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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

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Ghioca, Dragos Department of Mathematics Drinfeld modules, isotrivial semiabelian varieties, Lehmer inequality
Giang, Amanda Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Department of Mechanical Engineering Atmospheric sciences; Mechanical engineering; Natural environment sciences; Atmospheric Pollutants; Chemical Pollutants; Climate Changes and Impacts; Public Policies; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection
Gladman, Brett Department of Physics & Astronomy Astronomy, Planetary Science, meteorites, astrobiology, Solar system formation and evolution
Gold, Michael Department of Microbiology & Immunology understanding cell signaling, morphology, trafficking, and effector function of immune cells and tumour cells
Gordon, Julia Yulia Department of Mathematics Representation theory of p-adic groups and motivic integration; Trace Formula and its applications
Gordon, Michael Department of Zoology Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Zoology; Chemosensation; Drosophila; Feeding; Gustation; Neural circuits; Neuronal Systems; neuroscience; Sensory systems; Taste
Graham, Sean Department of Botany Plant phylogenetics; Plant systematics; Plant evolution; Organelles; Phylogenomics; Land plants; Mycoheterotrophs
Grant, Edward Department of Chemistry Spectroscopy, molecular electronic structure, Chemical physics
Greenstreet, Mark Department of Computer Science Dynamic systems, formal methods, hybrid systems, differential equations
Greif, Chen Department of Computer Science Numerical computation; Numerical analysis; scientific computing; numerical linear algebra; numerical solution of elliptic partial differential equations
Groat, Lee Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Mineralogy and crystallography (except soil mineralogy and chemicals aspects of crystallography); Inorganic geochemistry; Economic geology; mineralogy; crystal chemistry; Geochemistry; economic geology; gem deposits; pegmatites
Gujarati, Arpan Department of Computer Science Computer and information sciences; Systems
Gustafson, Paul Department of Statistics Statistics; meta-analysis; Parametric and Non-Parametric Inference; Theoretical Statistics; Pharmacoepidemiology; Bayesian statistical methods; Biostatistics and Epidemiology; Causal inference; Evidence synthesis; Partial Identification
Gustafson, Stephen James Department of Mathematics Partial and ordinary differential equations; Mathematical physics; Nonlinear partial differential equations; Nonlinear waves; Solitons; Topological solitons; Mathematics of quantum systems; Mathematics of magnetism; Mathematical fluid mechanics
Haber, Eldad Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences Scientific computing and its application to geophysical and medical imaging
Hallam, Steven Department of Microbiology & Immunology Microbiome; Microbial ecology; metagenomics; Biological engineering; Synthetic biology; Bioinformatics; Machine Learning; Entrepreneurship
Hallas, Alannah Department of Physics & Astronomy Condensed matter experiments; Solid state chemistry; Quantum materials; Materials design and discovery; magnetism; Disorder; superconductivity
Halpern, Mark Department of Physics & Astronomy Cosmology, Cosmic background radiation, history of star formation, measuring the geometry and contents of the Universe, satellites, balloon-borne telescopes, the physics of music, Physics of music, Cosmic Microwave Background, Physical Cosmology, Star formation history
Hancock, Robert E Department of Microbiology & Immunology Medical, health and life sciences; cationic peptides as anti-biofilm agents; systems immunology
Harder, Kenneth Department of Microbiology & Immunology Host-pathogen, tumours, infection, immunity, atherosclerosis, role of macrophages in inflammation
Hariri, Amani Department of Chemistry Biological chemistry, Integrated Biosensors, Ultrasensitive sensor platforms for low abundance molecular detection, Aptamer switches for multifunctional stimulus-responsive Nano-systems
Harley, Christopher Department of Zoology, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Fisheries sciences; Zoology; climate change; community ecology; Ecology and Quality of the Environment; marine algae; marine invertebrates
Harris, Leila Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Institute for Gender, Race, Sex and Social Justice Critical identity, ethnic and race studies; Gender, sexuality and education; Human rights, justice, and ethical issues; Africa; Development Policies; Drinking Water; Environmental justice; equity and social justice; Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice; Fresh Water; Gender Relationship; gender and social difference; Ghana; International development; participatory resource management; Resources Management; Social Contract and Social Justice; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; South Africa; Turkey and Middle East; Water; water governance; water politics
Harvey, Nicholas Department of Computer Science randomized algorithms, combinatorial optimization, graph sparsification, discrepancy theory and learning theory; algorithmic problems arising in computer networking, including cache analysis, load balancing, data replication, peer-to-peer networks, and network coding.
Hasinoff, Michael Department of Physics & Astronomy Low-energy particle physics

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Graduate Student Stories

Quanhan Xi

Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)

Representing latent interventions in generative models

Mohit Pandey

Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (PhD)

Exploration of large chemical spaces with deep reinforcement and active learning

Betty Shea

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Optimization methods

Rama El-khawaldeh

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Computer vision for real-time monitoring and control of chemical processes

Rane Simpson

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Highly-charged radioactive molecules: Amplifying sensitivity for new physics

Nicholas Richardson

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)

Signal decomposition and source separation

Geoffrey Woollard

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Simulation and inference in cryogenic electron microscopy

Lorna Tu

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting lung cancer recurrence after radiotherapy
All Student Stories

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.

 

Inversions contribute disproportionately to parallel genomic divergence in dune sunflowers
Publication: Nature Ecology and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Marco Todesco (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science), Loren Rieseberg (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 9
Page Range: 325-335
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Neuroimmune-competent human brain organoid model of diffuse midline glioma
Publication: Neuro-Oncology
UBC Author(s): Xin Tang (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15228517
Volume: 27
Page Range: 369-382
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
Covering the Sierpiński carpet with tubes
Publication: Israel Journal of Mathematics
UBC Author(s): Pablo Shmerkin (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00212172
Volume: 265
Page Range: 769-799
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
New constraints on the timing and nature of metamorphism in the eastern Meguma terrane, Nova Scotia, Canada
Publication: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
UBC Author(s): Matthijs Smit (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00084077
Volume: 62
Page Range: 484-512
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Assessing the ecological and economic transformation pathways of plastic production system
Publication: Journal of Environmental Management
UBC Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03014797
Volume: 374
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
The 4 m International Liquid Mirror Telescope: Construction, operation, and science
Publication: Astronomy and Astrophysics
UBC Author(s): Paul Hickson (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046361
Volume: 694
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
Order among chaos: High throughput MYCroplanters can distinguish interacting drivers of host infection in a highly stochastic system
Publication: PLoS Pathogens
UBC Author(s): Kayla King (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15537366
Volume: 21
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Intracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa persist and evade antibiotic treatment in a wound infection model
Publication: PLoS Pathogens
UBC Author(s): Robert E Hancock (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15537366
Volume: 21
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Short-Term Grasslands in Agriculture Support Both Natural Enemy and Phytophagous Arthropod Populations
Publication: Journal of Applied Entomology
UBC Author(s): Claire Kremen (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09312048
Volume: 149
Page Range: 100-110
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Morphology of 137 Fast Radio Bursts Down to Microsecond Timescales from the First CHIME/FRB Baseband Catalog
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0004637X
Volume: 979
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
A Repeating Fast Radio Burst Source in the Outskirts of a Quiescent Galaxy
Publication: Astrophysical Journal Letters
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science), Mark Halpern (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 20418205
Volume: 979
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
The Massive and Quiescent Elliptical Host Galaxy of the Repeating Fast Radio Burst FRB 20240209A
Publication: Astrophysical Journal Letters
UBC Author(s): Ingrid Stairs (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 20418205
Volume: 979
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
Search for baryogenesis and dark matter in B+ → Λc+ +invisible decays
Publication: Physical Review D
UBC Author(s): Christopher Hearty (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24700010
Volume: 111
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
Remote Sensing-Based Ecohydrogeological Characterisation and Perceptual Model of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Publication: Hydrological Processes
UBC Author(s): Mark Johnson (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 08856087
Volume: 39
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
The impact of simultaneous infections on phage-host ecology
Publication: Theoretical Population Biology
UBC Author(s): Christoph Hauert (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00405809
Volume: 161
Page Range: 42-49
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
DNA metabarcoding captures temporal and vertical dynamics of mesozooplankton communities
Publication: ICES Journal of Marine Science
UBC Author(s): Brian Hunt (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 10543139
Volume: 82
Publication Date: 1 February 2025

View Publication
Near-Critical and Finite-Size Scaling for High-Dimensional Lattice Trees and Animals
Publication: Journal of Statistical Physics
UBC Author(s): Gordon Slade (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00224715
Volume: 192
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
The Psychology of Poverty: Current and Future Directions
Publication: Current Directions in Psychological Science
UBC Author(s): Jiaying Zhao (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09637214
Volume: 34
Page Range: 21-28
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Correction: Characterization of a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the O-demethylation of lignin-derived benzoates (Journal of Biological Chemistry (2024) 300(11), (S002192582402310X), (10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107809))
Publication: Journal of Biological Chemistry
UBC Author(s): Lindsay Eltis (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00219258
Volume: 301
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Harnessing the Full Power of Data to Characterise Biological Scaling Relationships
Publication: Global Ecology and Biogeography
UBC Author(s): Sean Michaletz (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 1466822X
Volume: 34
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
A stable splitting for spaces of commuting elements in unitary groups
Publication: Journal of the London Mathematical Society
UBC Author(s): Alejandro Adem (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00246107
Volume: 111
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-only genes contribute to immune responses in maize
Publication: Plant Physiology
UBC Author(s): Xin Li (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00320889
Volume: 197
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
The State of the Art in User-Adaptive Visualizations
Publication: Computer Graphics Forum
UBC Author(s): Cristina Conati (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 01677055
Volume: 44
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Detections of interstellar aromatic nitriles 2-cyanopyrene and 4-cyanopyrene in TMC-1
Publication: Nature Astronomy
UBC Author(s): Ilsa Cooke (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 9
Page Range: 262-270
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication
Water tariffs and social equity: Towards water service connections and pricing instruments for the poor
Publication: World Water Policy
UBC Author(s): Leila Harris (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Page Range: 38-60
Publication Date: February 2025

View Publication

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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
2024 Dr. Otani conducted a study on molecular complexes at low temperatures using spectroscopic techniques. Her realization of a signature of molecular superfluidity predicted by theory but not yet realized and the nature of chiral molecules offers valuable insights into atomic, molecular, and condensed matter. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2024 Dr. Poon's research focused on heart motion management in radiation therapy for irregular heartbeats. He quantified regional heart motion and investigated a technique to synchronize radiation delivery with the cardiac cycle, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes by reducing the treated volume and minimizing radiation to healthy tissue. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Takemon developed a computer-based method to examine cancer gene functions and identify cancer cell-specific vulnerabilities. Using this method, they found several vulnerabilities that can be exploited to selectively kill cancer cells using existing FDA approved drugs. Dr. Takemon's research illustrates a model for improving future precision cancer medicine. Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Lykiardopoulou contributed to the field of nuclear physics by measuring the mass of short-lived sodium isotopes. The results challenge current theories of nuclear structure and establish benchmarks for new theoretical approaches. She contributed in the development and commissioning of a novel ion trap that aims at higher precision mass measurements of short-lived species. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Daly-Grafstein developed new statistical methods for studying cause-and-effect relationships. These methods require fewer assumptions about the nature of the data, making estimates more robust. They are applicable when conducting observational studies or when research data is partially missing. Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Askelson studied how one species evolves into multiple species over time. He discovered that white-breasted nuthatches, which have been treated as a single species, in fact consist of three distinct species. Dr. Askelson showed that hybridization and gene flow has shaped dramatic patterns of differentiation across these birds' genomes. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Reeves showed how chaotic phenomena, such as the butterfly effect, can appear in certain quantum systems that can model black holes. By discovering the relationship between chaos and symmetries in these systems, Dr. Reeves furthered the understanding of these systems and their connection to black holes. Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Song explored how plants communicate with the microbial community surrounding their roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome. She identified novel genetic mechanisms plants employ to interact with beneficial microbes. Her findings will help enhance crop resilience and productivity, offering important advancements in agricultural practices. Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2024 Exploring global midwater zooplankton, Dr. Egorova identified key biodiversity hotspots and unique biomass patterns. Dr. Egorova's findings enhance marine models and deepen understanding of ocean ecosystems. These insights benefit environmental scientists and policymakers, enhancing global conservation. Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography (PhD)
2024 Dr. Xing explored and improved the detection of topic shifts in natural language and multimedia using data-driven approaches. He proposed enhanced topic segmentation models with better coherence analysis strategies, showing potential to benefit other natural language understanding tasks like text summarization and dialogue modeling. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

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