AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support
Psychiatrists and computer scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can accurately...
Learn MoreCanadian 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
- Biodiversity Research Centre
- Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
- Centre for Microbial Diversity and Evolution
Computational Sciences and Mathematics
- Data Science Institute
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Institute of Applied Mathematics
- Statistical Consulting and Research Laboratory
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Geophysical Inversion Facility
- Lithoprobe: Canada's National Geoscience Project
- Mineral Deposit Research Unit
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research
- Seismic Laboratory for Imaging and Modeling
Genomics and Biological Sciences
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology
- Geomatics for Informed Decisions Network
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics
- Michael Smith Laboratories
Human-Computer Interaction
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Vancouver Institute for Visual Analytics
Life Sciences
- Centre for Blood Research
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries
- Life Sciences Institute
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- Neglected Global Diseased Initiative
Chemistry and Materials Science
- Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory
- Max Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials
- Quantum Devices Group
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute
Physics
- Antihydrogen Trapping and Spectroscopy at CERN
- Pacific Institute for Theoretical Physics
- TRIUMF: Canada’s National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics
- UBC ATLAS Project at Large Hadron Collider
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
Graduate Degree Programs
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Poon studied a set of immune cells called macrophages and their role during lung inflammation. She discovered that the binding of macrophages to hyaluronan, a common carbohydrate, is required for their proliferation and retention in the lung. Her work provides insight that will further the development of treatment for respiratory diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Janouskovec studied why some parasites, such as malaria, contain a chloroplast, which is responsible for harvesting light energy in plants. He showed that relatives of these parasites are abundant in nature and many of them also contain chloroplasts. These results confirm that, like plants, malaria evolved from an organism that harvested light. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Zhu studied the electronic structure of topological insulators, furthering our understanding beyond all previous theoretical descriptions. For the first time, he has demonstrated how to achieve full control of the photoelectron spin polarization. His work paves the way to the application of topological materials in novel opto-spintronic devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Reyes studied the chemo-receptors in amphibians and reptiles that sense changes in the level of oxygen in the blood. Cardiovascular and respiratory changes triggered by these chemo-receptors ensure an adequate oxygen supply to the tissues. Her study broadens our understanding of the evolution of chemo-sensing in vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Vaughan examined the chemistry of Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada. He showed that chemical changes in rocks surrounding Carlin-type mineralization can extend more than 1 km out from the largest known gold deposit. The outcome of this research provides a means to effectively explore for large gold systems well outside of traditional methods. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Lawler studied the small body populations in our Solar System and in exoplanet systems. She used the results of a large observational survey to determine the distribution of Kuiper belt objects in different orbital resonances with Neptune, and attempted to find asteroid belts in exoplanet systems discovered by the Kepler Mission. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kohler proved a generalization of the Alon conjecture in algebraic graph theory. This establishes an important algebraic property of random large networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Zangeneh examined the influence of geology on the design of hydraulic fracturing, to improve extraction from natural gas reservoirs. She developed procedures to design effective hydraulic fractures, and to mitigate against induced seismicity. Her study will help operators to maximize oil and natural gas extraction in a safe and sustainable manner. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Liu worked on the development of chemical separation instruments. He designed a novel device that could obtain pure targeted compound from complex mixtures. This technique could serve the needs in sample preparation for both academic and industrial activities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Kong developed an indirect method to search for exotic particle emissions in nuclear decays. This unique method is independent of a particle's lifetime and allows us to detect any particle emission. His work successfully demonstrated a 3% momentum resolution, which is essential for detecting exotic particles emitted with very small probabilities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |