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
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
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
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 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
Lefaivre, Kelly Department of Orthopaedics Orthopaedics
Lefebvre, Louis Department of Medical Genetics Genetic medicine; Health counselling; Developmental Genetics; developmental epigenetics; Embryonic Development; Gene Regulation and Expression; genomic imprinting; genomics; germ cell biology; Molecular Genetics; mouse developmental genetics; placental biology; Transgenic Model
Lehman, Anna Michelle Department of Medical Genetics Genetic medicine; Inherited Metabolic Diseases; Genes and Gene Therapy; Genetic causes of rare diseases; Genomic sequencing and variant interpretation; Neurodegenerative disorders; Cardiogenetics; Adams-Oliver syndrome
Leipsic, Jonathon Department of Radiology, Department of Medicine Diagnostic performance and radiation reduction as well as CT to guide minimally invasive valve intervention
Lester, Richard Division of Infectious Diseases Infectious diseases; Digital health; Mobile health (mHealth); Precision Public Health; Patient-centered care; Global Health
Leung, Peter C Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Reproductive and molecular endocrinology
Leung, Janice Division of Respiratory Medicine
Levin, Adeera Division of Nephrology Hypertension/Renal Transplantation; Medical Education; Outcome/Evaluation Method Applied to Renal Patients
Levings, Megan Department of Surgery, School of Biomedical Engineering Immunology; Cell therapy; Immune tolerance; Transplantation; Autoimmunity; Gene Therapy; Regulatory T cells
Li, Linda Department of Physical Therapy Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Patient and citizen engagement research; Patient-centered care; Mobile health (mHealth); Health counselling; Health promotion and disease prevention; Physical therapy; Care
Lim, Chinten James Department of Pediatrics Cancer progression and metastasis; Solid cancer tumours; Hematological tumours; Medical and biomedical engineering; tumour cell biology; mechanisms of drug resistance; cell adhesion, migration and invasion; tumour microenvironment; pediatric oncology; tumor xenografts; tumour organoids
Lim, Emilia Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Bioinformatics, Cancer, Aging, Genomics, Transcriptomics, Epigenomics, Pollution Exposure
Lima, Viviane Dias Division of Infectious Diseases Aging process; Population health interventions; Health promotion and disease prevention; HIV; Aging; Epidemiology; Statistics; mathematical modelling; prevention strategies for the transmission of HIV; novel intervention strategies to avert HIV disease progression
Lin, Kuo-Shyan Department of Radiology development of radiotracers for applications in oncology and neuroscience, development of radiolabeled 2-arylbenzothiazoles for imaging amyloid plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients, development of radiolabeled bioactive molecules for cancer imaging
Lisonkova, Sarka Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology preeclampsia
Liu, David Department of Radiology, School of Biomedical Engineering
Liu-Ambrose, Teresa Department of Physical Therapy Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Physical therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Healthy Aging; exercise; Fall prevention; Cognitive Aging; Randomized Controlled Trials; Physical Activity; Mobility; Neuroimaging; Sleep
Lockwood, William Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Cancer progression and metastasis; Cancer drug development and therapeutics; Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; Cancer; drug discovery; Genetics; genomics; Immune response; Lung cancer; Oncogene signaling; Proteomics; Mouse models

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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: 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

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Publication: Journal of Genetic Counseling
UBC Author(s): Jehannine Austin (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10597700
Volume: 34
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: Methods in Ecology and Evolution
UBC Author(s): Inanc Birol (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 16
Page Range: 668-677
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
UBC Author(s): Angela Devlin (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00029165
Volume: 121
Page Range: 910-920
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: Genes, Brain and Behavior
UBC Author(s): Jill Zwicker (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 16011848
Volume: 24
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
UBC Author(s): Neal Shahidi (Division of Gastroenterology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00165107
Volume: 101
Page Range: 733-744
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: PLOS Global Public Health
UBC Author(s): Marianne Vidler (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 5
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: PLoS ONE
UBC Author(s): Edward Conway (Division of Hematology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 20
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: Resuscitation
UBC Author(s): Brian Grunau (Emergency Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03009572
Volume: 209
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Translational Oncology
UBC Author(s): Yuzhuo Wang (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 54
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
UBC Author(s): Mandeep Tamber (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19330707
Volume: 35
Page Range: 327-337
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Nurse Education Today
UBC Author(s): Tal Jarus (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine), Laura Nimmon (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 02606917
Volume: 147
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics
UBC Author(s): Mandeep Tamber (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19330707
Volume: 35
Page Range: 315-326
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: Journal of Breath Research
UBC Author(s): Stephen C Lam (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17527155
Volume: 19
Publication Date: 1 April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
UBC Author(s): Ismail Laher (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01674943
Volume: 131
Publication Date: April 2025

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Publication: Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
UBC Author(s): Stacey Skoretz (Audiology & Speech Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 09643397
Volume: 87
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
UBC Author(s): Maureen Ashe (Family Practice / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 09643397
Volume: 87
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada
UBC Author(s): Sarka Lisonkova (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17012163
Volume: 47
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: European Journal of Pediatrics
UBC Author(s): Pascal Lavoie (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03406199
Volume: 184
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: British Journal of Sports Medicine
UBC Author(s): Christopher Carlsten (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03063674
Volume: 59
Page Range: 480-490
Publication Date: 1 April 2025

View Publication
Publication: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
UBC Author(s): Quynh Doan (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 13591045
Volume: 30
Page Range: 502-515
Publication Date: April 2025

View Publication
Publication: eBioMedicine
UBC Author(s): Tillie-Louise Hackett (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 114
Publication Date: 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 Dr. Ho created an imaging technique to observe real-time communication between blood cells and their microenvironment. He provided fundamental insights of how intercellular signals synchronize blood cell behavior, regulate blood cell production, and maintain blood system homeostasis. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Turgu explored the link between HACE1 gene, and mTOR, a key growth regulator in cancers. Her findings revealed that HACE1 significantly reduces mTOR activity, revealing a novel mechanism to control growth in tumor cells. Targeting this mechanism pathway can inhibit cancer cells' growth, and survival, leading the way for new therapeutic approaches. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD)
2024 Using epidemiological and implementation science methods, Dr. Romanowski explored the long-term impact of tuberculosis and what we can do to support tuberculosis survivors. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2024 Dr. Parlow investigated how corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) regulates the effects of glucocorticoids on development, metabolism, stress, and inflammation. Her findings reveal a novel role for CBG in shaping sex differences in organ development in rats, providing insight into the basis for sex differences in humans. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Cassidy-Matthews explored how Indigenous People who use drugs in BC experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and examined influences on vaccine uptake and acceptability. She found that a few relational principles underpinned most health decisions and experiences. These included emotional and spiritual connection, environmental stability, and equity. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2024 Dr. Yuchi studied air pollution, green space and dementia risk in Canada. Her work underscores the importance of further improvements to the built environment and air quality to reduce the burden of dementia in settings where air pollution levels are relatively low. Urban planning to incorporate greenery and parks may help to reduce dementia risk Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2024 Dr. Davies explored the communication needs of individuals living with primary progressive aphasia, a language led dementia, and their families. The findings of this research provide guidance for the provision of evidence-based care and for further research in this area investigating avenues of meeting the communication needs of this underserved population. Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology and Speech Sciences (PhD)
2024 Dr. Porter studied the genome sequences of cervical cancers to unravel the molecular alterations associated with human papillomavirus. Employing cutting-edge technologies and bioinformatics methods, she explored the varied ways in which different forms and types of HPV dysregulate the genome to contribute to the progression of cervical cancer. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2024 Around 50% of premature infants still suffer from neurological problems, despite dramatic improvements in survival and a significant reduction in severe brain injury. Dr. Tremblay's research has shown that reducing innate immune responses after cerebellar injury prevents cerebellar atrophy and white matter injury in a translational mouse model. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2024 Dr. Baker worked on developing an in-house pre-clinical trial assay for incorporating genetic diversity into vaccine candidate selection. The immune system is the most genetically diverse part of the human genome and must be accounted for when creating vaccines with widespread immunity. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)

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