Faculty of Science

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At �� 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. ��’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

�� 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 ��'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

�� 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

�� 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.

Fact Sheet

Mission

To nurture an exceptional scientific learning and research environment for the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.

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678

Master's Students

(2023)
1038

Doctoral Students

(2023)
435

Graduate Degrees Awarded

(2022)
428

Full-Time Faculty
161.6

million in Research Awards

Research Centres

Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology

Computational Sciences and Mathematics

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences

Lithoprobe: Canada's National Geoscience Project

Genomics and Biological Sciences

Geomatics for Informed Decisions Network

Human-Computer Interaction

Vancouver Institute for Visual Analytics

Life Sciences

Chemistry and Materials Science

Physics

�� ATLAS Project at Large Hadron Collider

Sustainability

Research Facilities

Designed to inspire collaboration and creativity across disciplines, the (ESB) lies at the heart of the science precinct on ��’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, �� 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.

�� 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
Berciu, Mona	Department of Physics & Astronomy	Electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter and supraconductivity; Physical sciences; condensed matter theory; polarons, bipolarons; strongly correlated systems
Berlinguette, Curtis	Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering	Combinatorial Chemistry; CO2 conversion and utilization; clean energy; advanced solar cells; electrochromic windows; dynamic windows; hydrogen fuels production; catalysis; robotics and automation; machine learning / artificial intelligence
Bertram, Allan	Department of Chemistry	Atmospheric sciences; Chemical sciences; Atmosphere (Including Chemical Aspects); Physical and analytical chemistry of atmospheric aerosols
Beschastnikh, Ivan	Department of Computer Science	Computer and information sciences; software engineering; distributed systems; cloud computing; software analysis; Machine Learning
Bizzotto, Dan	Department of Chemistry	Electroanalytical chemistry; Electrochemistry; Colloid and surface chemistry; Electrochemical Systems; Surface Characterization; Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Layers; Sensors and Devices; Electrochemical and Fuel Cells; biosensors; electrocatalysis; fluorescence microscopy; interfacial analysis; self assembled monolayers; spectroelectrochemistry
Blakney, Anna	Michael Smith Laboratories, School of Biomedical Engineering	Biomedical materials; Medical molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins; Gene and molecular therapy; Gene delivery; RNA; Biomaterials; Immunoengineering
Bloem-Reddy, Benjamin	Department of Statistics	developing methods for evolving networks whose history is unobserved; distributional limits of preferential attachment networks; uses of symmetry in statistics, computation, and machine learning
Bohlmann, Joerg	Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Botany	plant biochemistry, forestry genomics, forest health, conifers, poplar, bark beetle, mountain pine beetle, natural products, secondary metabolites, terpenes, floral scent, grapevine, Conifer genomics Forest health genomics Mountain pine beetle, fungus, pine interactions and genomics Chemical ecology of conifer, insect interactions
Boley, Aaron	Department of Physics & Astronomy	Astronomy and Astrophysics; Planet formation, protoplanetary disk evolution, formation of meteorite parent bodies
Borduas-Dedekind, Nadine	Department of Chemistry	Chemical sciences; atmospheric chemistry; chemical mechanisms; atmospheric ice nucleation; Biogeochemistry; mass spectrometry; Photochemistry; indoor chemistry; atmospheric aerosols; singlet oxygen
Bostock, Michael	Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences	structure of the Canadian upper mantle, Geophysics, formation and evolution of the first continental landmasses, the structure and dynamics of subduction zones
Bouchard-Cote, Alexandre	Department of Statistics	machine/statistical learning; mathematical side of the subject as well as in applications in linguistics and biology
Bowman, William	Department of Computer Science	Computer and information sciences; Programming languages and software engineering; Programming languages; Compilers; programming languages
Boyd, David	Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs	Human rights
Bradbury, Hal	Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences	Chemical oceanography; Ocean biogeochemistry; Marine geology; Isotope geochemistry; Biogeochemistry; Paleoceanography; Chemical Oceanography; Reactive Transport Modelling; Carbon cycle; Marine Sedimentary Environments; Early Diagenesis; Biogeochemical Cycles; marine Carbon Dioxide Removal
Brauner, Colin	Department of Zoology	Gas exchange, ion regulation and acid-base balance in fish, Evolution and comparative physiology
Bruce, Heather	Department of Zoology	Evolution of developmental systems; Evolutionary developmental biology (evo devo); Arthropods; Novel structures; Production of morphological diversity by genetic networks; Evolution of genetic networks over hundreds of millions of years; Evolution of morphology over hundreds of millions of years; Appendages
Brumer, Harry	Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Chemistry	Biochemistry; Chemical sciences; Genomics; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; biomass; carbohydrates; cellulose; Chemical Synthesis and Catalysis; Enzymes; microbiota; plant cell walls; polysaccharides
Bryan, Jim	Department of Mathematics	Algebraic and differential geometry; Algebraic geometry, moduli spaces, enumerative invariants related to theoretical physics.
Bryman, Douglas	Department of Physics & Astronomy	Particle physics, experimental; Experimental Particle Physics; Applied physics; physics
Burke, Sarah	Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Chemistry	Scanning probe microscopy, organic materials, nanoscale materials, surface physics, photovoltaics
Bustin, Robert Marc	Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences	Unconventional Petroleum Reservoirs
Campbell, Trevor	Department of Statistics	automated, scalable Bayesian inference algorithms; Bayesian nonparametrics; streaming data; Bayesian theory; Probabilistic Inference; computational statistics; large-scale data
Carenini, Giuseppe	Department of Computer Science	Natural language processing
Cautis, Sabin	Department of Mathematics	Mathematics and statistics; Geometry

Graduate Student Stories

Ayodele Oloko

Doctor of Philosophy in Oceans and Fisheries (PhD)

Vulnerability and Resilience of Fisherfolk to Climate Change, IUU Fishing and Gender Roles: Evidence from Cameroon and Nigeria, Sub- Saharan Africa

Milos Simovic

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD)

Ecophysiology of yellow-cedar decline

Valerie Zimmermann

Master of Arts in Resources, Environment and Sustainability (MA)

Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Resilience in British Columbia

Sadie Lye

Master of Science in Oceans and Fisheries (MSc)

The impact of the urban environment on land to sea connection in Burrard Inlet, B.C.

Jacquelina DaSilva

Master of Science in Zoology (MSc)

Classroom discourse in a first-year multi-section biology course

Mitchell Demchuk

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

Multiple resonance type thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules for near ultraviolet and deep blue emission

Connor Thompson

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Molecular and cellular studies of novel broad-spectrum natural product antivirals against viruses of pandemic concern

Cariad Knight

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)

Development of myelin-specific MRI contrast mechanisms using 31-phosphorous

Alumni on Success

Bruce MacKay

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2004]

Job Title
Principal Chemist and Client Support Manager

Employer
Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Clement Cheung

Master of Science in Chemistry (MSc) [2014]

Job Title
Chemical Operation Technologist

Employer
Phyton Biotech LLC

Kevin Shopsowitz

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Medical student

Employer
University of British Columbia

Peter Frischmann

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2010]

Job Title
Co-Founder & CTO

Employer
Sepion Technologies

Chang Liu

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Research Scientist

Employer
SCIEX

Ryan Philippe

Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
Director of R&D

Employer
Manus Biosynthesis

Barry Po

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD) [2005]

Job Title
Senior Director, Product & Business Development

Employer
NGRAIN

Jennifer Geddes-McAlister

Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)

Job Title
Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Employer
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by �� faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Science.

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Publication: Blood
�� Author(s): Martin Hirst (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00064971
Volume: 146
Page Range: 693-706
Publication Date: 7 August 2025

Publication: Astronomical Journal
�� Author(s): Michelle Kunimoto (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00046256
Volume: 170
Publication Date: 4 August 2025

Publication: Waste Management
�� Author(s): Jiaying Zhao (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0956053X
Volume: 204
Publication Date: 1 August 2025

Publication: RNA
�� Author(s): Selena Sagan (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 13558382
Volume: 31
Page Range: 1139-1153
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Environmental Science and Policy
�� Author(s): Kai Chan (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 14629011
Volume: 170
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Molecular Ecology
�� Author(s): Judith Mank (Zoology / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09621083
Volume: 34
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
�� Author(s): Kai Chan (Institute for Resources,Environment & Sustainability / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15409295
Volume: 23
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
�� Author(s): Michelle Kunimoto (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00358711
Volume: 541
Page Range: 919-938
Publication Date: 1 August 2025

Publication: NMR in Biomedicine
�� Author(s): Carl Michal (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 09523480
Volume: 38
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
�� Author(s): Brian Hunt (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15698432
Volume: 142
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: DNA Repair
�� Author(s): Philip Hieter (Michael Smith Labs / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15687864
Volume: 152
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Brain Behavior and Immunity
�� Author(s): Carolina Tropini (Microbiology & Immunology / Faculty of Science), Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 08891591
Volume: 128
Page Range: 777
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Physics Letters Section B Nuclear Elementary Particle and High Energy Physics
�� Author(s): Alison Lister (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03702693
Volume: 867
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Graphical Models
�� Author(s): Dinesh Pai (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 15240703
Volume: 140
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics
�� Author(s): Chen Greif (Computer Science / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 03770427
Volume: 463
Publication Date: 1 August 2025

