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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

Computational Sciences and Mathematics

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Genomics and Biological Sciences

Human-Computer Interaction

Life Sciences

Chemistry and Materials Science

Physics

Sustainability

Research Facilities

Designed to inspire collaboration and creativity across disciplines, the 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 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 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

Department

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

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
2010 Dr. Jong investigated rare divalent carbon compounds and combined them with transition metals to form catalyst precursors. This work contributes to the development of future catalysts that will be applied for the conversion of organic substrates into industrially useful products. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2010 Dr. Delgado-Jaime developed a methodology and a computer program to process spectroscopic data to fundamentally understand the reactivity of ruthenium-based catalysts in olefin metathesis reactions. This work serves as the foundation to study and understand similar catalytic systems in chemistry. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2010 Dr. Merchant developed and applied new mathematical methods for determining spatiotemporal patterns associated with predator invasions. This work furthered the conceptual foundations of selection and stability of patterns following invasion, and the influence of non-local prey competition on pattern formation behind predator invasions. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2010 Dr. Rechisky used a large-scale fish tracking array to track very small salmon during their migration to the Fraser River in British Columbia. Using new technology, she found that the Pacific Ocean can be a dangerous place for young salmon, as survival for some species is very low during the first month at sea. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2010 Dr. Code's new analysis and careful proofs will help experts working with time-varying processes involving abrupt changes--some spontaneous and some by design--to analyze, regulate, and optimize their behaviour. Potential applications of his work include robotics, pest control, finance and space navigation. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2010 Dr. Hsing developed novel bioinformatics tools and approaches to identify highly-interacting proteins in bacteria. This research provides an effective drug discovery platform for future therapeutic applications. As a result of Dr. Hsing's work, new antibiotic candidates have been developed which are capable of eliminating major drug-resistant infections. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2010 Dr. Dang examined how dinoflagellate chloroplast minicircle genes are transcribed and further processed. He found evidence for a novel type of "rolling-circle" transcription and developed a folding model for the ultra-divergent 16S ribosomal RNA. These studies contribute to our knowledge of the fundamental characteristics of dinoflagellate minicircle transcription. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2010 Dr. Kelly synthesized a series of composite materials using polymer semiconductors. He found that the composites could be arranged into ordered structures with novel optical and electronic properties. The composites may be used in applications ranging from lasers to supercapacitors. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2010 Using a combination of modern molecular-biology tools, Dr. Walia discovered a novel signalling network that regulates cytoskeletal functions in plant growth and development. This work will advance our understanding of the mechanisms that determine plant cell wall properties to the benefit of the forestry, fibre and biofuels industries. Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)
2010 Dr. Zhang investigated how the interactions between biomolecules determine biological functions within cellular systems by developing novel methods and tools to extract new knowledge from various types of biomolecular networks. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

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