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
Mattison, Thomas Department of Physics & Astronomy Subatomic physics, Particle & Nuclear Physics, Applied Physics
Mayer, Ulrich Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences hydrogeology; low-temperature geochemistry; groundwater contamination; groundwater remediation; 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 Landslides, natural and man-made geological hazards, geohazards, rock avalanches, debris flows / floods, tailings dam breaches, shoreline erosion, landslide-generated waves
McGrenere, Joanna Department of Computer Science human-computer interaction; personalized user interfaces; universal usability; interactive technologies for older users and people with cognitive disorders; computer supported cooperative work (CSCW); computer science
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 Experimental Particle Physics; Instrumentation
Mehrkhodavandi, Parisa Department of Chemistry Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds; Polymers; Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis; Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry and Characterization; catalysis; Green Chemistry; Bioproducts; Bio-based polymers
Michal, Carl Department of Physics & Astronomy Nuclear magnetic resonance, biological and energy storage materials
Michaletz, Sean Department of Botany Plant physiological ecology; macroecology; fire behavior and effects
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
Murphy, Michael Department of Microbiology & Immunology Microbiology; Functional and Structural Proteomics; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Microbial metal metabolism; Bacterial pathogenesis; Alternatives to antibiotics
Murphy, Gail Department of Computer Science Software Development; software engineering; software evolution; software design; knowledge worker productivity
Murugan, Mathav Department of Mathematics probability theory and analysis; relationship between behavior of Markov processes and the geometry of the underlying state space; Sandpile models; boundary theory; potential theory; quasiconformal mappings; Metric geometry
Nagata, K Wayne Department of Mathematics Nonlinear dynamics and applied partial differential equations
Ng, Raymond Tak-yan Department of Computer Science Data mining and analysis, health informatics, text summarization, text mining
Nichols, Eva Department of Chemistry
Nolde, Natalia Department of Statistics Statistics and Probabilities; Multivariate extreme value theory; Risk assessment; Applications in finance, insurance, geosciences

Pages

Graduate Student Profiles

Santiago David

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

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

Analise Hofmann

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

Re-contextualizing interdisciplinary knowledge in biology laboratory courses to improve student learning outcomes.

Helina Jolly

Helina Jolly

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

Investigating the perceptions and values of ecosystem functions through gender lens - A socioecological inquiry of Indigenous (Adivasi) communities in Kerala, India
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
Kylynda Bauer sitting on a bench

Kylynda Bauer

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Diet and Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis

Neha Choudhary

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Inorganic Medicinal Chemistry

Kate Thompson

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

The impact of the rare metabolism of photoferrotrophy - photosynthetic iron oxidation - on modern and ancient environments.

Zhongshou Wu

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Identification and Analysis of Immune Regulating E3 Ligases and Their Ubiquitination Substrates
All Student Profiles

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.

 

Performance of the missing transverse momentum triggers for the ATLAS detector during Run-2 data taking
Publication: Journal of High Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 11266708
Volume: 2020
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Insights from Fisher's geometric model on the likelihood of speciation under different histories of environmental change
Publication: Evolution
UBC Author(s): Sarah Otto (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00143820
Volume: 74
Page Range: 1603-1619
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Beneficial “Pharmaceutical Pleiotropy” of Gabapentinoids in Spinal Cord Injury: A Case for Refining Standard-of-Care
Publication: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
UBC Author(s): Matthew Ramer (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15459683
Volume: 34
Page Range: 686-689
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Assessment of Nutrient Supply by a Tidal Jet in the Northern Strait of Georgia Based on a Biogeochemical Model
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
UBC Author(s): Susan Elizabeth Allen (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 21699275
Volume: 125
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Modeling COVID-19 and Its Impacts on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Facilities, 2020
Publication: Journal of Urban Health
UBC Author(s): Daniel Coombs (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10993460
Volume: 97
Page Range: 439-447
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Conventional sewer systems are too time-consuming, costly and inflexible to meet the challenges of the 21st century
Publication: Sustainability (Switzerland)
UBC Author(s): Gunilla Oberg (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: August 2020

View Publication
A Transcriptional Regulatory Map of Iron Homeostasis Reveals a New Control Circuit for Capsule Formation in Cryptococcus neoformans
Publication: Genetics
UBC Author(s): James Kronstad (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 215
Page Range: 1171-1189
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Analytical Validation of HEARTBiT: A Blood-Based Multiplex Gene Expression Profiling Assay for Exclusionary Diagnosis of Acute Cellular Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients
Publication: Clinical chemistry
UBC Author(s): Raymond Tak-yan Ng (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 66
Page Range: 1063-1071
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Prostate cancer reactivates developmental epigenomic programs during metastatic progression
Publication: Nature Genetics
UBC Author(s): Keegan Korthauer (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10614036
Volume: 52
Page Range: 790-799
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Energetic context determines species and community responses to ocean acidification
Publication: Ecology
UBC Author(s): Christopher Harley (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00129658
Volume: 101
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Numerical modeling of a laboratory-scale waste rock pile featuring an engineered cover system
Publication: Minerals
UBC Author(s): Ulrich Mayer (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Page Range: 1-25
Publication Date: August 2020

View Publication
A mechanistic view of enzyme evolution
Publication: Protein Science
UBC Author(s): Nobuhiko Tokuriki (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09618368
Volume: 29
Page Range: 1724-1747
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
On the general Toda system with multiple singular points
Publication: Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations
UBC Author(s): Juncheng Wei (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09442669
Volume: 59
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Eclogites of the North Atlantic Craton: insights from the Chidliak eclogite xenoliths (S. Baffin Island, Canada)
Publication: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
UBC Author(s): Maya Kopylova (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00107999
Volume: 175
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Author Correction: Higher-order epistasis shapes the fitness landscape of a xenobiotic-degrading enzyme (Nature Chemical Biology, (2019), 15, 11, (1120-1128), 10.1038/s41589-019-0386-3)
Publication: Nature Chemical Biology
UBC Author(s): Nobuhiko Tokuriki (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15524450
Volume: 16
Page Range: 930
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Thermal tolerances and species interactions determine the elevational distributions of insects
Publication: Global Ecology and Biogeography
UBC Author(s): Diane Srivastava (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 1466822X
Volume: 29
Page Range: 1315-1327
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Predatory colponemids are the sister group to all other alveolates
Publication: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10557903
Volume: 149
Publication Date: August 2020

View Publication
Diterpenoids isolated from the Samoan marine sponge Chelonaplysilla sp. inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth
Publication: Journal of Antibiotics
UBC Author(s): Raymond Andersen (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00218820
Volume: 73
Page Range: 568-573
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Antibiotic use during pregnancy increases offspring asthma severity in a dose-dependent manner
Publication: Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
UBC Author(s): William Mohn (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01054538
Volume: 75
Page Range: 1975-1986
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Characterization of interaction between Bcl-2 oncogene promoter I-Motif DNA and flavonoids using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and pressure-assisted capillary electrophoresis frontal analysis
Publication: Talanta
UBC Author(s): David Chen (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00399140
Volume: 215
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Input versus output controls as instruments for fisheries management with a focus on Mediterranean fisheries
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science), Daniel Pauly (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 118
Publication Date: August 2020

View Publication
Modeling of [<sup>18</sup>F]FEOBV Pharmacokinetics in Rat Brain
Publication: Molecular Imaging and Biology
UBC Author(s): Vesna Sossi (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15361632
Volume: 22
Page Range: 931-939
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Multiple P–T–d–t paths reveal the evolution of the final Nuna assembly in northeast Australia
Publication: Journal of Metamorphic Geology
UBC Author(s): Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02634929
Volume: 38
Page Range: 593-627
Publication Date: 1 August 2020

View Publication
Search for Heavy Higgs Bosons Decaying into Two Tau Leptons with the ATLAS Detector Using pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV
Publication: Physical review letters
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 125
Page Range: 051801
Publication Date: 31 July 2020

View Publication
Systems Biology Approaches to Understanding the Human Immune System
Publication: Frontiers in Immunology
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: 30 July 2020

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
2019 Dr. Toker's research on user-adaptive information visualizations is at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Human Computer Interaction. His work leveraged eye tracking to show how adaptive interventions could be devised to support users according to their individual needs and differences. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2019 Dr. McGee studied the outer protective coat of the seed. He developed the tools and system to be able to modify specific components of the cell wall in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. This work increased our understanding of cell wall structure and function. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2019 Dr. Leistenschneider studied how neutrons form shell structures in the nucleus of titanium and vanadium atoms. The imprints that nuclear shells leave on the mass of the atom were investigated in several isotopes of these elements using high precision mass spectrometry techniques. The results served as stringent tests for modern nuclear theories. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2019 Dr. Cantin studied quantum systems. He showed that certain quasiparticles can be localized by disorder and modeled a tool to study material surfaces. His work improves our understanding of energy transport in materials and gives a foundation for machine learning to solve the inverse scattering problem for surface-sensitive molecular interferometers. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2019 Dr. Altiere developed an ultraviolet laser system to probe the atomic energy levels in xenon gas. Her work also included precision optical measurements of atomic constants in xenon 129. These results are essential to neutron electric dipole moment experiments at TRIUMF and to the broader scientific community. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2019 Dr. Zhao developed a practical and accurate dosimetry method to achieve optimized cancer therapy with radionuclides. His research demonstrated the feasibility of personalizing cancer treatment in routine clinics. His work contributes significantly to the safe and effective usage of radionuclides in cancer therapy. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2019 Nuclear medicine is an important field of medicine, shining a light within the human body to facilitate diagnosis and therapy. Dr. Wang developed a new group of chelators based on "oxine" arms which showed a marked improvement from its previous counterpart. This work has significant potential for radiophamaceuticals in nuclear medicine. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2019 There is much that we still do not understand about the world around us. Dr. Forestell focused on creating mathematical models of how new types of physics may interact with the known Universe throughout the course of our cosmological history. Her research contributes to the set of tools that are used to limit and probe new models of physics. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2019 Dr. Cuen-Rochin participated in precise measurements of rare pion decays. His analysis of an extensive data set recorded by the PIENU experiment at TRIUMF, and evaluation of experimental systematic effects allowed high precision measurements to be obtained. This work will lead to stringent tests of the Standard Model of particle physics. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2019 Dr. Kar studied how and why millions of rural poor in Asia and Africa continue to use polluting cooking fuels like firewood even after adopting clean fuels like gas. He mapped the fuel transition process and its underlying behavioural determinants. He recommends that policymakers focus on behaviour change interventions for clean fuel adopters. Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Pages

 

UBC researcher wins 2020 Volvo Environment Prize

UBC conservation biologist Claire Kremen is this year's winner of the Volvo Environment Prize, recognizing her world-class research on how...

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Camera traps show impact of recreational activity on wildlife

The COVID-19 pandemic has fired up interest in outdoor activities in our parks and forests. Now a new UBC study highlights the need to be...

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Long live the queen: UBC scientists find clues to queen bee failure

Scientists at UBC are unravelling the mysteries behind a persistent problem in commercial beekeeping that is one of the leading causes of...

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Science researchers join Royal Society of Canada

Three UBC Science researchers have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada. Election to the RSC is the highest honour a scholar can...

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UBC researchers help detect the most massive black hole collision ever observed

An international team of researchers, including scientists with the University of British Columbia’s gravitational wave astrophysics group...

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Five UBC Science students receive Canada’s largest STEM scholarship

First-year UBC Science students Susan Chung, Aidan Eglin, Rita Jin, Romina Mahinpei and Niki McIntosh have been named 2020 Schulich Leader...

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