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At UBC Science, outstanding scientists and students strive to unravel the principles that underlie our universe - from the subatomic to the macroscopic, from pure mathematics to biotechnology, from ecosystems to galactic systems. Through the breadth and depth of our academic endeavours and the calibre of the people who make up our community, we take pride in discovering new scientific knowledge and preparing Canada’s and the world’s next generation of scientists.

A diverse range of highly ranked programs

With access to master’s and doctoral degrees through nine departments and 350 research groups, our graduate students work with world-class faculty to explore the basic sciences, and to pursue interdisciplinary and applied research across departments and units. UBC’s research excellence in environmental science, math, physics, plant and animal science, computer science, geology and biology is consistently rated best in Canada by international and national ranking agencies.

Committed to outstanding graduate training

UBC Science houses a wide range of prestigious NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience and related industry programs: from atmospheric aerosols to high-throughput biology, from biodiversity research and ecosystems services to plant cell wall biosynthesis, from quantum science and new materials to applied geochemistry. The options for enriched graduate training in industry related fields are almost endless.

World-class research infrastructure

Our affiliated institutes and centres include UBC's Michael Smith Laboratories, Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, Biodiversity Research Centre, Life Sciences Institute, Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, Mineral Deposit Research Unit, and TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics.

Top research talent

UBC Science boasts more than 50 Canada Research Chairs, 12 fellows of the Royal Society of London, and has been home to two Nobel Laureates. Our graduate students have won 15 prestigious Vanier Scholarships.

A diverse, supportive community of scholars

UBC Science is committed to excellence, collaboration and inclusion. Women account for 41 per cent of the Faculty's graduate enrollments, and the percentage of international students has increased to 50 per cent over the past decade.

Mission
To nurture an exceptional scientific learning and research environment for the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.
 

Research Centres

Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology

Computational Sciences and Mathematics

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Genomics and Biological Sciences

Human-Computer Interaction

Life Sciences

Chemistry and Materials Science

Physics

Sustainability

Research Facilities

Designed to inspire collaboration and creativity across disciplines, the new Earth Sciences Building (ESB) lies at the heart of the science precinct on UBC’s Vancouver Campus. The $75 million facility is home to Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Statistics, the Pacific Institute of the Mathematical Sciences, and the dean’s office of the Faculty of Science. ESB’s updated teaching facilities will help Canada meet the challenges of a transforming and growing resource sector. Just as importantly, the researchers and students working and learning in the new facility will offer a valuable flow of well-trained talent, new ideas, and fresh professional perspectives to industry.

Research Highlights

Receiving more than $120 million in annual research funding, UBC Science faculty members conduct top-tier research in the life, physical, earth and computational sciences. Their discoveries help build our understanding of natural laws—driving insights into sustainability, biodiversity, human health, nanoscience and new materials, probability, artificial intelligence, exoplanets and a wide range of other areas.

UBC Science boasts 50 Canada Research Chairs and 10 fellows of the Royal Society of London, and has been home to two Nobel Laureates. 

Schools / Departments

Department

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Jellinek, Mark Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Volcanology, Geodynamics, Planetary Science, Geological Fluid Mechanics
Jetter, Reinhard Department of Botany, Department of Chemistry Analytical Chemistry; Plant Ecophysiology; Plant Biochemistry; Molecular Genetics; Biological Chemistry
Joe, Harry Sue Wah Department of Statistics Statistics; Statistics and Probabilities; copula construction; dependence modelling; extreme value inference; non-normal time series; parsimonous high-dimensional dependence
Johnson, Pauline Department of Microbiology & Immunology Diseases of the Immune System; Immunology; Inflammation; Immune-cancer interactions; Innate immunity; Macrophages and myeloid cells
Johnson, Catherine Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Lunar geophysics, Evolution of Mars' Magnetic Field and Atmosphere
Johnson, Mark Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; Natural environment sciences; Agriculture; Biogeochemistry; Carbon cycle; Climate Changes and Impacts; data science; Ecohydrology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Fresh Water; Ground Water and Water Tables; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Land and Soil; land use; Running Water Hydrosystem; Water and Sustainability
Jones, David Department of Physics & Astronomy Atomic, optical and molecular physics,Ultrafast Optics, Spectroscopy
Karczmarek, Joanna Department of Physics & Astronomy Physical sciences; Emergent spacetime and gravity; Matrix models; Noncommutative geometry; String theory
Karu, Kalle Department of Mathematics Algebraic geometry, toric varieties, log geometry, combinatorics of fans and posets
Keeling, Patrick John Department of Botany Molecular evolution and cell biology of eukaryotes
Kennedy, Lori Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geological science, structural geology, development of large-scale fault systems and shear zones, displacements, fluid-rock interactions, strain localization, confining pressure
Kiczales, Gregor Department of Computer Science MOOCs, Blended Learning, Flexible Learning, University Strategy for Flexible and Blended Learning, Computer Science Education, Programming Languages, Programming languages, aspect-oriented programming, foundations, reflections and meta programming, software design
Kim, Young-Heon Department of Mathematics Partial Differential Equations and Geometry
King, Kayla Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Zoology
Kopylova, Maya Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences diamond ore deposits, Diamond exploration, petrology and volcanology
Korthauer, Keegan Department of Statistics Bioinformatics; Genomics; Statistics; Epigenomics; Single-cell analysis; Statistical genomics
Kremen, Claire Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Zoology Natural environment sciences; Zoology; agroecological farming systems; Reconciliation of agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation; sustainable landscapes
Krems, Roman Department of Chemistry Theoretical chemistry, Molecular Spectroscopy, Dynamics of few- and many-body molecular systems in electromagnetic fields
Kronstad, James Michael Smith Laboratories Bioinformatics; Immunology; Microbiology; Plant biology; Mycology; Fungal diseases of plants; Genomics and Proteomics; Medical Mycology; Molecular Genetics; Pathogenesis of infectious diseases; Plant-Microbe Interactions
Laba, Izabella Department of Mathematics Harmonic analysis, geometric measure theory and additive combinatorics
Lakshmanan, Laks Department of Computer Science data management and data cleaning; data warehousing and OLAP; data and text mining; analytics on big graphs and news; social networks and media; recommender systems
Leander, Brian Department of Botany, Department of Zoology Plant biology; Zoology; Comparative organismal biology; Evolutionary morphology; Evolutionary protistology; Marine biodiversity; Marine invertebrate zoology; Phylogenetic biology; Species discovery
Lecuyer, Mathias Department of Computer Science Machine learning systems; Guarantees of robustness, privacy, and security
Lemieux, Caroline Department of Computer Science Programming languages and software engineering; help developers improve the correctness, security, and performance of software systems; test-input generation; specification mining; program synthesis
Lerner, Jackie Environmental impact assessment; Land use and environmental planning; cumulative effects assessment; gender-based analysis

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Christopher Lee

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Investigating tryptophan and lipid metabolism in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Jarrett Blair

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Bulk classification of terrestrial invertebrates using computer vision and DNA metabarcoding

Davi de Ferreyro Monticelli

Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)

Cannabis cultivation facilities: Linking emissions and air quality to inform regulation

Katrina Bergmann

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Using conventional computations and quantum simulations to accelerate the in silico design of highly efficient optoelectronic materials

Emilie Carpentier

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Four dimensional treatment planning for dynamic tumour tracking on a gimballed linear accelerator

Jessica Koski

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Implementation of Indigenous rights to lands & resources

Sasha Tuttle

Master of Science in Zoology (MSc)

The relationship between wild pollinator diversity and blueberry yield and quality within farmlands in Delta, BC

Atlanta-Marinna Grant

Master of Arts in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (MA)

From food 'waste' to food 'cycle: biocultural heritage and the sharing of oral histories
All Student Stories

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Science.

 

Algorithmic Geology: Tackling Methodological Challenges in Applying Machine Learning to Rock Engineering
Publication: Geosciences (Switzerland)
UBC Author(s): Lindsey Heagy (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
A cosmic glitch in gravity
Publication: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 2024
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Dispersing across habitat boundaries: Uncovering the demographic fates of populations in unsuitable habitat
Publication: Ecosphere
UBC Author(s): Rachel Germain (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
X-Ray Polarization of the Black Hole X-Ray Binary 4U 1630-47 Challenges the Standard Thin Accretion Disk Scenario
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Jeremy Heyl (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 964
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Range expansion is both slower and more variable with rapid evolution across a spatial gradient in temperature
Publication: Ecology Letters
UBC Author(s): Amy Angert (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 1461023X
Volume: 27
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Designing for Sensory Adaptation: What You See Depends on What You’ve Been Looking at - Recommendations, Guidelines and Standards Should Reflect This
Publication: Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
UBC Author(s): Lorne Whitehead (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 23727322
Volume: 11
Page Range: 43-50
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Explaining the GWSkyNet-Multi Machine Learning Classifier Predictions for Gravitational-wave Events
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Fire sparks upslope range shifts of North Cascades plant species
Publication: Ecology
UBC Author(s): Amy Angert (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00129658
Volume: 105
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Optimal control of ribosome population for gene expression under periodic nutrient intake
Publication: Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
UBC Author(s): Khanh Dao Duc (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 21
Page Range: 20230652
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Molecularly defined electrodes host a concert of protons and electrons
Publication: Nature Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Eva Nichols (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 17554330
Volume: 16
Page Range: 301-303
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Improving casualty risk estimates for uncontrolled rocket body reentries
Publication: Journal of Space Safety Engineering
UBC Author(s): Aaron Boley (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24688975
Volume: 11
Page Range: 74-79
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Comparative Analysis of Instrumental Variables on the Assignment of Buprenorphine/Naloxone or Methadone for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder
Publication: Epidemiology
UBC Author(s): Paul Gustafson (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10443983
Volume: 35
Page Range: 218-231
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
POLYNOMIAL APPROXIMATION OF SYMMETRIC FUNCTIONS
Publication: Mathematics of Computation
UBC Author(s): Christoph Ortner (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00255718
Volume: 93
Page Range: 811-839
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
A versatile laser-based apparatus for time-resolved ARPES with micro-scale spatial resolution
Publication: The Review of scientific instruments
UBC Author(s): Andrea Damascelli (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 95
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
X-Ray Polarimetry of the Dipping Accreting Neutron Star 4U1624–49
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Jeremy Heyl (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Jupiter’s Metastable Companions
Publication: Astrophysical Journal Letters
UBC Author(s): Brett Gladman (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 20418205
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Non-preservation of α-concavity for the porous medium equation
Publication: Advances in Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Albert Chau (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00018708
Volume: 440
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Star formation efficiency across large-scale galactic environments
Publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
UBC Author(s): Wing Shan Man (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00358711
Volume: 528
Page Range: 4393-4408
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
A reliable external calibration method for reaction monitoring with benchtop NMR
Publication: Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Jason Hein (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 07491581
Volume: 62
Page Range: 169-178
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Density-Dependent Selection during Range Expansion Affects Expansion Load in Life History Traits
Publication: The American naturalist
UBC Author(s): Sarah Otto (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 203
Page Range: 382-392
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Presenting a theory of change for cultivating institutional-level SoTL cultures through a cross-institutional community of practice
Publication: New Directions for Teaching and Learning
UBC Author(s): Laura Lukes (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02710633
Volume: 2024
Page Range: 91-102
Publication Date: Spring 2024

View Publication
Geographic gradients in a functional trait: Drivers of body size and size diversity of ground invertebrate communities
Publication: Ecosphere
UBC Author(s): Katie Marshall (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: A Computationally Efficient Eccentric Binary Search Pipeline and Constraints on an Eccentric Supermassive Binary Candidate in 3C 66B
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Generalized Chromatic Functions
Publication: International Mathematics Research Notices
UBC Author(s): Stephanie van Willigenburg (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10737928
Volume: 2024
Page Range: 4456-4500
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Measurement of the K<sup>+</sup> → π<sup>+</sup>γγ decay
Publication: Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Bryman (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 850
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication

Pages

Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2023 Counting sums and differences between sets is a central part of many questions in additive combinatorics. Dr. White developed a new technique combining harmonic analysis and optimization to nearly resolve a longstanding question in this field. He expects that his new method can be extended to other problems in additive combinatorics. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Kim's research focused on mechanisms that reduce metabolic rate in small hibernating rodents. These comparative studies take us one step closer to understanding and utilizing naturally occurring biological phenomena for biomedical advancement. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Fink developed methods to convert CO2 or water into useful products using renewable energy. He showed that carbon capture can be directly coupled with CO2 electro-conversion to lower energy demands. He also demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide can be produced through electrochemistry to replace the current methods which consume fossil fuels. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Anderson's research revealed ways in which the glacier runoff impacts water resources in Western Canada under climate change. He identified the communities in Alberta whose water supplies are most vulnerable to the loss of glaciers, and quantified how heat waves alter the timing and availability of water resources across BC and Alberta. Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)
2023 Earthquakes represent the release of stress on faults, which occur in abundance in western British Columbia and Washington state due to convergence between North America and offshore oceanic plates.Dr. Merrill investigates several earthquake-dense regions in BC and Washington where fluids are interpreted to promote brittle failure. Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Nunez Bahena developed synthetic methodologies for accessing nitrogen-containing compounds by employing a catalyst based on an abundant metal, zirconium. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Nguyen studied different roles of the nuclear localization signals in the life cycle of the Influenza A virus. She found these signals are important for the virus's nuclear import and nucleolus accumulation. Her findings deepen our knowledge of the influenza A virus's biology, which may lead to new pharmaceutical approaches for flu treatment. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Xing has been developing bioinformatic algorithms and tools for the unexplored tandem mass spectrometry data in untargeted metabolomics. In revealing the structural information of the undiscovered metabolome, his works paved way for revealing biological mechanisms behind various health disorders and diseases from the perspective of small molecules. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Tummuru studied quantum materials that can be assembled from simple building blocks to unveil novel emergent properties. Experimental realization of the proposed structures could find use in the development of quantum technology. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Natola studied the evolutionary process whereby 1 species splits into multiple different species using 3 hybridizing species of woodpeckers as a study system. She found the 3 species arose due to their environmental, behavioral, and genomic differences. Her study demonstrates evolutionary processes that have produced Canada's biodiversity. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Pages

 

AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support

Psychiatrists and computer scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can accurately...

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UBC evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter named AAAS Fellow

Internationally renowned evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter has been elected to the newest class of American Association for the...

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How art can help us talk about the green transition

Elders, researchers and musicians are using art to get people talking about the challenges and opportunities of a transition to renewable...

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UBC adding 778 student spaces across technology and life sciences programs thanks to provincial investment

B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, the Honourable Brenda Bailey, was on site at UBC’s Vancouver campus Friday to...

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Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems

Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along...

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New gravitational wave signal helps fill the ‘mass gap’ between neutron stars and black holes

A collaboration of researchers including UBC scientists have observed gravitational waves from the collision of what is most likely a...

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