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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
2013 Dr. Griffiths analyzed cell wall biosynthesis in plants. He examined cellulose and the role it plays in seed coat epidermal cells. This work establishes how cellulose is synthesized in specialized cell types to give the cell unique properties. It provides scientists with a better understanding of how cell walls are synthesized and structured. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2013 Dr. Tommasi examined zooplankton populations in Rivers Inlet, a fjord in central BC. The research showed which zooplankton species are dominant under specific environmental conditions. Knowledge of how environmental forces shape zooplankton is essential to fisheries managers assessing how fish stocks such as salmon will vary in the future. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2013 Dr. Blackburn studied jumping spiders in order to explore the evolution of new species. He found that natural selection promotes the evolution of distinct mating displays among closely related populations, even when gene exchange between populations is high. This work shows that, in sexual species, mating displays may help initiate speciation. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2013 Dr. Buckner studied S. enterica, proteins that contribute to disease such as Typhoid fever and gastroenteritis. She found one host hormone affects bacterial colonization. This has furthered our understanding of how Salmonella causes disease, and may lead to better treatments for the 90 million people infected annually worldwide. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2013 Dr. Lang studied hydrocarbon aerosols and showed that, at low temperatures, they can form long-lived liquid droplets before freezing. This is important for understanding clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. Her work provides data for astronomical remote sensing applications and can help to improve Titan's atmospheric models. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2013 Dr. Bauerschmidt studied problems related to the mathematical analysis of long chains of molecules, so-called polymer chains. Physicists and chemists have been interested in properties of these chains for decades, but their rigorous mathematical study has proven to be challenging. Dr. Bauerschmidt's thesis contributes to this theoretical understanding. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2013 Dr. de Souza studied nonparametric regression, a statistical technique that allows for varying forms of data dependencies. She proposed a new methodology to study dependencies when crucial information is absent from the data. She applied her method to determine power usage in buildings when the status of cooling and heating devices is not recorded. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2013 Dr. Rastkar conducted research in Human-centric Software Engineering. She developed techniques to produce text summaries for a variety of software artifacts generated during the software development process. By conducting user studies, she showed that those summaries help software developers address their information needs more quickly and easily. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2013 Dr. Yang investigated symmetries and exact solutions for partial differential equations. He introduced a new method for seeking further symmetries and he also obtained new solutions for the non-linear Kompaneets equation. Researchers in applied mathematics and physics may benefit from his results. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2013 Dr. Wright studied the ecology of microbes living in the oxygen starved waters of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Her research showed that an abundant group of bacteria called Marine Group A may play a role in marine sulfur cycling. These results will assist us in understanding the impact of microbial processes on marine ecosystems and climate. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

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