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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
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 Adams-Oliver syndrome; Hereditary spastic paraplegia; Ischiospinal dysostosis; Jeune syndrome; Genetic causes of nonsyndromic intellectual disability; Novel multiple congenital anomaly syndromes; Neurodegenerative disorders; Genes and Gene Therapy; Childhood Diseases
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, Janice Division of Respiratory Medicine
Leung, Peter C Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Reproductive and molecular endocrinology
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, Emilia Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lim, Chinten James Department of Pediatrics Cancer progression and metastasis; Solid cancer tumours; Hematological tumours; tumour cell biology; mechanisms of drug resistance; integrin cell adhesion and migration; tumour microenvironment; pediatric oncology
Lima, Viviane Dias Division of Infectious Diseases Aging process; Population health interventions; Health promotion and disease prevention; HIV; Aging; Epidemiology; Statistics; mathematical modelling
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
Lipon, Brodie
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
Livingstone, Roslyn Occupational therapy; Children with non-ambulant cerebral palsy; Positioning and mobility assistive devices
Locher, Kerstin Other clinical medicine; molecular diagnostics; Infectious diseases
Locke, David Physical therapy; Persistent pain; Conditioned pain modulation; Clinical applications of pain science; Axillary cording; Axillary Web Syndrome; Respiration and its impact on body and mind
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
Loewen, Christopher Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences Membranes and Organelles; Lipid Signalling; Lipid Traffic; Membrane Contact Sites; Genetic Networks; Systems Biology; Super Resolution Microscopy; Cell polarity; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Golgi; Membrane Diffusion Barriers; Cell Biology; Autism; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); Cancer Cell Metabolism
Loock, Christine Ann Department of Pediatrics Brain, Behaviour & Development; Social Pediatrics; Health Inequities; Child-health medical-home: children/families, integration / patient care / community services; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Pediatric Sleep Disorders

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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: Personality and Individual Differences
UBC Author(s): Steven Taylor (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01918869
Volume: 217
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Research in Developmental Disabilities
UBC Author(s): Jill Zwicker (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 08914222
Volume: 145
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: AJOG Global Reports
UBC Author(s): Roxana Geoffrion (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 4
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Health Expectations
UBC Author(s): Julie Robillard (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 13696513
Volume: 27
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: British Journal of Dermatology
UBC Author(s): Jan Peter Dutz (Dermatology & Skin Science / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00070963
Volume: 190
Page Range: 276-277
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Neuropsychology
UBC Author(s): William Panenka (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 38
Page Range: 126-133
Publication Date: 1 February 2024

View Publication
Publication: British Journal of Dermatology
UBC Author(s): Jan Peter Dutz (Dermatology & Skin Science / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00070963
Volume: 190
Page Range: 281-282
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology
UBC Author(s): Myeong Jin Ju (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00084182
Volume: 59
Page Range: e88-e89
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Human Genetics
UBC Author(s): Anna Michelle Lehman (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14345161
Volume: 69
Page Range: 101-105
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: Clinical Teacher
UBC Author(s): Laura Nimmon (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17434971
Volume: 21
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
UBC Author(s): William Miller (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00039993
Volume: 105
Page Range: 303-313
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A
UBC Author(s): Jehannine Austin (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15524825
Volume: 194
Page Range: 288-300
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: Patient Education and Counseling
UBC Author(s): Tami Howe (Audiology & Speech Sciences / Faculty of Medicine), Lorienne Jenstad (Audiology & Speech Sciences / Faculty of Medicine), Paola Colozzo (Audiology & Speech Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 07383991
Volume: 119
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
UBC Author(s): Jordan Guenette (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 49
Page Range: 223-235
Publication Date: 1 February 2024

View Publication
Publication: eBioMedicine
UBC Author(s): Stephen C Lam (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 100
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Haematologica
UBC Author(s): Kerry Savage (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 109
Page Range: 693-694
Publication Date: 1 February 2024

