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
Kopp, Janel Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences Genomics; Modeling cancer; Pancreas; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic development
Kornelsen, Jude Department of Family Practice providing an evidence base to inform decisions on the planning of rural maternity services; advancing our understanding of women
Krahn, Andrew Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery management of cardiac arrhythmias; investigation of genetic causes of arrhythmias, causes of loss of consciousness and implantable arrhythmia device monitoring
Krajden, Mel Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Infectious diseases, cancer hepatitis prevention and care, human papillomavirus HPV, HIV and hepatitis C virus
Kramer, John Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Neuromechanical, Systems Biology, Exercise & Health
Krassioukov, Andrei Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Other clinical medicine; spinal cord injury, autonomic nervous system, electrophysiology, rehabilitation
Krausz, Reinhard Department of Psychiatry addiction, complex concurrent disorders, E -Mental Health, Internet based healthcare, vulnerable urban populaton, Psychosis, opiate addiction, e-mental health, internet based healthcare, vulnerbale urban population, trauma, homelessness and mental health
Krystal, Gerald Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Blood research, immunology, inflammation, effect of diet on cancer
Kuchenbauer, Florian Division of Hematology stem cell transplantation; translational leukemia research; treatment of patients with hematological diseases; physiology of normal and malignant hematopoiesis
Kuhl, David Department of Family Practice understanding compassion fatigue/vicarious trauma, burnout, moral distress, grief, and psychological well being in health care providers
Kuo, Calvin School of Biomedical Engineering Biomechanical engineering; Medical devices; Biomedical instrumentation (including diagnostics); Sensing human motion; How humans make sense of their own motion; Sensorimotor Neutrophysiology; Wearable Sensing; Musculoskeletal Modeling
Kwon, Janice Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology health policy relating to gynecologic cancers as well as hereditary cancer syndromes
Kwon, Brian Department of Orthopaedics Spinal cord injury
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 Cardiogenetics; Stem cell disease modeling; Drug screening
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, Stephen C Division of Respiratory Medicine Lung cancer, optical imaging, tomography, spectroscopy
Lam, Raymond Department of Psychiatry Psychiatry (including psychotherapy); depression; Biomarkers; light therapy; cognition; digital technologies; bipolar disorder; antidepressants; global mental health
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, Dirk Department of Urologic Sciences Ureteral stents; antifouling coatings; antimicrobial coatings; device complications
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

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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: Journal of Medical Genetics
UBC Author(s): Janice Kwon (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00222593
Volume: 62
Page Range: 326-334
Publication Date: 1 May 2025

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Publication: Journal of the American Chemical Society
UBC Author(s): Corinna Schindler (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00027863
Volume: 147
Page Range: 14422-14431
Publication Date: 30 April 2025

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Publication: JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions
UBC Author(s): Jonathon Leipsic (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19368798
Volume: 18
Page Range: 1042-1044
Publication Date: 28 April 2025

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Publication: Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Alexander Wyatt (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine), Yuzhuo Wang (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine), Martin Gleave (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 26391856
Volume: 44
Publication Date: 22 April 2025

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Publication: EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology
UBC Author(s): John Webb (Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 21
Page Range: e440-e441
Publication Date: 21 April 2025

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Publication: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open
UBC Author(s): Kathryn Isaac (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 13
Publication Date: 21 April 2025

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Publication: Transplantation Direct
UBC Author(s): Graziano Oldani (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 11
Page Range: e1779
Publication Date: 17 April 2025

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Publication: NeuroImage
UBC Author(s): Donna Lang (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10538119
Volume: 310
Publication Date: 15 April 2025

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Publication: NeuroImage
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine), William Honer (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10538119
Volume: 310
Publication Date: 15 April 2025

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Publication: Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters
UBC Author(s): Bruce Vallance (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0960894X
Volume: 119
Publication Date: 15 April 2025

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Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
UBC Author(s): Brian Kwon (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00278424
Volume: 122
Publication Date: 15 April 2025

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Publication: Advanced Healthcare Materials
UBC Author(s): Colin Collins (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine), Ryan Flannigan (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 21922640
Volume: 14
Publication Date: 15 April 2025

