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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Atcheson designed a digital system for recording real-world gas flows, such as vapour trails, using ordinary, consumer-grade cameras. The techniques developed to calibrate the cameras have proven useful in other computer graphics applications. This research advances the state of the art in capturing fluid motion for the visual effects industry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Imanian studied symbiosis in unicellular organisms. Symbiosis occurs when the lives of two cells tie together and, in the process, both cells change over many generations. His research on two oceanic phyto-planktons, one living inside the other, shows that despite their long-term relationship and unlike other cases, they have changed very little. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Khan's work focuses on artificial intelligence. He developed fast and accurate algorithms for data analysis, which in turn contributes to the design of smart computers. His work enables intelligent computing in a wide variety of areas such as robotics, genetics, multimedia, economics, social science, and education. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Timmers' research concerns probability theory and the physics of phase transitions such as transitions from liquid to gas. He developed a new method for proving the existence of phase transitions for systems of interacting particles. His research contributes to the field of statistical mechanics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Sun completed his research on ways to make organic compounds more efficiently. His studies focussed on developing new methods to generate novel molecules that are important in the pharmaceutical and material industries. His research has the potential to benefit scientists who are developing more effective drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Bennoun developed new models in the area of quantum algebra and studied their connections to other mathematical concepts. These new objects and methods will help us better understand both the models used in theoretical physics and the interactions of the fundamental particles forming the matter. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Grimes researched radiation dose calculations in cancer patients being treated by the injection of radio-labelled pharmaceuticals. He investigated and developed tools for the performance of patient-specific dose estimates in the busy clinical environment, where patient care can potentially be improved through a more personalized approach. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Rasmussen completed a regional study of granitic rocks in eastern Yukon and the southwestern Northwest Territories. Her dissertation provides new information on the age, distribution, and origin of these economically important rocks. This synthesis benefits those studying and searching for metals in the Canadian Cordillera. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Apel studied a bacterium called Campylobacter jejuni, which causes severe food poisoning. By exploring the ways in which the bacterium senses and responds to different environmental conditions, his research provided key insights into how this prevalent pathogen survives inside animal hosts and causes disease in humans. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Yeung studied mechanisms that control virulence and virulence-related processes, including swarming, antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation, in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Her research provide insights into how this pathogen proliferates within the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients, which will assist in the development of treatments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |