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

Biological sciences

Other natural sciences

Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Biodiversity frontiers in a rapidly changing world

Graduate Degree Programs

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)

Applied Animal Biology offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to a Ph.D. 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…

Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD)

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…

Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)

Atmospheric scientists use principles of classical physics to study, explain, and predict atmospheric behavior on scales ranging from turbulent eddies through storm clouds to earth’s global circulation. We are motivated by weather-related big societal issues including climate change, air quality,…

Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Program provides advanced, research-based education that will prepare students for a career in academic, industrial, or professional positions in British Columbia and beyond. The Program offers MSc and PhD degrees, with the option to transfer from…

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)is an interdisciplinary program that combines the application of computer technology to the management and analysis of biological data. The result is that computers are being used to organize data generated from experiments into databases, develop new…

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

The Botany Department is one of the largest and strongest plant-focused departments in North America with roots extending back to the founding of UBC in 1915. Our departmental community of more than 260 consists of 40 full-time faculty members, several part-time faculty or associates, about 100…

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration in Finance (PhD)

The PhD Program in Business Administration welcomes applications from individuals planning research-oriented academic careers. As well as gaining access to a world of knowledge and opportunity, Sauder PhD students benefit from the individual attention they receive from faculty members - right from…

Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)

The graduate program in Cell and Developmental Biology offers M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees to students undertaking advanced study and research in cell and developmental biology. The program is flexible and is designed to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of students and the broad nature of research in…

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

In the Chemistry department Faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduates and staff members work cooperatively in a collegial environment to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems related to energy, health and sustainability. Research areas in the department cover…

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

PhD students in the Department of Computer Science may focus their research in the following areas: Artificial Intelligence: computer vision, decision theory/game theory, knowledge representation and reasoning, intelligent user interfaces, machine learning, natural language understanding and…

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

The Genome Science and Technology graduate program is a trans-disciplinary program that combines genomic research with leading-edge technology development in genome sciences for students pursing an M.Sc. or Ph.D. This program is intended to accommodate the diverse background of students and the…

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD)

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…

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)

Geologists study the materials that make up the earth, the features and structures found on Earth as well as the processes by which these features and structures formed. Our department has a wide range of expertise in geological sciences, including field-based studies (e.g., mineral deposit…

Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)

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;…

Doctor of Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies (PhD)

UBC iSchool’s Ph.D. program is a four-year funded program that combines coursework with independent study and research. Students have access to faculty members and advisors and benefit from unique opportunities at a research-intensive university. The Ph.D. program is designed to provide advanced…

UBC Researchers

L

Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Healthy Aging; exercise; Fall prevention; Cognitive Aging; Randomized Controlled Trials; Physical Activity; Mobility; Neuroimaging; Sleep; Healthy Aging, Exercise , Fall Prevention, Cognitive Aging, Randomized Controlled Trials , Physical Activity, Mobility, Neuroimaging, Sleep

Lloyd, Samantha

Faculty of Science

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Automation in external beam and brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery; Application of optical surface guidance for radiation therapy setup and motion monitoring; Machine learning for cancer outcomes prediction; Systems design for safety and quality control; Clinical trials; , Automation in external beam and brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery, Application of optical surface guidance for radiation therapy setup and motion monitoring, Machine learning for cancer outcomes prediction, Systems design for safety and quality control, Clinical trials

Loewen, Christopher

Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); Autism; Cancer Cell Metabolism; Cell Biology; Cell polarity; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Genetic Networks; Golgi; Lipid Signalling; Lipid Traffic; Membrane Contact Sites; Membrane Diffusion Barriers; Membranes and Organelles; Super Resolution Microscopy; Systems Biology; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Autism, Cancer Cell Metabolism, Cell Biology, Cell Polarity, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Genetic Networks, Golgi, Lipid Signalling, Lipid Traffic, Membrane Contact Sites, Membrane Diffusion Barriers, Membranes and Organelles, Super Resolution Microscopy, Systems Biology

Loewen, Philip

Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Calculus of Variations; Optimal Control; optimization; Machine Learning; Calculus of Variations, Optimal Control, Optimization, Machine Learning

