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 40 per cent of the Faculty's graduate enrollments, and the percentage of international students has increased to 48 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

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
Martone, Patrick Department of Botany Plant biology; Protist; Plants; Physiology; Taxonomy and Systematics; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biomaterials; Solid Mechanics; Fluid mechanics; biomechanics; Ecology; evolution; Intertidal Zone; Macroalgae; Phycology
Marziali, Andre Department of Physics & Astronomy Teaching methods, pedagogy, Robotics in education, Nanotechnology, Engineering Physics, Genomics, Biophysics, Genomics Technologies
Matsuuchi, Linda Department of Zoology Cell signaling of specific membrane receptors, combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Matthews, Jaymie Mark Department of Physics & Astronomy Stellar seismology, stellar structure and evolution, exoplanets, magnetic peculiar stars, photometry and spectroscopy, space astronomy
Matthews, Philip Department of Zoology respiratory adaptations of animals, primarily insects
Matthews, Benjamin Department of Zoology Genomics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Aedes aeygpti mosquitoes; Arboviral pathogens; Chikungunya; Comparative Physiology; Dengue fever; Genome of mosquitoes; Yellow fever; Zika
Mattison, Thomas Department of Physics & Astronomy Subatomic physics, Particle & Nuclear Physics, Applied Physics
Mayer, Ulrich Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; groundwater contamination; groundwater remediation; hydrogeology; low-temperature geochemistry; mine waste management
McAllister, Murdoch Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Statistical methods for fisheries risk assessment, estimation, decision analysis and management strategy evaluation
McDonald, Daniel Department of Statistics High dimensional data analysis; Computational methods in statistics; Statistical theory and modeling; Machine learning; Estimation and quantification of prediction risk; Evaluating the predictive abilities of complex dependent data; Application of statistical learning techniques to time series prediction problems; Investigations of cross-validation and the bootstrap for risk estimation
McDougall, Scott Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Debris flows / floods, Geohazards, Landslide-generated waves, Landslides, Natural and man-made geological hazards, Rock avalanches, Shoreline erosion, Tailings dam breaches
McGrenere, Joanna Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; computer science; computer supported cooperative work (CSCW); human-computer interaction; interactive technologies for older users and people with cognitive disorders; personalized user interfaces; universal usability
McIver, Jess Department of Physics & Astronomy General relativity and gravitational waves in astronomical and space sciences; Gravitational wave astrophysics; Multi-messenger astronomy; Characterization of large-scale physics instrumentation; data science
McKenna, Janis Department of Physics & Astronomy Physical sciences; Experimental Particle Physics; Instrumentation
Mehrkhodavandi, Parisa Department of Chemistry Chemical sciences; Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds; Polymers; Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis; Bio-based polymers; Bioproducts; catalysis; Green Chemistry; Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry and Characterization
Mehta, Aastha Department of Computer Science Networking, Security & Privacy, Systems security, Data privacy, Operating systems, Distributed systems
Michal, Carl Department of Physics & Astronomy Nuclear magnetic resonance, biological and energy storage materials
Michaletz, Sean Department of Botany Plant biology; fire behavior and effects; macroecology; Plant physiological ecology
Miller, Freda Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Medical Genetics
Milner, Valery Department of Physics & Astronomy Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; Ultrafast Quantum Coherent Control; Ultrafast Spectroscopy
Mitchell, Ian Department of Computer Science safety critical systems, assistive technology (mobility), robotics, scientific computing, cyber-physical systems, Mathematical software, computational science and engineering, hybrid and cyber-physical systems, verification and validation, reproducible research, level set methods, robotic path, planning
Mizumoto, Kota Department of Zoology Cell and Developmental Biology
Mohn, William Department of Microbiology & Immunology pollutant biodegradation, pollutant bioremediation, biological treatment of forest industry effluents and wastes, microbial ecology, environmental biotechnology, forest soil microbial ecology, tuberculosis, microbial genomics, Microbial ecology
Momose, Takamasa Department of Chemistry Spectroscopy, Chemical physics
Munzner, Tamara Department of Computer Science Human-centered computing; visualization; information visualization; visual analytics; data science

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

David Wakeham

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Connections between quantum gravity and information

Harold Eyster

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

Conservation science

Poushali Maji

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

Air quality, climate and developmental implications of energy policies in India

Kate Smith

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)

Pb isotopic and trace element signatures in honey: Environmental proxy for pollutant source-tracking

Xinyu Cheng

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Partial Differential Equations

Yasha Pushak

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Automated algorithm configuration for solving large-scale computational problems

Santiago David

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Paramo bird communities: Understanding a poorly known Andean ecosystem under increasing risk of extinction
Vincent Ricciardi

Vinny Ricciardi

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

Examining the food security, climate resilience, and equity implications of farm size
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.

 

Biscotti: A Blockchain System for Private and Secure Federated Learning
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems
UBC Author(s): Ivan Beschastnikh (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10459219
Volume: 32
Page Range: 1513-1525
Publication Date: 1 July 2021

View Publication
Non-invasive monitoring of red blood cells during cold storage using handheld Raman spectroscopy
Publication: Transfusion
UBC Author(s): Robin Turner (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00411132
Volume: 61
Page Range: 2159-2168
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Aerobic growth index (AGI): An index to understand the impacts of ocean warming and deoxygenation on global marine fisheries resources
Publication: Progress in Oceanography
UBC Author(s): Wai Lung Cheung (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00796611
Volume: 195
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
On the L-invariant of the adjoint of a weight one modular form
Publication: Journal of the London Mathematical Society
UBC Author(s): Vinayak Vatsal (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00246107
Volume: 104
Page Range: 206-232
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Simulating trophic impacts of fishing scenarios on two oceanic islands using Ecopath with Ecosim
Publication: Marine Environmental Research
UBC Author(s): Villy Christensen (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01411136
Volume: 169
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Tracking industrial fishing activities in African waters from space
Publication: Fish and Fisheries
UBC Author(s): Wai Lung Cheung (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 14672960
Volume: 22
Page Range: 851-864
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Global extinction risk for seahorses, pipefishes and their near relatives (Syngnathiformes)
Publication: ORYX
UBC Author(s): Amanda Vincent (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00306053
Volume: 55
Page Range: 497-506
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Decomposition of polyharmonic operator and classification of homogeneous stable solutions
Publication: Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society
UBC Author(s): Juncheng Wei (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00029939
Volume: 149
Page Range: 2957-2968
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
A highly magnetized and rapidly rotating white dwarf as small as the Moon
Publication: Nature
UBC Author(s): Jeremy Heyl (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00280836
Volume: 595
Page Range: 39-42
Publication Date: 1 July 2021

View Publication
Direct and indirect effects of microbiota-derived metabolites on neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis
Publication: Microbes and Infection
UBC Author(s): Lisa Osborne (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 12864579
Volume: 23
Publication Date: 1 July 2021

View Publication
Cause or effect? The spatial organization of pathogens and the gut microbiota in disease
Publication: Microbes and Infection
UBC Author(s): Carolina Tropini (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 12864579
Volume: 23
Publication Date: 1 July 2021

View Publication
Identification of a crocodylian β-defensin variant from Alligator mississippiensis with antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity
Publication: Peptides
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01969781
Volume: 141
Publication Date: July 2021

View Publication
Insights into the Morphology of Haplozoan Parasites (Dinoflagellata) using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy
Publication: Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
UBC Author(s): Brian Leander (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10665234
Volume: 68
Publication Date: July/August 2021

View Publication
Computational skills by stealth in introductory data science teaching
Publication: Teaching Statistics
UBC Author(s): Raymond Tak-yan Ng (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0141982X
Volume: 43
Page Range: S34-S51
Publication Date: Summer 2021

View Publication
Magnesio-lucchesiite, CaMg<inf>3</inf>Al<inf>6</inf>(Si<inf>6</inf>O<inf>18</inf>)(BO<inf>3</inf>)<inf>3</inf>(OH)<inf>3</inf>O, a new species of the tourmaline supergroup
Publication: American Mineralogist
UBC Author(s): Lee Groat (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0003004X
Volume: 106
Page Range: 862-871
Publication Date: 25 June 2021

View Publication
NtrBC Selectively Regulates Host-Pathogen Interactions, Virulence, and Ciprofloxacin Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Publication: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: 24 June 2021

View Publication
Cache abstraction for data race detection in heterogeneous systems with non-coherent accelerators
Publication: Proceedings of the ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Languages, Compilers, and Tools for Embedded Systems (LCTES)
UBC Author(s): Alan Hu (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
Page Range: 151-162
Publication Date: 22 June 2021

View Publication
Suzuki coupling of aroyl-MIDA boronate esters – A preliminary report on scope and limitations
Publication: Tetrahedron Letters
UBC Author(s): David Perrin (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00404039
Volume: 74
Publication Date: 22 June 2021

View Publication
Approaching the motional ground state of a 10-kg object
Publication: Science
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00368075
Volume: 372
Page Range: 1333-1336
Publication Date: 18 June 2021

View Publication
Constraints on Cosmic Strings Using Data from the Third Advanced LIGO-Virgo Observing Run
Publication: Physical Review Letters
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00319007
Volume: 126
Publication Date: 18 June 2021

View Publication
Salicylic Acid: Biosynthesis and Signaling
Publication: Annual Review of Plant Biology
UBC Author(s): Yuelin Zhang (Botany / Faculty of Science), Xin Li (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15435008
Volume: 72
Page Range: 761-791
Publication Date: 17 June 2021

