Canadian Immigration Updates

Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more

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. Lim studied the patterns of gene expression changes across thousands of human and mouse datasets, which can be used to interpret results from genetic studies. The findings deepen our understanding of gene expression patterns and their potential for discovering gene functions related to human health and disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Mitchell developed methods to examine the variability in flowing landslide movement to better estimate the areas potentially impacted by landslides, and the range of depth and velocity of those impacts. This was done using a combination of statistical modelling of observations of past events, and computer simulations of flowing landslides. Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD)
2022 Dr. Baghela used statistical learning methods to identify distinct gene expression patterns in early sepsis patients that predict impending disease severity. He indicates these patterns can be rapidly measured in patient blood at hospital admission, providing clinicians with an accurate and early means to predict specific patient outcomes. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Hill studied galaxy clusters, which are the largest structures in the Universe. He observed one of the most distant galaxy clusters known using a range of telescopes in order to understand how gas was converted into stars at the onset of cluster formation. His thesis helps explain why galaxy evolution occurred differently in dense environments. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Rosales developed a novel surfacing algorithm to convert raw VR drawings into usable 3D models. He also created a new VR brush that increases the number of shapes that can be comfortably drawn. This research expands the range of applications of VR drawings and makes VR drawing a practical alternative to 3D modeling for inexperienced users. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2022 Dr. Yang developed novel bioinformatic methods to characterize, model, and simulate nucleotide sequences via descriptive and predictive data analytics. The software and pipelines she developed improved the current understanding of long-read sequencing data, leveraged short-read sequencing information, and facilitated relevant algorithm development. Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Abouei studied the optical imaging system known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) for early cancer diagnosis. Her work improved the image quality. She also studied high resolution OCT for early diagnosis of cervical cancer and discussed development of a novel cervical probe to be used in clinics. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Wu studied synthetic host defence peptides (small cationic peptides) as therapies for skin inflammation and highly antibiotic resistant bacterial biofilms. Her research revealed the intrinsic promise of synthetic host defence peptides and provided new insights into their mechanisms of action. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Zhu studied the formation of protein macro-assemblies and aggregation in budding yeast. He identified proteins found in yeast protein aggregates under different conditions. By analyzing common features shared by those proteins, he uncovered the potential cause for aggregates formed by them and provided valuable resource for future studies. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Xie developed algorithms and systems to control legged robot to move intelligently in challenging situations. His research brings us closer to having intelligent robots in our daily life. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Pages