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Every day across British Columbia, trainees and researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are turning skills into jobs, investments into discoveries, and discoveries into solutions that are transforming health for everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors, health care professionals, and medical researchers, making remarkable discoveries to help create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers a diverse array of training opportunities including cutting-edge research experiences in the biosciences, globally recognized population health education, quality health professional training, as well as several certificate and online training options. The Faculty of Medicine is home to more than 1,700 graduate students housed in 20 graduate programs (14 of which offer doctoral research options). Year after year, research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine is supported by investment from funding sources here at home and around the globe, receiving approximately more than $1.8B in total research funding since 2016.

We value our trainees and the creative input they have to scholarly activities at UBC. Our priority is to enable their maximum potential through flexible opportunities that provide a breadth of experiences tailored to their own individual career objectives. We maintain high standards of excellence, and work to create a community of intellectually and socially engaged scholars that work collaboratively with each other, the university, and the world, with the overarching goal of promoting the health of individuals and communities.

 

Research Facilities

UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative educational and research programs in the areas of health and life sciences through an integrated and province-wide delivery model in facilities at locations throughout British Columbia.

The Life Sciences Centre is the largest building on the UBC Vancouver campus. Completed in 2004, the $125 million, 52,165 sq metres building was built to accommodate the distributed medical educational program and the Life Sciences Institute.

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH), a partnership between the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health, unites under one roof research and clinical expertise in neuroscience, psychiatry and neurology in order to accelerate discovery and translate new knowledge into better treatment and prevention strategies. DMCBH has both laboratory and clinical research areas within the Centre proper and in the UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion. Our core facilities are essential to ongoing collaboration, teaching, and research.

The BC Children's Hospital Research Institute is it the largest research institute of its kind in Western Canada in terms of people, productivity, funding and size. With more than 350,000 square feet of space, the Institute has both 'wet bench' laboratory and 'dry lab' clinical research areas, and other areas to facilitate particular areas of research and training.

Research Highlights

New knowledge and innovation are crucial to successfully identifying, addressing and overcoming the increasingly complex health-related challenges that influence the lives of all of us – in British Columbia, in Canada, and in countries and communities around the globe.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is recognized nationally and internationally for research innovation that advances knowledge and translates new discoveries to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Research opportunities feature extensive collaborations across other faculties, health institutions and health partners across British Columbia, Canada and internationally.

The Faculty provides and fosters research excellence across the full continuum, from basic science to applied science and then to knowledge implementation, with a focus on precision health; cancer; brain and mental health; heart and lung health; population health; and chronic diseases.

