Heather Wiebe

Heather Wiebe is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Vancouver Island University (VIU), where she joined in Fall 2020. Previously, she was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh, studying quantum phase changes in hydrogen under extreme high pressure. Her expertise spans computational chemistry, molecular dynamics methods, and the behavior of chemical and physical systems under extreme conditions. She focuses on how biological systems like proteins and lipid membranes respond to pressure, particularly adaptations in deep-sea organisms.

Education:

• BSc from University of the Fraser Valley (UFV)
• PhD from Simon Fraser University (SFU)

Teaching: She currently teaches first-year chemistry (CHEM 141/142) and Physical Chemistry (CHEM 241) at VIU.

Research Interests: Her work integrates computational modeling to explore pressure effects on biological systems, leveraging advanced methods to simulate extreme environmental conditions. This includes studying adaptations in deep-sea organisms and the structural dynamics of biomolecules under high-pressure scenarios.