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. 

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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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.

 

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

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Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science), Patricia Schulte (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: npj Computational Materials
UBC Author(s): Christoph Ortner (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: International Journal of Multiphase Flow
UBC Author(s): Anthony Wachs (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03019322
Volume: 169
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts
UBC Author(s): Harry Brumer (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 16
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: Scientific Data
UBC Author(s): Sean Michaletz (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2023

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

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Publication: Icarus
UBC Author(s): Catherine Johnson (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00191035
Volume: 406
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): B Brett Finlay (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2023

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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

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Publication: BMC Geriatrics
UBC Author(s): Vesna Sossi (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 23
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: Electrochemical Energy Reviews
UBC Author(s): Curtis Berlinguette (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: December 2023

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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
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
Publication: Movement Ecology
UBC Author(s): Marie Auger-Methe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2023

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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

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Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): James Piret (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: December 2023

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Publication: Scientific Data
UBC Author(s): Steven Hallam (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Publication: Stress Biology
UBC Author(s): Xin Li (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 3
Publication Date: December 2023

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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
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Geoffrey Schiebinger (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2023

View Publication
Publication: BMC Biology
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2023

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
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)

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