Her duties will include all aspects of the research portfolio, with specific responsibilities for initiatives in the social sciences and humanities.
Werker is currently a professor of psychology and associate dean in the Faculty of Arts.
"I look forward to working with Dr. Werker and I know that she will be a valuable addition to our office," said Bernie Bressler, vice-president, Research.
As a developmental psychologist, Werker has gained an international reputation for her research examining the development processes in infancy that make possible the emergence of language. She has active laboratories both on the UBC campus and at Women's Hospital and Health Centre of B.C.
Her research, which is interdisciplinary and cross-cultural in nature, has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and industry.
She has received several awards for her research including the Alumni Prize for Research in the Social Sciences in 1990, and a Killam Research Prize in 1991.
In addition to her research activities, Werker has taken part in many service activities for the granting councils, and is currently a group chair in the life sciences and a member of NSERC's standing committee on research grants.