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
2024 Dr. Poon's research focused on heart motion management in radiation therapy for irregular heartbeats. He quantified regional heart motion and investigated a technique to synchronize radiation delivery with the cardiac cycle, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes by reducing the treated volume and minimizing radiation to healthy tissue. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Takemon developed a computer-based method to examine cancer gene functions and identify cancer cell-specific vulnerabilities. Using this method, they found several vulnerabilities that can be exploited to selectively kill cancer cells using existing FDA approved drugs. Dr. Takemon's research illustrates a model for improving future precision cancer medicine. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Lykiardopoulou contributed to the field of nuclear physics by measuring the mass of short-lived sodium isotopes. The results challenge current theories of nuclear structure and establish benchmarks for new theoretical approaches. She contributed in the development and commissioning of a novel ion trap that aims at higher precision mass measurements of short-lived species. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Daly-Grafstein developed new statistical methods for studying cause-and-effect relationships. These methods require fewer assumptions about the nature of the data, making estimates more robust. They are applicable when conducting observational studies or when research data is partially missing. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Askelson studied how one species evolves into multiple species over time. He discovered that white-breasted nuthatches, which have been treated as a single species, in fact consist of three distinct species. Dr. Askelson showed that hybridization and gene flow has shaped dramatic patterns of differentiation across these birds' genomes. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Reeves showed how chaotic phenomena, such as the butterfly effect, can appear in certain quantum systems that can model black holes. By discovering the relationship between chaos and symmetries in these systems, Dr. Reeves furthered the understanding of these systems and their connection to black holes. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Song explored how plants communicate with the microbial community surrounding their roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome. She identified novel genetic mechanisms plants employ to interact with beneficial microbes. Her findings will help enhance crop resilience and productivity, offering important advancements in agricultural practices. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2024 Exploring global midwater zooplankton, Dr. Egorova identified key biodiversity hotspots and unique biomass patterns. Dr. Egorova's findings enhance marine models and deepen understanding of ocean ecosystems. These insights benefit environmental scientists and policymakers, enhancing global conservation. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2024 Dr. Xing explored and improved the detection of topic shifts in natural language and multimedia using data-driven approaches. He proposed enhanced topic segmentation models with better coherence analysis strategies, showing potential to benefit other natural language understanding tasks like text summarization and dialogue modeling. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Bajpai made theoretical and algorithmic contributions to the study of integer solutions to polynomial equations. He developed methods to resolve several new families of such equations, and applied these methods to prove novel results on approximations to complex numbers. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

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