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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

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

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Jellinek, Mark Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Volcanology, Geodynamics, Planetary Science, Geological Fluid Mechanics
Jetter, Reinhard Department of Botany, Department of Chemistry Chemical sciences; Plant biology; Analytical Chemistry; Biological Chemistry; Molecular Genetics; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Ecophysiology
Joe, Harry Sue Wah Department of Statistics Statistics; Statistics and Probabilities; copula construction; dependence modelling; extreme value inference; non-normal time series; parsimonous high-dimensional dependence
Johnson, Catherine Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Lunar geophysics, Evolution of Mars' Magnetic Field and Atmosphere
Johnson, Mark Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; Natural environment sciences; Agriculture; Biogeochemistry; Carbon cycle; Climate Changes and Impacts; data science; Ecohydrology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Fresh Water; Ground Water and Water Tables; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Land and Soil; land use; Running Water Hydrosystem; Water and Sustainability
Jones, David Department of Physics & Astronomy Atomic, optical and molecular physics,Ultrafast Optics, Spectroscopy
Karczmarek, Joanna Department of Physics & Astronomy Particle physics theory (including aspects of field theory and string theory); Physical sciences; Emergent spacetime and gravity; Matrix models; Noncommutative geometry; String theory
Karu, Kalle Department of Mathematics Algebraic geometry, toric varieties, log geometry, combinatorics of fans and posets
Keeling, Patrick John Department of Botany Molecular evolution and cell biology of eukaryotes
Kenne, Steve Cyrille Department of Mathematics Calculus of variations, systems theory and control theory; Partial and ordinary differential equations; Mathematical biology; Optimal control theory; Partial Differential Equations; Multiscale modelling of infectious diseases
Kiczales, Gregor Department of Computer Science MOOCs, Blended Learning, Flexible Learning, University Strategy for Flexible and Blended Learning, Computer Science Education, Programming Languages, Programming languages, aspect-oriented programming, foundations, reflections and meta programming, software design
Kim, Young-Heon Department of Mathematics Partial Differential Equations and Geometry
King, Kayla Department of Zoology, Department of Microbiology & Immunology host-microbial parasite/pathogen systems
Kopylova, Maya Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences diamond ore deposits, Diamond exploration, petrology and volcanology
Korthauer, Keegan Department of Statistics Bioinformatics; Genomics; Statistics; Epigenomics; Single-cell analysis; Statistical genomics
Kremen, Claire Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Zoology Natural environment sciences; Zoology; agroecological farming systems; Reconciliation of agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation; sustainable landscapes
Krems, Roman Department of Chemistry Theoretical chemistry, Molecular Spectroscopy, Dynamics of few- and many-body molecular systems in electromagnetic fields
Kronstad, James Michael Smith Laboratories Bioinformatics; Immunology; Microbiology; Plant biology; Mycology; Fungal diseases of plants; Genomics and Proteomics; Medical Mycology; Molecular Genetics; Pathogenesis of infectious diseases; Plant-Microbe Interactions
Kunimoto, Michelle Department of Physics & Astronomy exoplanet detection, characterization, and demographics
Laba, Izabella Department of Mathematics Harmonic analysis, geometric measure theory and additive combinatorics
Lakshmanan, Laks Department of Computer Science data management and data cleaning; data warehousing and OLAP; data and text mining; analytics on big graphs and news; social networks and media; recommender systems
Leander, Brian Department of Botany, Department of Zoology Plant biology; Zoology; Comparative organismal biology; Evolutionary morphology; Evolutionary protistology; Marine biodiversity; Marine invertebrate zoology; Phylogenetic biology; Species discovery
Lecuyer, Mathias Department of Computer Science Machine learning systems; Guarantees of robustness, privacy, and security
Leeks, Asher Department of Zoology Biological evolution; Social evolution in viruses; Evolutionary Biology; Virology; Evolutionary theory; Mathematical modeling; Bioinformatics; Social evolution; Microbiology
Lemieux, Caroline Department of Computer Science Programming languages and software engineering; help developers improve the correctness, security, and performance of software systems; test-input generation; specification mining; program synthesis

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Graduate Student Stories

W. Austin Guild

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Investigating the protective role of endogenous retroviruses against herpes simplex virus-2 infection

Cara James

Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)

Understanding deep-sea mining particulate clouds: predicting environmental impacts, informing regulation and monitoring pollutants

Nicole Bison

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Drivers of plant heat tolerance and thermoregulation from leaf to landscape

Alexis Bahl

Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)

Salp diel vertical migration and its impact on carbon export in the Southern Ocean

Aria Malhotra

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting severe skin reactions in breast radiation therapy

Jerry Achar

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Analyzing uncertainty in the application of computational in silico methods for chemical risk assessment

Anna Santo

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Inclusive public consultation about large predator recovery in the North Cascades Ecosystem

Annie Lalande

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Food as medicine: Transforming hospital food to improve patient satisfaction, health, and the environment
All Student Stories

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.

 

Wing extension-flexion coupled aeroelastic effects improve avian gliding performance
Publication: Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
UBC Author(s): Douglas Altshuler (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 22
Page Range: 20240753
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

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On the expected ℓ<inf>∞</inf>-norm of high-dimensional martingales
Publication: Stochastic Processes and their Applications
UBC Author(s): Nicholas Harvey (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03044149
Volume: 183
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
Adverse fetal and perinatal outcomes associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy: an individual participant data meta-analysis
Publication: eClinicalMedicine
UBC Author(s): Paul Gustafson (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 83
Publication Date: May 2025

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Euclid: Early Release Observations – A preview of the Euclid era through a galaxy cluster magnifying lens
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication
Euclid: Early Release Observations – Unveiling the morphology of two Milky Way globular clusters out to their periphery
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication
Euclid: Early Release Observations – The intracluster light and intracluster globular clusters of the Perseus cluster
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
Specializations of iterated Galois groups of PCF rational functions
Publication: Mathematische Annalen
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00255831
Volume: 392
Page Range: 1031-1050
Publication Date: May 2025

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Frustrated spin-1/2 chains in a correlated metal
Publication: Nature Materials
UBC Author(s): Meigan Aronson (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 14761122
Volume: 24
Page Range: 716-721
Publication Date: May 2025

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Seasonably Variable Estuarine Exchange Through Interconnected Channels in the Salish Sea
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
UBC Author(s): Susan Elizabeth Allen (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 21699275
Volume: 130
Publication Date: May 2025

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Mechanistic Links Between Climatic Forcing and Model-Based Plankton Dynamics in the Strait of Georgia, Canada
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
UBC Author(s): Susan Elizabeth Allen (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 21699275
Volume: 130
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
Using Two-frequency Dust Spectral Matching to Separate Galactic Synchrotron and Free-Free Temperature Foregrounds from the Cosmic Microwave Background
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Mark Halpern (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 984
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication
Formation of Spongy Clinopyroxene: Insights from Eclogitic Inclusions in Diamonds
Publication: Journal of Petrology
UBC Author(s): Maya Kopylova (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00223530
Volume: 66
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

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Metabolites are not genes — avoiding the misuse of pathway analysis in metabolomics
Publication: Nature Metabolism
UBC Author(s): Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 7
Page Range: 858-861
Publication Date: May 2025

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The cold tolerance of the terrestrial slug, Ambigolimax valentianus
Publication: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
UBC Author(s): Katie Marshall (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03407594
Volume: 211
Page Range: 247-259
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
Vegetation Structural Complexity Across Elevational Gradients: Insights From the Tropical Andes
Publication: Journal of Biogeography
UBC Author(s): Leticia Aviles (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03050270
Volume: 52
Publication Date: May 2025

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Multi-solitons for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with repulsive Dirac delta potential
Publication: Nonlinear Differential Equations and Applications
UBC Author(s): Stephen James Gustafson (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10219722
Volume: 32
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
Lengthy delays in H5N1 genome submissions to GISAID
Publication: Nature Biotechnology
UBC Author(s): Sarah Otto (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10870156
Volume: 43
Page Range: 665-666
Publication Date: May 2025

View Publication
A Heterotic Hermitian–Yang–Mills Equivalence
Publication: Communications in Mathematical Physics
UBC Author(s): Sebastien Picard (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00103616
Volume: 406
Publication Date: May 2025

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Phase transitions and symmetry breaking of cooperation on lattices
Publication: Physical Review E
UBC Author(s): Christoph Hauert (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24700045
Volume: 111
Publication Date: May 2025

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Disentangling serial chloroplast captures in willows
Publication: American Journal of Botany
UBC Author(s): Quentin Charles Cronk (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00029122
Volume: 112
Publication Date: May 2025

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The geochemistry, origins and metallurgical implications of different textural types of spodumene-quartz intergrowths (SQUI) from the Tanco pegmatite, Manitoba, Canada
Publication: Ore Geology Reviews
UBC Author(s): Lee Groat (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01691368
Volume: 180
Publication Date: May 2025

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Euclid I. Overview of the Euclid mission
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication
Using highest density intervals can reduce perceived uncertainty in stock assessments
Publication: Fisheries Research
UBC Author(s): Marie Auger-Methe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01657836
Volume: 285
Publication Date: May 2025

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Euclid V. The Flagship galaxy mock catalogue: A comprehensive simulation for the Euclid mission
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication
Euclid: Early Release Observations - A glance at free-floating newborn planets in the σ Orionis cluster
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Scott (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 697
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

View Publication

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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
2025 Dr. Zhu examined two applications of oscillatory integral techniques, both analytic and geometric. One area of his research contributes to classifying geometric properties captured by various approaches to measure sets. The other promotes identifying geometric and algebraic patterns in rough sets. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Nadeau developed sustainable nickel catalysts and methodologies that facilitate inert bond activation reactions for more sustainable organic transformations. His insights are relevant to the conversion of inert waste materials, such as methane, into value-added products. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2025 Dr. Tanprasert is a human-computer interaction researcher. Her dissertation focuses on designing personas of AI-driven agents to increase learners’ engagement in online learning environments. Her findings provide a foundational framework for designing agents to meet the user’s social and emotional needs in the educational domain and beyond. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2025 Improving confidence in computer-based modeling of potential harm posed by chemicals requires analysis of the associated uncertainty. Dr. Achar developed frameworks and methods that support uncertainty analysis in the models and their predictions. This work helps increase acceptance of the models and their predictions for regulatory application. Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)
2025 Dr. Alizadeh studied seed germination and found that regulatory proteins help seeds break dormancy and use stored nutrients for growth. His research uncovered how these proteins interact to control genes involved in germination, nutrient use, and environmental responses. These insights could enhance crop growth and resilience. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2025 Dr. Li studied highly flexible nonparametric statistical methods that are often difficult to apply in practice. He developed new techniques using simple, reliable approximations, making these powerful methods usable for data analysis. This allows researchers in various fields to better understand complex data with powerful models. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Leckenby studied exotic nuclear decay that occurs in the core of stars to understand how the heavy elements were created. The experiment he analysed on thallium-205 was essential in predicting the amount of lead-205 in the first meteorites formed in our Solar System. These meteorites indicate that our Sun took 10 million years to form. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Malhotra's research focused on severe skin reactions in breast radiotherapy. She developed techniques to model, predict, and decrease the risk of moist desquamation using treatment plans. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)
2025 Dr. Chui used weather modelling to explore how human-caused changes to the climate and terrain of BC could have changed the weather of the province. These changes can have impacts on public health across BC, and on local ecosystems around coal mines. His work resulted in a large dataset that will be used by provincial researchers for years to come. Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Bajaj assessed the climate risks embedded in domestic supply and international imports of food, both globally and with a focus on Canada. He developed novel datasets and innovative analyses that demonstrate the importance of taking a systemic approach to building food system resilience to climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

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