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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
2021 Dr. Sonier examined the improvement of radiation therapy accuracy for cancer patients by adapting for patient-specific systematic soft tissue deformations in the planning and delivery of prostate, lung, and head and neck treatment plans. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Morrison examined how temperature affects the binding of oxygen by haemoglobin in warm-bodied fishes such as opah, swordfish, and common thresher shark. He found that the haemoglobin of these fish have lower sensitivity to temperature than most animals. This comparative study contributes to understanding the convergent evolution of haemoglobin. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 The human intestine contains trillions of microbes. Dr. Huus studied how these intestinal bacteria respond to malnutrition, a serious global health issue. She found that malnourished gut bacteria change their metabolism and interact differently with the immune system. Understanding these differences may help to improve treatments for malnutrition. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Wamer studied novel forms of quantum magnetism that correspond to physical systems with a larger number of symmetries. He classified the phases of matter of these systems and deepened our understanding of a large family of theoretical models, whose applicability spans from material science to mathematical physics. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Fu focused on the design of protein-based biomaterials at both molecular and macroscopic levels. Her research allows for precise control over the mechanical performance of protein-based hydrogels for a variety of applications, such as soft actuators, cartilage-like biomaterials, and artificial substrates for laboratory cell biology studies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Epifanov developed novel applications of sulfuryl fluoride, a common fumigant produced industrially on a multi-ton scale. The unique chemical properties of sulfuryl fluoride was used to render important transformations in organic synthesis to be more efficient and operationally simpler than existing methods. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Zolaktaf studied ways to improve the prediction of nucleic acid kinetics. This study provides more efficient computational methods for predicting nucleic acid kinetics and improving the underlying kinetic models for nucleic acids. Her contributions will make it easier to design nucleic-acid based devices, such as DNA robots. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2021 Dr. DiPucchio developed catalysts based on the element Tantalum to accelerate carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. These resultant catalysts used ureate ligands and displayed reactivity that allowed for making new types of drug-inspired products. Her project has inspired a variety of current and future projects in the Schafer lab." Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Climate change is shifting the distribution of marine fish species that cross international borders. Dr. Palacios-Abrantes's research identified the impacts of climate change-induced shifts on transboundary fish stocks distributions and their management, thereby informing international fisheries governance to prepare and respond to climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Gomez studied the structure and dynamics of localized patterns in cellular biology using several new mathematical models, some patterns of which have applications to bulk-membrane processes. The analysis of such patterns provides insights on the phenomena being modeled and contributes to our general understanding of pattern formation. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

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