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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dr. Podder proposed new statistical methods and algorithms for analyzing data to genotype a patient. The methods exploit the deliberate redundancy in the data and lead to fast, automatic, and highly reliable genotyping for personalized medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr Pereira developed a theory that describes the dynamics of one-dimensional quantum magnets. The results of his research explain the exotic magnetic properties observed in neutron scattering experiments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Yan developed a statistical method for exploring linear structures in data. The method helps extract useful information in large data sets. Dr. Yan applied his method to develop a promising algorithm that automatically classifies genotypes in genetic studies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. McLeod characterized proteins involved in proper DNA maintenance in the bacteria Bacillus subtilis. This research contributes to the understanding of two large protein families which stabilize DNA inheritance in bacteria, leading to a better understanding of how bacteria ensure proper DNA content in their progeny. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Pietrangelo investigated the effect of gravity on the order of electrochemically grown conducting plastic films by growing them in space-like conditions. His results show that films grown in zero gravity exhibit improved order compared to those grown on earth, suggesting that gravity-induced convection currents influence film deposition. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Philippe examined how forest trees defend themselves against insect infestations. Along with developments in poplar genomics resources and contributions to the poplar genome sequencing, his work illuminates the importance of metabolic reorganization in mounting an effective plant-wide defense response. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2008 | The thesis develops powerful new ways to help find and eliminate errors automatically from complex computer software. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2008 | Ubiquitous computing is the third wave of computing, where technology moves off the desktop and into the real world around us. Dr. Blackstock designed a common programming model for ubiquitous computing and through practical integration experience and prototypes provided strong evidence of the portability and interoperability benefits of his model. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Cross has shown that the enzyme CD45 is an important regulator of dendritic cell responses to pathogens. This research highlights a novel role for CD45 in linking early and late immune responses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2008 | Dr. Bolourani showed that genetic manipulation of specific amoeba provides an elegant approach for elucidating the function of the highly conserved intracellular signaling Ras proteins which are found in all nucleated cells. He provided some of the best evidence to date showing conslusively that two Ras proteins have distinct but crucial roles during cell aggregation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |