Past Contributors
We are grateful to our past investigators who collectively, together with their students, contributed greatly to a broad range of dairy science topics. Their innovation and hard work has provided a strong foundation that current scientists and students continue to build upon.
Research Profiles of Past Contributors
Jim Thompson
Founding Director, UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre
Professor Emeritus
Jim was the founding director of UBC’s Dairy Education and Research Centre and led its expansion from 1997 until his retirement in 2018. He recruited faculty members who brought diverse research skills to the Dairy Centre, and oversaw construction of cattle facilities and a state-of-the-art 32-bed student residence, as well as onsite labs and meeting spaces. He opened the doors of the Dairy Centre to community members, and was a strong supporter of the dairy industry in B.C. and beyond.
Jim obtained a BSc and MSc at UBC before graduating with a PhD from the University of California, Davis. His most recent work included characterization of branched chain amino acid; methionine and glutamine metabolism in skeletal muscles from mammalian and avian species; and determination of the regulation of skeletal muscle protein turnover by glutamine, ketone bodies and environmental temperature. He also explored the metabolic response of large animals to stressors, emphasizing dairy cattle as an experimental model animal.
Victor Lo
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Victor Lo obtained a BSc from National Taiwan University (1967), an MSc from the University of Hawaii (1970), a PhD from the University of Massachusetts (1975). He served as an Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Nova Scotia prior to becoming a faculty member at UBC in 1980. Victor’s research focused on biological process applications in waste treatment and applications of microwave enhanced advanced oxidation processes in solid reduction, nutrients solubilization and recovery from organic slurries. His work led to advancements in the treatment of swine waste and improvements in composting practices in many B.C. communities. Victor also served as the Director of the UBC/UNBC Environmental Engineering program.
Raja Rajamahendran
Professor Emeritus (in memoriam)
After undergraduate studies in Sri Lanka, followed by MSc and PhD work at McGill University, Raja launched into research at UBC. His interests included investigating GnRH-R and GnRH systems in ovaries, reproductive tracts, gametes and early embryos using molecular techniques to understand its role in ovarian/oviduct/uterine function, sperm function, fertilization and early embryo development. In addition, he researched reduced fertility in post-partum dairy cows by comparing in vivo and in vitro progesterone synthesis, genes associated with corpus luteum function, embryo quality, and uterine environment. He also worked on developing reproductive technologies to advance post-partum ovarian activity and develop in-vitro tests to predict fertility of dairy bulls.
James (Jim) A. Shelford
Professor Emeritus (in memoriam)
Jim was an integral part of the establishment of the Dairy Education and Research Centre. His research activities spanned a broad range of topics related to dairy and forage production in which he mentored many Canadian and international students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists.
His work was often collaborative with industry and supported by numerous agencies including NSERC, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, and various industry partners.
In consultation with Jim and his family, the Faculty has established an endowed scholarship that will provide financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students whose studies are related to dairy production.
