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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
Bertram, Allan Department of Chemistry Atmospheric sciences; Chemical sciences; Atmosphere (Including Chemical Aspects); Physical and analytical chemistry of atmospheric aerosols
Beschastnikh, Ivan Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; software engineering; distributed systems; cloud computing; software analysis; Machine Learning
Bizzotto, Dan Department of Chemistry Electroanalytical chemistry; Electrochemistry; Colloid and surface chemistry; Electrochemical Systems; Surface Characterization; Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Layers; Sensors and Devices; Electrochemical and Fuel Cells; biosensors; electrocatalysis; fluorescence microscopy; interfacial analysis; self assembled monolayers; spectroelectrochemistry
Blakney, Anna Michael Smith Laboratories, School of Biomedical Engineering Biomedical materials; Medical molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins; Gene and molecular therapy; Gene delivery; RNA; Biomaterials; Immunoengineering
Bloem-Reddy, Benjamin Department of Statistics developing methods for evolving networks whose history is unobserved; distributional limits of preferential attachment networks; uses of symmetry in statistics, computation, and machine learning
Bohlmann, Joerg Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Botany plant biochemistry, forestry genomics, forest health, conifers, poplar, bark beetle, mountain pine beetle, natural products, secondary metabolites, terpenes, floral scent, grapevine, Conifer genomics Forest health genomics Mountain pine beetle, fungus, pine interactions and genomics Chemical ecology of conifer, insect interactions
Boley, Aaron Department of Physics & Astronomy Astronomy and Astrophysics; Planet formation, protoplanetary disk evolution, formation of meteorite parent bodies
Bonn, Douglas Andrew Department of Physics & Astronomy Condensed matter, high temperature superconductors, microwave measurements, crystal growth
Borduas-Dedekind, Nadine Department of Chemistry Chemical sciences; atmospheric chemistry; chemical mechanisms; atmospheric ice nucleation; Biogeochemistry; mass spectrometry; Photochemistry; indoor chemistry; atmospheric aerosols; singlet oxygen
Bostock, Michael Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences structure of the Canadian upper mantle, Geophysics, formation and evolution of the first continental landmasses, the structure and dynamics of subduction zones
Bouchard-Cote, Alexandre Department of Statistics machine/statistical learning; mathematical side of the subject as well as in applications in linguistics and biology
Bowman, William Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; Programming languages and software engineering; Programming languages; Compilers; programming languages
Boyd, David Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs Human rights
Bradbury, Hal Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Chemical oceanography; Ocean biogeochemistry; Marine geology; Isotope geochemistry; Biogeochemistry; Paleoceanography; Chemical Oceanography; Reactive Transport Modelling; Carbon cycle; Marine Sedimentary Environments; Early Diagenesis; Biogeochemical Cycles
Brauner, Colin Department of Zoology Gas exchange, ion regulation and acid-base balance in fish, Evolution and comparative physiology
Brumer, Harry Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemistry Biochemistry; Chemical sciences; Genomics; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; biomass; carbohydrates; cellulose; Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis; Enzymes; microbiota; plant cell walls; polysaccharides
Bryan, Jim Department of Mathematics Algebraic and differential geometry; Algebraic geometry, moduli spaces, enumerative invariants related to theoretical physics.
Bryman, Douglas Department of Physics & Astronomy Particle physics, experimental; Experimental Particle Physics; Applied physics; physics
Burke, Sarah Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Chemistry Scanning probe microscopy, organic materials, nanoscale materials, surface physics, photovoltaics
Bustin, Robert Marc Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Unconventional Petroleum Reservoirs
Campbell, Trevor Department of Statistics automated, scalable Bayesian inference algorithms; Bayesian nonparametrics; streaming data; Bayesian theory; Probabilistic Inference; computational statistics; large-scale data
Carenini, Giuseppe Department of Computer Science Artificial intelligence, user modeling, decision theory, machine learning, social issues in computing, computational linguistics, information visualization
Cautis, Sabin Department of Mathematics Mathematics and statistics; Geometry
Chan, Kai Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability Natural environment sciences; Human Ecology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; Applied Ethics; Values and Lifestyles; Sustainable Development; conservation finance; Conservation science; cultural ecosystem services; Ecosystem services; environmental assessment; environmental values; incentive programs; payments for ecosystem services; resilience; social-ecological systems; sustainability science
Chang, Justin ,

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Geoffrey Woollard

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Simulation and inference in cryogenic electron microscopy

Lorna Tu

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting lung cancer recurrence after radiotherapy

Kabir Bhalla

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Contribution of polyphosphate to Cryptococcal disease

Sharada Balaji

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Characterizing white matter: Adventures with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

Quanhan Xi

Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)

Representing latent interventions in generative models

Mohit Pandey

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

Exploration of large chemical spaces with deep reinforcement and active learning

Michael Yin

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Supporting and extending virtual entertainment experiences

Katrin Steinthorsdottir

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)

Feasibility of in-situ carbon mineralization in serpentinite via shallow injection, B.C., Canada
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Bruce MacKay

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2004]

Job Title
Principal Chemist and Client Support Manager

Employer
Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Clement Cheung

Master of Science in Chemistry (MSc) [2014]

Job Title
Chemical Operation Technologist

Employer
Phyton Biotech LLC

Kevin Shopsowitz

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Medical student

Employer
University of British Columbia

Peter Frischmann

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Co-Founder & CTO

Employer
Sepion Technologies

Chang Liu

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Research Scientist

Employer
SCIEX

Ryan Philippe

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
Director of R&D

Employer
Manus Biosynthesis

Barry Po

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) [2005]

Job Title
Senior Director, Product & Business Development

Employer
NGRAIN

Jennifer Geddes-McAlister

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Job Title
Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Employer
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
All Alumni 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.

 

Attributions of cause of oyster mortality on the British Columbia coast: Oyster growers' and scientists’ perspectives
Publication: Ocean and Coastal Management
UBC Author(s): Theresa Satterfield (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09645691
Volume: 251
Publication Date: 1 May 2024

View Publication
Clinical perspective on topical vaccination strategies
Publication: Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0169409X
Volume: 208
Publication Date: May 2024

View Publication
Capture of endogenous lipids in peptidiscs and effect on protein stability and activity
Publication: iScience
UBC Author(s): Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 27
Publication Date: 19 April 2024

View Publication
GSpyNetTree: a signal-vs-glitch classifier for gravitational-wave event candidates
Publication: Classical and Quantum Gravity
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02649381
Volume: 41
Publication Date: 18 April 2024

View Publication
Testing the feasibility of targeting a conserved region on the S2 domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Publication: Biophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Steven Plotkin (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00063495
Volume: 123
Page Range: 992-1005
Publication Date: 16 April 2024

View Publication
Antimony mobility in soil near historical waste rock at the world's largest Sb mine, Central China
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Roger Beckie (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 921
Publication Date: 15 April 2024

View Publication
Self-amplifying RNA COVID-19 vaccine
Publication: Cell
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00928674
Volume: 187
Page Range: 1822-1822.e1
Publication Date: 11 April 2024

View Publication
Conclusive demonstration of iatrogenic Alzheimer's disease transmission in a model of stem cell transplantation
Publication: Stem Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Wilfred Arthur Jefferies (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 22136711
Volume: 19
Page Range: 456-468
Publication Date: 9 April 2024

View Publication
THE MORDELL–LANG CONJECTURE FOR SEMIABELIAN VARIETIES DEFINED OVER FIELDS OF POSITIVE CHARACTERISTIC
Publication: Bulletin of the Australian Mathematical Society
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00049727
Volume: 109
Page Range: 254-264
Publication Date: 8 April 2024

View Publication
Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture
Publication: Science
UBC Author(s): Claire Kremen (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00368075
Volume: 384
Page Range: 87-93
Publication Date: 5 April 2024

View Publication
Optically Probing Unconventional Superconductivity in Atomically Thin Bi<inf>2</inf>Sr<inf>2</inf>Ca<inf>0.92</inf>Y<inf>0.08</inf>Cu<inf>2</inf>O<inf>8+δ</inf>
Publication: Nano Letters
UBC Author(s): Ziliang Ye (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science), Andrea Damascelli (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15306984
Volume: 24
Page Range: 3986-3993
Publication Date: 3 April 2024

View Publication
Reactive Carbon Capture Enables CO<inf>2</inf> Electrolysis with Liquid Feedstocks
Publication: Accounts of Chemical Research
UBC Author(s): Curtis Berlinguette (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00014842
Volume: 57
Page Range: 1007-1018
Publication Date: 2 April 2024

View Publication
TANGENT-FILLING PLANE CURVES OVER FINITE FIELDS
Publication: Bulletin of the Australian Mathematical Society
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00049727
Volume: 109
Page Range: 301-315
Publication Date: 2 April 2024

View Publication
5-Hydroxypyrroloindoline Affords Tryptathionine and 2,2′-bis-Indole Peptide Staples: Application to Melanotan-II
Publication: Chemistry - A European Journal
UBC Author(s): David Perrin (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09476539
Volume: 30
Publication Date: 2 April 2024

View Publication
Collision of orbits for a one-parameter family of Drinfeld modules
Publication: Journal of Number Theory
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0022314X
Volume: 257
Page Range: 320-340
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Tetrabutylammonium lactate semiclathrate hydrate phase equilibria and polymorphs
Publication: Fluid Phase Equilibria
UBC Author(s): Charles Haynes (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03783812
Volume: 579
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity
Publication: Functional Ecology
UBC Author(s): Michelle Tseng (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02698463
Volume: 38
Page Range: 778-791
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Broad-line region geometry from multiple emission lines in a single-epoch spectrum
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Wing Shan Man (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 684
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
A Joint Fermi-GBM and Swift-BAT Analysis of Gravitational-wave Candidates from the Third Gravitational-wave Observing Run
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 964
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
Gene Expression Profiling in Pediatric Appendicitis
Publication: JAMA Pediatrics
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 21686203
Volume: 178
Page Range: 391-400
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
The fate of salp blooms: decomposition and sinking of salp carcasses
Publication: Marine Biology
UBC Author(s): Yevhenii Pakhomov (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00253162
Volume: 171
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Cu transport and complexation by the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum: Implications for trace metal complexation kinetics in the surface ocean
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Maria Maldonado-Pareja (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 919
Publication Date: 1 April 2024

View Publication
Simulation of breaching of laboratory-scale earth dams by overtopping with XBeach
Publication: Coastal Engineering
UBC Author(s): Scott McDougall (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03783839
Volume: 189
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
A forward-looking approach to climate change and the risk of societal collapse
Publication: Futures
UBC Author(s): Amanda Giang (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00163287
Volume: 158
Publication Date: April 2024

View Publication
Genomic analyses of Symbiomonas scintillans show no evidence for endosymbiotic bacteria but does reveal the presence of giant viruses
Publication: PLoS Genetics
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15537390
Volume: 20
Publication Date: 1 April 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. Marroquin Madera studied the initial density dependence of plasma formation and properties of a Nitric Oxide molecular Rydberg gas, along with the effects of applying radiofrequencies and electric fields. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Clayworth studied how glial cells in the nervous system wrap and protect neurons. She found a novel role for the dystroglycan protein, which is disrupted in muscular dystrophy, in glial wrapping of neurons. Her work improves our understanding of the mechanisms of glial protection of neurons and their potential involvement in muscular dystrophy. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Morales Duran found that acidic environmental pH decreased the activity of antibiotics against the CF pathogen B. cenocepacia, and induced changes in the bacterium that are associated with host colonization and pathogenicity. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Darwish developed, characterized, and applied brightly light-emitting, nanometer-sized particles toward simple and cost-effective detection and analysis of targeted cell types and molecules. Her research contributes new scientific knowledge, methods, and technologies to make healthcare more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Branch examined the impact that severe drought has on the plant species, scarlet monkeyflower. Her research found that different populations evolve in different ways but maintain growth and improve water efficiency. Her work highlights that stress can be inherited across generations. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2023 Dr. Huet developed numerical tools that allow fast and accurate simulations of complex fluid systems, ranging from rockfall dynamics to cell-resolved biological flows. His open-source software contributions can be used to better design microfluidic cell-sorting devices, thus speeding up many labour intensive tasks in biotechnology research. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Lan identified three genes that regulate an important signal molecule NHP in systemic acquired resistance in plants. The three genes function together and negatively regulate defence-related genes in epigenetic level. These findings assist us in understanding plant defence mechanism and plant disease control. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dai explored the intersection of classical machine learning and quantum computing, aiming to enhance algorithms for complex quantum problems. It highlights the development of a quantum-enhanced feature mapping algorithm and the practical application of quantum regression models. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2023 Dr. Zhang developed the gluing method to construct the bubble tower of the ancient solutions and infinite time blow-up solutions for the critical heat equations, and finite time blow-up solutions simultaneously at any prescribed N points for the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Kukor developed new tools to study the crystallization of small molecules. He applied these tools to investigate and optimize the crystallization of two drug molecules, demonstrating the benefits of continuous crystallization. These new tools are now being used by pharmaceutical companies to study and improve the production of drugs. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Pages

 

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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Science researchers nab UBC’s premier awards

Material scientist Dr. Andrea Damascelli and statistical ecologist Dr. Marie Auger-Méthé have earned two of UBC’s top research honours—the...

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