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
Abraham, Ninan Department of Zoology Mammals, pathogens, genetic analysis, proper cell funtion, development, maintenance and proper functioning of T- and B-cells
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
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, 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; Applied Hydro-geochemistry; Climate Changes and Impacts; Environmental Tracer; Ground Water and Water Tables; Groundwater Ecohydrology; Groundwater-Surfacewater & land Interaction; Hydro-geological Engineering; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; 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
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
Baliga, Vikram Zoology
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
Berbee, Mary Department of Botany Plant biology; Mycology; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Microorganisms; Taxonomy and Systematics; fungi; molecular phylogenetics; mycology; systematics
Berciu, Mona Department of Physics & Astronomy Electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter and supraconductivity; Physical sciences; condensed matter theory; polarons, bipolarons; strongly correlated systems
Berlinguette, Curtis Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Combinatorial Chemistry; CO2 conversion and utilization; clean energy; advanced solar cells; electrochromic windows; dynamic windows; hydrogen fuels production; catalysis; robotics and automation; machine learning / artificial intelligence

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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

Charlotte Milne

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

Canada's flood mapping, what’s really at risk

Zana Mody

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

Counting blue carbon for coastal communities: understanding socio-ecological contexts of nature based climate solutions and mangrove restoration

Madison Chapel

Master of Science in Bioinformatics (MSc)

Evolution of gene regulatory networks

Cara James

Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)

Understanding deep-sea mining particulate clouds: predicting environmental impacts, informing regulation and monitoring pollutants

Aria Malhotra

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting severe skin reactions in breast radiation therapy

Alexis Bahl

Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)

Salp diel vertical migration and its impact on carbon export in the Southern Ocean

Jerry Achar

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

Analyzing uncertainty in the application of computational in silico methods for chemical risk assessment

Anna Santo

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

Inclusive public consultation about large predator recovery in the North Cascades Ecosystem
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.

 

Women's participation in the mining industry: Tracing the business case across APEC countries
Publication: Extractive Industries and Society
UBC Author(s): Leila Harris (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 2214790X
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Heatwave resilience of juvenile white sturgeon is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional alterations
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science), Patricia Schulte (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Hyperactive learning for data-driven interatomic potentials
Publication: npj Computational Materials
UBC Author(s): Christoph Ortner (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Physics-informed neural network for modeling force and torque fluctuations in a random array of bidisperse spheres
Publication: International Journal of Multiphase Flow
UBC Author(s): Anthony Wachs (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03019322
Volume: 169
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Functional characterization of fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases for cellulose surface oxidation
Publication: Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts
UBC Author(s): Harry Brumer (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Plant traits and associated data from a warming experiment, a seabird colony, and along elevation in Svalbard
Publication: Scientific Data
UBC Author(s): Sean Michaletz (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Genome-resolved correlation mapping links microbial community structure to metabolic interactions driving methane production from wastewater
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Sean Crowe (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science), Steven Hallam (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Existence of pencils with nonblocking hypersurfaces
Publication: Finite Fields and their Applications
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10715797
Volume: 92
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
A subsurface layer on asteroid (101955) Bennu and implications for rubble pile asteroid evolution
Publication: Icarus
UBC Author(s): Catherine Johnson (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00191035
Volume: 406
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Delayed gut microbiota maturation in the first year of life is a hallmark of pediatric allergic disease
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): B Brett Finlay (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Embracing off-the-grid samples
Publication: Sampling Theory, Signal Processing, and Data Analysis
UBC Author(s): Ozgur Yilmaz (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 27305716
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Prognostic relevance of gait-related cognitive functions for dementia conversion in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Publication: BMC Geriatrics
UBC Author(s): Vesna Sossi (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 23
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Ion Exchange Membranes in Electrochemical CO<inf>2</inf> Reduction Processes
Publication: Electrochemical Energy Reviews
UBC Author(s): Curtis Berlinguette (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Improving patch-based simulation using Generative Adversial Networks
Publication: Artificial Intelligence in Geosciences
UBC Author(s): Eldad Haber (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 4
Page Range: 76-83
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Phase stability of entropy stabilized oxides with the α-PbO<inf>2</inf> structure
Publication: Communications Materials
UBC Author(s): Alannah Hallas (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science), Joerg Rottler (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 4
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Divergent migration routes reveal contrasting energy-minimization strategies to deal with differing resource predictability
Publication: Movement Ecology
UBC Author(s): Marie Auger-Methe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Contrasting outcomes of genome reduction in mikrocytids and microsporidians
Publication: BMC Biology
UBC Author(s): Naomi Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science), Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Protocol development to further differentiate and transition stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitors from a monolayer into endocrine cells in suspension culture
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): James Piret (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
A compendium of bacterial and archaeal single-cell amplified genomes from oxygen deficient marine waters
Publication: Scientific Data
UBC Author(s): Steven Hallam (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Immune receptor mimicking hormone receptors: a new guarding strategy
Publication: Stress Biology
UBC Author(s): Xin Li (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 3
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Transport and eruption of mantle xenoliths creates a lagging problem
Publication: Communications Earth and Environment
UBC Author(s): James Kelly Russell (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 4
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Chloroplast markers for the Malvaceae and the plastome of Henderson’s checkermallow (Sidalcea hendersonii S.Wats.), a rare plant from the Pacific Northwest
Publication: BMC Research Notes
UBC Author(s): Quentin Charles Cronk (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Author Correction: Innate antiviral defense demonstrates high energetic efficiency in a bony fish (BMC Biology, (2021), 19, 1, (138), 10.1186/s12915-021-01069-2)
Publication: BMC Biology
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Cellular population dynamics shape the route to human pluripotency
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Geoffrey Schiebinger (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Response to “Assessing the role of Piscine orthoreovirus in disease and the associated risk for wild Pacific salmon”
Publication: BMC Biology
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2023

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 Dr. Syed's work on non-reversible parallel tempering showed how parallel computing could improve the scalability of Monte Carlo methods and solve challenging statistic inference problems. He was awarded the Pierre Robillard award for the best PhD thesis in statistics and probability in Canada. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Guo developed six bioinformatic programs improving the sensitivity and selectivity in metabolomics data processing. The programs increased the number of biomarkers identified for biological and clinical applications. The discoveries will lead to a more in-depth understanding of many disease mechanisms, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dvorak developed a method for performing magnetic resonance imaging about 25 times faster than conventional techniques, while simultaneously improving the image quality. This method is implemented for scanners from 3 different manufacturers, including a small, portable, inexpensive scanner that could revolutionize access to MRI medical imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Niemietz defined mechanisms by which hyaluronan influences human neutrophil functionality and how this potentially contributes to childhood-onset rheumatic diseases. Her research significantly expands our understanding of neutrophils in the human inflammatory response. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
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)

Pages

 

Does antimatter fall up or down? Physicists observe the first gravitational free-fall of antimatter

In the world’s first observation of the effect of gravity on antimatter, a group of researchers from Canada and around the world have made...

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Bits of Bennu asteroid to arrive at UBC

This weekend, samples collected from the Bennu asteroid successfully touched down in the Utah Test and Training Range—a milestone for NASA’...

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This parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it’s also an extreme example of genome shrinkage

Balanophora shed one third of its genes as it evolved into a streamlined parasitic plant—an extreme degree of genome shrinkage even among...

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New rivers in the North? Scientists identify how the dissection of Arctic landscapes is changing with accelerating climate change

New research co-led by Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia shows that amplified global warming in the Canadian...

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Canadian mathematicians de-claw graph theory, nab U.S. award

Work disproving a 1995 theorem in graph theory has earned UBC mathematician Dr. Stephanie van Willigenburg and colleagues the 2023 David P...

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Five UBC Science researchers join Royal Society of Canada

Five new elections to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) are highlighting UBC Science’s strength in the computation sciences, conservation,...

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