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 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 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 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
Abraham, Ninan Department of Zoology Mammals, pathogens, genetic analysis, proper cell funtion, development, maintenance and proper functioning of T- and B-cells
Achermann, Reto Department of Computer Science Computing systems; Computer systems engineering; Systems software; resilient and efficient systems; intersection of operating systems, applied formal methods and hardware models.
Adams, Keith Department of Botany Molecular evolution, genome evolution, and gene expression
Adem, Alejandro Department of Mathematics Cohomology of finite groups, orbifolds, stringy topology, algebra, sporadic simple group, group actions, arithmetic groups, K-theory, homotopy theory, spaces of homomorphisms
Alacaoglu, Ahmet Department of Mathematics Mathematical optimization; Machine learning; Mathematical operations research; Numerical optimization; Machine Learning; Stochastic algorithms; Min-max games; Monotone operator theory
Algar, Russ Department of Chemistry Luminescent Materials; Bio/Chemical Sensing; Materials synthesis and biofunctionalization; Understanding the nanoparticle interface; New energy transfer configurations for sensing and imaging; Point-of-care diagnostic devices; Intracellular sensing
Allen, Kelsey Department of Computer Science complex behaviors in humans
Allen, Susan Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Atmospheric sciences; Oceanography; coastal oceanography; coupled bio-physics and chem-physics and all three models; forecast models; Oceans and Inland Waters; physical oceanography; Prediction and Climatic Modeling
Altshuler, Doug Department of Zoology Zoology; flight control; visual guidance; visual neuroscience; neuroethology; avian biomechanics; aerodynamics; wing morphing; motor control
Ameli, Ali Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; Climate Changes and Impacts; Ground Water and Water Tables; Groundwater Ecohydrology; Groundwater-Surfacewater & land Interaction; Hydro-geological Engineering; Hydrological Cycle; Numerical analysis; Watershed Management
Andersen, Raymond Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Chemistry Chemicals produced by marine organisms
Angel, Omer Department of Mathematics Probability theory, percolation, random graphs, random walks, particle processes, scaling limits
Angert, Amy Department of Botany, Department of Zoology Plant biology; Zoology; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; biogeography; biological responses to climate change; Conservation Biology; Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes; evolutionary ecology; population biology
Aronson, Meigan Department of Physics & Astronomy heavy-ferromagnetic compounds; charge density waves; magnetic nanoparticles
Ashraf, Mohammad Arif Department of Botany Cell division; plant development; drug discovery
Auger-Methe, Marie Department of Statistics, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Fisheries sciences; Statistics; Zoology; Animal movement; Polar ecology; Statistical Ecology
Auld, Vanessa Department of Zoology Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Cell; Cell Biology; Development; Developmental Genetics; epithelia; Genetics; glia; in vivo imaging; Molecular Genetics; nervous system; Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis; permeability barriers
Austin, Philip Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences global climate; climate change; greenhouse effect; global warming; clouds; lightning; storms, Cloud physics, radiative properties of layer clouds, status cirrus formation, global climate, cloug aerosol feedbacks and climate
Aviles, Leticia Department of Zoology Community ecology (except invasive species ecology); Animal behaviour
Bachmann, Sven Department of Mathematics Mathematics and statistics; Mathematical Analysis; quantum phenomena; Mathematical physics; Quantum statistical physics; Topological states of matter
Balmforth, Neil Department of Mathematics Fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics and applied partial differential equations
Barker, Shaun Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Beckie, Roger Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Other environmental engineering and related engineering; Hydrogeology; Mine drainage; physical hydrogeology; groundwater geochemistry; groundwater contamination
Behrend, Kai Department of Mathematics Moduli spaces, Gromov-Witten invariants, string theory, Donaldson-Thomas invariants, Euler characteristics, categorification
Bennett, Michael Department of Mathematics Number Theory, Diophantine Approximation and Classical Analysis

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Valerie Zimmermann

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

Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Resilience in British Columbia

Sadie Lye

Master of Science in Oceans and Fisheries (MSc)

The impact of the urban environment on land to sea connection in Burrard Inlet, B.C.

Grace Melchers

Master of Science in Oceans and Fisheries (MSc)

Employing environmental DNA to understand the impacts of urbanization on nearshore fish communities and migrations

Milos Simovic

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Ecophysiology of yellow-cedar decline

Johnathan Wong

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

Efficient Algorithms in Genomics

Ariana Shivji

Master of Science in Chemistry (MSc)

The production and applications of erbium-165 in nuclear medicine

Jake Felker

Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology (MSc)

Investigating the antibacterial response of macrophages to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Ana Mucalica

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Interaction of drug nano-carriers with particle-laden blood flow
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Peter Caravan

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [1997]

Job Title
Co-Director, Institute for Innovation in Imaging and Associate Professor of Radiology

Employer
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Tracey Stott

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2005]

Job Title
Lawyer

Employer
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Michael Hoff

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
University of Washington

Sherry Zhao

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2014]

Job Title
Senior Director, Strategic Accounts & Business Development

Employer
Mitacs

Glen Hearns

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Self Employed

Employer
Self Employed

Jean Michel Lauzon

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Partner Marketing Manager

Employer
SAP

Costanza Casiraghi

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Senior Scientist

Employer
Chiesi Pharmaceuticals

Vanessa Timmer

Job Title
Executive Director

Employer
One Earth
All Alumni 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.

 

Influence of potential on the adsorption of a material binding peptide on Au via EIS and in-situ fluorescence imaging
Publication: Electrochimica Acta
UBC Author(s): Dan Bizzotto (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00134686
Volume: 531
Publication Date: 10 August 2025

View Publication
From tyranny to hope: Harnessing the power of small decisions to achieve urban sustainability goals
Publication: Environmental Science and Policy
UBC Author(s): Kai Chan (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 14629011
Volume: 170
Publication Date: August 2025

View Publication
Monolithic multigrid for the marker-and-cell discretization of the Stokes–Darcy equations
Publication: Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Chen Greif (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03770427
Volume: 463
Publication Date: 1 August 2025

View Publication
Drivers of spatiotemporal community variations in estuarine ecosystems: A case study of the waters adjacent to the Yangtze Estuary
Publication: Marine Pollution Bulletin
UBC Author(s): Daniel Pauly (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0025326X
Volume: 217
Publication Date: August 2025

View Publication
Mixed-valent ternary sulfide Eu<inf>5</inf>In<inf>5</inf>S<inf>13</inf>
Publication: Journal of Solid State Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Alannah Hallas (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00224596
Volume: 348
Publication Date: August 2025

View Publication
Positive and negative selective assortment
Publication: Journal of Theoretical Biology
UBC Author(s): Christoph Hauert (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00225193
Volume: 608
Publication Date: 7 July 2025

View Publication
Archean deep melting and post-Archean metasomatism of the cratonic mantle: A garnet Lu-Hf isotope record
Publication: Chemical Geology
UBC Author(s): Maya Kopylova (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science), Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00092541
Volume: 685
Publication Date: 5 July 2025

View Publication
The Torus Plateau for the High-Dimensional Ising Model
Publication: Communications in Mathematical Physics
UBC Author(s): Gordon Slade (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00103616
Volume: 406
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Observation of VVZ production at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
Publication: Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 866
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Suitability and mechanistic validation of two-dimensional bonded block models for simulating spalling and strainbursting at the mine tunnel scale
Publication: Computers and Geotechnics
UBC Author(s): Erik Eberhardt (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0266352X
Volume: 183
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Tackling water table depth modeling via machine learning: From proxy observations to verifiability
Publication: Advances in Water Resources
UBC Author(s): Ali Ameli (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03091708
Volume: 201
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
The extra basis in noncommuting variables
Publication: Advances in Applied Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Stephanie van Willigenburg (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01968858
Volume: 168
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Ocean leadership: Can the European Union influence the global shark meat trade?
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 177
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Integrative Molecular and Functional Analysis of Human Sperm Subpopulations to Identify New Biomarkers of Fertilization Potential
Publication: Archives of Medical Research
UBC Author(s): Martin Hirst (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01884409
Volume: 56
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Interpretation of inhomogeneous magnetization transfer in myelin water using a four-pool model with dipolar reservoirs
Publication: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
UBC Author(s): Wolfram Tetzlaff (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 07403194
Volume: 94
Page Range: 278-292
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Multiplicative groups avoiding a fixed group
Publication: International Journal of Number Theory
UBC Author(s): Gregory Martin (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 17930421
Volume: 21
Page Range: 1337-1359
Publication Date: 1 July 2025

View Publication
Salicylic acid and jasmonic acid in plant immunity
Publication: Horticulture Research
UBC Author(s): Xin Li (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 26626810
Volume: 12
Publication Date: 1 July 2025

View Publication
Complete reference genome and pangenome improve genome-wide detection and interpretation of DNA methylation using sequencing and array data
Publication: Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Keegan Korthauer (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 26391856
Volume: 44
Publication Date: 24 June 2025

View Publication
Global Navier-Stokes flows in intermediate spaces
Publication: Journal of Differential Equations
UBC Author(s): Tai-Peng Tsai (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00220396
Volume: 429
Page Range: 50-87
Publication Date: 5 June 2025

View Publication
The advent of clinical self-amplifying RNA vaccines
Publication: Molecular Therapy
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15250016
Volume: 33
Page Range: 2565-2582
Publication Date: 4 June 2025

View Publication
Airborne natural source electromagnetics for an arbitrary base station
Publication: Geophysical Journal International
UBC Author(s): Lindsey Heagy (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0956540X
Volume: 241
Page Range: 1961-1974
Publication Date: 1 June 2025

View Publication
Exploring polarization and geometry in the X-ray pulsar 4U 1538−52
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Jeremy Heyl (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 698
Publication Date: 1 June 2025

View Publication
Improved order selection method for hidden Markov models: A case study with movement data
Publication: Methods in Ecology and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Marie Auger-Methe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 16
Page Range: 1215-1227
Publication Date: June 2025

View Publication
The multiple values of nature show the lack of a coherent theory of value—In any context
Publication: People and Nature
UBC Author(s): Kai Chan (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 7
Page Range: 1272-1285
Publication Date: June 2025

View Publication
Search for a new scalar decaying into new spin-1 bosons in four-lepton final states with the ATLAS detector
Publication: Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 865
Publication Date: June 2025

View Publication

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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
2025 Dr. Raelyn Sullivan investigated two mysteries of the Universe. She explored how Earth's motion affects signals from space, making it hard to detect universe-wide patterns from the Big Bang. She also studied cosmic birefringence, the rotation of polarized light as it travels through the Universe, constraining models of dark matter and dark energy. Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD)
2025 Large earthquakes often draw attention, but most seismic activity consists of more frequent, smaller earthquakes. Dr. Drolet developed and applied numerical methods to analyze small earthquakes across western North America. Her findings advance understanding of seismic source processes and reveal important insights into Earth’s interior behaviour. Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Dada used new DNA sequencing technology to develop all-in-one diagnostic tests for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, including Prader-Willi Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, and Temple Syndromes. She also developed the use of third generation DNA sequencing for personalized diagnosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Dexter studied how bacteria break down acetovanillone, a compound in industrial lignin streams. She discovered a new pathway in Rhodococcus rhodochrous that converts acetovanillone into vanillate. Her work expands our understanding of lignin degradation and identifies new enzymes that could be used for biocatalytic applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2025 Dr. Donald explored the role of the antibody IgA, a key component of breastmilk, in guiding infant immune development, demonstrating that IgA controls potentially harmful microbes in the developing gut and protects the infant against allergic disease. This work enhances our understanding of the health-promoting properties of breastmilk. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2025 Dr. Cameron developed machine learning methods to automatically improve algorithms and synthesize entirely new ones tailored to specific applications, enabling better solutions for optimizing 5G networks and power grids. He laid groundwork for richer algorithm design by building a unified model that broadly understands such computational problems. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2025 Where did the matter that forms our Universe come from? The answer to this question may lie in elusive properties of particles called electric dipole moments, or EDMs. Dr. Vanbergen's research on ultracold neutrons is part of a decades-long effort to measure the neutron EDM, and has advanced this effort towards an unprecedented level of precision. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Zhang's doctoral research focused on optical microscopy for biological imaging. He developed a novel spinning disk microscopy technique that enhances resolution and contrast, enabling real-time super-resolution imaging of thick samples such as cardiac cells. This work benefits biologists seeking accessible high-resolution imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2025 Dr. Luthra studied how to model gene regulation from DNA sequence using machine learning models. Her work advanced our understanding of genome evolution and improved the development of predictive models through a novel evaluation framework. This research drives innovation in genomics and enables advances in personalized medicine. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Goodwin investigated how climate and herbivory influence plant population and range dynamics. She found that many species exhibit lagged range shifts and that climate influences the outcome of herbivory. Her work offers valuable insights into species' responses to climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

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