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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
2022 Dr. Zhang studied the effect of insulin and insulin receptors on pancreatic cancer. She showed that low insulin levels and loss of insulin receptors reduce the number of precancerous lesions, and identified some mechanisms in the process. Her findings add to our understanding on how obesity and diabetes increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Woodruff looked at different tools that fisheries managers can use to sustain productive recreational fisheries and how it is necessary to have trade-offs between fishery and conservation goals. Ecosystem models were created to examine the different interactions and consequences that can result while trying to maintain a stable ecosystem. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceans and Fisheries (PhD)
2022 Dr. Falcao developed new methods to analyze single-particle tracking data. She achieved breakthroughs in estimating the number of distinct mobile states, while showing how to properly correct for experimental errors. Her work substantially advances our ability to analyze biological dynamics at the single-protein scale. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Trischuk analyzed proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS Experiment to search for clues left behind by a theoretical long-lived particle. No sign of this particle was seen in the data, which ruled out various new physics scenarios. She also contributed to the development of the next generation of ATLAS tracking detectors. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Morgan-Lang charted the global distribution of microorganisms that cycle methane with software he developed for classifying proteins and inferring metabolic diversity of microbial communities. By linking metabolic function to organisms, these computational tools will help us monitor ecosystems as they respond to a changing planet. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Wilson-Gerow and collaborators have been developing a quantum-gravity theory. These theories unite the microscopic world, governed by quantum physics, with the macroscopic world that is governed by classical gravitational physics. His main focus is making theoretical predictions for a wave of upcoming, first-ever, quantum gravity experiments. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Gagalova studies the genomes of conifers, conifer insect pest and cannabis to find unique markers of evolution. This research looks for genes and features in the genomes to make possible the feature applied research. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Byrne studied the complex dynamics of viral infections, examining how various viruses are transmitted and how elicited immune responses change over time. Combining methods of biological data collection and mathematical modelling, her work brings insight into potential treatment, vaccination, and control strategies. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Xu used cellulose nanoparticles and graphene oxide to make materials with ordered structures. These materials have lightweight, mechanical adaptive, or photonic properties. They have applications in optical sensors and patterning. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Dr. Folinsbee developed a sheaf model for Riemann functions. He used this model to express the graph Riemann-Roch theorem as a Euler characteristic. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

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