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...
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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
- Biodiversity Research Centre
- Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research
- Centre for Microbial Diversity and Evolution
Computational Sciences and Mathematics
- Data Science Institute
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Institute of Applied Mathematics
- Statistical Consulting and Research Laboratory
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
- Geophysical Inversion Facility
- Lithoprobe: Canada's National Geoscience Project
- Mineral Deposit Research Unit
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research
- Seismic Laboratory for Imaging and Modeling
Genomics and Biological Sciences
- Centre for High-Throughput Biology
- Geomatics for Informed Decisions Network
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics
- Michael Smith Laboratories
Human-Computer Interaction
- Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems
- Vancouver Institute for Visual Analytics
Life Sciences
- Centre for Blood Research
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries
- Life Sciences Institute
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- Neglected Global Diseased Initiative
Chemistry and Materials Science
- Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory
- Max Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials
- Quantum Devices Group
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute
Physics
- Antihydrogen Trapping and Spectroscopy at CERN
- Pacific Institute for Theoretical Physics
- TRIUMF: Canada’s National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics
- UBC ATLAS Project at Large Hadron Collider
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
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
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Diet and the microbiome in Parkinson's disease (MIIM - PHD)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Haptic technology can engage your sense of touch, but requires expertise in programming, psychology, and engineering. Dr. Schneider developed an understanding of how to design haptic experiences. His dissertation has laid the groundwork for a suite of creative tools to sketch, animate, and share designs for the sense of touch. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Reza Tafteh developed novel methods for three-dimensional super-resolution imaging; from cellular surface to interior. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. McMillan looked at ways to improve 3D imaging of the Earth for natural resource detection and monitoring. He developed new techniques to detect thin metallic ore bodies buried in the ground from airborne electromagnetic data collected with helicopters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Chen validated the use of MRI based myelin imaging technique with electron microscopy. His work enhanced our understanding and interpretation of this technique in studying white matter damage following spinal cord injury. He also developed an accelerated version of this technique that has the potential to increase its clinical applicability. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2017 | People have been eating jellyfish for centuries; however, the magnitudes of catches are uncertain. Dr. Brotz performed the first global 'catch reconstruction' for jellyfish and found that consumption is more than double previous estimates. He also demonstrated that tools from traditional fisheries science are adaptable for application to jellyfish. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Nanoscopic transport of liquid is critical to many fields of material science and technology. Dr. Liu investigated water and ion transport through carbon nanotubes. He used molecular dynamics to investigate the influence of the water model in simulations. His research helps us understand the mechanism of liquid conduction through nanoscopic channels. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Baier investigated the evolutionary divergence of enzyme functions. He revealed that many enzymes have an intrinsic evolutionary potential that is shaped by environmental and biophysical constraints. His research provides insight into the molecular basis of adaptation and will help with the design and engineering of proteins with desired properties. | Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Granek investigated the application of advanced machine learning algorithms to the field of mineral mapping. In particular his work focused on the development of supervised learning models and artificial neural network algorithms for the exploration of copper-gold porphyry, a type of rock with large crystals found in British Columbia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Stiemsma studied the intestinal microbiome and identified specific bacteria associated with the development of asthma in children. Her work suggests the microbiome as both an early life marker of asthma and a potential preventive treatment against this disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Li examined how stories and events emerge and evolve in social stream websites like Twitter. He used a graph-based approach and invented algorithms to extract cohesion, context and evolution patterns from raw social media data. This research enhances our understanding of analyzing patterns and trends in social media networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) |