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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, 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
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
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

Lorna Tu

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics (PhD)

Predicting lung cancer recurrence after radiotherapy

Kabir Bhalla

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Contribution of polyphosphate to Cryptococcal disease

Sharada Balaji

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Characterizing white matter: Adventures with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

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
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.

 

Exploring the Effects of Incorporating Different Bioactive Phospholipids into Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Lipid Nanoparticle (mRNA LNP) Formulations
Publication: ACS Bio and Med Chem Au
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 5
Page Range: 154-165
Publication Date: 19 February 2025

View Publication
Reviews and syntheses: Review of proxies for low-oxygen paleoceanographic reconstructions
Publication: Biogeosciences
UBC Author(s): Harold Bradbury (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 17264170
Volume: 22
Page Range: 863-957
Publication Date: 18 February 2025

View Publication
Mars' Hemispheric Magnetic Field From a Full-Sphere Dynamo
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
UBC Author(s): Catherine Johnson (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00948276
Volume: 52
Publication Date: 16 February 2025

View Publication
Understanding mechanisms of avian flight by integrating observations with tests of competing hypotheses
Publication: The Journal of experimental biology
UBC Author(s): Douglas Altshuler (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 228
Publication Date: 15 February 2025

View Publication
Minkowski vacuum entanglement and accelerated oscillator chains
Publication: Physical Review D
UBC Author(s): William Unruh (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24700010
Volume: 111
Publication Date: 15 February 2025

View Publication
Extracting astrophysical information of highly eccentric binaries in the millihertz gravitational wave band
Publication: Physical Review D
UBC Author(s): Jessica McIver (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 24700010
Volume: 111
Publication Date: 15 February 2025

View Publication
Producing a better smolt: Can ‘winter’ treatments combining low temperature and short daylength photoperiods enhance the smolt quality of Atlantic salmon?
Publication: Aquaculture
UBC Author(s): Colin Brauner (Zoology / Faculty of Science), Jeffrey Richards (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00448486
Volume: 596
Publication Date: 15 February 2025

View Publication
Hierarchical exact controllability of a parabolic equation with boundary controls
Publication: Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications
UBC Author(s): Steve Cyrille Kenne (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0022247X
Volume: 542
Publication Date: 15 February 2025

View Publication
DNA methylation differences between cord and adult white blood cells reflect postnatal immune cell maturation
Publication: Communications biology
UBC Author(s): Raymond Tak-Yan Ng (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 8
Page Range: 237
Publication Date: 14 February 2025

View Publication
Search for Magnetic Monopole Pair Production in Ultraperipheral (Formula presented) Collisions at (Formula presented) with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC
Publication: Physical Review Letters
UBC Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00319007
Volume: 134
Publication Date: 14 February 2025

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Search for Magnetic Monopole Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.36  TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC
Publication: Physical review letters
UBC Author(s): Colin Gay (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 134
Page Range: 061803
Publication Date: 14 February 2025

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Thymic stromal lymphopoietin signaling in B cells from progenitors to plasma cells
Publication: Journal of leukocyte biology
UBC Author(s): Phillip Domeier (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 117
Publication Date: 13 February 2025

View Publication
Intermolecular Misfolding Captured in Parallelly Organized Titin
Publication: Journal of the American Chemical Society
UBC Author(s): Hongbin Li (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00027863
Volume: 147
Page Range: 4853-4861
Publication Date: 12 February 2025

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Durable Hydrophobic Iridescent Films with Tunable Colors from Self-Assembled Cellulose Nanocrystals
Publication: Small
UBC Author(s): Mark MacLachlan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science), Carl Michal (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 16136810
Volume: 21
Publication Date: 12 February 2025

View Publication
Agricultural landscape genomics to increase crop resilience
Publication: Plant Communications
UBC Author(s): Loren Rieseberg (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: 10 February 2025

View Publication
Flowering time responses to warming drive reproductive fitness in a changing Arctic
Publication: Annals of botany
UBC Author(s): Amy Angert (Botany / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 135
Page Range: 255-268
Publication Date: 8 February 2025

View Publication
Smartphones as a platform for molecular analysis: concepts, methods, devices and future potential
Publication: Lab on a Chip
UBC Author(s): Walter Algar (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 14730197
Volume: 25
Page Range: 884-955
Publication Date: 7 February 2025

View Publication
Fungal impacts on Earth’s ecosystems
Publication: Nature
UBC Author(s): James Kronstad (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00280836
Volume: 638
Page Range: 49-57
Publication Date: 6 February 2025

View Publication
Alphaviral backbone of self-amplifying RNA enhances protein expression and immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 antigen
Publication: Molecular Therapy
UBC Author(s): Anna Blakney (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15250016
Volume: 33
Page Range: 514-528
Publication Date: 5 February 2025

View Publication
Evolution: Untangling the mix of plastid endosymbiosis events
Publication: Current Biology
UBC Author(s): Patrick John Keeling (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09609822
Volume: 35
Page Range: R94-R96
Publication Date: 3 February 2025

View Publication
Eight New Candidate Multiplanet Systems among TESS Objects of Interest
Publication: Astronomical Journal
UBC Author(s): Michelle Kunimoto (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046256
Volume: 169
Publication Date: 3 February 2025

View Publication
Preserved Serotonin Transporter Availability in Parkinson Disease Measured with Either [<sup>11</sup>C]MADAM or [<sup>11</sup>C]DASB: A Study Including 2 Separate Cohorts of Nondepressed Patients
Publication: Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
UBC Author(s): Vesna Sossi (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 66
Page Range: 309-314
Publication Date: 3 February 2025

View Publication
Population genomics reveals strong impacts of genetic drift without purging and guides conservation of bull and giant kelp
Publication: Current Biology
UBC Author(s): Loren Rieseberg (Botany / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09609822
Volume: 35
Page Range: 688-698.e8
Publication Date: 3 February 2025

View Publication
Insect chemosensation: A grapefruit squeeze on mosquito-borne disease
Publication: Current Biology
UBC Author(s): Benjamin Matthews (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09609822
Volume: 35
Page Range: R96-R98
Publication Date: 3 February 2025

View Publication
Discovery and Characterization of an Eccentric, Warm Saturn Transiting the Solar Analog TOI-4994
Publication: Astronomical Journal
UBC Author(s): Michelle Kunimoto (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046256
Volume: 169
Publication Date: 3 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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