Natural sciences

This division comprises research and experimental development in natural sciences. Natural sciences refer to scientific disciplines concerned with understanding, exploring or developing the natural world, in the field of natural sciences, which includes mathematics and statistics; computer and information sciences; physical sciences; chemical sciences; earth and related environmental sciences; biological sciences; and other natural sciences. Research consists of systematic investigation carried by means of experiment or analysis to achieve a scientific or technological advance such as acquiring new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts. Experimental development consists of new or substantially improved goods, services, systems, methods or processes.

Sub-Categories

Mathematics and statistics

Computer and information sciences

Physical sciences

Chemical sciences

Earth and related environmental sciences

Biological sciences

Other natural sciences

Graduate Degree Programs in Natural sciences

Master of Applied Science in Geological Engineering (MASc)

Our program delivers an interdisciplinary experience, combining principles of geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology and geology, to provide a versatile set of skills needed to solve a wide range of practical problems related to engineering interactions with the earth environment. Faculty members...

Master of Applied Science in Geophysics (MASc)

Theoretically, experimentally, and observationally oriented Master of Science (M.Sc.), Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs are offered in a number of key areas of geophysics. Current interests include topics in observational and theoretical glaciology;...

Master of Archival Studies (MAS)

With an international reputation for intellectual leadership and strong local connections with communities and professionals, the MAS program provides an inspiring space to study archival science and develop professional skills. Records and archives play a vital role in society and students in...

Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies (MASLIS)

This program is an interdisciplinary, high-demand educational experience in which students complete two graduate degrees within an accelerated timeframe. MAS/LIS students gain rich expertise suited to hybrid library/archives and senior records management roles, and cultural institutions, giving...

Master of Arts in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (MA)

The Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is a problem-focused and curiosity-driven interdisciplinary research institute and graduate program, with interest and expertise in a wide range of topics under the realm of environment...

Master of Business Analytics (MBAN)

In just twelve months, the UBC MBAN gives candidates with quantitative backgrounds sought-after analytical skills within a broader business context. Our graduates will be able to apply advanced analytical tools and methods to address management challenges in today’s business world. Candidates will...

Master of Data Science (MDS)

The UBC Master of Data Science (MDS) is a 10-month professional degree program. The MDS program was developed by the combined expertise of the UBC departments of Computer Science and Statistics to help meet a growing need for data scientists by producing skilled professionals who can turn data into...

Master of Data Science in Computational Linguistics (MDSCL)

Passionate about language and curious about data? UBC's Master of Data Science degree in Computational Linguistics is the credential to set you apart. Offered at the Vancouver campus this unique degree is tailored to those with a passion for language and data. Over 10 months, the program combines...

Master of Engineering in Geological Engineering (MEng)

The MEng program is a course-based Masters set up to provide students with a professional development experience that exposes them to new tools in Geological Engineering with an emphasis on the need to recognize and manage geological variability, uncertainty, and geo-risk in engineering design. The...

Master of Engineering Leadership in Dependable Software Systems (MEL)

The Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Dependable Software Systems is entering an exciting phase of transformation. Beginning January 2024, we will temporarily pause the program to embark on a comprehensive curriculum review and assessment. This strategic pause is the first step towards...

Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM)

The Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) is a new 9-month, course-based master’s program that provides the geospatial skills and landscape ecology context required to tackle pressing environmental issues. It is a 9-month program which begins in August with a 3-week intensive and...

Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)

Land and water are essential resources required to sustain human needs, including food security, maintenance of environmental goods and services, and all forms of useable energy. Managing land and water as an integrated system provides a framework to aid society to achieve the goals of an improved...

Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)

The MLIS program prepares professionals to exercise creativity, integrity and leadership in designing, implementing and promoting programs and systems for the creation, organization, management, preservation and effective use of information and collections. Graduates of the MLIS program go on to...

Master of Science in Applied Animal Biology (MSc)

Applied Animal Biology offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to a M. Sc. degree in animal physiology, behaviour, welfare, and management of livestock, companion animals, research animals, wildlife species, aquaculture, and on the human-animal relationship. The program is...

Master of Science in Astronomy (MSc)

UBC research in astronomy and astrophysics covers most areas of current interest in this broad field, including a wide range of theoretical and observational studies in astronomy, and also experimental and theoretical studies in cosmology. Research at optical wavelengths includes searches and...

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UBC Researchers conducting research in Natural sciences

H

Hauert, Christoph

Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Mathematics and statistics; Modelization and Simulation; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biological Behavior; dynamical systems; evolution; game theory; social dilemmas; stochastic processes

Hawley, Alyse

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Hayden, Michael

Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Genetic medicine; Health counselling; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Diabetes; Disease progression; Drug development; Gene Therapy; Genetic Diseases; Huntington disease; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative disorders

Heagy, Lindsey

Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Particle physics, experimental; Experimental Particle Physics; e+e- collider; Physics beyond the Standard Model; Dark sector; dark matter

Heitz, Matthieu

Faculty of Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Algorithms and computational genomics; Optimal Transport; Machine Learning; Bioinformatics

Heyl, Jeremy

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Astronomical and space sciences; Physical sciences; Astrophysics; Black Holes; Neutron Stars; quantum phenomena; Quantum-Field Theory; Stellar; Stellar Physics

Hirst, Martin

Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Michael Smith Laboratories, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Bioinformatics; Clinical oncology; Genomics; Immunology; Microbiology; Carcinogenesis; Cellular Differentiation; Epigenomics; Leukemia; Molecular Genetics

Hodges, Nicola

School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Sport and exercise psychology; Behavioural neuroscience of learning and memory; action anticipation and observation; coaching and motor skill expertise; skill acquisition; Motor learning; observational learning and instruction; sports skill development

Hoffman, Kira

Faculty of Forestry

Postdoctoral Fellow

Landscape ecology; Fire ecology; Indigenous fire stewardship; Dendroecology

Holmes, Reid

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Mathematical modelling and simulation; Computational methods in statistics; Numerical analysis; Thermodynamics and statistical physics

Hoodless, Pamela

Department of Medical Genetics, School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Computational cell biology; Cancer; Genomics; Medical and biomedical engineering; Nucleic acids studies; Developmental Genetics; Embryology; Embryonic Development; Epigenetics; Heart Valve / Valvular Diseases; Heart valve formation; Liver; Liver development; Stem Cells and Organogenesis; transcriptional regulation

Howe, Leann

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Biochemistry; chromatin; Transcription

Hu, Alan

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Computer and information sciences; Computer Systems; distributed systems; File Systems; Virtualization

I

Innes, John

Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Other natural sciences; Forestry; Ecology

Irwin, Darren

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Zoology; evolutionary genetics; genomic differentiation; hybridization; ornithology; seasonal migration; speciation

J

Jan, Eric

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Biochemistry; Virus; Nucleic Acids; Proteomics; Antiviral innate immunity; Zika; coxsackievirus; enterovirus; Innate immunity; molecular biology; picornavirus; protease; Protein synthesis; RNA; RNA structure function; RNA virus; ribosome; SARS; tRNA; translation; Virology; virus host interactions; mRNA therapeutics

Jean, Francois

Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

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

Joe, Harry Sue Wah

Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Statistics; Statistics and Probabilities; copula construction; dependence modelling; extreme value inference; non-normal time series; parsimonous high-dimensional dependence

Johnson, Mark

Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Geology; Natural environment sciences; Agriculture; Biogeochemistry; Carbon cycle; Climate Changes and Impacts; data science; Ecohydrology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Fresh Water; Ground Water and Water Tables; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Land and Soil; land use; Running Water Hydrosystem; Water and Sustainability

Johnson, Bernadette

Faculty of Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Zoology; Evolutionary Genomics; Sexual Selection; Sexual conflict

K

Kandlikar, Milind

School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Climate change impacts and adaptation; Product life cycle; Environmental policy; Research, science and technology policy; Environmental impacts; Air Quality and Climate Change; Technological Risk; Technology and Development

Karczmarek, Joanna

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Physical sciences; Emergent spacetime and gravity; Matrix models; Noncommutative geometry; String theory

Karim, Ehsan

School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Biostatistical methods; Survey methodology and analysis; Statistical learning; Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Public and population health, n.e.c.; Causal inference; Biostatistics; Statistics; Machine Learning; data science; Survey data analysis; multiple sclerosis

Kobor, Michael

Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Genetic medicine; Genomics; Chromatin Biology; Epigenetics; molecular biology; Social Epigenetics

Kolind, Shannon

Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Medical physics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; brain; Imaging; MRI; medical physics; multiple sclerosis; myelin; Neurological Disease; spinal cord

Kopp, Janel

Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Genomics; Modeling cancer; Pancreas; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic development

Korthauer, Keegan

Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Bioinformatics; Genomics; Statistics; Epigenomics; Single-cell analysis; Statistical genomics

Kremen, Claire

Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Natural environment sciences; Zoology; agroecological farming systems; Reconciliation of agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation; sustainable landscapes

Kronstad, James

Michael Smith Laboratories, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Bioinformatics; Immunology; Microbiology; Plant biology; Mycology; Fungal diseases of plants; Genomics and Proteomics; Medical Mycology; Molecular Genetics; Pathogenesis of infectious diseases; Plant-Microbe Interactions

Krzic, Maja

Applied Biology, Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Soil sciences; Soil health; Soil management; Soil science education

Kwakkel, Erik

School of Information, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Archival, repository and related studies; Library science and information studies; Codicology; History of Libraries; History of the Book; Medieval Manuscripts; Paleography; History of Reading

L

Lam, Tzeng Yih

Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Quantitiative methods in forestry; Forestry management and environment; Statistical theory and modeling; Survey methodology and analysis; Bayesian Filtering; Forest Inventory; Growth and Yield; Sampling Theory; silviculture; Timber; Tree Measurement

Lange, Philipp

Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Bioinformatics; Genomics; Pathology (except oral pathology); Cell Signaling and Cancer; mass spectrometry; pediatric cancer; personalized medicine; post translational protein modification; Proteomics

Laule, Cornelia

Department of Radiology, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Medical physics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pathology (except oral pathology); Auto-Immune Diseases; Axons; brain; Central Nervous System Inflammatory Diseases; Cerebral Atrophy; Histology; image analysis; Imaging; Inflammation; magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; multiple sclerosis; myelin; Nervous System Development; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurological diseases; Neuronal Systems; pain; Pathology; Schizophrenia; Spinal Cord Diseases; spinal cord; Spinal cord injury

Laval, Bernard

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Civil engineering; Oceanography

Leander, Brian

Department of Botany, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Plant biology; Zoology; Comparative organismal biology; Evolutionary morphology; Evolutionary protistology; Marine biodiversity; Marine invertebrate zoology; Phylogenetic biology; Species discovery

Leavitt, Blair

Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Genetic medicine; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Ataxia; Dementia; Experimental Therapeutics; Frontotemporal Dementia; Gene regulation; Gene Silencing and Gene Editing; Gene Therapy; Huntington disease; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Medical Genetics; Mouse models of disease; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurogenetics

Lemieux, Victoria

School of Information, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Archival, repository and related studies; Library science and information studies; Blockchain technology; information visualization and visual analytics; International development; Records and information management; Risk management; Transparency and the public interest (in public sector and financial contexts); Trustworthy records

Lemieux, Caroline

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Programming languages and software engineering; help developers improve the correctness, security, and performance of software systems; test-input generation; specification mining; program synthesis

LeMoult, Joelle

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Psychology and cognitive sciences; depression and psychobiological responses to stress; understanding how depression develops and unfolds across the lifespan

Lerner, Jackie

Faculty of Science

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Environmental impact assessment; Land use and environmental planning; cumulative effects assessment; gender-based analysis

Leyton-Brown, Kevin

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Computer and information sciences; Artificial Intelligence; Algorithms; theoretical computer science; Resource Allocation; Computer Science and Statistics; Auction theory; game theory; Machine Learning

Li, Ming

Faculty of Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Inorganic catalysis and reaction mechanisms; Small Molecule Activation, Catalytic reactions

Lister, Alison

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Particle physics, experimental; Large Hadron Collier (LHC); ATLAS experiment; Search for physics beyond the standard model; top quarks; dark matter; Machine Learning; Long-lived particles

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French Name

Sciences naturelles

French Description

Cette division comprend la recherche et le développement expérimental en sciences naturelles. Les sciences naturelles réfèrent aux disciplines scientifiques relevant de la compréhension, de l'exploration ou de l'évolution du monde matériel, dans le domaine des sciences naturelles, lequel inclut les mathématiques et la statistique; l'informatique et les sciences de l'information; les sciences physiques; les sciences chimiques; les sciences de la terre et de l'environnement; les sciences biologiques; et les autres sciences naturelles. La recherche consiste en l'investigation systématique par l'expérimentation ou l'analyse, afin de réaliser un progrès scientifique ou technologique, comme l'acquisition de nouvelles connaissances sur les fondements des phénomènes et des faits observables. Le développement expérimental consiste à réaliser de nouveaux biens, services, systèmes, méthodes ou procédés, ou d'améliorer substantiellement les biens, services, systèmes, méthodes ou procédés existants.