A new study suggests that traditional learning activities like making notes remain critical for students’ reading comprehension and retention, while also suggesting that large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, could be a useful tool for helping students clarify, explore, and contextualise learning material.

Biases in AI’s models and algorithms can actively harm some of its users and promote social injustice. Documented biases have led to different medical treatments due to patients’ demographics and corporate hiring tools that discriminate against female and Black candidates.

New research from Texas McCombs suggests both a previously unexplored source of AI biases and some ways to correct for them: complexity.

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.