Maya Kopylova

Maya Kopylova is a Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She specializes in mantle dynamics, kimberlite petrology, and diamond formation. Her work focuses on understanding the composition and thermal evolution of cratonic lithospheric mantle using kimberlite xenoliths and diamond inclusions. She has held visiting researcher positions at institutions including ETH Zurich and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Education:

• M.Sc. Lomonosov Moscow State University (USSR)
• Ph.D. Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow (USSR)

Research Interests:

• Petrology and volcanology of kimberlites
• Mineral inclusions and fluid studies in diamonds
• Cratonic mantle evolution and metasomatism
• Mantle xenolith characterization
• Carbonatite-mantle interactions

Awards & Grants:

• NSERC University Faculty Award (2000–2006)
• Royal Society Visiting Researcher Grant (2007)
• Guest Professorship at ETH Zurich (2014)

Labs & Collaborations: Active in the Diamond Exploration Laboratory at UBC, collaborating on projects involving kimberlite systems in Canada, Russia, and Africa. Key research sites include the Slave Craton, Superior Craton, and North Atlantic Craton.