View Publication
Mixed Linkage β-1,3/1,4-Glucan Oligosaccharides Induce Defense Responses in Hordeum vulgare and Arabidopsis thaliana
Publication: Frontiers in Plant Science
UBC Author(s): Harry Brumer (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: 17 June 2021

View Publication
Multi-trek separation in linear structural equation models
Publication: SIAM Journal on Applied Algebra and Geometry
UBC Author(s): Elina Robeva (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 5
Page Range: 278-303
Publication Date: 16 June 2021

View Publication
Anthropogenic lead pervasive in Canadian Arctic seawater
Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
UBC Author(s): Kristin Orians (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00278424
Volume: 118
Publication Date: 15 June 2021

View Publication
Tests of general relativity with binary black holes from the second LIGO-Virgo gravitational-wave transient catalog
Publication: Physical Review D
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24700010
Volume: 103
Publication Date: 15 June 2021

View Publication

Pages

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
2020 Dr. Hernandez Torres studied two probabilistic models that emulate phenomena in physics and biology. She focused on understanding the behaviour of these models at a large-scale. Her results add to our mathematical understanding of the relation between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of natural processes within probability theory. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2020 Dr. Durney used mathematical and biophysical modelling to show how the individual and collective motion of cells cause a variety of mechanical behaviors of tissues during development. His work provides understanding to the mechanisms that are responsible for the correct development of form during organ development. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2020 Dr. Liaw explored machine learning from the lens of theoretical computer science. He developed new algorithms with strong theoretical guarantees for online decision making and distribution learning. His contributions may be applied to develop learning algorithms with improved error guarantees while requiring sufficiently less data. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Wang studied baroclinic critical layers, thin layers in fluids with pronounced wave amplitudes. His research theoretically revealed the evolution of the critical layers and the potential mechanism through which they replicate. These discoveries advance our understanding of transition to turbulence in ocean, atmosphere and astrophysical disks. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2020 Dr. Booth showed how the molecules that give cannabis its psychoactive properties and unique aromas are produced in the flowers of the plant. Her research aims to explain why cannabis types differ in their aromas. Her results expand our knowledge of metabolism in cannabis, a plant of growing economic importance, and the properties of its products. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Arsenault's research focused on the design and examination of new shape-shifting molecules. The absorption or emission colours are dependent on the molecule's shape, and can be tuned by changing the surrounding solvent. Her research will impact applications using stimuli-responsive molecules, such as water-sensing dyes for biomedical imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2020 Dr. Persaud synthesized analogs of clionamine B, compounds which remove Mycobacterium tuberculosis from human cells, making them attractive compounds for developing new drugs to treat TB. Dr. Persaud also made compounds to identify the site where clionamine B binds in cells, which is an important part in the drug development process. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2020 Dr. Chan's research considered problems with certain mathematical structures known as tableaux. He proved results which relate to enumerative and structural aspects of these problems. His work could aid in understanding inherently complex problems relating to tableaux and in establishing connections between different areas in combinatorics. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2020 Dr. Gilbert showed that rising Arctic water temperatures can limit Arctic char heart function and exercise performance in a manner that may impair their ability to migrate. Arctic char, a type of salmon, are culturally and economically invaluable in the Canadian North and such information will aid in evidence-based management efforts. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Day studied the interaction between ultraviolet radiation and electrons in solids, developing new tools to understand the electronic structure and properties of materials. He demonstrated the presence of interactions which bind the electrons' trajectories to their magnetic moment in new superconducting materials. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Pages

 

New book pays homage to North America’s rivers, including the &#039;soul of BC&#039;

Dr. Eric Taylor’s (PhD ‘89) research focuses on the evolution and conservation of freshwater fishes. The UBC zoologist is also an avid...

Learn More

Coral reefs are 50% less able to provide food, jobs, and climate protection than in 1950s, putting millions at risk

The capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services relied on by millions of people worldwide has declined by half since the 1950s,...

Learn More

Megaconstellations of satellites will cause most light pollution at 50 degrees latitude

The planned launch of thousands of communications satellites over the next few years is expected to have the most impact on our view of the...

Learn More

UBC launches new options in data, computational sciences

Undergraduate students at UBC Vancouver have two new options to pursue studies in data and computational science this fall with the launch...

Learn More

Chemistry, Math and CS researchers elected to RSC

Three UBC Science researchers have been elected to join the Royal Society of Canada.  Professors Alejandro Adem, Curtis Berlinguette...

Learn More

Volcanism drove rapid ocean deoxygenation during the time of the dinosaurs

Ocean deoxygenation during the Mesozoic Era was much more rapid than previous thought, with CO2 induced environmental warming creating...

Learn More