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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dr. Starzyk investigated the controls governing the interaction of surface water and groundwater along a stream. Through a combination of field work and numerical modelling, her work improves our ability to understand and predict the interaction between groundwater and streams. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2012 | Through his research, Dr. Loonchanta identified the structure of gelsolin, a protein involved in the regulation of cell movement. The findings contribute to our understanding of how cells "walk", and can be applied to the design of drugs which help to prevent the spread of cancer cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Salas-Fernandez studied new drugs for the treatment of malaria. She designed and evaluated a series of ant-imalarial drugs to explore the connections between structure and activity. This research contributes to the understanding of structural features that might help to overcome resistance to anti-malarial drugs. . | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | High-risk neuroblastoma is an aggressive cancer that affects nerve cells and is hard to cure in children over 1 year of age. Dr.Morozova used state-of-the-art technologies to crack the genetic code of neuroblastoma cells. Her research revealed genetic errors that could provide clues for the development of new therapies for neuroblastoma patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Stock investigated and defined the chemical variations preserved in the rocks surrounding the Red Lake Gold Mines in Northwestern Ontario. Through the documentation of both mineral and rock chemistry, she was able to identify the influences on gold formation and construct a new exploration tool | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Mills participated in the ATLAS particle physics experiment on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. He made record-setting new measurements of a class of subatomic particles. The techniques he developed will benefit the particle physics community by allowing them to make high-precision measurements, using cheaper and more compact detectors than previously thought possible. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Rozada conducted his research in the field of Mathematics. He studied the mathematical theory behind pattern formation in biological organisms. His work focused on the instabilities that give rise to variation in the patterns. It is expected his findings will contribute to this area of study. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Zhong developed an improved capillary electrophoresis-electrospray-ionization-mass spectrometry interface. This technology was proved to be useful for analysis of a variety of chemical compounds, such as small drug molecules, metabolites, peptides, proteins, and carbohydrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Wang studied computational statistics and how they can be used in analyzing genetic data. She specifically developed more efficient statistical methods for inferring how species evolve through time, and how closely species are related to each other. This research can improve the efficiency of large-scale genetic data analysis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Turner investigated methods to make complex drug molecules in the laboratory. This work involved the consecutive "cooking" of chemical mixtures, with unpredictable results. It is conceivable that his research might, some day, lead to new compounds that could be used to develop potent new anti-cancer drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |