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...
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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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dr. Porteus used laboratory studies to investigate the cellular mechanisms used for oxygen-sensing in the Bowfin, an air breathing fish. She determined the role these receptors play in helping the Bowfin survive for extended periods in low oxygen. This research provides insight into the evolution of oxygen sensing in vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Yohanan examined the role of touch in the communication of emotion between humans and social robots. His foundational research provided insights into the manner of expressing emotions through touch, while also demonstrating that this form of interaction can influence the human's emotional state. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Caldwell discovered, first, that fishes that move less are more vulnerable to habitat loss and, second, that European seahorses may be able to cope with, or flee harmful changes. This research sheds light on huge declines in seahorse populations in a Portuguese lagoon and could help with conservation efforts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Steinberg studied the intricate ways in which surfaces can sit inside certain highly curved six-dimensional spaces. He developed a new theory to study the case where the six-dimensional space is not smooth but has singularities. The results of his research shed light on existing conjectures, and have applications to algebraic geometry, as well as to the physics of string theory. . | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. van Poorten estimated changes in growth, abundance and survival, following experimental depletions of wild fish in mixed-species lakes. The models and ideas he developed will help ecologists and fisheries scientists to estimate and understand changes in these vital rates, especially in ecosystems at risk of economic collapse. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | The stellar winds of nearly half the dying stars in the universe have remained a mystery for almost four decades. As a result of his research, Dr. Thirumalai has been able to propose a mechanism that promises a resolution of this outstanding problem. His work brings together two hitherto disparate areas of physics into a single cohesive theory, with implications for dying stars as well as for stars that are still forming in the universe. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Bichler developed a procedure for the formation of carbon-sulfur bonds, which finds application in the synthesis of molecules with therapeutic properties. Currently, the work is being applied towards the development of medications for the treatment of parasitic illnesses including Chagas disease and malaria. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Mawani made a series of compounds for the treatment of bone density disorders, studying their efficacy in cells and bone mineral. From these studies, one compound was identified for the potential oral treatment of osteoporosis and thus requires further analysis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Kirby participated in experiments at J-PARC,the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. He contributed to the T2K particle physics experiment and measured the rate at which subatomic neutrino particles passed through a detector. This measurement confirms that the recent T2K research findings are reliable, and advances research in this field. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Casiraghi studied how viruses can trigger auto-immunity, which causes body cells to attack each other. She found that Epstein-Barr virus infection, which typically causes mononucleosis, can also leave a patient more susceptible to multiple sclerosis and lupus. This research sheds light on the causes of these diseases and reveals targets for the development of new treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |