Associate Professor
Canada Research Chair in Breath Science and Technology (Tier 1)
Office: CHBE 423
Email: jane.hill@ubc.ca
Website: hilllab.chbe.ubc.ca
Research Summary
Biotechnology, breath analysis and transcriptomics, respiratory infections – viral, bacterial, and fungal
Education
Yale University, 2006, Ph.D.
Yale University, 2002, M.S.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1996, M.S.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1995, B.S.
Research interests + projects
We apply some of the most sophisticated analytical tools available to determine the applications and limits of ‘omics, particularly breath analysis and transcriptomics, working with collaborators from around the world. In our basic science work, we are keen to understand the origins and consequences of the volatile molecules we find in breath and the transcripts in blood. A particular focus is on respiratory infections – viral, bacterial, and fungal – however, we are also interested other human and animal diseases. Our work over the past several years shows great promise, particularly for bacterial infections.
Awards and honours
Lead, Human Breath Atlas, 2021 –
Chair, International Association of Breath Research (IABR) 2023 – 2025
The Power List: The Top 100, The Analytical Scientist, 2019
Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 2019
Anton Ammon Prize, International Association of Breath Research (IABR), 2018
Scholarly and professional activities + affiliations
Chair (2023-2025) the International Association for Breath Research (IABR)
Lead Human Breath Atlas
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Selected publications
Nouri N, Sun N, Hill JE. A feasibility study of sample re-collection in the analysis of selected volatile compounds in breath samples using GC×GC-TOFSM. J Chromatogr A 2024, 1730, 465125. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465125
Marsh RL, Hashemi M, Mwanza M, O’Farrell HE, Versteegh LA, Heshmati A, Anteneh Y, Yerkovich ST, Marchant JM, Chang AB, Hill JE. Assessing the feasibility of breath collection from conscious young children to support volatilome analysis: insights into age limitations and breath sampling requirements. J. Breath Res. 19 026009. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1752-7163/adbc12
Richard DeCurtis, Yongtae Ahn, Jane Hill, and Sara Hashmi. Rigid body rotation and chiral reorientation combine in filamentous E. coli swimming in low-Re flows. Physics of Fluids. Vol 38. Issue 3. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0302523
Sun N, Ochoa G, Gao A, Hill JE. Application of Breath Volatile Compounds Analysis for Tuberculosis Detection: A Comprehensive Review. Tuberculosis. Vol 158. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2026.102748