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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 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

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.

 

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
2017 Dr. Bayless studied computer science. He created a new technique for building fast, practical and efficient constraint solvers. His work can be applied to circuit layout, networking, program synthesis and video game design. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2017 Dr. Goller studied visual control of hovering position in hummingbirds. His free-flight studies show that vision is important for maintaining a stationary position, even when most of the background is stationary or the hummingbird is docked at a feeder. These behavioural results support the idea that avian vision is specialized for flight style. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Werner studied how predator-prey dynamics and competitive relationships among arctic species change with habitat type. His results from small herbivore populations of Arctic ground squirrels and snowshoe hares reveal the importance of habitat for predicting the effects of environmental change in northern ecosystems. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Klyuzhin developed new methods of image reconstruction and analysis in positron emission tomography. He found that geometrical features measured from brain images can track the progression of Parkinson's disease. This knowledge will help discover new therapies for neurological disorders and improve the diagnostic accuracy of brain imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Park examined the properties of heavy proton-rich atomic nuclei by analyzing their radioactive decays. His new and more precise findings serve as benchmark tests of modern theories of nuclear structure, and are used as inputs of nuclear astrophysics models to investigate the origin of heavy elements in the universe. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Yu studied self-assembled monolayers using a specially developed single crystal Au bead electrode. Combined with various spectroelectrochemical techniques, his method has shown numerous advantages and can be widely applied to investigate and optimize biosensing interfaces. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2017 Dr. Siuta improved wind forecasts in complex terrain through selective model configuration. His work will allow energy planners to trust wind power forecasts, allow for better integration of wind energy into electric grids, and save consumers money. He also improved the representation of wind profiles on mountain tops. Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)
2017 Dr. Saranchova studied the gene expression changes in tumours during the transition of primary tumour to its deadly metastatic form. She proposed a novel immunotherapeutic approach for cancer treatment and discovered the first independent immune biomarker for human prostate cancer that can become an important tool for predicting cancer outcomes. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Cully studied the use of virtualization to improve applications without modifying them. He showed that powerful features could be built directly into virtual hardware to protect ordinary systems from hardware failures and performance problems. This approach can make many of today's applications more reliable than they currently are. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2017 Dr. Suarez-Gonzalez used genomics to identify genetic markers associated with traits of ecological and economical interest in natural tree hybrids. Her findings contribute to our understanding of adaptive introgression as a source of important genetic variation and have great potential for forest management in the face of climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

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