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About Us
The Mass Spectrometry Team Training and Transition (MaST3) Program is a forward-thinking initiative designed to enhance graduate training in mass spectrometry (MS) through a team-based and interdisciplinary approach. The program received a 6-year funding from NSERC/CRSNG in addition to support from several universities, research institutes, and hospitals across British Columbia (BC). The core mission of MaST3 is to equip graduate students with advanced technical proficiency in MS and essential professional skills for careers in biotechnology, academia and the public sector.
Sponsors
Announcements
Our first MaST3 professional skill workshop on Mentorship was successfully held on August 27th, 2025. We thank senior graduate students Heather Baker and Ryan Wong from the Mayor lab gave a great talk on mentorship in research labs and shared their mentoring experiences with our trainees and the BMB students.
Program
MaST3 aims to equip students with advanced MS expertise alongside job-ready, transferable skills, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration.
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A cornerstone of MaST3 is its collaborative, problem-solving model: graduate students from diverse backgrounds will come together—away from their home institutions—to work on a team project focused on developing novel MS applications. The program promotes mobility and cross-pollination of ideas within BC’s vibrant MS research ecosystem.MaST3 also places strong emphasis on outreach to underrepresented groups in STEM and engagement with the private sector through networking events and industry-focused activities. While selected trainees will receive a short-term scholarship of $20,000 during the team project period at host labs, all applicants will benefit from continuous support throughout their graduate studies. This includes mentorship, hands-on workshops, lab visits, industry seminars, networking opportunities, and more—designed to help students grow into highly skilled professionals with adaptable career paths.
Overall, MaST3represents a pioneering initiative to reshape graduate training in mass spectrometry—preparing students for impactful careers in both academia and industry, while fostering collaboration and innovation across BC.​​​
Region | Initial Incubator Space |
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Vancouver General Hospital (Breathomics)
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BC Children’s Hospital (High-throughput Sampling)
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St. Paul’s Hospital (Clinical Chemistry)
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UBC Okanagan (Plant Signaling)
Lower Mainland
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Chemistry (Computational MS)
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Michael Smith Labs (Single-cell proteomics)
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Land & Food Systems (Food & Safety)
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Life Sciences Institute (Metabolomics)​
UBC Point Grey
Simon Fraser University
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SFU (Post-translational modifications)
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University of Victoria (Metabolomics)
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Vancouver Island University (Opioids & Environmental Sciences)
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BC Cancer Victoria (Immunoengineering)
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Genome BC Proteomic Centre (Tissue Imaging)
Vancouver Island
Activities
Discover workshops and activities MaST3 offers and MS symposiums, conferences, and seminars
​Workshops on technical skills
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VAMS-PPI workshop
In collaboration with MaST3, VAMS offers a workshop on interactome analysis of MS data.
When: October 8th, 2025 6pm-8pm.
Where: Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre, room DHCC 1-020
Click here to check out workshop and registration details.
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MS workshop series
Dr. Huan Tao from the Department of Chemistry at UBC offers a hybrid workshop series "Modern MS for Biological and Environmental Research"
When: September- November 2025. Every Friday 12pm-1pm.
Where: UBC Chemistry Building, room D215 / Zoom (request link from MaST3 Program Coordinator)
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Click here to check out workshop and registration details.
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​Workshops on professional skills​​
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Workshop on team-building
Professor Jon Evans from UBC Sauder School of Business offers a full-day, in-person workshop on Essential skills and abilities to excel in team-working environments.
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When: October 16th, 2025
Where: Michael Smith Laboratories, room 101
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Click here to check out workshop and registration details.
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