AI can tell if a patient battling cancer needs mental health support
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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 | Dr. Ye's studies focused on a family of models of gradient type with sub-quadratic actions. He studied the fluctuations of the microscopic model, and established a connection between the microscopic system and macroscopic world. His findings contribute to our understanding of models in statistical mechanics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD) |
| 2017 | What happens when an extra electron is injected into a magnetic insulator? A better understanding of this question is needed for the design of novel electronic components and materials. In his thesis, Dr. Moeller investigated how far temperature plays a role and showed that in some cases, similar models can lead to drastically different results. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Fonseca analyzed the timing of pulses emitted by radio pulsars in binary systems, in order to measure intrinsic parameters of these systems and constrain Einstein's theory of general relativity. He made a large number of mass measurements that directly contribute to the ongoing analyses of neutron-star masses and nuclear physics in physically extreme environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Donnelly studied filamentous structures called microtubules, which control plant cell shape. She focused on how the organization of microtubules is regulated under stressful environmental conditions. Her results are important for understanding how plants change their growth in response to stress. | Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Severin's research focused on the impact of geological faults on both displacement and stress heterogeneity within large open pit mines. He was responsible for a unique experiment using radar to monitor slope movement and his work will help the safe design and application of open pit mining. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Therrien developed and explored a new class of molecular catalysts to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels. This research contributes to the understanding required for using hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline, in a sustainable manner. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Petryayeva developed an inexpensive and portable smartphone-based platform for molecular diagnostic tests, which can be used to identify and to treat diseases. This platform took advantage of smartphone built-in cameras and light-emitting nanomaterials. Her work may have important applications in point-of-care testing and personalized medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Nielsen completed her research working on T2K, an international particle physics experiment designed to investigate how neutrinos change as they travel. She developed a method to improve the understanding of neutrino interaction rates, allowing for significant reduction of the uncertainties on future neutrino oscillation measurements for this experiment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Mirsadeghi designed and built a photonic integrated circuit that could trap nanoscale gold particles using optical forces. He subsequently characterized the size and shape of the trapped particles with high sensitivity. The results of his work could impact nanoscale research in different fields from nanosciences to biology and medicine. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Lau's doctoral studies focused on the creation of inexpensive and low toxicity metal catalysts for the production of pharmaceutically relevant molecules. Catalysts accelerate difficult chemical reactions without undergoing any permanent change. They can also be reused, which reduces chemical waste and cost. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |