AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support
Psychiatrists and computer scientists at UBC and BC Cancer have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can accurately...
Learn MoreApplicants to master’s and doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
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.
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
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.
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.
This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Science.
Year | Citation | Program |
---|---|---|
2018 | The parasite Leishmania is a major public health issue in many tropical and subtropical countries. Dr. Rosamont-Ursulet studied the role of a family of Leishmania proteins in promoting the parasite survival in mammals. This research provides further understanding of the parasite biology in order to identify potential targets for new drug therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Neog developed methods to measure, model and animate movements of eyes and human facial tissues. He applied his methods to measure subtle motions of these tissues that convey important information in facial expressions. He subsequently used these measurements to model and generate interactive facial animations for applications in computer graphics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Chaurette studied the infrared sector of quantum field theories. He uncovered a long-time process for the decoherence of charged particles. This research impacts the long-standing black hole information paradox. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Deeg discovered and characterized several unusual pathogens that infect and kill aquatic microbes: an abundant giant virus and a highly reduced bacteria that infect eukaryotic plankton and a vampire-like bacterial predator of bacteria. His work revealed evolutionary innovations that allow these remarkable pathogens to exploit their hosts. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
2018 | How do fish transport oxygen in the blood? Dr. Harter's work describes a special mechanism in salmon that enhances oxygen unloading to the exercising muscles. Thus, salmon hearts need to pump less blood, which may be central to their iconic spawning migrations. This mechanism may apply to most fishes, a group that comprises half of all vertebrates. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
2018 | Sepsis is a life-threatening illness. Dr. Arora discovered a novel pharmacological target for sepsis immunotherapy and identified specific substrates, which can be modulated to control the disease prognosis. He also clarified a mechanism to better understand the disease progression. This work will help save 10 million lives every year. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Hazin developed an improved method for producing rubber used in tires. The existing process is conducted at minus 100 degrees Celsius; however her discoveries, involving the synthesis of strong Bronsted acids, show that rubber can be produced at temperatures above minus 100 degrees Celsius. Findings promise cost savings and more environmentally friendly rubber. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Zmurchok used mathematical models to show that links between forces and chemical signalling in cells can lead to cell size fluctuations. His research suggests mechanisms at play in waves of contraction in a developing tissue, highlighting the importance of feedback between forces and signalling in models for cell dynamics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Kumar developed novel antimicrobial peptides, which are effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. He also investigated different strategies to deliver the peptides in a skin infection model. These studies pave the way to combat superbugs in the future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
2018 | Dr. Berry developed a new class of organic catalysts, and studied their mechanism of action in detail. These studies will aid in the development of better catalysts and new modes of reactivity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |