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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dr. Korman showed that fluctuations in river flow caused by hydroelectric dams can reduce the growth and survival rates of early life stages of rainbow trout, and can alter their patterns of habitat use. His work provides important information for managing fish populations in large regulated rivers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr Huitema investigated related proteases necessary for replication of the hepatitis A and SARS viruses. She characterized some of the most potent inhibitors of these proteases identified to date and described mechanisms of inhibition. She also developed a method to screen specificity for further inhibitor development and protease characterization. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Enriquez investigated the problem of effective tactile communication. He developed methods to aid in the creation of meaningful tactile signals. These methods provide a novel means for designing human computer interfaces and may help to improve user experience and reduce sensory overload in modern user interfaces. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Fujita's research has established a new understanding of how plant cells establish and maintain their direction of growth. Combining microscopical and biochemical strategies, she showed that polymer scaffolds known as microtubules modulate the crystalline property of cellulose, which is the principal load bearing component of plant cell walls. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Ives's work is the culmination of a 40 year search for an extremely rare and important decay of a sub-atomic particle, the charged K-meson, into a Pi-meson and a neutrino-anti-neutrino pair. Three new instances of this decay were observed, bringing the total to seven, and confirmed detailed theoretical predictions while suggesting the possibility of new effects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Zhang studied signal absorption phenomena in seismic data that are collected for oil and gas exploration. He developed new methods to estimate absorption properties based on the frequency variation with time of seismic signals. He then used these properties to compensate for the amplitude attenuation and phase distortion of the signals caused by absorption and thus to obtain more accurate images of the earth structure in seismic data processing. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Williams developed advanced modelling techniques for efficiently integrating geological and geophysical information to obtain 3D images of the earth?s subsurface. His novel interpretation methods predict the location and character of prospective geological structures, rocks and minerals, aiding the discovery of buried mineral deposits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Mitchinson combined knowledge of relationships between geology and physical properties, with geophysics to generate 3D models for an Ontario gold deposit. Her work enhances knowledge of the geologic architecture of the hosting Archean rocks, and provides a basis for future 3D modeling-based exploration for gold deposits in similar settings. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr. Cannon developed new statistical methods for the prediction and analysis of multivariate climate data sets. The resulting models offer improved seasonal forecasts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation events and better insight into the regional impacts of climate change simulated by global climate models. | Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD) |
| 2009 | Dr Mercier provided important insight into the importance of subduction processes in the formation and stabilization of the continental lithosphere in the early stage of the formation of the Earth. He has also developed a seismic velocity model of western Canada and a technique for extracting important structural information from earthquake records. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |