Faculty of Science

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.

Faculty Website

Fact Sheet

Mission

To nurture an exceptional scientific learning and research environment for the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.

678

Master's Students

(2023)
1038

Doctoral Students

(2023)
435

Graduate Degrees Awarded

(2022)
428

Full-Time Faculty

(2023)
111.3

million in Research Awards

(2022/2023)

Research Centres

Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology

Computational Sciences and Mathematics

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Geophysical Inversion Facility
Lithoprobe: Canada's National Geoscience Project
Mineral Deposit Research Unit
Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research
Seismic Laboratory for Imaging and Modeling

Genomics and Biological Sciences

Centre for High-Throughput Biology
Geomatics for Informed Decisions Network
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics
Michael Smith Laboratories

Human-Computer Interaction

Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
Vancouver Institute for Visual Analytics

Life Sciences

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
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
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

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

Pardis Semnani

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Causal Inference and Density Estimation

Rio Weil

Master of Science in Physics (MSc)

Computational phases of matter on quantum devices

Michael Sekatchev

Master of Science in Physics (MSc)

Axion quark nuggets versus excess galactic emissions

Jackson Moore

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

Domestication and ecology of the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Charlotte Milne

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

Canada's flood mapping, what’s really at risk

Zana Mody

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

Counting blue carbon for coastal communities: understanding socio-ecological contexts of nature based climate solutions and mangrove restoration

Mohit Pandey

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

Exploration of large chemical spaces with deep reinforcement and active learning

Betty Shea

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Optimization methods

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

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.

On the invertibility of matrices with a double saddle-point structure

Publication: Linear Algebra and Its Applications
UBC Author(s): Chen Greif (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00243795
Volume: 699
Page Range: 403-420
Publication Date: 15 October 2024

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Atomic cluster expansion without self-interaction

Publication: Journal of Computational Physics
UBC Author(s): Christoph Ortner (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00219991
Volume: 515
Publication Date: 15 October 2024

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Beyond material dimensions of water insecurity: Gendered subjectivities, senses of community, and renewed political possibilities

Publication: Routledge Handbook of Gender and Water Governance
UBC Author(s): Leila Harris (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
Page Range: 388-400
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

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Ultramafic melt viscosity: A model

Publication: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
UBC Author(s): James Kelly Russell (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0012821X
Volume: 643
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

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Implicit and explicit commonsense for multi-sentence video captioning

Publication: Computer Vision and Image Understanding
UBC Author(s): Leonid Sigal (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10773142
Volume: 247
Publication Date: October 2024

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THRESHOLD EVEN SOLUTIONS TO THE NONLINEAR SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION WITH DELTA POTENTIAL AT HIGH FREQUENCIES

Publication: Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems- Series A
UBC Author(s): Stephen James Gustafson (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10780947
Volume: 44
Page Range: 3135-3176
Publication Date: October 2024

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Generative AI in Software Engineering Must Be Human-Centered: The Copenhagen Manifesto

Publication: Journal of Systems and Software
UBC Author(s): Reid Holmes (Computer Science / Faculty of Science), Gail Murphy (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01641212
Volume: 216
Publication Date: October 2024

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Ambient mass spectrometry imaging of food natural products by angled direct analysis in real time high-resolution mass spectrometry

Publication: Food Chemistry
UBC Author(s): David Chen (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03088146
Volume: 454
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

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Delivery vehicle and route of administration influences self-amplifying RNA biodistribution, expression kinetics, and reactogenicity

Publication: Journal of Controlled Release
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01683659
Volume: 374
Page Range: 28-38
Publication Date: October 2024

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Stable isotopes (O, H) and quartz geochemistry provide insight to melt source and subsolidus fluid:rock interaction in the Cretaceous Little Nahanni LCT Pegmatites (NWT, Canada)

Publication: Chemical Geology
UBC Author(s): Lee Groat (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00092541
Volume: 664
Publication Date: 30 September 2024

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Linking microphytobenthos distribution and mudflat geomorphology under varying sedimentary regimes using unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV)-acquired multispectral reflectance and photogrammetry

Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Brian Hunt (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 942
Publication Date: 10 September 2024

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An anti-mitotic compound, (+)-6-tuliposide A, isolated from the Canadian glacier lily, Erythronium grandiflorum

Publication: Fitoterapia
UBC Author(s): Raymond Andersen (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0367326X
Volume: 177
Publication Date: September 2024

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Mind over matter: the microbial mindscapes of psychedelics and the gut-brain axis

Publication: Pharmacological Research
UBC Author(s): Wilfred Arthur Jefferies (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10436618
Volume: 207
Publication Date: September 2024

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The mitochondrial calcium uniporter inhibitor Ru265 increases neuronal excitability and reduces neurotransmission via off-target effects

Publication: British Journal of Pharmacology
UBC Author(s): Terrance Preston Snutch (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00071188
Volume: 181
Page Range: 3503-3526
Publication Date: September 2024

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Search for heavy Majorana neutrinos in e±e± and e±μ± final states via WW scattering in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Publication: Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 856
Publication Date: September 2024

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Phylogenomic analyses of ochrophytes (stramenopiles) with an emphasis on neglected lineages

Publication: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10557903
Volume: 198
Publication Date: September 2024

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Uncontrolled reentries of space objects and aviation safety

Publication: Acta Astronautica
UBC Author(s): Aaron Boley (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00945765
Volume: 222
Page Range: 69-80
Publication Date: September 2024

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Multivariate directional tail-weighted dependence measures

Publication: Journal of Multivariate Analysis
UBC Author(s): Harry Sue Wah Joe (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0047259X
Volume: 203
Publication Date: September 2024

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Taste cells expressing Ionotropic Receptor 94e reciprocally impact feeding and egg laying in Drosophila

Publication: Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Michael Gordon (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 26391856
Volume: 43
Publication Date: 27 August 2024

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Low Mo mobility during the laterization of ultramafic bedrock: Evidence from the East Sulawesi Ophiolite, Indonesia

Publication: Chemical Geology
UBC Author(s): Sean Crowe (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00092541
Volume: 660
Publication Date: 20 August 2024

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Glycogen synthase kinase 3 inhibition controls Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Publication: iScience
UBC Author(s): Khanh Dao Duc (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 27
Publication Date: 16 August 2024

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Predictive Guidelines for Electrocyclization of Dithienylethenes

Publication: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
UBC Author(s): Michael Wolf (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Page Range: 8042-8048
Publication Date: 8 August 2024

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External Trigger Free Charge Switchable Cationic Ligands in the Design of Safe and Effective Universal Heparin Antidote

Publication: Advanced Healthcare Materials
UBC Author(s): Charles Haynes (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 21922640
Volume: 13
Publication Date: 7 August 2024

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Can self-amplifying RNA vaccines and viruses exchange genetic material?

Publication: Molecular Therapy
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15250016
Volume: 32
Page Range: 2437-2438
Publication Date: 7 August 2024

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BreathXplorer: Processing Online Breathomics Data Generated from Direct Analysis Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Publication: Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
UBC Author(s): Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10440305
Volume: 35
Page Range: 1818-1825
Publication Date: 7 August 2024

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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)