JT Cornelis awarded a UBC Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship
March 11, 2025 – As a soil scientist, Dr. Jean-Thomas Cornelis studies how small processes in the soil affect large-scale ecosystems and their ability to resist and recover from environmental challenges. He’s been named one of six UBC faculty members to receive a Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship, enabling him to expand the reach and depth of his work on ecosystem resilience and Indigenous-led land stewardship. UBC’s Killam Accelerator Research Fellowships are awarded annually to six early career researchers (within 15 years of PhD) with the goal of supporting exceptional research across all disciplines.
His team at UBC’s SoilRes3 Lab works on understanding the complex relationships between soil, plants, and people across different cultural and environmental settings; as an example of this work, they collaborate closely with Indigenous communities in British Columbia and in Western Burkina Faso, aiming to restore traditional land-care practices that enhance soil health and strengthen ecosystems. This collaboration respects Indigenous knowledge and practices, helping to bring new insights to soil science.
Members of the SoilRes3 Lab work to listen, ask questions, take feedback and create impact-driven research with the aim to shift conventional thinking towards fluid approaches and greater environmental justice. Through respect and reciprocity in relationships, the team works towards decolonizing the discipline of soil science to support the efforts of the land to maintain homeostasis. The health of soil, land and people are inextricably intertwined, and the SoilRes3 lab conducts interdisciplinary research on soil genesis to understand how microscale processes drive macroscale ecosystem properties and resiliency. Rooted in soil-plant feedback, this work in pedology explores the intricate land and people relationships in diverse eco-cultural contexts, striving to enhance ecosystem resilience, resistance and restoration.
Dr. Cornelis’ research has a positive impact on society, culture, and the environment by integrating Indigenous knowledge with modern soil science to improve the health and resilience of ecosystems. This approach brings valuable insights into how communities can sustainably manage natural resources based on place-based knowledge, which is especially important as climate change and environmental degradation threaten food security and biodiversity. By studying and reintroducing traditional practices, such as Indigenous forest gardening and soil care, Dr. Cornelis’ work highlights how these methods can enhance soil fertility and ecosystem stability without the need for synthetic inputs. This helps preserve natural habitats and promotes a form of agriculture that respects and works with the land, benefiting both human and environmental health.
On a cultural and community level, Dr. Cornelis’ commitment to working with Indigenous peoples fosters respect and reciprocity, acknowledging the value of Indigenous land and environment systems that have supported ecosystems for thousands of years. By honouring these practices and collaborating closely with First Nation partners, his research helps to bridge the gap between western science and traditional ecological knowledge, creating a richer, more inclusive understanding of how to care for the Earth.
Through this work, Dr. Cornelis and his team are contributing to the growth and development of a more sustainable, equitable world, where research and education systems come together to address some of the pressing environmental and equity challenges of our time.
Read more about the other recipients of the 2024 Faculty Research Awards here.
Tagged with: Applied Biology, Awards, Faculty, Indigenous, Soil Science