royal Society of Canada Rutherford Medal in recognition of hiswork in Numerical General Relativity.

Zoologist wins NSERC Steacie FellowshipZoologist Sarah Otto was one of six Canadian recipients of this year’s NSERC Steacie Fellowship forher pioneering work in evolutionary genetics. Steacie Fellowships are awarded to outstandingCanadian scientists or engineers who have earned their doctorate within the last twelve years.

Hancock receives Order of CanadaBob Hancock, Canada Research Chair in Genomics and Health, was named as an officer of the Orderof Canada. His work in antibiotic resistance has led to the development of a new class of antibiotics.Hancock directs UBC’s Centre for Microbial Disease and Host Defence Research.

Keeling, Ramer and Perrin receive Michael Smith Foundation AwardsPatrick Keeling (Botany), Matt Ramer (Zoology/CORD/Neurosurgery) and David Perrin (Chemistry) arerecipients of the first-ever career awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.The Foundation’s Scholar Awards of up to $80,000 annually are given to promising young researchersin health sciences.

Klawe and Gass named Top EducatorsScience Dean Maria Klawe was recently named Educator of the Year at the Canadian New MediaAwards in Toronto, and Science and Technology Champion of the Year by the Science Council ofBritish Columbia. Lee Gass, associate professor in Zoology, was named Top Canadian Professor ofthe Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), in recognition of hisdedication to teaching and community service.

Did you know . . .UBC Science hiredover 30 new facultymembers in 2001.

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UBC Science Synergy is published by the Faculty of ScienceUniversity of British Columbia

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university are reflected in the success of our alumni. AsDean of Science for UBC, I am proud to say that our science graduates rank among the top in Canadaand the world. We also know that many of our science alumni have gone on to successful careers inindustry, education, government, as well as science-related fields. Many juggle busy work scheduleswith raising families and pursuing personal interests.

We would like to hear about where you are now, what you are doing, and what role your UBC science education has played in your career—whether it is in science or another field entirely. Wealso want to make sure we are offering our alumni the right opportunities to stay in touch and to participate in faculty activities. For example, Science alumni provide enthusiastic support for the Science Career Expo, helping undergraduates to explore career options.

Over the years, however, we have noticed that science graduates don’t often participate in generalalumni events—but you do come out to Faculty of Science alumni events. Our annual Sharks versusCanucks games in San Jose have been a resounding success. We want to hold more events like this,and we would like your input. Also, we would like to profile alumni in upcoming issues of Synergyand share your stories and achievements with our 27,000 readers.

Please take a moment to answer the following briefquestionnaire and mail it back to us (or submit it online atwww.science.ubc.ca/alumni). I look forward to meetingwith many of you at future events—and to reading aboutyour successes.

Calling all UBC Science Alumni

DR. MARIA KLAWE

Dean of Science

Science Dean Maria Klawe,computer scientist, artist,mother—and occasional juggler."Our graduates go on to pursue avariety of wonderful endeavours.We want to know how they aredoing, and what we can do betterin these changing times."