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Publication: Cancer Cell
UBC Author(s): Steven J Jones (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine), Jessica McAlpine (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine), Christian Steidl (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Kerry Savage (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15356108
Volume: 43
Page Range: 587-592
Publication Date: 14 April 2025

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Publication: The New England journal of medicine
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 392
Page Range: 1385-1395
Publication Date: 10 April 2025

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Publication: Human Genetics and Genomics Advances
UBC Author(s): Donald Sin (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: 10 April 2025

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Publication: JAMA Network Open
UBC Author(s): Steven Miller (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine), Ruth V Grunau (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: 10 April 2025

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Publication: Stem Cell Reports
UBC Author(s): Sheila Teves (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 20
Publication Date: 8 April 2025

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Publication: JCI Insight
UBC Author(s): Megan Levings (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: 8 April 2025

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Publication: The Journal of cell biology
UBC Author(s): Elizabeth Conibear (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 224
Publication Date: 7 April 2025

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Publication: CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association Journal
UBC Author(s): Michael Law (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 08203946
Volume: 197
Page Range: E345-E354
Publication Date: 7 April 2025

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Publication: Blood
UBC Author(s): Christian Steidl (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00064971
Volume: 145
Page Range: 1445-1447
Publication Date: 3 April 2025

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Publication: Brain : a journal of neurology
UBC Author(s): Cheryl Lea Wellington (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 148
Page Range: 1062-1080
Publication Date: 3 April 2025

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Publication: Cell Stem Cell
UBC Author(s): Nika Shakiba (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19345909
Volume: 32
Page Range: 508-512
Publication Date: 3 April 2025

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Publication: Neurology
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00283878
Volume: 104
Publication Date: 2 April 2025

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
2024 Mental health conditions are common but under-treated after concussions. Dr. Otamendi's research suggests that discussing with patients the role that mental health can have in complicating recovery could enhance their acceptability of mental health treatment, thereby contributing to optimal concussion recovery. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2024 Dr. Alaeiilkhchi explored the effects of ketogenic diets, ketone esters and metformin on mouse models of multiple sclerosis. He discovered that these metabolic treatments could enhance cell repair processes, offering promising avenues for new MS treatments. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2024 Dr. Li made a groundbreaking discovery in cancer research, identifying a unique metabolic pathway that mediates chemoresistance in cancers. This potential druggable target could revolutionize the approach to overcoming chemotherapy resistance, offering new hope for effective cancer treatment. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2024 Dr. Smith found that specific HIV medications cause damage to human embryonic stem cells cultured in a dish. These findings strongly suggest that certain HIV medications are safer than others for a developing baby during pregnancy and may help inform and guide future human trials for the safest treatment of HIV in women of reproductive age. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2024 Dr. Montgomery studied the effect of different milks on the nutritional status of toddlers and the foods that contribute to the intake of nutrients required for early growth and development. Her work contributes new knowledge that will serve for the derivation of age-specific feeding recommendations and dietary guidelines. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2024 In his doctoral work, Dr. Sravan developed the Personally Meaningful Outcomes-Assessment Process (PMO-AP) to gauge treatment effectiveness. A study with 50 participants demonstrated PMO-AP's reliability, validity and practicality. This patient-centered approach provides clinicians with a versatile tool to evaluate treatments for chronic conditions. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2024 Dr. Inkster investigated DNA methylation in the human placenta to inform our understanding of pregnancy complications that differ by sex. Her work found that sex differences exist across the placental epigenome, and illuminated a unique relationship between DNA methylation and X-chromosome inactivation distinguishing placenta from other tissues. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Tung investigated the disease mechanisms underlying heart attacks and cardiac hypertrophy by combining experimental medicine and data science. His study, published in Nature Communications, highlights the importance of timing and spatial considerations of treatment for heart diseases, providing a blueprint for future clinical research. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2024 Dr. Akbari explored DNA methylation in normal and cancerous human samples. He created tools to detect genetic regions with parent-specific methylation and uncovered several novel regions. He also developed a technique that discerns if a child's genetic variations come from the father or mother, without needing any information from parents. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2024 Dr. Kwan researches the TATA-box binding protein (TBP), an essential protein that initiates transcription and is the first step in gene expression. Dr. Kwan challenges the dogma of transcription initiation and presents evidence that TBP has evolved from its historical role in governing transcription. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)

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