Luciani, Dan

Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Diabetes; Pancreatic beta-cell function and failure; Mitochondrial physiology; Lysosomal physiology; Cell calcium signalling; Cell stress signalling; Mechanisms of cell death; autophagy; Cellular senescence; fluorescence microscopy; Diabetes, Pancreatic beta-cell function and failure, Mitochondrial physiology, Lysosomal physiology, Cell calcium signalling, Cell stress signalling, Mechanisms of cell death, Autophagy, Cellular senescence, Fluorescence Microscopy

M

MacFarlane, Andrew

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Chemical physics, Electronic and magnetic properties of crystalline solids, especially strongly correlated materials such as the cuprate high temperature superconductors

MacLachlan, Mark

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Supramolecular Chemistry; Nanomaterials; Biomaterials; Cellulose nanocrystals; Chitin; Materials Chemistry; Inorganic Chemistry; Supramolecular Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Biomaterials, Cellulose nanocrystals, Chitin, Materials Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry

MacLean, Karon

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Information Systems; design of user interfaces; haptic interfaces; human-computer interaction; human-robot interaction; Information Systems, Design of user interfaces, Haptic interfaces, Human-computer interaction, Human-robot interaction

Madison, Kirk

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Quantum sensors; Quantum Gases; Laser cooling; Bose-Einstein Condesation; Fermi-Degenerate Gases; Quantum optics; Laser physics; Quantum sensors, Quantum Gases, Laser cooling, Bose-Einstein Condesation, Fermi-Degenerate Gases, Quantum optics, Laser physics

Mallik, Wrik

Faculty of Applied Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Fluid-structure interaction; Acoustics and noise control (except architectural acoustics); Machine learning; Reduced-order modelling; Machine Learning; Underwater wave propagation; Multidisciplinary design optimization

Man, Allison

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

galaxy formation and evolution; galaxy formation and evolution

Manges, Amee

School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Epidemiology; Molecular epidemiology; Public health; Bioinformatics; metagenomics; Microbiome; Epidemiology, Molecular epidemiology, Public health, Bioinformatics, Metagenomics, Microbiome

Marra, Marco

Michael Smith Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Genetics; Epigenomics; Cancer biology; Genetics, Epigenomics, Cancer biology

Marra, Marco

Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Genetics; Epigenomics; Cancer biology; Genetics, Epigenomics, Cancer biology

Marshall, Katie

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Environmental Change; Marine biodiversity; Population Ecology; invertebrates and temperature adaptation; Environmental Change, Marine Biodiversity, Population Ecology, invertebrates and temperature adaptation

Martone, Patrick

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Protist; Plants; Physiology; Taxonomy and Systematics; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; Evolution and Phylogenesis; Biomaterials; Solid Mechanics; Fluid mechanics; biomechanics; Ecology; evolution; Intertidal Zone; Macroalgae; Phycology; Protist, Plants, Physiology, Taxonomy and Systematics, Ecology and Quality of the Environment, Evolution and Phylogenesis, Biomaterials, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Biomechanics, Ecology, Evolution, Intertidal Zone, Macroalgae, Phycology

Matsubara, Joanne Aiko

Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

neuroscience; vision; cell and development; cell death pathways; innate immune response; eye disease, retinal degenerations; Alzheimer's disease; neurodegeneration; neuroscience, vision, cell and development , cell death pathways, innate immune response, eye disease, retinal degenerations, alzheimer's disease, neurodegeneration

Matsuuchi, Linda

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Cell Biology; Immunology; Cell Biology, Immunology

Matthews, Ben

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Aedes aeygpti mosquitoes; Arboviral pathogens; Chikungunya; Comparative Physiology; Dengue fever; Genome of mosquitoes; Yellow fever; Zika; Aedes aeygpti mosquitoes, Arboviral pathogens, Chikungunya, Comparative Physiology, Dengue fever, Genome of mosquitoes, Yellow fever, Zika

Matthews, Philip

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Comparative Physiology; biomechanics; Insect physiology; Respiratory Physiology; Comparative physiology, Biomechanics, Insect physiology, Respiratory physiology

Maxwell, Christopher

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Hereditary Cancer; Cell division; Cell migration; Differentiation; Cell polarity; Hereditary Cancer, Cell division, Cell migration, Differentiation, Cell polarity

Mayer, Ulrich

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

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

groundwater contamination; groundwater remediation; hydrogeology; low-temperature geochemistry; mine waste management; Groundwater contamination, Groundwater remediation, Hydrogeology, Low-temperature geochemistry, Mine waste management

Mayor, Thibault

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Aging; Cell Biology; Neurodegenerative diseases; Proteasome; Protein Degradation; Protein Folding; Proteomics; Proteostasis; Ubiquitin; Yeast Genetics; Aging, Cell Biology, Neurodegenerative diseases, Proteasome, Protein Degradation, Protein Folding, Proteomics, Proteostasis, Ubiquitin, Yeast Genetics

Mayor, Thibault

Michael Smith Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

McBride, Sean

Faculty of Science

Postdoctoral Fellow

Quantum physics, n.e.c.; High energy physics; Quantum Gravity; Quantum Information; String theory

McDonald, Daniel

Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Methods and models for epidemiological forecasting; Estimation and quantification of prediction risk; Evaluating the predictive abilities of complex dependent data; Application of statistical learning techniques to time series prediction problems; Investigations of cross-validation and the bootstrap for risk estimation; Methods and models for epidemiological forecasting, Estimation and quantification of prediction risk, Evaluating the predictive abilities of complex dependent data, Application of statistical learning techniques to time series prediction problems, Investigations of cross-validation and the bootstrap for risk estimation

McDougall, Scott

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

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Debris flows / floods; Geohazards; Landslide-generated waves; Landslides; Natural and man-made geological hazards; Rock avalanches; Shoreline erosion; Tailings dam breaches; Debris flows / floods, Geohazards, Landslide-generated waves, Landslides, Natural and man-made geological hazards, Rock avalanches, Shoreline erosion, Tailings dam breaches

McGrenere, Joanna

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

computer science; computer supported cooperative work (CSCW); human-computer interaction; interactive technologies for older users and people with cognitive disorders; personalized user interfaces; universal usability; Computer science, Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Human-computer interaction, Interactive technologies for older users and people with cognitive disorders, Personalized user interfaces, Universal usability

McIver, Jess

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Gravitational wave astrophysics; Multi-messenger astronomy; Characterization of large-scale physics instrumentation; data science; Gravitational wave astrophysics , Multi-messenger astronomy, Characterization of large-scale physics instrumentation, Data science

McKenna, Janis

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

particle physics; subatomic physics; quarks, leptons, accelerators and their applications, science education, women in physics, women in science, Alternate energy, sustainability

Mehrkhodavandi, Parisa

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds; Polymers; Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis; Bio-based polymers; Bioproducts; catalysis; Green Chemistry; Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry and Characterization; Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds, Polymers, Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis, Bio-based polymers, Bioproducts, Catalysis, Green Chemistry, Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry and Characterization

Mehta, Aastha

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

security & privacy; Systems security; networking; Operating systems; Data privacy; distributed systems; Security & Privacy, Systems security, Networking, Operating systems, Data privacy, Distributed systems

Mesbah, Ali

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Computer and Software Systems; software engineering

Michal, Carl

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Solid-state NMR; NMR and MRI of brain tissue; NMR methods and instrumentation; Biological and functional materials; Solid-state NMR, NMR and MRI of brain tissue, NMR methods and instrumentation, Biological and functional materials

Michaletz, Sean

Department of Botany, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Ecophysiology; Ecosystem ecology; climate change; macroecology; Geophysics; Scaling; Fire; Ecophysiology, Ecosystem ecology, Climate change, Macroecology, Geophysics, Scaling, Fire

Mitchell, Matthew

Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

Ecosystem services; urban ecology; Biodiversity conservation; social-ecological systems; Landscape ecology; Agroecosystems; , Ecosystem services, Urban ecology, Biodiversity conservation, Social-ecological systems, Landscape ecology, Agroecosystems

Moore, Alex

Department of Botany, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Applied community and ecosystem ecology; impact of predator-prey interactions on the health and functioning of coastal wetland ecosystems; role of cultural values and knowledge in ecosystem restoration conservation; Global change impacts on coastal environments; Applied community and ecosystem ecology, Impact of predator-prey interactions on the health and functioning of coastal wetland ecosystems, Role of cultural values and knowledge in ecosystem restoration conservation, Global change impacts on coastal environments

Moore, Alex

Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Morin, Gregg

Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Proteomics; mass spectrometry; RNA processing; Ribonucleoproteins; Splicing; Cancer; RNA sequencing; Proteomics, Mass spectrometry, RNA processing, Ribonucleoproteins, Splicing, Cancer, RNA sequencing

Munzner, Tamara

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

visualization; information visualization; visual analytics; data science; visualization, information visualization, visual analytics, data science

Murphy, Enda

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Coastal and estuarine system dynamics; Nature-based solutions; Whole system thinking; Coastal systems engineering; Transdisciplinary research; Numerical modelling; Physical modelling; Coastal flood and erosion hazard risk; Coastal and estuarine system dynamics, Nature-based solutions, Whole system thinking, Coastal systems engineering, Transdisciplinary research, Numerical modelling, Physical modelling, Coastal flood and erosion hazard risk

Murphy, Gail

Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Software Development; knowledge worker productivity; software design; software engineering; software evolution; Software development, Knowledge worker productivity, Software design, Software engineering, Software evolution

Murphy, Michael

Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Alternatives to antibiotics; Bacterial pathogenesis; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Functional and Structural Proteomics; Microbial metal metabolism; Alternatives to antibiotics, Bacterial pathogenesis, Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms, Functional and Structural Proteomics, Microbial metal metabolism

Murphy, Timothy

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Autism; brain imaging; depression; Neuronal Systems; stroke; Autism, Brain imaging, Depression, Neuronal Systems, Stroke

Murugan, Mathav

Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Metric geometry; potential theory; probability theory and analysis; quasiconformal mappings; Relationship between Markov processes and the geometry of the underlying state space; Quasisymmetric Uniformization; Analysis and diffusions on fractals; Metric geometry, Potential theory, Probability theory and analysis, Quasiconformal mappings, Relationship between Markov processes and the geometry of the underlying state space, Quasisymmetric Uniformization, Analysis and diffusions on fractals

Myers-Smith, Isla

Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Arctic; biodiversity; climate change; Community Building; Ecosystems; Environmental communication; tundra ecosystems; Arctic, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Community Building, Ecosystems, Environmental Communication, Tundra Ecosystems

N

Nichols, Eva

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

carbon dioxide reduction; electrocatalysis; bioinspired catalyst designs; molecularly-modified materials; molecular mechanisms; self-assembled monolayers; operando spectroscopy; carbon dioxide reduction, electrocatalysis, bioinspired catalyst designs, molecularly-modified materials, molecular mechanisms, self-assembled monolayers, operando spectroscopy

Nislow, Corey

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

genomics; Genetics; drug discovery; Biotechnology; Space Biology; Genomics, genetics, Drug Discovery, Biotechnology, Space Biology

Nolde, Natalia

Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Statistics and Probabilities; Applications in finance, insurance, geosciences; Multivariate extreme value theory; Risk assessment; Statistics and Probabilities, Applications in finance, insurance, geosciences, Multivariate extreme value theory, Risk assessment

O

Ollivier-Gooch, Carl

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Algorithm Development for Computational Fluid Dynamics; Applied Aerodynamics; Numerical analysis; Unstructured Mesh Generation; Error and Stability Analysis for Unstructured Mesh Methods; Computer Sciences and Mathematical Tools; Fluid mechanics; Algorithm Development for Computational Fluid Dynamics, Applied Aerodynamics, Numerical Analysis, Unstructured Mesh Generation, Error and Stability Analysis for Unstructured Mesh Methods, Computer Sciences and Mathematical Tools, Fluid Mechanics

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