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 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

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 The placenta is an essential organ in pregnancy but much is unknown about how epigenetics contributes to its function. Dr. Yuan studied how epigenetic marks like DNA methylation are important to the placenta. This understanding of fundamental placental biology will be important for understanding and improving pregnancy-related health. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Bayly studied large protein complexes called polyketide synthases, some of which produce widely-used therapeutics. Dr. Bayly used PKS12 from M. tuberculosis to explore and demonstrate new approaches for engineering these complexes. Her work contributes to ongoing efforts to engineer polyketide synthases to produce new therapeutics. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Christopherson developed novel polymer nanomaterials with biological relevance and subsequently used these polymers to sense the temperature of systems and to visualize cancer cells. Her research illuminated new ways of developing nanoparticles for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2022 Analyzing data stored in a distributed fashion requires new statistical strategies. Dr. Zhang developed novel approaches to combine summary information from separate locations under finite mixture models. Her work is useful for combining information in the data collected from and stored at different health centres and government agencies. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Howatt examined how physical oceanic processes influence the distribution of zooplankton. She found that stratification and flows with different geographic origins had more influence on zooplankton, but flow around a submarine canyon and turbulence had little influence. These findings are important for understanding and predicting ocean habitat. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2021 Dr. Dehn used short-lived elementary particles called muons to study the magnetic and electronic properties of transition-metal compounds. His studies demonstrated that bound states comprised of a positive muon and an electron exist in magnetic materials, and explored the implications of this discovery for the study of magnetism with muons. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Sandeep's dissertation showed considerations of just energy transition for fossil fuel workers and their communities. This knowledge will aid in a more holistic understanding of the implications of fossil fuel industry declines on communities, by incorporating spatial, temporal, and justice aspects of transition. Doctor of Philosophy in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (PhD)
2021 Dr. Thompson's dissertation research made progress toward understanding how hybridization between species drives the origin of species. His studies illustrated the critical role of ecology in mediating this process and identified new ways to study natural selection acting on hybrids in field studies. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Han's doctoral research focused on the study of the reactivities of phosphorus-containing compounds for the purpose of making the related inorganic polymers. He discovered the novel properties of several phosphorus species and investigated the possible mechanisms. His work helped to advance our understanding of the world of phosphorus chemistry. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Walters developed novel renewable nanomaterials from cellulose, a major component of plants and trees. Taking advantage of the unique structural and mechanical properties of cellulose, Dr. Walters demonstrated these materials could be valuable in packaging, catalytic, and energy storage applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

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