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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Dr. MacLeod helped lead a team of scientists and engineers that built the world's first self-driving laboratory for optimizing thin-film materials. This autonomous robotic laboratory accelerates the development of new and improved materials for clean energy applications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Shalev developed genomic resources for western redcedar and found low genetic diversity despite remarkable responsiveness to natural and artificial selection in this important tree species. These resources were used to find genomic areas associated with multiple traits of interest for the application of genomics to operational forestry. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2022 | One of the biggest puzzles in modern physics is dark energy, which is causing the expansion of the universe to speed up. Dr. Höfer helped build the largest radio telescope in Canada named CHIME. To exploit the complex CHIME data, she developed advanced simulation and analysis techniques. Her results will have an impact on future radio surveys. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Kaur used a variety of computational approaches to assess a key question of why certain groups of species are more diverse than others. She found species interactions do not shape diversity uniformly, but they can drive diversity differences across the tree of life. Her work demonstrates the importance of methodology when studying interactions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Tong studied the nature of weak interactions using computational and spectroscopic methods. The research showed a better picture of weak interactions and their significance in petroleum-coke modification and pharmaceutical drug synthesis. This allows for a more appropriate utilization of such interactions in chemistry and biology. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Hesketh showed that heatwaves have spatially variable consequences on the survival of invertebrates on rocky shores in British Columbia and that repeated exposure to high temperatures has cumulative negative effects on biodiversity. These findings help us anticipate the future of our shorelines in the face of ongoing climate and ocean change. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Ton explored the inhibition of challenging drug targets in prostate cancer and COVID-19. He deployed innovative computer-aided drug design methodologies to access a wider range of therapeutic opportunities against the two diseases. His research provides the framework for the development of novel anti-cancer and antiviral drugs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD) |
| 2022 | The core of Dr. Jung's doctoral research is to pioneer the novel reactivities of neutral and cationic indium compounds. He developed a series of indium compounds, and these were investigated for the formation of functionalized polymers. His studies can help to design catalysts and synthesize advanced polymers. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Carbon dioxide concentration has increased significantly in the environment contributing to global climate changes. Dr. Baalbaki designed efficient methods that convert carbon dioxide to plastics and other valuable chemicals. His research has advanced our understanding of CO2 capture and utilization processes that will address environmental threats | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2022 | Dr. Wong investigated how the flexible components of the avian wing structure, individually and as a multi-component coupled system, improved aerodynamic performance. These findings provide mechanisms for tuning aeroelastic response to flight behaviors which may inspire future aeronautical designs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |