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 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

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
2008 Dr. Philippe examined how forest trees defend themselves against insect infestations. Along with developments in poplar genomics resources and contributions to the poplar genome sequencing, his work illuminates the importance of metabolic reorganization in mounting an effective plant-wide defense response. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2008 The thesis develops powerful new ways to help find and eliminate errors automatically from complex computer software. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2008 Ubiquitous computing is the third wave of computing, where technology moves off the desktop and into the real world around us. Dr. Blackstock designed a common programming model for ubiquitous computing and through practical integration experience and prototypes provided strong evidence of the portability and interoperability benefits of his model. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2008 Dr. Cross has shown that the enzyme CD45 is an important regulator of dendritic cell responses to pathogens. This research highlights a novel role for CD45 in linking early and late immune responses. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2008 Dr. Bolourani showed that genetic manipulation of specific amoeba provides an elegant approach for elucidating the function of the highly conserved intracellular signaling Ras proteins which are found in all nucleated cells. He provided some of the best evidence to date showing conslusively that two Ras proteins have distinct but crucial roles during cell aggregation. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2008 Dr Moreno presented an alternative to traditional methods for designing and pricing "over-the-counter" financial products. An efficient numerical algorithm to estimate the price of such products is also presented. The research provides a modern approach to modelling a growing sector of the financial markets. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

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