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
Kurteva, Siyana Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics high-risk medication use, postoperative outcomes, healthcare services utilization in a high prevalence and high social impact settings
Kwon, Brian Department of Orthopaedics Spinal cord injury
Kwon, Janice Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology health policy relating to gynecologic cancers as well as hereditary cancer syndromes
Lacaille, Diane Division of Rheumatology General internal, Arthritis & Joint Health
Lack, Nathan Department of Urologic Sciences late-stage prostate cancer
Laher, Ismail Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Cardiovascular diseases; animal models of sleep apnea; Diabetes; exercise; oxidative stress; regulation of small artery tone, mechanisms of pressuce-induced vasomotor responses, exercise, sleep
Laksman, Zachary Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Biomedical Engineering
Lallous, Nada Department of Urologic Sciences Cancer drug development and therapeutics; Cancer progression and metastasis; Cancer molecular targets; Biochemistry; Biophysics; Cancer biology; Therapeutics; Protein research; Drug resistance; transcription factors
Lam, Raymond Department of Psychiatry Psychiatry (including psychotherapy); depression; Biomarkers; light therapy; cognition; digital technologies; bipolar disorder; antidepressants; global mental health
Lam, Stephen C Division of Respiratory Medicine Lung cancer, optical imaging, tomography, spectroscopy
Lam, Wan Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Cancer progression; Genome biology; Epigenetics; Molecular Systems Biology; Lung Cancer; Technology Development
Lan, James Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Kidneys and Urinary System; Histocompatibility; Immunogenetics
Lang, Donna Department of Radiology Medical, health and life sciences; Structural Neuroimaging; Psychosis; Addiction; cognition; Cardiovascular Function; Microvascular integrity
Lange, Philipp Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Bioinformatics; Genomics; Pathology (except oral pathology); Cell Signaling and Cancer; mass spectrometry; pediatric cancer; personalized medicine; post translational protein modification; Proteomics
Lange, Dirk Department of Urologic Sciences Ureteral stents; antifouling coatings; antimicrobial coatings; device complications
Langlois, Sylvie Department of Medical Genetics Studies of genotype/phenotype correlations in single gene disorders; Validations of genomic tools for the study of mental retardation and prenatal screening for aneuploidy; Outcome studies related to prenatal genetic screening
Lansdorp, Peter Department of Medical Genetics Genetic medicine; Application of single cell Strand-seq in precision medicine; Applied Genetics; cellular aging; Cellular Degeneration; Cellular Division; Complex Trait Genetics; DNA replication, epigenetics and stem cells; Gene Regulation and Expression; Genetic Diseases; Stem Cells and Organogenesis; telomeres; Telomeres, genomic instability, aging and cancer
Lapointe, Melissa
Lau, Joseph Department of Radiology Cancer drug development and therapeutics; Nuclear medicine; Cancer; Radiopharmaceuticals; Imaging; Radiotherapy
Laule, Cornelia Department of Radiology, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Medical physics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pathology (except oral pathology); Auto-Immune Diseases; Axons; brain; Central Nervous System Inflammatory Diseases; Cerebral Atrophy; Histology; image analysis; Imaging; Inflammation; magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; multiple sclerosis; myelin; Nervous System Development; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurological diseases; Neuronal Systems; pain; Pathology; Schizophrenia; Spinal Cord Diseases; spinal cord; Spinal cord injury
Lavallee, Danielle Patient and citizen engagement research; Health systems; patient-oriented research; Patient-Reported Outcomes
Lavoie, Pascal Department of Pediatrics Neonatal Immunity, Infection/Inflammation, Inheritance/Genetics of Neonatal Morbidities, Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease
Law, Michael School of Population and Public Health Health care administration; Health sciences; Public and population health; Global Health; Global Health and Emerging Diseases; Health Policies; Health Policy; Observational studies; Pharmaceutical policy; Pharmacoeconomics; Pharmacoepidemiology; Program evaluation
Leavitt, Blair Department of Medical Genetics Genetic medicine; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Ataxia; Dementia; Experimental Therapeutics; Frontotemporal Dementia; Gene regulation; Gene Silencing and Gene Editing; Gene Therapy; Huntington disease; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Medical Genetics; Mouse models of disease; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurogenetics
Lee, Tim Department of Dermatology & Skin Science Computing; Early Cancer Detection; Epidemiologic Research on Skin Cancer

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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 Medicine.

 

Publication: Pediatric Research
UBC Author(s): Pascal Lavoie (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00313998
Volume: 95
Page Range: 974-980
Publication Date: March 2024

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Publication: Journal of Neurotrauma
UBC Author(s): Quynh Doan (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 08977151
Volume: 41
Page Range: 587-603
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

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Publication: International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
UBC Author(s): Daniel Vigo (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10498931
Volume: 33
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Canadian Urological Association Journal
UBC Author(s): David Harriman (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19116470
Volume: 18
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Pain
UBC Author(s): Timothy Oberlander (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03043959
Volume: 165
Page Range: 523-536
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Global Spine Journal
UBC Author(s): Brian Kwon (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 21925682
Volume: 14
Page Range: 546-560
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Clinical Radiology
UBC Author(s): Peter Munk (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00099260
Volume: 79
Page Range: 170-178
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
UBC Author(s): Timothy Oberlander (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01497634
Volume: 158
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Global Spine Journal
UBC Author(s): Charles Fisher (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 21925682
Volume: 14
Page Range: 610-619
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: The Journal of urology
UBC Author(s): Joel Teichman (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 211
Page Range: 454
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Publication: The Journal of urology
UBC Author(s): Miles Mannas (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 211
Page Range: 384-391
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Annals of Surgery
UBC Author(s): Faizal Haji (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00034932
Volume: 279
Page Range: 549-553
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