Publication: Marine Pollution Bulletin
�� Author(s): Daniel Pauly (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 0025326X
Volume: 217
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: Journal of Solid State Chemistry
�� Author(s): Alannah Hallas (Physics & Astronomy / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 00224596
Volume: 348
Publication Date: August 2025

Publication: BMJ Open
�� Author(s): Daniel Coombs (Mathematics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: 28 July 2025

Publication: Advanced Optical Materials
�� Author(s): Zachary Hudson (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: 25 July 2025

Publication: Cell Reports Sustainability
�� Author(s): Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 2
Publication Date: 25 July 2025

Publication: Analytical Methods
�� Author(s): Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 17599660
Volume: 17
Page Range: 6073-6087
Publication Date: 24 July 2025

Publication: Cell Reports
�� Author(s): Michael Gordon (Zoology / Faculty of Science), Tao Huan (Chemistry / Faculty of Science)
ISSN: 26391856
Volume: 44
Publication Date: 22 July 2025

Publication: BMJ Open
�� Author(s): Paul Gustafson (Statistics / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: 22 July 2025

Publication: Science Advances
�� Author(s): Michael Bostock (Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences / Faculty of Science)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: 18 July 2025

Recent Thesis Submissions

(MIIM - PHD)
(MIIM - MSC)
(GSAT - MSC)
(MIIM - MSC)
(GSAT - MSC)
(CHEM - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(BOTA - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(GSAT - PHD)
(ZOOL - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(BIOF - MSC)
(CHEM - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(GSAT - MSC)
(MIIM - PHD)
(MIIM - MSC)
(MIIM - MSC)
(PHYS - MSC)
(ZOOL - PHD)
(BOTA - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(PHYS - PHD)
(CHEM - PHD)
(OCGY - PHD)
(BIOF - MSC)

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
2025	Dr. Lavington developed algorithms for training AI systems in simulated environments by leveraging privileged information available during simulation. His methods enabled faster and safer policy learning for complex tasks like autonomous driving and locomotion, advancing the path from simulation to real-world deployment.	Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2025	Dr. Lensink designed machine learning algorithms that mimic how natural systems change over time. He found that the resulting algorithms are more robust and efficient, enabling analysis of high-resolution medical images. His work helped hospitals analyze CT scans of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic.	Doctor of Philosophy in Geophysics (PhD)
2025	Dr. Pichler investigated Mycobacterium abscessus lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. She redefined clinical understanding by revealing phenotypic diversity in isolates and developing an infection model that predicts disease progression, laying the groundwork for personalised, outcome-driven care for chronic respiratory infections.	Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology and Immunology (PhD)
2025	Dr. Reda developed methods to teach virtual characters to move realistically in physics-based simulations using reinforcement learning. By addressing challenges in exploration, data limitations, and environment design, his work enables robust, adaptable controllers for applications in character animation, humanoid robotics, and virtual reality.	Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2025	Dr. Rothchild is interested in how small molecules are made in nature. They studied how fungal enzymes make a molecule that is toxic to insects and may have applications in agriculture. Knowledge of how these enzymes work can help us develop cheaper and more sustainable ways to make important molecules that we rely on.	Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2025	Dr. Fleury searched for evidence of new physics affecting white dwarfs, which are stellar remnants whose cooling rate could be altered by the emission of hypothesized particles such as axions. By comparing predictions from stellar evolution simulations to observations, she tested white dwarf cooling models and found new constraints on axion models.	Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
2025	Dr. Lu conducted groundbreaking research on the intersection of sustainable mining practices and climate change mitigation through carbon mineralization. Her dissertation explores the potential of ultramafic rocks, minerals, and tailings to capture, store, and remove anthropogenic CO2, offering a low-cost, scalable solution to combat climate change.	Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD)
2025	Dr. Kehila studied the evolution of social interactions between microorganisms. He discovered novel principles revealing how these microscopic creatures work together to breakdown oceanic debris, as well as manmade chemicals, like pesticides and antibiotics. These discoveries expand our view of how sociality evolves across the tree of life.	Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)
2025	Dr. Rodell studied wildfire danger and behavior, developing ways to forecast them using hourly weather predictions and machine learning. He created a new model that improves fire danger estimates and enhances wildfire smoke modeling. This work helps fire managers and air quality forecasters make better decisions.	Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)
2025	Dr. Hagar discovered antimicrobial compounds from cave soil bacteria. These compounds, named 'caveamides', were found by combining genetic analysis and chemical detection methods. Beyond their pharmaceutical potential, caveamides have rare structural elements that give key insights into a poorly understood aspect of microbial biochemistry.	Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)

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