Berry Environmental Resilience Research & Innovation Lab
Dr. Lauren Erland’s Lab at The University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack Campus
Ey swayél. The BERRi Lab is based on the Canada Education Park Campus of the University of the Fraser Valley on the territory of the Stó:lō People (People of the River) in Ts’elxwéyeqw (Chilliwack) Tribal Territory which comprises seven communities: Ăthelets (Aitchelitz), Shxwhá:y (Shxwa:y Village), Sq’ewqéyl (Skowkale), Sxwoyehálá (Squiala), Th’ewá:li (Soowahlie), Ch’íyáqtel (Tzeachten), and Yeqwyeqwí:ws (Yakweakwioose). We are uninvited guests on this land and are grateful to be able to live, learn and work here. We encourage others to learn on whose land you reside and recommend native-land.ca as a helpful first resource, and if you are in BC The BC Assemble of First Nations map. Some resources on the Ha'lq’eméylem language and pronunciation are available here and through the Stó:lō Nation here and here.
In the BERRI Lab all Ways of Knowing are valued, diversity is celebrated, and most importantly plants are the coolest! Welcome!
The BERRI Lab is a CFI funded research lab. We have instrumentation for untargeted and targeted metabolomics studies, in particular of plant hormones & plant growth regulators (Bruker Elute+ with Bruker Impact II q-TOF with VIP HESI source), plant tissue culture and micropropagation (Autoclave, Class A2 biosafety cabinets), bioactivity screening (microplate assays) and fruit quality assessment. The lab space supports our field and lab based activities.
If you are interested in collaborating, or wish to inquire about graduate student or trainee positions, or support for fellowship (e.g. NSERC) applications please reach out directly by email @ lauren.erland@ufv.ca or check out the Join Us page.
For information on the BERRi Research Centre please visit the UFV Website for the Centre here!
Dr. Lauren Erland
Assistant Professor & Canada Research Chair, Tier II in Berry Horticulture
PhD Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph (2019)
MSc Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UBC Okanagan (2015)
Dr. Lauren Erland runs the Berry Environmental Resilience Research and Innovation (BERRI) Lab and is Director of the associated BERRI Research Centre which aims to enhance sustainability and resilience of berry horticultural systems in the Fraser Valley & beyond. Her research focuses on understanding how plants perceive and respond to changes in their environments, through the language of plant hormones. She is interested in how this can be applied to understand and predict climate change resilience and vulnerability of Canadian plant species. She has a particular interest in Vaccinium species (cranberry, huckleberry, lingonberry, blueberry), understanding how traditional and commercial species respond to stress, to promote food security and sovereignty.
Dr. Erland also serves as Communications Director for the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (www.cspb-scbv.ca), is a fellow of the Explorer’s Club (FI’19 www.explorers.org) and is a Expedition Botanist with Adventure Canada (www.adventurecanada.com).
Dan Gaudet
PhD Student
Daniel Gaudet is a PhD student at University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus. Dan’s research interest involves the metabolomic and hormonomic changes in response to environmental stress. By using a combination of tissue culture models, analytical chemistry techniques and microscopy, he hopes to better understand how plants develop and deal with temperature stress. His work will hopefully lead to the development of strategies to improve crop resiliency in the face of climate uncertainty.
Pawan Kaur Sandhu
Research Associate
Pawan is a PhD Candidate and Vanier Scholar based at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Her research explores a fundamental question: how many amino acids exist in nature? By integrating analytical chemistry techniques with machine learning algorithms, she is developing a comprehensive mass spectrometry-based toolkit to analyze non-protein amino acids in biological samples. To support this work, she has developed a web-based tool called aminoacidDB for discovery and putative identification of amino acids from untargeted metabolomics datasets.
Casandra Smit
Undergraduate Researcher
Fabiola Cruz Alderete
Research Assistant, Directed Study Researcher & Work Study
Currently pursuing her second year in the Bachelor of Environmental Studies with a minor in Global Development at UFV, she has a particular interest in ecology and conservation, which she shares through her Cascade column, *The Environmentalist*. After graduating university, she hopes to attend graduate school to become an environmental researcher.
Sophia Rose-Snelgrove
Undergraduate Researcher
Sophia is an undergraduate student at the University of the Fraser Valley pursuing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Economics. Since she can remember, she has always had an interest in plants and health. She is fascinated by how changes in environment can influence the nutritional value of medicinal crops, their economic implications and the broader role of nutrition in chronic disease. After graduating, Sophia desires to pursue a master's degree in human nutrition.
Lainey Peters
Undergraduate Researcher, Directed Study
Lainey is an undergraduate student at UFV, majoring in Biology while completing a minor in philosophy. Her parents spoke about plants and nature with such fondness; it caused Lainey to develop an intrinsic love for the environment. Her current interests reside in genetics, evolution, and ecophysiology.
Portia McCracken
Directed Study Researcher
Portia McCracken is an undergraduate student at UFV, majoring in Biology with a minor in French. Working in the BERRI Lab under Dr. Lauren Erland, her research focuses on blueberry hormone responses to drought stress, with the goal of supporting plant breeding efforts in the Fraser Valley. She is particularly interested in plant breeding and crop improvement and plans to pursue graduate studies after completing her undergraduate degree. Through her research, she hopes to explore how plant science can contribute to developing resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.
