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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
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)
2013 Dr. Poon studied a set of immune cells called macrophages and their role during lung inflammation. She discovered that the binding of macrophages to hyaluronan, a common carbohydrate, is required for their proliferation and retention in the lung. Her work provides insight that will further the development of treatment for respiratory diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2013 Dr. Janouskovec studied why some parasites, such as malaria, contain a chloroplast, which is responsible for harvesting light energy in plants. He showed that relatives of these parasites are abundant in nature and many of them also contain chloroplasts. These results confirm that, like plants, malaria evolved from an organism that harvested light. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2013 Dr. Zhu studied the electronic structure of topological insulators, furthering our understanding beyond all previous theoretical descriptions. For the first time, he has demonstrated how to achieve full control of the photoelectron spin polarization. His work paves the way to the application of topological materials in novel opto-spintronic devices. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2013 Dr. Reyes studied the chemo-receptors in amphibians and reptiles that sense changes in the level of oxygen in the blood. Cardiovascular and respiratory changes triggered by these chemo-receptors ensure an adequate oxygen supply to the tissues. Her study broadens our understanding of the evolution of chemo-sensing in vertebrates. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2013 Dr. Vaughan examined the chemistry of Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada. He showed that chemical changes in rocks surrounding Carlin-type mineralization can extend more than 1 km out from the largest known gold deposit. The outcome of this research provides a means to effectively explore for large gold systems well outside of traditional methods. Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)

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