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Publication: Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
UBC Author(s): Kim Nguyen Chi (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 35
Page Range: 329-330
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

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Publication: Journal of Neurology
UBC Author(s): Helen Tremlett (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03405354
Volume: 271
Page Range: 1108-1123
Publication Date: March 2024

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Publication: Global Spine Journal
UBC Author(s): Brian Kwon (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 21925682
Volume: 14
Page Range: 503-512
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Psychiatric Research
UBC Author(s): John Ogrodniczuk (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00223956
Volume: 171
Page Range: 25-29
Publication Date: March 2024

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Publication: Global Spine Journal
UBC Author(s): Brian Kwon (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 21925682
Volume: 14
Page Range: 535-545
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Perinatology
UBC Author(s): Erik Skarsgard (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 07438346
Volume: 44
Page Range: 348-353
Publication Date: March 2024

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Publication: International Journal of Stroke
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17474930
Volume: 19
Page Range: 322-330
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Resuscitation Plus
UBC Author(s): Brian Grunau (Emergency Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 17
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Children and Youth Services Review
UBC Author(s): Mariana Brussoni (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01907409
Volume: 158
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Intelligence
UBC Author(s): Todd Woodward (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01602896
Volume: 103
Publication Date: 1 March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Canadian Journal of Nursing Research
UBC Author(s): Lori Brotto Fontana (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 08445621
Volume: 56
Page Range: 117-128
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine
UBC Author(s): Arman Rahmim (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01692607
Volume: 245
Publication Date: March 2024

View Publication
Publication: Canadian Journal of Anesthesia
UBC Author(s): Jason Sutherland (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0832610X
Volume: 71
Page Range: 367-377
Publication Date: March 2024

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
2022 Dr. Hall's research synthesized health economics with learning health systems to support strategic management of care portfolios. Through the development and implementation of his 'Economic Learning Health System' framework, he assisted a health authority with the optimization of care delivery for seniors receiving home health services. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. van Ballegooie examined how polyethylene glycol conjugated protein based nanoparticles could be synthesized using microfluidics for applications in pharmaceutics requiring IV administration. She also demonstrated potential use as a triggered release system for combinatorial therapy (radiation + chemotherapy) used in cancer treatment regimes. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Decotret investigated various ways cancer cells spread throughout the body. She found a novel role for a widely expressed molecule called PTP alpha in breast cancer cell invasion and developed an advanced method for tracking the invasion of brain cancer cells into surrounding brain tissue. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Yen studied drug resistance mechanisms in chronic myeloid leukemia by identifying predictive microRNA biomarkers and exploring the role of the translation initiation complex. This research will help stratify drug-insensitive patients and develop alternative combination treatments to treat them. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Sadasivan investigated how RNA viruses inhibit cellular stress responses during virus infection. He showed that a virally encoded protein modulates the activity of a key host protein to evade the stress response. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Tran examined a novel method of achieving compatibility between donors and recipients in kidney transplantation. She demonstrated that matching at immunogenic protein motifs is feasible and clinically beneficial in preventing graft failure. This work is now acting as the foundation for a national matching program for kidney organ allocation. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Crockett used novel brain imaging techniques to determine functional brain networks disrupted in older adults vulnerable to dementia. She also studied the benefits of physical activity and resistance training for brain health. Her take away message is: to make gains for brains, we should all regularly squat low and feel our brains grow. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2022 Dr. Li investigated a class of oxidative enzymes that are traditionally researched for their potential to convert non-edible plant biomass into second-generation bioethanol. He subsequently showed that these enzymes are also highly suitable to facilitate chemical modification of biomass fibres into value-added bio-products. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Atoyebi explored the needs of family caregivers of people with neurocognitive disorders as well as possible solutions to address those needs. He collaborated with caregivers and care recipients to develop a medium fidelity prototype of their most preferred solution, which is a web-based service to assist families in hiring paid support workers. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2022 Dr. Johnson investigated how a new drug candidate selectively kills lung cancer cells by an oxidative stress-linked mechanism of action. He identified specific enzymes that are inhibited and demonstrated why lung cancer cells are sensitive but normal cells are not. His research will help the development of new, targeted anti-cancer therapeutics. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD)

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