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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

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
Hauert, Christoph Department of Mathematics Mathematics and statistics; Modelization and Simulation; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biological Behavior; dynamical systems; evolution; game theory; social dilemmas; stochastic processes
Haynes, Charles Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Protein purification, recombinant proteins, molecular thermodynamics, biocompatible polymers
Heagy, Lindsey Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geoelectrics and geoelectromagnetics; Magnetism and paleomagnetism; Gravimetry; Environmental monitoring; Numerical computation; Machine learning; Geophysics; Inverse theory; data science; Machine Learning; Electromagnetics; Carbon sequestration; Groundwater; Environmental geophysics; Resource exploration
Hearty, Christopher Department of Physics & Astronomy Particle physics, experimental; Experimental Particle Physics; e+e- collider; Physics beyond the Standard Model; Dark sector; dark matter
Hein, Jason Department of Chemistry discovery, design and study of new organometallic and organocatalytic reactions; investigating complex systems where multiple pathways compete, partitioning the active catalyst among many possible pathways
Hepburn, John Department of Chemistry Chemical physics
Hermon, Jonathan Department of Mathematics probability theory; Markov chains and the cutoff phenomenon; particle systems; percolation
Heyl, Jeremy Department of Physics & Astronomy Astronomical and space sciences; Physical sciences; Astrophysics; Black Holes; Neutron Stars; quantum phenomena; Quantum-Field Theory; Stellar; Stellar Physics
Hickey, Kenneth Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences understand the processes involved in the genesis of mineral deposits from a multidisciplinary perspective; Post-mineralization weathering, denudation and subsequent burial of Carlin-type Au-mineralization at the Cortez Hills deposit: Implications for finding Au-deposits in bedrock under cover.
Hickson, Paul Department of Physics & Astronomy cosmology, galaxies, telescopes, adaptive optics., Astronomy, astrophysics, Galaxies, clusters, instrumentation, adaptive optics
Hieter, Philip Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Medical Genetics Molecular biology of eukaryotic chromosome transmission
Hinshaw, Gary Department of Physics & Astronomy cosmology, cosmic background radiation, Cosmology, Measuring diffuse background radiations
Hirst, Martin Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Michael Smith Laboratories Bioinformatics; Clinical oncology; Genomics; Immunology; Microbiology; Carcinogenesis; Cellular Differentiation; Epigenomics; Leukemia; Molecular Genetics
Holmes, Reid Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; computer science; open source software; software comprehension; software development tools; software engineering; software quality; software testing; static analysis
Holmes-Cerfon, Miranda Department of Mathematics Mathematical modelling and simulation; Computational methods in statistics; Numerical analysis; Thermodynamics and statistical physics
Horwitz, Marc Department of Microbiology & Immunology Mechanisms of viral-induced immune disease in a variety of complex chronic disorders
Hu, Alan Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; formal methods; formal verification; model checking; nonce to detect automated mining of profiles; post-silicon validation; security; software analysis
Huan, Tao Department of Chemistry Bioinformatics, n.e.c.; Analytical spectrometry; Metabolomics; Separation science; Cancer progression and metastasis; Human nutrition and metabolism; Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Machine Learning; Bioinformatics
Hudson, Zachary Department of Chemistry Synthesis of materials; Functional materials in materials chemistry sciences; Organic chemical synthesis; Optical properties of materials; Luminescent materials; Organic electronics; Polymer chemistry; Organic chemistry; Organic light-emitting diodes
Hunt, Brian Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Marine ecology (including marine ichthyology); Biological oceanography; Biodiversity; Ecosystem function; Ecological impacts of climate change; Community ecology (except invasive species ecology); marine food webs; ecosystem oceanography; plankton dynamics; open ocean; Coastal Ecosystems; climate change impacts on the ocean; salmon ecology; food web nutrition; microplastics; stable isotopes; forage fish; zooplankton; Urban oceans; Thiamine defficiency; Stormwater
Hutchinson, Norman Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; Computer Systems; distributed systems; File Systems; Virtualization
Irwin, Darren Department of Zoology Zoology; evolutionary genetics; genomic differentiation; hybridization; ornithology; seasonal migration; speciation
Jankowski, Jill Department of Zoology Ecology
Jean, Francois Department of Microbiology & Immunology Medical virology; Protein trafficking in cell biology; Proteomics; Enzymes (including kinetics and mechanisms, and biocatalyst); Organelle function; Virology; Systems biology; Cellular virology; Emerging human viruses; COVID-19; Host-virus interactions; Broad-based antiviral agents; Antiviral agents; Natural products as antiviral agents; Lipid-modulating drugs; Cellular protease inhibitors; Viral protease inhibitors; Human coronaviruses; SARS-CoV-2; Human flaviviruses; Dengue virus; Zika virus; West Nile virus; Influenza A virus; Human microRNAs; Therapeutic microRNA; Viral and cellular biomarkers; Molecular diagnostics for detecting viral infection; Circulating exosomes; Exosomal microRNAs; Proteomics-based technologies; Multiplexed and Mass Spectrometric quantitation assays
Jefferies, Wilfred Arthur Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Medical Genetics Iron transport molecules

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Ina Na's image

Ina Na

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

The diversity and evolution of apicomplexans
Sabrina Scott's image

Sabrina Scott

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Post polymerization modification of alkene containing polymers by hydroaminoalkylation

Avril Metcalfe-Roach

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Interplay between diet and the microbiome in Parkinson's disease

Christopher Lee

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Investigating tryptophan and lipid metabolism in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Alan Knee

Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD)

Gravitational waves from eccentric binaries with LIGO and LISA

Amy Forsythe

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Ecological and evolutionary consequences of individual heterogeneity

Ryoga Hojo

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Deep blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence: Unlocking their potential as energy transfer visible light photocatalysts

Elise Legarth

Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)

Development of an improved methodology for estimating probable maximum precipitation and flood: Tested and validated in British Columbia watersheds.
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.

 

Jupiter’s Metastable Companions
Publication: Astrophysical Journal Letters
UBC Author(s): Brett Gladman (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 20418205
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Non-preservation of α-concavity for the porous medium equation
Publication: Advances in Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Albert Chau (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00018708
Volume: 440
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Star formation efficiency across large-scale galactic environments
Publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
UBC Author(s): Wing Shan Man (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00358711
Volume: 528
Page Range: 4393-4408
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
A reliable external calibration method for reaction monitoring with benchtop NMR
Publication: Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Jason Hein (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 07491581
Volume: 62
Page Range: 169-178
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Density-Dependent Selection during Range Expansion Affects Expansion Load in Life History Traits
Publication: The American naturalist
UBC Author(s): Sarah Otto (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 203
Page Range: 382-392
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Presenting a theory of change for cultivating institutional-level SoTL cultures through a cross-institutional community of practice
Publication: New Directions for Teaching and Learning
UBC Author(s): Laura Lukes (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02710633
Volume: 2024
Page Range: 91-102
Publication Date: Spring 2024

View Publication
Geographic gradients in a functional trait: Drivers of body size and size diversity of ground invertebrate communities
Publication: Ecosphere
UBC Author(s): Katie Marshall (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: A Computationally Efficient Eccentric Binary Search Pipeline and Constraints on an Eccentric Supermassive Binary Candidate in 3C 66B
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 963
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Generalized Chromatic Functions
Publication: International Mathematics Research Notices
UBC Author(s): Stephanie van Willigenburg (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10737928
Volume: 2024
Page Range: 4456-4500
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Measurement of the K<sup>+</sup> → π<sup>+</sup>γγ decay
Publication: Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Douglas Bryman (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 850
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Guidelines for hardware-focused articles
Publication: Digital Discovery
UBC Author(s): Jason Hein (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 3
Page Range: 447-448
Publication Date: 29 February 2024

View Publication
Resonant Multiple-Phonon Absorption Causes Efficient Anti-Stokes Photoluminescence in CsPbBr<inf>3</inf> Nanocrystals
Publication: ACS Nano
UBC Author(s): Mona Berciu (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 19360851
Volume: 18
Page Range: 6438-6444
Publication Date: 27 February 2024

View Publication
Homogeneous and Segmented Nanofibers with a Conjugated Poly[3-(2′-ethylhexyl)thiophene] Core via Living Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly
Publication: Macromolecules
UBC Author(s): Zachary Hudson (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00249297
Volume: 57
Page Range: 1509-1520
Publication Date: 27 February 2024

View Publication
Growth of Metal Organic Frameworks on the Surface of Individual Cellulose Nanocrystals
Publication: Crystal Growth and Design
UBC Author(s): Mark MacLachlan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15287483
Volume: 24
Page Range: 1792-1797
Publication Date: 21 February 2024

View Publication
Plant trait and vegetation data along a 1314 m elevation gradient with fire history in Puna grasslands, Perú
Publication: Scientific data
UBC Author(s): Sean Michaletz (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Page Range: 225
Publication Date: 21 February 2024

View Publication
Salinity, mineralogy, porosity, and hydrodynamics as drivers of carbon burial in urban mangroves from a megacity
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Sean Crowe (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 912
Publication Date: 20 February 2024

View Publication
Excitonic organic materials for photochemical and optoelectronic applications: general discussion
Publication: Faraday Discussions
UBC Author(s): Zachary Hudson (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 13596640
Volume: 250
Page Range: 298-334
Publication Date: 20 February 2024

View Publication
Cosmology from the vacuum
Publication: Classical and Quantum Gravity
UBC Author(s): Mark Van Raamsdonk (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02649381
Volume: 41
Publication Date: 15 February 2024

View Publication
ChloroDBPFinder: Machine Learning-Guided Recognition of Chlorinated Disinfection Byproducts from Nontargeted LC-HRMS Analysis
Publication: Analytical Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00032700
Volume: 96
Page Range: 2590-2598
Publication Date: 13 February 2024

View Publication
Block-based Programming for Two-Armed Robots: A Comparative Study
Publication: Proceedings - International Conference on Software Engineering
UBC Author(s): Reid Holmes (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02705257
Publication Date: 6 February 2024

View Publication
Revisiting the relationship between the pore water carbon isotope gradient and bottom water oxygen concentrations
Publication: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
UBC Author(s): Harold Bradbury (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00167037
Volume: 366
Page Range: 84-94
Publication Date: 1 February 2024

View Publication
Limited spatiotemporal niche partitioning among mesocarnivores in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
Publication: Ecology and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Kaitlyn Gaynor (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Identification of Neighborhood Hotspots via the Cumulative Hazard Index: Results From a Community-Partnered Low-Cost Sensor Deployment
Publication: GeoHealth
UBC Author(s): Amanda Giang (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Trends in the synthetic polymer delivery of RNA
Publication: Journal of Gene Medicine
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 1099498X
Volume: 26
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
First Detection of Polarization in X-Rays for PSR B0540-69 and Its Nebula
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Jeremy Heyl (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 962
Publication Date: 1 February 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. Walsgrove investigated how the incorporation of phosphorus into small molecules and polymers can create functional systems. Through his thesis work he showed that phosphorus can impart useful properties into synthetic frameworks and furthered the active research field of phosphorus chemistry. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Genetic research implicates virtually every human gene in one or more diseases but cannot state how genetic differences lead to disease. Using statistical techniques, Dr. Casazza discovered the function of many genetic differences across different scenarios. Similarly, he shows that these functions are involved in disease for children and adults. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2023 Dr. He developed a protocol of multicomponent hetero-Diels-Alder reactions using a type of diene that has notable bench stability and imines. This method could be used to construct functionalized six-membered nitrogen heterocycles that have wide applications in natural products, active pharmaceutical ingredients and light-luminating materials. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Bevington developed image processing and analysis algorithms for human brain imaging data. These algorithms help provide more accurate and precise images of the healthy and diseased brain. They are being applied in clinical research studies that are discovering alterations to dopamine release and brain energy production in Parkinson's disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Alomeir developed new ways to simplify database provenance using visual tools and summarization techniques. He focused on relational databases, making provenance easier for users of database systems to explore. His methods also help users gain a clearer understanding of a database's origins in a concise manner. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2023 Dr. Morse worked on how a common intestinal virus infection influences the immune system and the gut microbiome to trigger the onset of type 1 diabetes. His research shows how environmental stressors engage in cross-communication with the host to impact development of autoimmune diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Syed's work on non-reversible parallel tempering showed how parallel computing could improve the scalability of Monte Carlo methods and solve challenging statistic inference problems. He was awarded the Pierre Robillard award for the best PhD thesis in statistics and probability in Canada. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Guo developed six bioinformatic programs improving the sensitivity and selectivity in metabolomics data processing. The programs increased the number of biomarkers identified for biological and clinical applications. The discoveries will lead to a more in-depth understanding of many disease mechanisms, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dvorak developed a method for performing magnetic resonance imaging about 25 times faster than conventional techniques, while simultaneously improving the image quality. This method is implemented for scanners from 3 different manufacturers, including a small, portable, inexpensive scanner that could revolutionize access to MRI medical imaging. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Niemietz defined mechanisms by which hyaluronan influences human neutrophil functionality and how this potentially contributes to childhood-onset rheumatic diseases. Her research significantly expands our understanding of neutrophils in the human inflammatory response. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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With the planet facing a &#039;polycrisis&#039;, 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...

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