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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dr. Castillo Contreras developed a method to access the core of some natural compounds. These compounds exhibit extremely potent anti-malarial activity, can also serve as antibiotics and may treat cancer. His research can be used to tackle the synthesis of both natural and synthetic compounds to make cheaper drugs for treating malaria and cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Rueda Becerril conducted her research in Organic Chemistry. She discovered that compounds containing nitrogen-fluorine bonds were viable as sources of atomic fluorine and developed two new synthetic methodologies to incorporate this atom in different molecules. Her contribution has promising applications in the discovery of new pharmaceuticals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Schroder completed his doctoral studies in the field of atmospheric chemistry. His work showed that black carbon particles emitted from incomplete combustion can be incorporated into cloud droplets, which can affect climate. This work will help to reduce uncertainty in computer models used to predict long term climate change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Karim conducted his research in the field of Statistics. Using the data that reflect real-world clinical practices, he estimated the causal effectiveness of beta-interferon drugs on multiple sclerosis patients. His research offers a cost-effective and faster way to make decisions about drug treatments based on the observational data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Lindenberg conducted research using computer simulations to study model salts. She systematically varied the structural features of the ions and then established and explained the resulting melting point trends of the salts. She found diverse solid phases that may have interesting electrochemical applications, particularly as solid state electrolytes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Jayo developed analytical methodologies for characterizing biological compounds, such as glycoproteins, in collaboration with academic institutions and research organizations. She demonstrated how modern techniques can solve complex bio-technology and bio-medical problems that could potentially benefit the bio-analytical community. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Chen applied vibrational spectroscopy to the study of complex materials. She developed methodologies to rapidly classify and quantify a large variety of bleached kraft pulps. These techniques will greatly improve chemical composition measurements within the paper and pulp industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Bruni's research in mathematics focused on Algebraic Number Theory. He proved a result on Diophantine equations, extending existing work, by giving an explicit characterization of many solutions to specific types of these equations. This work will continue the field by offering novel insights into increasingly more difficult problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Prior examined the neuroendocrine regulation of pair-bond maintenance in the life-long monogamous zebra finch. Her work demonstrates breeding- and context-specific effects of sex steroids in the regulation of pair maintenance. This work, more broadly, expands our understanding of social affiliation across species. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2015 | Dr. Xu studied the use of machine learning techniques for solving NP-hard problems. He demonstrated that the performance of algorithms and actual solutions can be accurately predicted based on cheaply computable features. He further introduced automated algorithm design approaches that advanced the state-of-the-art for solving NP-hard problems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |