UBC evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter named AAAS Fellow
Internationally renowned evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter has been elected to the newest class of American Association for the...
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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
- Biodiversity Research Centre
- Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
- Centre for Microbial Diversity and Evolution
Computational Sciences and Mathematics
- Data Science Institute
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Institute of Applied Mathematics
- Statistical Consulting and Research Laboratory
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Geophysical Inversion Facility
- Lithoprobe: Canada's National Geoscience Project
- Mineral Deposit Research Unit
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research
- Seismic Laboratory for Imaging and Modeling
Genomics and Biological Sciences
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology
- Geomatics for Informed Decisions Network
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics
- Michael Smith Laboratories
Human-Computer Interaction
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Vancouver Institute for Visual Analytics
Life Sciences
- Centre for Blood Research
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries
- Life Sciences Institute
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- Neglected Global Diseased Initiative
Chemistry and Materials Science
- Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory
- Max Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials
- Quantum Devices Group
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute
Physics
- Antihydrogen Trapping and Spectroscopy at CERN
- Pacific Institute for Theoretical Physics
- TRIUMF: Canada’s National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics
- UBC ATLAS Project at Large Hadron Collider
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Xia developed statistical approaches, known as Bayesian methods, for use when it is difficult to identify a unique statistical model based on observed data. She showed that the proposed models provide better statistical inference by acknowledging the issues. The models can be used in statistical modeling in health, insurance and road safety. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Musgrove conducted research in electro-chemical processes. She developed a new method for creating thin films on electrode surfaces and identified their characteristics using fluorescence and atomic-force microscopy. These discoveries may be developed for use in sensors for biological molecules or as model cell membranes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Sriskandakumar's research focussed on the ongoing attempts to develop promising alternatives to metallo-anticancer drugs. A new model was proposed for the activation and effectiveness of ruthenium-based anticancer drugs by probing their electronic structures. This helped to create new strategies to make effective metal-based anticancer drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Tomal conducted his research in the field of Statistics. He developed new statistical methods to search more efficiently for potential pharmaceutical drug molecules in a large collection of chemical compounds. His methods capitalized on the richness of information contained in high-dimensional data, which have many useful variables. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Yu developed catalysts for the formation of bio-degradable and bio-compatible materials used in industrial and medical applications. She investigated the nature of these catalysts, allowing them to tune the physical properties of the resulting materials. Her work lead to a new family of functionalized polymeric materials for drug delivery systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Within String Theory exists a mathematical conjecture linking two fundamental aspects of physics. Through this structure, Dr. Whyte studied models related to the force that binds the nuclei of atoms. He used the same mathematical structure to study a model describing the universe's rapid expansion in the initial fraction of a second of its existence. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Dauth performed his research in the field of organo-metallic chemistry. He designed new and green pathways to create valuable alcohols and amines from cheap and readily available starting materials. His research lays the foundation for the future development of pharmaceuticals or materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Zhu studied the chemical reactivity of oxygen atoms. He developed a general method in the laboratory to synthesize many novel organic molecules which are important in the pharmaceutical industries. His research might provide a new and reliable strategy for scientists to synthesize new, potent anti-cancer drugs in the future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Muja researched efficient methods of indexing and searching large collections of data. He discovered ways of improving the efficiency of searches by using "approximate nearest neighbour" algorithms. The results of this work have been released as an open source library that is already being used by a large number of research groups around the world. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Majewski studied the fundamental charge transfer processes that are involved in the conversion of visible light to usable energy within artificial photosynthetic assemblies. These assemblies, prepared and designed by Dr. Majewski, mimic the photosynthetic process Nature has perfected and offer insight into a form of solar energy conversion. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |