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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
2015 How many salmon do harbour seals eat? This simple question is difficult to answer. Dr. Thomas developed a diet analysis method involving high-throughput DNA sequencing, to better understand the ecological role of harbour seals. He found that seals target salmon species of concern in the juvenile life stage, and eat adults of abundant salmon species. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Depew completed his doctoral studies in the field of Physics. He investigated Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, which provides a broad range of diagnostic capability in medical applications. Dr. Depew's research contributed novel techniques to improve image acquisition and reconstruction fidelity in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2015 Dr. Wei studied how viruses multiply in their plant host. Using tomato ringspot virus as a model, She found that host proteases and degradation pathways regulate the accumulation of virus replication proteins and likely control the rate of virus multiplication. Her research advances our understanding of the co-evolution between viruses and their hosts. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2015 Dr. Li used computer-aided design methods to develop small, novel drug molecules for the treatment of prostate cancer. The new strategy used in this work found molecules that might be able to treat advanced prostate cancer. It is hoped that these molecules will help overcome drug resistance and prevent the disease from progressing. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2015 Dr. McAlister measured trace metals in both the Pacific and Arctic oceans. His research identified new applications to determine how the sources of trace metals and nutrients in those oceans vary with depth, location and, importantly, time. These findings contribute to research investigating the influence of the oceans on global climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2015 Dr. Yang studied two problems: SU(3) Toda system and Lin-Ni Problem. For the first problem, he obtained a partial result on the degree counting formula of the system and existence results for the parameters in some specific range. For the second one, he constructed a non-trivial solution to the Lin-Ni problem, which disproves the Lin-Ni conjecture. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2015 Dr. Taves studied stress hormones which are normally produced by the adrenal glands. These hormones are generally thought to suppress the immune function, but it turns out that the immune systems of birds and mammals also produce those hormones. The hormones may be critical in development of a competent and appropriately responsive immune system. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Baute used genomic tools to explore the genetic history of the sunflower, a globally important oil seed. These analyses revealed a long history of the use of wild relatives in sunflower improvement. By introducing new wild diversity into the cultivated sunflower he found promising material for drought tolerance and disease resistance. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2015 Dr. Roberts studied intestinal inflammation and the role of a protein called Lyn, which is important in the immune system. She identified Lyn as a regulator of host-microbial interactions in the gut, which ultimately dictate intestinal health and disease. This work contributes to a growing field in immunology which targets inflammatory bowel disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Aguilar constructed computer simulations to model the behaviour of a gas which is at the brink of gravitational collapse. One of his goals was to analyze previously unexplored rotational effects on this critically collapsing gas. This work helps elucidate the formation and properties of exotic astrophysical objects commonly known as black holes. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

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