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. Liu investigated the evolutionary mechanisms underlying freshwater adaptation in ancestrally marine fish. She found that both local habitats and time since marine isolation play a role in the responses to varied salinities in prickly sculpin. Her study provides a possible explanation for how marine fish diversified and colonized fresh water. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Tully's work lays the foundation for measuring the electronic structure and fate of excitations in carbon-based solar cell materials. Her measurements of excited states in C60 films demonstrate the first high-quality data on such systems with lab-scale equipment, enabled by advances in film quality developed by Dr. Tully. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Cang examined emotionally expressive touch behaviour for human-robot interaction. To be truly reactive, devices must address the dynamic nature of emotion. For her dissertation, she developed multi-stage machine learning protocols to train robots to respond to your evolving feelings. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Rostamzadeh's Markerless Dynamic Tumor Tracking method revolutionizes cancer treatment, utilizing the lung-liver interface for precise radiation targeting, reducing side effects, and providing hope to liver and lung cancer patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Strouth examined how people decide if a community is 'safe enough' from landslides. In addition, he put landslide risks into context with other types of risks. Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD)
2024 Dr. McNutt studied the hormone somatostatin and its role in slowing the growth of breast cancer. She demonstrated that two similar subtypes of breast cancer respond variably to treatment with somatostatin. This research underscores the multiple mechanisms responsible for cancer growth and may contribute to the development of new therapeutics. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2024 Dr. Florko explored how habitat changes affect predator-prey dynamics in the Arctic. Her research, which modelled prey shifts and tracked seal and polar bear movements in Hudson Bay, provides insights into their interactions. This work advances our understanding of predator-prey ecology, crucial for identifying critical habitat. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceans and Fisheries (PhD)
2024 Dr. Krekhno investigated the breakdown of steroids by mycobacterial pathogens and identified several genes that result in toxicity upon disruption. These insights into steroid utilization provide valuable information on how these bacteria cause infection and may contribute to the development of new, more effective therapies. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Gauthier's thesis work outlined the development, optimized, and diagnostic test performance of pathogen-agnostic sequencing for diagnosis of respiratory viral infections. His thesis work helped to overcome key translational barriers to aid in the translation of genomic sequencing technologies for applications in diagnostic virology. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Hendi revealed a novel function of a gap junction protein that negatively regulates the formation of synapses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This research advances our understanding of the mechanisms required for the precise formation and development of the nervous system. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

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