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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dr. Liu developed a broadly applicable strategy for preparing radioactive diagnosis drugs. Based on this strategy, a series of promising radiolabeled peptides have been made, two of which are scheduled to enter early phase clinical trials. Dr. Liu's work has been recognized as an essential step in developing personalized medicine for cancer patients. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Toews studied the effects and consequences of the interbreeding among birds, specifically species of warblers. Using a range of techniques, data and field research, he demonstrated varied outcomes when distinct bird groups interbreed. Dr. Toews' findings have important implications for our understanding of adaptation and the formation of species. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Bowden investigated the ways in which bacteria lead to infection in humans. She studied a protein made by the superbug Staphylo-coccus aureus, and discovered how it interacts with the red blood cell protein hemoglobin, in order to get iron. These studies provide insight into how bacteria acquire the iron they need to establish infection in humans. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Sihota investigated hydro-carbon contamination. She developed a new approach to assess the extent and rate of natural degradation processes at hydro-carbon-impacted field sites. This helps us understand the role of naturally occurring degradation processes in contaminant mass removal, and can aid in assessment and management of contaminated sites. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. McDonald investigated interactions between opportunistic pathogens and human immune cells in diseases with underlying defects in immunity. In particular, she found that the bacteria Burkholderia cenocepacia has multifaceted ways of evading the innate immune response and that potent neutrophil activity is required to prevent infections. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Sveinsson's research focussed on the genetic evolution of plants. He succeeded in demonstrating the usefulness of DNA sequencing methodology, in addressing biological questions about several species of plants. The results of his study are likely to be of benefit to other researchers working in the field of plant evolutionary biology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Xu studied the regulatory and signalling components in plant immunity, in Dr. Xin Li's lab at Michael Smith Laboratories and the Department of Botany. Using genetic approaches, she identified three important genes which are essential to the plant immune response. Her thesis research contributes to the better understanding of plant immune system. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Kaviani conducted his research into Cloud Computing. He focussed on making applications run faster and cheaper in the Internet of clouds, while ensuring the security and privacy of stored information. If his recommendations are implemented, it will allow software services to be provided to customers at lower cost with improved security. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Pfaffen studied algae from the open oceans. She examined the way in which proteins in the algae store iron from the water to help the algae's later growth. This work contributes to our understanding of how algae survive in iron-limited oceans and bloom upon exposure to iron inputs, thereby having an impact on the global carbon cycle. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2014 | Dr. Van Dongen's research was in the area of atomic, molecular and optical physics, working with ultra-cold trapped atoms. She studied trap loss from a magneto-optical trap due to collisions with non-trapped background gas. Progress was made on a novel pressure standard based on the loss rate of trapped atoms due to background gas collisions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |