Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate School

Why did other students choose UBC?

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Alejandra Botia

"Throughout my undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs, I have felt grateful to access a globally recognized university. Beyond being a stunning place, I chose to continue my graduate degree at UBC because of the invaluable friendships and professional…"

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Kate Wahl

"Early in my training, I realised that researchers can play an important role in ensuring that new knowledge gets into the hands of people who can use it to improve health outcomes. I decided to focus my doctoral research on the development of new methods for…"

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Alberto Campos

"I’ve decided to study at UBC because of a combination of academic excellence in a progressive and culturally rich environment, surrounded by an invigorating natural setting. Professor Kai Chan’s multidisciplinary group and approach, in terms of connecting human…"

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Pablo Gonzalez Moctezuma

"When I was looking for a place to develop my research, the Landscapes and Livelihoods lab (landandlives.ca) at UBC Forestry was the perfect fit. Jeanine Rhemtulla, my potential advisor, was very caring, kind and interested in what I wanted to do; she trusted and…"

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Nikola Surjanovic

"UBC has a large number of research faculty working on a diverse array of projects and on interdisciplinary research. I feel that UBC offers the perfect environment for me to pursue my career goals and work on many interesting projects."

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Hamidreza Galavi

"For me, first, working with my supervisor, Prof. Steven Pelech, was the main reason for my choice of UBC. Dr. Pelech's lab is a pioneer and a world leader in the development of antibodies and antibody microarrays for tracking kinases, phosphatases, phosphorylation…"

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Maryam Vaseghi-Shanjani

"I became interested in UBC’s MD/PhD program after attending a conference in Vancouver in 2017. On my visit there, I was able to roam around the UBC campus and explore some research facilities affiliated with UBC. This sparked my interest. I found out that UBC is…"

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Elizabeth Castle

"First and foremost, I was interested in pursuing my PhD in the Zandstra lab. My Masters work exposed me to the question of “how do we build systems to best understand the mechanics behind cell behaviour”. When I researched where in Canada would be a good…"

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Shayda Swann

"I wanted to study at UBC quite simply because I wanted to achieve a world-class education at a stunningly beautiful location. I was also attracted to UBC because of it’s reputation for putting forth ground-breaking HIV research. Vancouver is home to Oak Tree…"

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Caitlyn Yates

"The opportunity to live in Vancouver for a few years was certainly a draw to ultimately study at UBC, but there were several substantive facets of UBC that ultimately drew me in. I was really excited about the number of scholars across the university working on…"

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Evelyn Arriagada

"I was looking for a place to broaden my scope in an interdisciplinary way, especially to learn theoretical and methodological tools to collaborate with communities affected by environmental hazards. Additionally, I wanted to be involved in solutions-oriented…"

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Andy An

"I've been living on campus for most of my life - I went to both U-Hill Elementary and Secondary, as well as UBC for my undergraduate degree. Am I sick of UBC? No, it's the exact opposite: this sense of stability and familiarity, combined with the excellent…"

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Fiana Kawane

"The University of British Columbia was best suited for my research as a public research university in North America with its transnational and interdisciplinary outlook."

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Elyn Rowe

"A lot of my extended family lives on Vancouver Island, and I'd spend 1-2 weeks every summer visiting them when I was growing up. Coming from a small town in Ontario, I was always amazed by the mountains and ocean (and lack of snow!) on the West Coast and knew that…"

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Tonje Molyneux

"I decided to pursue doctoral studies in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (HDLC) in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS) at the University of British Columbia for three main reasons: 1) demonstrated…"

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Enav Zusman

"UBC has been my home since 2014. I completed an MSc in Experimental Medicine at the VGH campus and a Doctor of Pharmacy at the Point Grey Campus. My time at UBC has been a very positive experience; I have had the opportunity to meet and work with world-class…"

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Abhinav Kumar Checkervarty

"UBC is one of the top research institutions with Faculties comprised world-renowned professors and scientists. The governing aspect of my preference to study here was the supervision of Dr. Scott J. Tebbutt at the University of British Columbia’s Centre…"

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Mirta Roncagalli

"While I was studying my MA, I used to hear only great news about Canada that, back in my home country, is presented as a land of excellence. As a result, the possibility of studying in one of the top Canadian universities and the idea of living in a city…"

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Daljeet Chahal

"UBC is a fantastic institute for both clinical medicine and biomedical research. I have been lucky enough to find amazing mentors and colleagues here who have challenged me intellectually and pushed me to new levels of achievement. BC is also home to me, and I…"

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Virginia (Ginny) Pichler

"The events that led me to pursue my PhD at UBC deviated from the typical path. I was looking to re-enter the research sphere and took an independent course at UBC to re-enmesh myself in the field. At the termination of the course, I spoke with the coordinator who…"

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Jem Arnold

"The people. The researchers, professors, MDs, PhDs, Msc, and everyone else in UBC Kin. I feel privileged to be part of a group with such broad and deep expertise in topics across exercise science."

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Xing Zhang

"The University of British Columbia is a dream university for me due to its harmonious campus atmosphere and spiritual core in terms of diversity, tolerance, and innovation. And it has a world-leading role in the field of timber structures."

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Bev Larssen

"The Department of Physical Therapy is home to leading researchers in the field of stroke rehabilitation, including my PhD supervisor Dr. Lara Boyd. Having the support of such a strong network of researchers and clinician-scientists in my field will serve me well…"

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Sasha McDowell

"The main reason I came to UBC was to work with my supervisor. I was intrigued by his research and the experimental techniques employed in his lab and believed this to be the best place to realise my graduate research goals. I was aware that UBC is one of the top…"

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Pan Deng

"UBC is one of the world-leading institutions with world-class facilities and varied opportunities for education and research. It also conducts research at high levels, especially in the field of biomedical engineering. While pursuing my master’s degree, I was most…"

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Adeerya Johnson

"It’s funny to think back when I was applying, I thought I had no chance of getting into UBC because of its rigorous programs. I guess I didn’t believe I had what it takes to be at such a prestigious university all the way in British Columbia. However, I decided to…"

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Rena Del Pieve Gobbi

"As a person with a mental health disability it was important for me to stay in Vancouver where I have an excellent relationship with my health care professionals. Also I had been out of school for some time and was easily able to meet with professors and take a…"

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Nance Cunningham

"UBC-based researchers’ role in controlling the HIV epidemic and the history of harm reduction is the main reason why I chose UBC. Many of the same principles, like treatment as prevention, apply to eliminating hepatitis C. I also appreciate the strong support for…"

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Maya Daurio

"There is some overlap between my reasons for pursuing a graduate degree and why I decided to study at UBC. I had been following the work of Dr. Mark Turin, who is now my supervisor, for a number of years, beginning with an article of his which was the inspiration…"

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Jelena Todorovic

"I wanted to be trained at a North American university as they seemed to offer a different approach to the classics than the one I experienced in my European upbringing. I chose UBC in particular because of my department’s strong commitment to interdisciplinarity…"

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Anne Bertrand

"I chose the department of linguistics at UBC because it is recognized for its work on Indigenous languages and its specialization in fieldwork. The department is also known for involving students of all levels in research and for its commitment to providing…"

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Shota Iwasaki

"One of the reasons I decided to study at UBC is the research environment and the people I can work with. I am very glad and honored to purse my PhD degree with the people whose work impressed me and made me decide to come here. Of course, that UBC/the department…"

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Jennifer Murray

"The Public Scholars Initiative is one of the reasons I wanted to do a PhD at UBC. I am pursuing a PhD to offer a meaningful and long-lasting contribution to public health in British Columbia and Canada. Given that my research is tied to British Columbia and…"

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Lara Sarlak

"The PhD program in Sociocultural Anthropology at UBC has been an excellent match to carry out my research project. Home to the second oldest anthropology program in Canada, the department has an outstanding faculty with leading scholars in the fields of urban…"

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Sarah-Nelle Jackson

"The Venn diagram of medievalists and gaming enthusiasts at UBC is closer to a circle than you might imagine. (Or, well, maybe it’s exactly what you might imagine.) Having done my undergraduate degree at UBC, I already knew what great mentors were available here in…"

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Verena Rossa-Roccor

"I have traveled, studied, worked, and lived in almost 30 countries but I decided to remain at UBC for my doctoral research because it provides me with an unparalleled opportunity to conduct my action-oriented research program. UBC was recently ranked as the world’…"

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Jason Winikoff

"I decided to study at UBC for a few reasons. Firstly, it felt hypocritical to conduct research revolving around cultural understanding in Trump’s USA. Leaving my home and pursuing knowledge elsewhere were small forms of protest. Secondly, the UBC School of Music (…"

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Natalie Payer

"Energy justice is a burgeoning field in Canada and the United States, with much of the established literature having from the UK. The field is interdisciplinary in nature, requiring a school and supervisor that value this type of work. Furthermore, I firmly…"

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Michael Schwan

"UBC is the only university that has an active research lab which focusses on Gitksan and it was the natural choice. I had an amazing undergrad experience at UBC working with the lab within the Department of Linguistics and after completing my Master’s Degree at…"

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Bita Zareian

"I decided to pursue my graduate degree at UBC primarily because of my interest in working with Dr. Frances Chen and Dr. Joelle LeMoilt, both of whom are prominent researchers in their respective fields of research. Furthermore, UBC has one of the best psychology…"

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Sophie Ma Zhu

"I had a very positive experience in my master’s program at UBC. As for the reason I applied to UBC back then, it was because I was interested in the research method developed by Dr. Richard Young, who became my supervisor in my master's program. So once again, the…"

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Ariel Ko

"UBC provides abundant personal and professional development opportunities, along with capable mentors to create a supportive environment where research and leadership abilities can be effectively cultivated and utilized. It is through the many research assistant…"

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Christine Yu

"I had a wonderful experience during the Master’s program at UBC and felt a sense of community, with excellent support from my supervisor. Once I was ready to pursue a doctoral degree, I wanted to re-engage in that type of supportive environment while stretching…"

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Megan Zeni

"My family have been settlers in Vancouver for generations. I attended UBC as an undergraduate student, and am honoured to be able to attend UBC again as a mature graduate student."

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Jonathan Doucette

"As someone who was born and raised in Vancouver, UBC was always on my mind as a potential university which I would like to study at. I was sold on UBC during high school when I attended an Engineering Physics open house session, and the rest is history."

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Mikayla Pachkowski

"I decided to study at UBC so that I could work with my supervisor, Dr. E. David Klonsky. Dr. Klonsky is a leading expert in suicidology and an outstanding mentor. I feel very lucky to be completing my PhD under his supervision."

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Jasper Heaton

"I applied because I wanted to work with a specific member of faculty here. I also love to ski, and had heard that Vancouver has a pretty cool queer community."

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Sandeep Gill

"I decided to study at UBC because of its strong reputation in Canada. I loved visiting Vancouver, it is close to home, and allows me to still be situated in BC. When looking for potential supervisors, I found my current supervisor was located at UBC and their…"

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Jens Johnson

"I had previously completed my MSc degree at UBC, and during that time I really benefitted from UBC’s resources, community, and atmosphere, and had also become settled in Vancouver. With the opportunity to move to a PhD program working with an advisor whose…"

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Danielle Hanke

"UBC has the top Pharmaceutical Sciences program in Canada, which was a major draw for me to choose UBC. Also, the campus is beautiful and Vancouver is a great city!"

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