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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 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 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 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
Abraham, Ninan Department of Zoology Mammals, pathogens, genetic analysis, proper cell funtion, development, maintenance and proper functioning of T- and B-cells
Achermann, Reto Department of Computer Science Computing systems; Computer systems engineering; Systems software; resilient and efficient systems; intersection of operating systems, applied formal methods and hardware models.
Adams, Keith Department of Botany Molecular evolution, genome evolution, and gene expression
Adem, Alejandro Department of Mathematics Cohomology of finite groups, orbifolds, stringy topology, algebra, sporadic simple group, group actions, arithmetic groups, K-theory, homotopy theory, spaces of homomorphisms
Alacaoglu, Ahmet Department of Mathematics Mathematical optimization; Machine learning; Mathematical operations research; Numerical optimization; Machine Learning; Stochastic algorithms; Min-max games; Monotone operator theory
Algar, Russ Department of Chemistry Luminescent Materials; Bio/Chemical Sensing; Materials synthesis and biofunctionalization; Understanding the nanoparticle interface; New energy transfer configurations for sensing and imaging; Point-of-care diagnostic devices; Intracellular sensing
Allen, Susan Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Atmospheric sciences; Oceanography; coastal oceanography; coupled bio-physics and chem-physics and all three models; forecast models; Oceans and Inland Waters; physical oceanography; Prediction and Climatic Modeling
Altshuler, Doug Department of Zoology Zoology; flight control; visual guidance; visual neuroscience; neuroethology; avian biomechanics; aerodynamics; wing morphing; motor control
Ameli, Ali Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Geology; Applied Hydro-geochemistry; Climate Changes and Impacts; Environmental Tracer; Ground Water and Water Tables; Groundwater Ecohydrology; Groundwater-Surfacewater & land Interaction; Hydro-geological Engineering; Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs; Numerical analysis; Watershed Management
Andersen, Raymond Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Chemistry Chemicals produced by marine organisms
Angel, Omer Department of Mathematics Probability theory, percolation, random graphs, random walks, particle processes, scaling limits
Angert, Amy Department of Botany, Department of Zoology Plant biology; Zoology; Biodiversity and Biocomplexity; biogeography; biological responses to climate change; Conservation Biology; Ecological and Ecophysiological Processes; evolutionary ecology; population biology
Aronson, Meigan Department of Physics & Astronomy heavy-ferromagnetic compounds; charge density waves; magnetic nanoparticles
Auger-Methe, Marie Department of Statistics, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Fisheries sciences; Statistics; Zoology; Animal movement; Polar ecology; Statistical Ecology
Auld, Vanessa Department of Zoology Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Cell; Cell Biology; Development; Developmental Genetics; epithelia; Genetics; glia; in vivo imaging; Molecular Genetics; nervous system; Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis; permeability barriers
Austin, Philip Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences global climate; climate change; greenhouse effect; global warming; clouds; lightning; storms, Cloud physics, radiative properties of layer clouds, status cirrus formation, global climate, cloug aerosol feedbacks and climate
Aviles, Leticia Department of Zoology Community ecology (except invasive species ecology); Animal behaviour
Bachmann, Sven Department of Mathematics Mathematics and statistics; Mathematical Analysis; quantum phenomena; Mathematical physics; Quantum statistical physics; Topological states of matter
Balmforth, Neil Department of Mathematics Fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics and applied partial differential equations
Barker, Shaun Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences
Beckie, Roger Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Other environmental engineering and related engineering; Hydrogeology; Mine drainage; physical hydrogeology; groundwater geochemistry; groundwater contamination
Behrend, Kai Department of Mathematics Moduli spaces, Gromov-Witten invariants, string theory, Donaldson-Thomas invariants, Euler characteristics, categorification
Bennett, Michael Department of Mathematics Number Theory, Diophantine Approximation and Classical Analysis
Berciu, Mona Department of Physics & Astronomy Electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter and supraconductivity; Physical sciences; condensed matter theory; polarons, bipolarons; strongly correlated systems
Berlinguette, Curtis Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Combinatorial Chemistry; CO2 conversion and utilization; clean energy; advanced solar cells; electrochromic windows; dynamic windows; hydrogen fuels production; catalysis; robotics and automation; machine learning / artificial intelligence

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Oliver Tong

Master of Science in Physics (MSc)

Analytical approaches to electron-phonon interaction

Johnathan Wong

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

Efficient Algorithms in Genomics

Sarah Ravoth

Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

Understanding diverse ecological responses to global change using insect food webs

Edward Sun

Master of Science in Botany (MSc)

Genomics and phylogenomics of mycoheterotrophic plants

Zoë Golay

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

The Impact of the Physiochemical Properties of Biomass Burning Organic Aerosols on their Multiphase Reactivity in the Stratosphere

Serena Formenti

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)

Investigating the Composition of Earth’s Mantle: Geochemical Clues from Hawaiian Volcanoes

Scott McNeil

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Cyclotron Production of Tb-155

Gopal Khanal

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)

Communities, carnivores and conservation: Understanding socio-ecological interactions among wildlife and livestock herders in Nepal
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Peter Caravan

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [1997]

Job Title
Co-Director, Institute for Innovation in Imaging and Associate Professor of Radiology

Employer
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Tracey Stott

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2005]

Job Title
Lawyer

Employer
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Michael Hoff

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
University of Washington

Sherry Zhao

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2014]

Job Title
Senior Director, Strategic Accounts & Business Development

Employer
Mitacs

Glen Hearns

Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Self Employed

Employer
Self Employed

Jean Michel Lauzon

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Partner Marketing Manager

Employer
SAP

Costanza Casiraghi

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Senior Scientist

Employer
Chiesi Pharmaceuticals

Vanessa Timmer

Job Title
Executive Director

Employer
One Earth
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.

 

Unveiling the hidden hands: Analysis of corporate ownership of industrial tuna fishing vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
Publication: Marine Policy
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0308597X
Volume: 171
Publication Date: January 2025

View Publication
TIBET: Identifying and Evaluating Biases in Text-to-Image Generative Models
Publication: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
UBC Author(s): Leonid Sigal (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03029743
Volume: 15137 LNCS
Page Range: 429-446
Publication Date: 2025

View Publication
Preventing Catastrophic Forgetting Through Memory Networks in Continuous Detection
Publication: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
UBC Author(s): Leonid Sigal (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03029743
Volume: 15142 LNCS
Page Range: 442-458
Publication Date: 2025

View Publication
Beyond Conventional Parametric Modeling: Data-Driven Framework for Estimation and Prediction of Time Activity Curves in Dynamic PET Imaging
Publication: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
UBC Author(s): Eldad Haber (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03029743
Volume: 15181 LNCS
Page Range: 99-109
Publication Date: 2025

View Publication
PointNeRF++: A Multi-scale, Point-Based Neural Radiance Field
Publication: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
UBC Author(s): Kwang Moo Yi (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03029743
Volume: 15096 LNCS
Page Range: 221-238
Publication Date: 2025

View Publication
Intrusion Detection at the IoT Edge Using Federated Learning
Publication: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
UBC Author(s): Thomas Pasquier (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03029743
Volume: 14800 LNCS
Page Range: 98-119
Publication Date: 2025

View Publication
Induced seismicity in the Kiskatinaw area of Northeastern British Columbia, Canada: Empirical investigation of hydraulic diffusivity and induced seismic response of the fractured reservoir
Publication: Geoenergy Science and Engineering
UBC Author(s): Erik Eberhardt (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 244
Publication Date: January 2025

View Publication
Scattering and blow-up for threshold even solutions to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with repulsive delta potential at low frequencies
Publication: Journal of Differential Equations
UBC Author(s): Stephen James Gustafson (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00220396
Volume: 412
Page Range: 758-796
Publication Date: 15 December 2024

View Publication
The sulfur isotopic composition of Cenozoic pyrite is affected by methane content and depositional environment
Publication: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
UBC Author(s): Harold Bradbury (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0012821X
Volume: 648
Publication Date: 15 December 2024

View Publication
Effects of ocean warming with stable and fluctuating ocean acidification on seawater transition in Chinook salmon smolts
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 955
Publication Date: 10 December 2024

View Publication
Consideration of sex as a biological variable in diabetes research across twenty years
Publication: Biology of Sex Differences
UBC Author(s): Katie Marshall (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Plant trait and vegetation data along a 1314 m elevation gradient with fire history in Puna grasslands, Perú
Publication: Scientific Data
UBC Author(s): Sean Michaletz (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Effects of human disturbances on wildlife behaviour and consequences for predator-prey overlap in Southeast Asia
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Kaitlyn Gaynor (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Non-volatile electrical polarization switching via domain wall release in 3R-MoS<inf>2</inf> bilayer
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Ziliang Ye (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Correction to: Archaean continental crust formed from mafic cumulates (Nature Communications, (2024), 15, 1, (692), 10.1038/s41467-024-44849-4)
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
ASPSCR1-TFE3 reprograms transcription by organizing enhancer loops around hexameric VCP/p97
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Martin Hirst (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Indirect H<inf>2</inf>O<inf>2</inf> synthesis without H<inf>2</inf>
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Curtis Berlinguette (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Long-insert sequence capture detects high copy numbers in a defence-related beta-glucosidase gene βglu-1 with large variations in white spruce but not Norway spruce
Publication: BMC Genomics
UBC Author(s): Carl Bohlmann (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 25
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Archaean continental crust formed from mafic cumulates
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated children and young adults
Publication: BMC Infectious Diseases
UBC Author(s): Daniel Coombs (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 24
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Metabolic switching, growth kinetics and cell yields in the scalable manufacture of stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells
Publication: Stem Cell Research and Therapy
UBC Author(s): James Piret (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
A diversity of novel type-2 innate lymphoid cell subpopulations revealed during tumour expansion
Publication: Communications Biology
UBC Author(s): Wilfred Arthur Jefferies (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 7
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Linear system of hypersurfaces passing through a Galois orbit
Publication: Research in Number Theory
UBC Author(s): Dragos Ghioca (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Unraveling the electronic structure and magnetic transition evolution across monolayer, bilayer, and multilayer ferromagnetic Fe<inf>3</inf>GeTe<inf>2</inf>
Publication: npj 2D Materials and Applications
UBC Author(s): Andrea Damascelli (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Wind and river effects on a coastal current in Chatham Sound, British Columbia
Publication: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
UBC Author(s): Richard Pawlowicz (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 02727714
Volume: 309
Publication Date: 1 December 2024

View Publication

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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
2024 Dr. Zhang studied waxes sealing plant surfaces. She found whitish appearance of leaves to wax nanocrystals formed by characteristic wax compounds, and her analysis revealed the mechanisms underlying the formation of these compounds. This research will inform the breeding of drought-resilient crops and engineering waterproof compounds. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2024 Dr. Rees developed and characterized dextran-coated nanoparticles and nanoparticle assemblies for bioanalytical applications such as the specific labelling of cancer cells. These materials were very brightly fluorescent, stable, non-fouling, and will help enable point-of-care diagnostic technology that will make molecular medicine more accessible. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2024 Dr. Gogoi examined how satellite-based crop yield estimation in the Canadian Prairie region can be improved by using new multi-source, multi-variable datasets, and machine and deep learning methods. Her studies have improved our ability to estimate crop yields at fine spatial scales and to forecast them a few months ahead of time. Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)
2024 Dr. Frieling used laser cooled atoms to create ultra-cold molecules and study chemical reactions at 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero and to characterize the performance of a new quantum atomic sensor for vacuum metrology relevant for applications in aerospace and semi-conducting fabrication industries. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Herberts developed a noninvasive blood profiling technology for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, enabling expedited discovery of treatment resistance mechanisms to common cancer drugs, and helping clinicians select treatment tailored to patient's unique tumor biology. This test is now being evaluated in two Canadian clinical trials. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Bacon used DNA sequencing to explore genomic associations with poor disease outcomes in patients with genitourinary cancers. His work has demonstrated the role of circulating tumour DNA as a tool for predicting survival in patients with kidney cancer, as well as the prognostic utility of specific gene alterations in patients with bladder cancer. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2024 Why is the natural world so diverse in its shape and form? Is diversity random or driven by natural selection? Dr. Boehm studied the beaks of tropical hummingbirds, and the flowers they visit, to answer these questions. He concludes that extreme curvature is a result of niche partitioning, while other shapes remain unknown in their origin. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2024 Dr. Thulasi examined the role of protein degradation in the regulation of plant immunity. He identified a new regulatory mechanism mediated by the degradation of lipid biosynthetic enzymes. These findings deepen our understanding of the complex plant immune system. He hopes his discoveries aid in the future development of disease-resistant crops. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2024 Using artificial intelligence methods, Dr. Dirks developed machine learning models to unlock the information contained in spectral data. Demonstrated applications include grade estimation in mining and food quality assessment in agriculture. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2024 Dr. Kinney investigated how rapid environmental changes influence evolution in hybrid populations. Using threespine stickleback fish, she showcased the pivotal role of ecological selection in shaping hybrid populations, improving our understanding of the fragility of reproductive isolation. This work advances our insights into hybrid evolution. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)

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