Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

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
Abraham, Ninan Department of Zoology Mammals, pathogens, genetic analysis, proper cell funtion, development, maintenance and proper functioning of T- and B-cells
Adams, Keith Department of Botany Molecular evolution, genome evolution, and gene expression
Adem, Alejandro Department of Mathematics Cohomology of finite groups, orbifolds, stringy topology, algebra, sporadic simple group, group actions, arithmetic groups, K-theory, homotopy theory, spaces of homomorphisms
Algar, Russ Department of Chemistry Luminescent Materials; Bio/Chemical Sensing; Materials synthesis and biofunctionalization; Understanding the nanoparticle interface; New energy transfer configurations for sensing and imaging; Point-of-care diagnostic devices; Intracellular sensing
Allen, Susan Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Atmospheric sciences; Oceanography; coastal oceanography; coupled bio-physics and chem-physics and all three models; forecast models; Oceans and Inland Waters; physical oceanography; Prediction and Climatic Modeling
Altshuler, Doug Department of Zoology Zoology; flight control; visual guidance; visual neuroscience; neuroethology; avian biomechanics; aerodynamics; wing morphing; motor control
Ameli, Ali Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; Applied Hydro-geochemistry; Climate Changes and Impacts; Environmental Tracer; Ground Water and Water Tables; Groundwater Ecohydrology; Groundwater-Surfacewater & land Interaction; Hydro-geological Engineering; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Numerical analysis; Watershed Management
Andersen, Raymond Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Chemistry Chemicals produced by marine organisms
Angel, Omer Department of Mathematics Probability theory, percolation, random graphs, random walks, particle processes, scaling limits
Angert, Amy Department of Botany, Department of Zoology Plant biology; Zoology; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; biogeography; biological responses to climate change; Conservation Biology; Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes; evolutionary ecology; population biology
Aronson, Meigan Department of Physics & Astronomy heavy-ferromagnetic compounds; charge density waves; magnetic nanoparticles
Auger-Methe, Marie Department of Statistics, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Fisheries sciences; Statistics; Zoology; Animal movement; Polar ecology; Statistical Ecology
Auld, Vanessa Department of Zoology Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Cell; Cell Biology; Development; Developmental Genetics; epithelia; Genetics; glia; in vivo imaging; Molecular Genetics; nervous system; Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis; permeability barriers
Austin, Philip Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences global climate; climate change; greenhouse effect; global warming; clouds; lightning; storms, Cloud physics, radiative properties of layer clouds, status cirrus formation, global climate, cloug aerosol feedbacks and climate
Aviles, Leticia Department of Zoology Community ecology (except invasive species ecology); Animal behaviour
Bachmann, Sven Department of Mathematics Mathematics and statistics; Mathematical Analysis; quantum phenomena; Mathematical physics; Quantum statistical physics; Topological states of matter
Baliga, Vikram Zoology
Balmforth, Neil Department of Mathematics Fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics and applied partial differential equations
Barker, Shaun Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Beckie, Roger Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Other environmental engineering and related engineering; Hydrogeology; Mine drainage; physical hydrogeology; groundwater geochemistry; groundwater contamination
Behrend, Kai Department of Mathematics Moduli spaces, Gromov-Witten invariants, string theory, Donaldson-Thomas invariants, Euler characteristics, categorification
Bennett, Michael Department of Mathematics Number Theory, Diophantine Approximation and Classical Analysis
Berbee, Mary Department of Botany Plant biology; Mycology; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Microorganisms; Taxonomy and Systematics; fungi; molecular phylogenetics; mycology; systematics
Berciu, Mona Department of Physics & Astronomy Electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter and supraconductivity; Physical sciences; condensed matter theory; polarons, bipolarons; strongly correlated systems
Berlinguette, Curtis Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Combinatorial Chemistry; CO2 conversion and utilization; clean energy; advanced solar cells; electrochromic windows; dynamic windows; hydrogen fuels production; catalysis; robotics and automation; machine learning / artificial intelligence

Pages

Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Michael Sekatchev

Master of Science in Physics (MSc)

Axion quark nuggets versus excess galactic emissions

Jackson Moore

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

Domestication and ecology of the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Charlotte Milne

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

Canada's flood mapping, what’s really at risk

Zana Mody

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

Counting blue carbon for coastal communities: understanding socio-ecological contexts of nature based climate solutions and mangrove restoration

Rane Simpson

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Highly-charged radioactive molecules: Amplifying sensitivity for new physics

Nicholas Richardson

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Signal decomposition and source separation

Geoffrey Woollard

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Simulation and inference in cryogenic electron microscopy

Lorna Tu

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting lung cancer recurrence after radiotherapy
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Peter Caravan

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [1997]

Job Title
Co-Director, Institute for Innovation in Imaging and Associate Professor of Radiology

Employer
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Tracey Stott

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2005]

Job Title
Lawyer

Employer
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Michael Hoff

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
University of Washington

Sherry Zhao

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2014]

Job Title
Senior Director, Strategic Accounts & Business Development

Employer
Mitacs

Glen Hearns

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Self Employed

Employer
Self Employed

Jean Michel Lauzon

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Partner Marketing Manager

Employer
SAP

Costanza Casiraghi

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Senior Scientist

Employer
Chiesi Pharmaceuticals

Vanessa Timmer

Job Title
Executive Director

Employer
One Earth
All Alumni 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.

 

Deletion-contraction for a unified Laplacian and applications
Publication: Linear Algebra and Its Applications
UBC Author(s): Stephanie van Willigenburg (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00243795
Volume: 691
Page Range: 50-95
Publication Date: 15 June 2024

View Publication
Olivine in ultramafic rocks from the Polaris Alaskan-type intrusion: A geochemical record of open-system crystallization, diffusional re-equilibration, mantle source, and redox conditions in primitive arc magmas
Publication: Lithos
UBC Author(s): James Stewart Scoates (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00244937
Volume: 474-475
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Monte Carlo on manifolds in high dimensions
Publication: Journal of Computational Physics
UBC Author(s): Miranda Holmes-Cerfon (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00219991
Volume: 506
Publication Date: 1 June 2024

View Publication
Phylogenomics reveals Adeleorina are an ancient and distinct subgroup of Apicomplexa
Publication: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10557903
Volume: 195
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites
Publication: European Journal of Protistology
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09324739
Volume: 94
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Data-driven determination of zooplankton bioregions and robustness analysis
Publication: MethodsX
UBC Author(s): Brian Hunt (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
The Muskox intrusion: Overview of a major open-system layered intrusion and its role as a sub-volcanic magma reservoir in the Mackenzie large igneous province
Publication: Lithos
UBC Author(s): James Stewart Scoates (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00244937
Volume: 474-475
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Stabilizing reinforcement learning control: A modular framework for optimizing over all stable behavior
Publication: Automatica
UBC Author(s): Philip Loewen (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00051098
Volume: 164
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Structural and kinetic analysis of the monofunctional Staphylococcus aureus PBP1
Publication: Journal of Structural Biology
UBC Author(s): Lindsay Eltis (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10478477
Volume: 216
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Wickets in 3-uniform hypergraphs
Publication: Discrete Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Jozsef Solymosi (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0012365X
Volume: 347
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Matching papers and reviewers at large conferences
Publication: Artificial Intelligence
UBC Author(s): Kevin Leyton-Brown (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00043702
Volume: 331
Publication Date: June 2024

View Publication
Exposure to a winter photoperiod to produce large Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar) increases energetic costs and reduces hypoxia tolerance during seawater transfer
Publication: Aquaculture
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00448486
Volume: 585
Publication Date: 15 May 2024

View Publication
Fungal-derived adsorption membrane to capture potentially toxic elements
Publication: Chemical Engineering Journal
UBC Author(s): James Kronstad (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 13858947
Volume: 488
Publication Date: 15 May 2024

View Publication
Transition from a hydrologically partitioned to an integrated lake in the Cretaceous Junggar Basin, Central Asia
Publication: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences
UBC Author(s): Joel Edward Saylor (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 13679120
Volume: 267
Publication Date: 15 May 2024

View Publication
Warming temperatures exacerbate effects of microplastics in a widespread zooplankton species.
Publication: Environmental Pollution
UBC Author(s): Michelle Tseng (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02697491
Volume: 349
Publication Date: 15 May 2024

View Publication
Dual stressors of infection and warming can destabilize host microbiomes
Publication: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
UBC Author(s): Kayla King (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 379
Page Range: 20230069
Publication Date: 6 May 2024

View Publication
Most plane curves over finite fields are not blocking
Publication: Journal of Combinatorial Theory. Series A
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00973165
Volume: 204
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Additive structure in convex translates
Publication: European Journal of Combinatorics
UBC Author(s): Jozsef Solymosi (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01956698
Volume: 118
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
The subsidy program for diesel oil prices for fishing vessels and its impacts on the labor market and fish production in Brazil
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 163
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Copula-based conditional tail indices
Publication: Journal of Multivariate Analysis
UBC Author(s): Natalia Nolde (Statistics / Faculty of Science), Harry Sue Wah Joe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0047259X
Volume: 201
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Effect of in vitro transcription conditions on yield of high quality messenger and self-amplifying RNA
Publication: European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09396411
Volume: 198
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Ultrasound images of the ascending aorta of anesthetized northern fur seals and Steller sea lions confirm that the aortic bulb maintains continuous blood flow
Publication: Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology
UBC Author(s): Andrew Trites (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24715638
Volume: 341
Page Range: 458-469
Publication Date: 1 May 2024

View Publication
Nanomolar anti-SARS-CoV-2 Omicron activity of the host-directed TMPRSS2 inhibitor N-0385 and synergistic action with direct-acting antivirals
Publication: Antiviral Research
UBC Author(s): Francois Jean (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01663542
Volume: 225
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
High-dimensional factor copula models with estimation of latent variables
Publication: Journal of Multivariate Analysis
UBC Author(s): Harry Sue Wah Joe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0047259X
Volume: 201
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Correction to: Hawaiian postshield volcanism over the past 55 million years (Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, (2024), 179, 1, (9), 10.1007/s00410-023-02078-w)
Publication: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
UBC Author(s): James Stewart Scoates (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science), Dominique Weis (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00107999
Volume: 179
Publication Date: May 2024

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
2023 Dr. Huggins studied how microorganisms use nitrogen in low-oxygen marine waters. She found that, in some cases, nitrogen can be recycled faster than it is lost from the environment. Her work adds to our knowledge about the impacts of oxygen loss and climate change in the oceans. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Irwin studied how to use computers to solve noisy optimization problems, which are optimization problems where one cannot measure the quantity one wants to optimize exactly. He developed three new computer algorithms for solving noisy optimization problems, including an industrial problem encountered by makers of computer chips. Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Yin developed new methods to improve mass spectrometry based proteomic research. His work enabled more comprehensive and accurate measurement of proteins, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of the state of biological systems studied. The methods he developed has potential future applications in advancing disease diagnosis and therapeutics discovery. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Jones developed and implemented phylogenetic methods to estimate integration dates of HIV proviruses. His findings have provided a better understanding of within-host HIV dynamics and is beneficial for HIV cure research. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2023 Quite surprisingly, some quantum systems can encode gravitational physics in a higher dimensional space. Dr. Waddell used this fact to study a key quantum system arising in string theory, to show that information about a black hole's contents is not destroyed when it evaporates, and to propose a quantum description of universes similar to our own. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dostert studied communities of the highly antibiotic resistant bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She identified genes mediating community growth in diverse environments. Her research demonstrated the strong influence of the growth environment on the entire gene network and provided interesting gene candidates for the design of novel drugs. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Xiao made notable contributions in the field of text summarization through her innovative application of machine learning techniques. She enhanced AI summarizers with discourse information. Her impactful research is a valuable asset in our data-driven and time-constrained society, offering an effective solution for managing information overload. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2023 Dr. Emry examined how the distribution of marine species across environmental gradients mediates response to climate change. She found that species often respond to abiotic stress in ways that correlate with their environmental conditions, and that the indirect effects of this stress can have significant impacts on the structure of communities. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Haenel studied the signatures of the Higgs mode in exotic superconducting materials. The Higgs mode emerges as a quasiparticle in the framework of superconductors. It is the condensed-matter-analogue of the Higgs Boson in the the Standard Model. Research on these collective excitations in superconductors can lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of high temperature superconductors. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Luo developed engineering approaches to apply a protective polymer coating onto the blood vessels of organs that interact with the immune system to improve organ quality and transplantation success. The protective immunomodulatory coating can be adapted for other immune functions, opening up possibilities for the development of novel therapies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Pages

 

UBC evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter named AAAS Fellow

Internationally renowned evolutionary biologist Dr. Dolph Schluter has been elected to the newest class of American Association for the...

Learn More

How art can help us talk about the green transition

Elders, researchers and musicians are using art to get people talking about the challenges and opportunities of a transition to renewable...

Learn More

UBC adding 778 student spaces across technology and life sciences programs thanks to provincial investment

B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, the Honourable Brenda Bailey, was on site at UBC’s Vancouver campus Friday to...

Learn More

Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems

Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along...

Learn More

New gravitational wave signal helps fill the ‘mass gap’ between neutron stars and black holes

A collaboration of researchers including UBC scientists have observed gravitational waves from the collision of what is most likely a...

Learn More

With the planet facing a 'polycrisis', biodiversity researchers uncover major knowledge gaps

A scientific review has found almost no research studying the interconnections across three major threats to planetary health, despite UN...

Learn More