View Publication
Publication: European Journal of Neuroscience
UBC Author(s): Lara Boyd (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0953816X
Volume: 59
Page Range: 415-433
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
UBC Author(s): Lindsay MacHan (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10785884
Volume: 67
Page Range: 341-350
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Clinical Oncology
UBC Author(s): David Scott (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0732183X
Volume: 42
Page Range: 467-480
Publication Date: 1 February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Antiviral Research
UBC Author(s): Honglin Luo (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 01663542
Volume: 222
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
UBC Author(s): Kenneth Madden (Division of Geriatric Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Maureen Ashe (Family Practice / Faculty of Medicine), Rachel Murphy (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17580846
Volume: 16
Page Range: 356-375
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
UBC Author(s): Lianping Ti (Division of Social Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 07493797
Volume: 66
Page Range: 386-387
Publication Date: February 2024

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Publication: Journal of Psychiatric Research
UBC Author(s): William Panenka (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00223956
Volume: 170
Page Range: 290-296
Publication Date: February 2024

View Publication
Publication: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
UBC Author(s): Aly Karsan (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15251578
Volume: 26
Page Range: 96-105
Publication Date: February 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. Labuschagne investigated the perception of noise in vowels and vowel-like stimuli. She found that fundamental frequency, level, and frequency band affected noise detection and discrimination. The research contributes to our understanding of the auditory processing mechanisms involved in the perception of the voice quality breathiness. Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology and Speech Sciences (PhD)
2022 Dr. Amitzi focused on inhibition of DDX11 as a potential cancer therapy. She identified genetic interactions of DDX11 in human cells and adapted biochemical screening assays for DDX11 inhibitors. She also contributed to the development of a pipeline for discovery of novel cancer therapies that induce cell death by trapping protein targets onto DNA. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2022 Dr. Lee's research focused on dissecting the mechanisms by which plasmin enzymatically modulates activated protein C to bias its function towards cytoprotection through protease-activated receptor 1 signaling, and to understand how plasmin converts factor V from a procoagulant to fibrinolytic accelerator of tissue plasminogen activator. Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD)
2022 Dr. Beaulieu's dissertation research focused on generating evidence to inform optimal care provision for those living with concurrent opioid use disorder and mental illness. Her work advances the field of health and integrated services research and has important implications for future health research, policy, and practice. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2022 Dr. Wat discovered novel molecular mechanisms showing how males and females store and breakdown fat differently and how fat metabolism is regulated in both sexes. Her research fills a gap in knowledge in the field of metabolism and paves the way for the development of more effective treatments for metabolic diseases for both males and females. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2022 Babies born prematurely are highly vulnerable to infections, but we don't fully understand why. Dr. Michalski discovered that at birth, immune cells of premature babies have low energy usage and that this limits their anti-microbial responses. These responses mature within the first year of life and help premature infants fight infections. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Tehrani studied how a common class of blood pressure medications can reduce aortic aneurysms in mice by increasing levels of nitric oxide, independently from their blood pressure lowering effects. This research provides new insight on how these medications work in aortic aneurysms and may aid in the development of novel treatments for patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Vandekerkhove developed methods for studying lethal bladder cancer from tumour material circulating in the blood, without the need for invasive tissue biopsy. She utilized this blood-based test to explore tumour features influencing treatment response and resistance. Her research advances personalized medicine for bladder cancer patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. McLeod studied how moving responsibility for healthcare services in BC's provincial prisons to the Ministry of Health affected providers, services, and the health of people who experience incarceration. Her work highlights how integrating prisons with the community healthcare system may help to address health disparities and improve outcomes. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Dalwadi studied how proteins come together and interact with one another to carry out important functions within the cell. His examination of the 3D shapes of three key protein assemblies help improve our understanding of fundamental cellular functions such as the production of mRNA from genetic DNA and the translation of proteins from mRNAs. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)

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