Naomi Comeau
Directed Study Researcher
Naomi is an undergraduate student at the University of the Fraser Valley in the Environmental Studies – Natural Sciences program. Growing up on an acreage in the east coast, she was always surrounded by nature and developed a strong connection to the natural environment. She is interested in ecology, conservation, and studying the impacts of climate change
Jamie Durow
Master of Biotechnology Student
Jamie is a Master of Biotechnology student at UBC Okanagan. During his Bachelor of Science in Biology, he developed a strong interest in plant science and completed an honours thesis focused on plant-fungal symbiosis. Throughout his studies, he also concentrated on molecular cloning, tissue culture and is now building experience in natural product organic chemistry through a project on kelp extracts. After completing his master's degree, Jamie plans to continue pursuing a career in plant biotechnology.
Emily Foster
Research Assistant, Work Study, Directed Study & NSERC USRA Student
Emily is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology at the University of the Fraser Valley. She is currently assisting with the LeafHope project, contributing to the monitoring of leafhopper populations in strawberry and blueberry fields across the Lower Mainland. Her experience in marine science, plant and invertebrate identification, tissue culture, water quality monitoring, invasive species surveys, and plant stress tolerance has inspired her intent to pursue a master's degree in environmental biology.
Lillian Gilbricht
Directed Study Student
Lillian is an undergraduate student at the University of the Fraser Valley, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Her interests in ecology, wildlife, and conservation have grown through her academic studies, field experiences, and work with animals. She is particularly interested in understanding how species interact with their environments and how scientific research can contribute to the conservation and management of ecosystems. After completing her undergraduate degree, Lillian plans to pursue graduate studies in conservation ecology and a career focused on wildlife and environmental conservation.
Ava Kauppi
Research Assistant/Technician, NSERC USRA, Directed Study Researcher
Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of the Fraser Valley in the Environmental Studies – Natural Sciences program. Growing up, she spent much of her time hiking and in the outdoors, which grew a strong interest in nature and environmental conservation. She is particularly interested in understanding natural systems and how they can be protected and managed sustainably. After completing her undergraduate degree, Ava plans to pursue a career in environmental management.
PREVIOUS POSTDOCS
Sarah Lane (2024 - 2026), Senior Lab Instructor, University of Victoria
PREVIOUS STUDENTS:
2025 - 2026
Anna Williams, Research Assistant, LeafHope: Leafhopper monitoring in BC blueberry and strawberry fields
Karen Quispe, ELAP Research Intern
Léa Coudry, Research Intern
Yowana Kanyumwa, Directed Study, Polyphenolic contents of apple genotypes with differing peel colours
Alisha Thandi, Research Assistant, Optimizing transport conditions in Lavandula
2024 - 2025
Vanessa Budo, Directed Study Student, Determination of karrikin content of soils 5-years post burn
Stéfhane Brachmann, ELAP Research Intern
Coral Che Research Assistant, Directed Study Student, Development of tissue culture methods for Rubus spectabilis
Rosa Sprungman, Directed Study, Evaluating the Microbiometer
Sebastian Molina Ticas, Honours Student, Karrikin impacts on Vaccinium germination
Susan Gu, Directed Study, Gibberellin effects on Fragaria germination
Haley Dekker, Elílá:lhp (Salmonberry) Rubus spectabilis:Softwood & Semi-Hardwood Cuttings Propagation Trial
Kiona Zacher, Directed Study Student, Smoke exposure effects on growth and chlorophyll in strawberry
Nykita Wigley, USRA, Impacts of in-field warming on cranberry
2023-2024
Isabelle Siemens, Directed Study Student, Can cranberry chemical communicate climate change?
Nandish Khandelwal, Directed Study Student, Exploring the potential of microalgae carbon capture waste as a soil amendment in strawberry cultivation
Rajpal Singh Mann, Effect of soil fertilizer patchiness on biomass in new cranberry field establishment
Elisha Marks, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Cranberry responses to in field warming
Alison Goeres, Directed Study Student, Effects of bioenhancer on soil quality, growth and microbiome in strawberry
Deepinder Sandhu, Directed Study Student, Impacts of in-field warming on cranberry quality & antioxidant capacity
Thomas Johnston, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Responses of strawberries to bioenhancer and fertilizer regimes
Weston Johnsrude, Directed Study Student, Non-target impacts of agricultural applications of melatonin
Alex Pennock, Directed Study Student, Impact of smoke-derived plant growth regulating molecules on native and endemic Okanagan plants
Stephanie Laframboise, Directed Study/Work Study Student, Impacts of environmental warming on cranberry phenology and stress
2022-2023
Mack Frost, Directed Study Student, Can GA3 and tryptophan increase flower production in strawberry?
Tyler Osterbeck, Internship Student, Re-vegetation after the Christie Mountain Wildfire
David Gardner, Directed Study Student, Antioxidant potential of cranberries