AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support
Psychiatrists and computer scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can accurately...
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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. Kumaran searched for ways to improve laser technology by pursuing research in the field of crystal growth. He showed that promising new materials could be created by growing laser crystals as thin films. His sapphire-based films are ideal for making compact and efficient lasers which have broad application, including materials processing and surgery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Helmer developed algorithms for object recognition that combines information from images from multiple viewpoints and stereo vision. His work improves not only object localization in 2D images but also can infer 3D position as well, which is useful for many robotic applications requiring visual navigation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Hannes Dempewolf examined the process of domestication of several crops in the Compositae family. He explored why some crops appear semi-domesticated and focused much of his work on the East-African oil-seed crop Noug. He also studied the influence of mating systems on the domestication process more generally. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Hall engineered a system of time-lapse photography and growth analysis of plant stems to examine their development with unrivalled precision. His cell wall studies have revealed dynamic patterns in plant cell wall formation that will guide future research relevant to the bioenergy sector. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Webster studied the deposition of crystalline yttrium oxide films. By controlling the crystal growth process, he was able to create thin films with a very high degree of structural perfection. The techniques developed in his work will help in the development of new solid state laser technology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Morin used new tools for reading the genome of human cancer cells, to find mutations previously unknown to be relevant to disease. Some mutations may offer new options for developing lymphoma drugs. Others should allow us to treat about 5% more children with leukemia who would not previously have been considered candidates for drug treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Kang used mass spectrometry to study the structures and stabilities of gas-phase, noncovalent protein complexes. This research provides a better understanding of the properties of gas-phase protein ions and also illustrates the relation of these properties to solution properties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. French provided new perspectives on brain structure and function by employing computational methods to analyze large-scale genomic and anatomical data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Preston studied the optical properties of conducting and non-conducting particles. He explored the relationship between particle shape and spectra using both modelling and experiments. This work is important for understanding how solar radiation interacts with planetary atmospheres and the fabrication of novel nanostructures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Crowley developed a method for automated planning under uncertainty in spatial domains such as forestry and other environmental planning fields. He showed that systems of simple, local policies can be used to build complex, landscape policies. Furthermore, these systems can be used to evaluate ways of making these landscape policies most effective. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |