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. Moore studied Arctic char, a salmonid fish of great importance for the Inuit people of Nunavut. His work used molecular approaches to study post-glacial recolonization and migratory behaviour of the species, and his findings have implications for fisheries management and conservation. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Caruthers studied a mass extinction event of the Early Jurassic time period. He used paleontology and geochemistry to investigate its magnitude and controlling mechanisms. Findings from western North America show declining diversity in marine species following the event, suggesting it was worldwide and closely tied to prolonged global warming. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Qiu developed a computer program to study radiation exposure. She focused on a type of in-room CT imaging procedures which increases the precision of radiation therapy. This study will help physicians and patients to understand the potential cancer risk due to the imaging process. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2013 | Dr. Lam studied how plants make the waxy layer on their surface that serves to protect them against water loss, UV light, pathogens and insects. Her research has uncovered a novel mechanism for how plants regulate the genes required to synthesize this waxy layer. These results may have broad implications in agriculture and plant biotechnology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Hossain conducted his research in the field of Superconductors. He made accurate measurements of four materials in virtually zero electrical resistance, and produced results which differed significantly from the existing literature. His findings will help to increase our understanding of superconductivity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Ramshaw studied the electronic behaviour of materials that exhibit the unique characteristic of high-temperature superconductivity. He provided key insights into the puzzling behaviour of electrons, which carry electricity in these materials with no energy loss. His work has narrowed the theoretical field and has provided clear guidance for future experiments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr.Speers-Roesch explored the reasons some fish can maintain heart function during periods of low environmental oxygen, when lack of oxygen causes heart failure in most animal, including humans. He found that continued heart function greatly relies upon optimized oxygen supply and the ability to decrease the heart's energy demand. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. McAdam showed that the chronic absence of juvenile white sturgeon in some populations is the result of fine sediment accumulation in spawning habitats within dammed rivers. His findings are already being applied to improve the quality of white sturgeon spawning habitat and restore successful wild reproduction. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Brook-Roberge measured the ratio in neutrino interaction probability between oxygen and carbon using a novel statistical subtraction method. This result will help improve the measurement of neutrino oscillations to better understand the fundamental mechanisms of the universe. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2012 | Dr. Moore investigated the optical and electronic properties of late-transition metal complexes. The properties of those complexes are related to the way compounds, or conjugated ligands, bind to the metal. Dr. Moore observed three different ways in which the ligands bind, and the resulting new hybrid complexes demonstrate potential for use in light-harvesting applications, such as solar cells. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |