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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
2017 Dr. Mohamadi designed and developed a collection of novel algorithms and software tools for the analysis of massive bioinformatics data. Theses algorithms and software tools are publicly available for free to facilitate research at health and life sciences laboratories and other organizations worldwide. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Hutchcroft studied the connection between the geometry of a space and the behavior of random processes on that space. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Cochrane examined the relationship between structural and electronic properties of materials used for organic photovoltaics on the single molecule level with scanning probe microscopy. This work results in information that can lead to development of more efficient solar cell devices. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2017 Dr. Coles studied the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which describes various waves in quantum physics, fluid dynamics, and nonlinear optics. His findings revealed several results which characterize the qualitative long time behaviour of these waves. In particular, he found the waves may die out and disperse or form a singularity and explode. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Anderson studied the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems. Her research showed that shifts in species interactions in response to environmental change can have as large an impact on local biodiversity as environmental change on its own. Her research sheds light on important leverage points of ecological change and biodiversity loss. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Aaron developed new techniques to understand the mechanisms governing flow-like landslides, as well as methodologies to predict their motion. This research has resulted in practical tools that can be used to protect society from certain landslide hazards. Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD)
2017 Dr. Wuerth examined the use of small proteins, called peptides, as alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections. Her research showed encouraging results for using a peptide to prevent or treat lung infections caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Zhu studied branching random walks. He introduced novel concepts and developed a comprehensive analysis of critical branching random walks by building an analogy with classical results on random walks. His work contributes to our understanding of branching random walks. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2017 Dr. Lee-Sayer studied how interaction with the environment influences the function of blood cells. Specifically, she investigated the ability to interact with hyaluronan. This work has highlighted the importance of hyaluronan in regulating the development and function of blood cells. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2017 Dr. Loosley studied organic chemistry. His work investigated the synthesis of complex molecules with potential as cancer pharmaceuticals. This work could ultimately result in new ways to treat various types of cancer. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

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