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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

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.

 

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
2015 Dr. Chandgotia completed his doctoral work in mathematics, focusing on research in the field of probability theory and dynamical systems. He studied conditions under which a model from statistical physics called Markov random fields, which might have an infinite description, can be decomposed into simple building blocks called Gibbs interactions. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2015 Dr. Valls explored new methods for understanding, modeling and predicting feeding relationships among marine species. She proposed a mathematical model to represent marine food webs and identify important and keystone species in ecosystems. Her research highlights the usefulness of digital and open-access information repositories in marine ecology. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Moyers studied natural selection on flowering time across the range of the silverleaf sunflower. Early flowering is favoured in some populations and late flowering in others, but flowering at different times means fewer opportunities to mate. This study provides insight into how natural selection can cause a single species to diverge into two. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2015 Dr. Porteus studied red fox culling in Britain, which aims to keep fox density low on specific sites during the bird nesting period. He developed a local-scale population dynamics model to determine the effectiveness of culling. The model was then used to evaluate alternative culling strategies to reduce potential impacts of fox predation on birds. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Colleter studied the impacts of fishing on food chains in marine ecosystems. He developed new tools, notably an online database to gather and communicate information from ecosystem models. He used that database to perform a large meta-analysis, and identified typical ways in which marine food chains are affected by fishing activities. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2015 Dr. Aluthge developed a family of catalysts to generate biodegradable plastics. These polymers are derived from renewable resources and the catalysts produce superior materials with a variety of potential applications. It is hoped this work will contribute to the wider use of biodegradable plastics, which will ultimately benefit the environment. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2015 Dr. Gao completed his doctoral research in the field of Chemistry. He studied mass spectrometry and his findings allow for improved modelling of space charge effects. In addition he developed a new method to reduce these effects. As a result, the instrument performance of linear quadrupole ion trap mass analyzers can be improved. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2015 Condensed matter physics strives to understand how and why technologically interesting materials have the properties that they do. Using an advanced variation on an experiment first explained by Albert Einstein 110 years ago, Dr. Ludbrook showed how a single layer of carbon atoms (a material known as graphene) can be transformed into a superconductor. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2015 Dr. Gooding helped elucidate apparent inconsistencies in the unification of general relativity and quantum theory, by constructing and analysing a theoretical model of a self-gravitating interferometer. Dr. Gooding also used an extension of this model to demonstrate a novel form of intrinsic decoherence due to gravitational self-interaction. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2015 Dr. Holmes developed a framework for physics labs that engages students in authentic experimentation. She found that a quantitative decision tree to structure experiments improves the scientific reasoning of students and their understanding of the nature of science, even when the structure is removed, developing them as independent critical thinkers. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

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