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

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
Mank, Judith Department of Zoology evolution; How selection acts on males and females within a species; How the genome responds to contradictory selection to encode sexually dimorphic traits; Sex chromosomes; Gene regulation; Sexual conflict
Marcus, Brian Harry Department of Mathematics Coding and information theory, symbolic dynamics, ergodic theory and dynamical systems
Marshall, Katie Department of Zoology Animal physiology, environmental stress; Environmental Change; Marine biodiversity; Population Ecology; invertebrates and temperature adaptation
Martin, Gregory Department of Mathematics Number theory, Diophantine Approximation and Classical Analysis
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, 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
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
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 Soft condensed matter; Development and applications of spectroscopic and structural techniques; Solid-state NMR; NMR and MRI of brain tissue; NMR methods and instrumentation; Biological and functional 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

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Cassandra Elphinstone

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Arctic Plant Genomics: Climate Adaptation

Uche Joseph Ogbede

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

Defining and manipulating the effect of cell-cell variation on drug response

Dana James

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

Enabling and Assessing the Transformative Potential of Agroecology

Susanna Klassen

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

Assessing the contributions of organic agriculture to food system sustainability

Balsher Singh Sidhu

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

Reorienting rainfed agriculture: Increasing resilience to climate variability through optimized irrigation strategies

Jungsoo Park

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Microbial interactions with photosynthetic hosts

Dominique Trischuk

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Inner Tracker Detector Upgrade at the ATLAS Experiment

Mackenzie Kinney

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Species Hybridization as a Mode of Rapid Evolution in Response to Environmental Change
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.

 

Ex vivo enzymatic treatment converts blood type A donor lungs into universal blood type lungs
Publication: Science translational medicine
UBC Author(s): Stephen Withers (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Page Range: eabm7190
Publication Date: 16 February 2022

View Publication
Crustal Thickening of the Northern Central Andean Plateau Inferred From Trace Elements in Zircon
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
UBC Author(s): Joel Edward Saylor (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00948276
Volume: 49
Publication Date: 16 February 2022

View Publication
Vanishing Hall conductance for commuting Hamiltonians
Publication: Physical Review B
UBC Author(s): Sven Bachmann (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24699950
Volume: 105
Publication Date: 15 February 2022

View Publication
Evaluation and interpretation of convolutional long short-term memory networks for regional hydrological modelling
Publication: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
UBC Author(s): Valentina Radic (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10275606
Volume: 26
Page Range: 795-825
Publication Date: 14 February 2022

View Publication
Densities in certain three-way prime number races
Publication: Canadian Journal of Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Gregory Martin (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0008414X
Volume: 74
Page Range: 232-265
Publication Date: 12 February 2022

View Publication
Continuum Model to Define the Chemistry and Mass Transfer in a Bicarbonate Electrolyzer
Publication: ACS Energy Letters
UBC Author(s): Curtis Berlinguette (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 7
Page Range: 834-842
Publication Date: 11 February 2022

View Publication
Erratum: Multifunctional Antibiotic-Host Defense Peptide Conjugate Kills Bacteria, Eradicates Biofilms, and Modulates the Innate Immune Response (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2021) 64:22 (16854-16863) DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01712)
Publication: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science), Suzana Straus (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00222623
Volume: 65
Page Range: 2710-2711
Publication Date: 10 February 2022

View Publication
Restoration of hippocampal neural precursor function by ablation of senescent cells in the aging stem cell niche
Publication: Stem Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Freda Miller (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 22136711
Volume: 17
Page Range: 259-275
Publication Date: 8 February 2022

View Publication
Impact of Ocean Warming, Overfishing and Mercury on European Fisheries: A Risk Assessment and Policy Solution Framework
Publication: Frontiers in Marine Science
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: 7 February 2022

View Publication
Experimental Verification of Dissipation-Time Uncertainty Relation
Publication: Physical Review Letters
UBC Author(s): Fei Zhou (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00319007
Volume: 128
Publication Date: 4 February 2022

View Publication
A bioinformatic toolkit to simultaneously identify sex and sex-linked regions
Publication: Molecular ecology resources
UBC Author(s): Judith Mank (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 22
Page Range: 455-457
Publication Date: 1 February 2022

View Publication
A repeating fast radio burst source in a globular cluster
Publication: Nature
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 602
Page Range: 585-589
Publication Date: 1 February 2022

View Publication
Pressure–temperature–time evolution of subducted crust revealed by complex garnet zoning (Theodul Glacier Unit, Switzerland)
Publication: Journal of Metamorphic Geology
UBC Author(s): Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02634929
Volume: 40
Page Range: 175-206
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Mineral inclusions in Lace diamonds and the mantle beneath the Kroonstad kimberlite cluster in South Africa
Publication: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
UBC Author(s): Maya Kopylova (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00107999
Volume: 177
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Enhanced oxygen unloading in two marine percomorph teleosts
Publication: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10956433
Volume: 264
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Macrozooplankton and micronekton diversity and associated carbon vertical patterns and fluxes under distinct productive conditions around the Kerguelen Islands
Publication: Journal of Marine Systems
UBC Author(s): Yevhenii Pakhomov (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09247963
Volume: 226
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Use of Bayesian Optimization to understand the structure of nuclei
Publication: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
UBC Author(s): Reiner Kruecken (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0168583X
Volume: 512
Page Range: 6-11
Publication Date: 1 February 2022

View Publication
Cytochromes P450 in the biocatalytic valorization of lignin
Publication: Current Opinion in Biotechnology
UBC Author(s): Lindsay Eltis (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09581669
Volume: 73
Page Range: 43-50
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Search for magnetic monopoles produced via the Schwinger mechanism
Publication: Nature
UBC Author(s): Gordon Walter Semenoff (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 602
Page Range: 63-67
Publication Date: 1 February 2022

View Publication
Changes in arthropod communities mediate the effects of landscape composition and farm management on pest control ecosystem services in organically managed strawberry crops
Publication: Journal of Applied Ecology
UBC Author(s): Claire Kremen (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00218901
Volume: 59
Page Range: 585-597
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: Polarimetry and Faraday Rotation Measures from Observations of Millisecond Pulsars with the Green Bank Telescope
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 926
Publication Date: 1 February 2022

View Publication
Volatility and vulnerability in Mexican fisheries and aquaculture: Enhancing resilience via public policy
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 136
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Critical enzyme reactions in aromatic catabolism for microbial lignin conversion
Publication: Nature Catalysis
UBC Author(s): Lindsay Eltis (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 5
Page Range: 86-98
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
Social-ecological shifts, traps and collapses in small-scale fisheries: Envisioning a way forward to transformative changes
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 136
Publication Date: February 2022

View Publication
On the Ecological Significance of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Microbial Populations Undergoing Starvation
Publication: Microbiology Spectrum
UBC Author(s): Michael Walter Doebeli (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: February 2022

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
2021 Dr. Mora studied how DNA is taken up from the environment by two bacteria that are characterized as Gram-negative based on the characteristics of their cellular walls. His analysis was able to predict DNA uptake and explain several factors that influence this process. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Verhaven studied the surface of DNA biosensors. She examined the relationship between applied electrical voltage and DNA melting. Her findings could contribute to the improved fabrication of future biosensors. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Lan developed an ion trap to separate and identify atoms through their mass and light emission. His research contributes to understanding whether one of the most mysterious fundamental subatomic particles known as neutrinos behave as their own anti-particles. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Hoffarth explored the catalytic potential of the biosynthetic pathway of an antibiotic called indolmycin for contributions to natural product and antibiotic development. This exploration provided mechanistic insights for rare types of oxygen-dependent enzymes and produced novel derivatives of indolmycin using bacteria. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Camacho showed that predation rates and the strength of mutualistic associations decrease with elevation in the New World tropics. His research teased apart possible mechanisms behind these patterns, which are likely ultimately linked between elevation and changes in temperature and productivity. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Sonier examined the improvement of radiation therapy accuracy for cancer patients by adapting for patient-specific systematic soft tissue deformations in the planning and delivery of prostate, lung, and head and neck treatment plans. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Morrison examined how temperature affects the binding of oxygen by haemoglobin in warm-bodied fishes such as opah, swordfish, and common thresher shark. He found that the haemoglobin of these fish have lower sensitivity to temperature than most animals. This comparative study contributes to understanding the convergent evolution of haemoglobin. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 The human intestine contains trillions of microbes. Dr. Huus studied how these intestinal bacteria respond to malnutrition, a serious global health issue. She found that malnourished gut bacteria change their metabolism and interact differently with the immune system. Understanding these differences may help to improve treatments for malnutrition. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Wamer studied novel forms of quantum magnetism that correspond to physical systems with a larger number of symmetries. He classified the phases of matter of these systems and deepened our understanding of a large family of theoretical models, whose applicability spans from material science to mathematical physics. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Fu focused on the design of protein-based biomaterials at both molecular and macroscopic levels. Her research allows for precise control over the mechanical performance of protein-based hydrogels for a variety of applications, such as soft actuators, cartilage-like biomaterials, and artificial substrates for laboratory cell biology studies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Pages

 

Dr. Catherine Johnson elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Catherine Johnson, Planetary Scientist and Professor of Geophysics at EOAS, has been elected as a member of the American Academy...

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UBC spin-off companies win $2 million in competition for carbon removal technology funded by the Musk Foundation

UBC spin-off Carbin Minerals will receive $1 million from XPRIZE and the Musk Foundation to remove thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide...

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Five UBC Science instructors awarded Killam Teaching Prizes

UBC Science is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2021/22 Killam Teaching Prize for their outstanding contributions in the...

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CHIME Outrigger telescopes boost search for fast radio bursts

In the quest to identify the origins of one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries – fast radio bursts (FRBs) – Canada’s world-renowned telescope...

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Oceanographer wins top UBC award for young researchers

UBC sea-going oceanographer Dr. Stephanie Waterman has been awarded the university’s Charles A. McDowell award for excellence in pure or...

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New nasal spray treats Delta variant infection in mice, indicating broad spectrum results

Researchers have shown a new compound delivered in a nasal spray is highly effective in preventing and treating COVID-19 caused by the...

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