AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support
Psychiatrists and computer scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can accurately...
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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
- Biodiversity Research Centre
- Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
- Centre for Microbial Diversity and Evolution
Computational Sciences and Mathematics
- Data Science Institute
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Institute of Applied Mathematics
- Statistical Consulting and Research Laboratory
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
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
- Centre for Blood Research
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries
- Life Sciences Institute
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- Neglected Global Diseased Initiative
Chemistry and Materials Science
- Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory
- Max Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials
- Quantum Devices Group
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute
Physics
- Antihydrogen Trapping and Spectroscopy at CERN
- Pacific Institute for Theoretical Physics
- TRIUMF: Canada’s National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics
- UBC ATLAS Project at Large Hadron Collider
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
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
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Diet and the microbiome in Parkinson's disease (MIIM - PHD)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dr. Storey studied two enzyme pathways in white spruce trees, one important to growth and development, the other to defense against pests. She found that the two had distinct expression patterns, differing between seasons, parts of the plant and in response to stress. The work broadened our understanding of the allocation of resources in spruce. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Roth developed statistical models for studying the genomes of cancer cells. These models have been widely applied in the cancer genomics community to study the evolution of tumours. This work contributes significantly to our ability to diagnose and treat cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Eng characterized proteins that are essential for regulating microtubule dynamics and cell morphogenesis in plants. He demonstrated that a kinesin specific motor protein has the ability to destabilize microtubules. Dr. Eng's work contributes to the understanding of the growth and development of plants at the cellular and molecular level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Kong explored the design of biomaterials based on engineered polyprotein. She designed hydrogels with dynamic, mechanical properties and discovered novel strategies for crosslinking hydrogel networks. This research expands the horizons of materials that can be applied to tissue engineering and drug delivery systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Chatalova Sazepin conducted her research in Organic Chemistry. She developed new ways of connecting fluorine atoms to organic molecules, and used copper as a catalyst to allow a rapid access to complex structures from readily available feedstock. Ultimately, her research should enable the development of more efficient drugs and materials. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2016 | Alloying elements play an important role in determining a metal's properties. Dr. Huber used computer simulations to study the interaction between solute atoms and defects in the structure of a host metal. His research provides insight into important atomistic mechanisms and new tools for computationally aided alloy design. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Ostevik's research focused on the ways in which populations adapt to new habitats and how those changes can facilitate the creation of new species. She found that this process can happen quickly and that these changes can be similar during repeated events. Her work helps us understand the creation and maintenance of biological diversity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Agrawal developed new methods to generate realistic, animated, character motion efficiently. His work uses physics-based simulation, motion-capture and optimization in order to create motion for applications including games, film, and training simulations. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2016 | How are large systems such as particle accelerators studied? Dr. Gong created a new software platform for global optimization. He used it to model and study a particle accelerator-based laser. His work reveals the dynamics of the machine and forms the groundwork for the new accelerator to be constructed in Canada. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2016 | Dr. Lai used computer science to study how RNA molecules fold inside of the body. By reviewing the latest methods, he published new benchmarks and guidelines for the prediction of RNA structures. This knowledge can help researchers in finding and understanding novel RNA molecules within unexplored regions of the human genome. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |