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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
Mitra, Souvik
Mitton, Craig School of Population and Public Health Health care administration; Health sciences; Public and population health; Health Policies; Health care resource allocation
Moe, Jessica Department of Emergency Medicine Substance Use; Addictions; Identifying, characterizing and developing interventions for high risk emergency department patients; Evaluating optimal naloxone dosing in ultra-potent opioid overdoses; Developing approaches to emergency department screening for opioid use disorder; Evaluating buprenorphine/naloxone standard dosing and microdosing interventions
Molday, Robert Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Proteins, cell structure, lipids, drug discovery, gene therapy
Money, Deborah Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Medical, health and life sciences; Reproductive Infectious Diseases,; Vaccine studies, vaginal microbiome, HIV, COVID in pregnancy
Moore, David Division of Infectious Diseases HIV prevention and control, HIV among men who have sex with men, HIV in sub-Saharan Africa; epidemiology; public health
Moore, Edwin D Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences Cardiovascular
Morgan, Steven School of Population and Public Health Health policy; Economics of health care; Health services and systems; Access to medicines; Health care policy; Pharmacare; Pharmaceutical pricing; Prescribing appropriateness; Comparative policy analysis
Morin, Gregg Department of Medical Genetics Basic medicine and life sciences; Proteomics; mass spectrometry; RNA processing; Ribonucleoproteins; Splicing; Cancer; RNA sequencing
Moritz, Orson Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Mechanisms underlying genetically inherited forms of blindness
Mortenson, Ben Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Accessibility; Assistive technology; Caregiving; Mobility; Outcome measures; Quality of Life and Aging; rehabilitation; Robotics; Social Aspects of Aging; Social participation; Spinal cord injury
Motsiri, Solomon ,
Moukhles, Hakima Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences Muscle cells
Mui, Alice Department of Surgery, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Inflammatory Signalling Pathways
Mulpuri, Kishore Department of Orthopaedics Surgery; bone diseases; Cerebral Palsy; Connective Tissue Diseases; Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip; Joints (Articulations); Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease; Locomotor Activity / Movement Disorders; Methodological Research; Muscle; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Deformation; Musculoskeletal Lesions and Repair; Neuromuscular Diseases; Orthopaedic Engineering; Patient Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance; Pediatric Hip Conditions; Pediatric Orthopaedic Trauma; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis; Trauma / Injuries
Munk, Peter Department of Radiology Radiologic techniques for pain management; Interventional radiologic management of bone metastases with thermal ablation techniques. Applications of dual energy CT to evaluation of the musculoskeletal system.
Murphy, Timothy Department of Psychiatry Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Autism; brain imaging; depression; Neuronal Systems; stroke
Murphy, Rachel School of Population and Public Health Clinical oncology; Health sciences; Human nutrition and dietetics; Public and population health; Aging; Cancer prevention; Community Health / Public Health; Nutrition; Nutrition and Cancer; Obesity
Murray, Nicolas Other clinical medicine; Emergency and Trauma Imaging; CT imaging; Dual-energy CT
Murray, Timothy Medical, health and life sciences; Radiology
Nabi, Ivan Robert Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, School of Biomedical Engineering Medical, health and life sciences; Cancer cell biology; Membrane domains; Organelle contact sites; Super-resolution microscopy; Machine Learning
Nappi, Lucia Department of Urologic Sciences Drug discovery, Identification of new biomarkers - genitourinary malignancies, Genitourinary tumors
Naus, Monika School of Population and Public Health Communicable disease outbreak, control, vaccine, immunization, tuberculosis
Nelson, Brad Department of Medical Genetics Clinical oncology; Genetic medicine; Cancer immunology and immunotherapy; Cell Therapy of Cancer; Cell therapies; Clinical trials; Oncolytic viruses; T cell engineering
Newell, Robyn ,

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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: Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
UBC Author(s): Yvette Drew (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 30
Page Range: 50-62
Publication Date: 5 January 2024

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Publication: Nucleic acids research
UBC Author(s): Wyeth Wasserman (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 52
Page Range: D174-D182
Publication Date: 5 January 2024

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Publication: Nucleic acids research
UBC Author(s): Joerg Gsponer (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 52
Page Range: D426-D433
Publication Date: 5 January 2024

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Publication: Journal of Proteome Research
UBC Author(s): Adeera Levin (Division of Nephrology / Faculty of Medicine), Keith Walley (Critical Care Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), David Patrick (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine), James Russell (Critical Care Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Christopher Carlsten (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Christopher Ryerson (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15353893
Volume: 23
Page Range: 52-70
Publication Date: 5 January 2024

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Publication: BMJ Open
UBC Author(s): Michael Law (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: 4 January 2024

View Publication
Publication: Clinical chemistry
UBC Author(s): Christian Steidl (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Aly Karsan (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Alina Gerrie (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 70
Page Range: 273-284
Publication Date: 4 January 2024

View Publication
Publication: Cell
UBC Author(s): Stuart Turvey (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00928674
Volume: 187
Page Range: 44-61.e17
Publication Date: 4 January 2024

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Publication: Nature
UBC Author(s): Carl de Boer (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00280836
Volume: 625
Page Range: 41-50
Publication Date: 4 January 2024

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Publication: Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences
UBC Author(s): Manish Sadarangani (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03171671
Volume: 51
Page Range: 40-49
Publication Date: 4 January 2024

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Publication: BJS open
UBC Author(s): Mohammad Ehsanul Karim (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 8
Publication Date: 3 January 2024

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Publication: JAMA network open
UBC Author(s): Jeffrey Brubacher (Emergency Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 7
Page Range: e2352233
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: International health
UBC Author(s): Richard Lester (Division of Infectious Diseases / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 16
Page Range: 107-116
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)
UBC Author(s): Christian Steidl (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Samuel Aparicio (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 40
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: Cancer research
UBC Author(s): Michael Anglesio (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 84
Page Range: 26-38
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: JAMA network open
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 7
Page Range: e2349628
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: JAMA network open
UBC Author(s): Sarka Lisonkova (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 7
Page Range: e2350934
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: JAMA network open
UBC Author(s): Garth Meckler (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 7
Page Range: e2351535
Publication Date: 2 January 2024

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Publication: Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
UBC Author(s): Kathryn Isaac (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00928240
Volume: 86
Publication Date: January 2024

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Publication: Journal of Sex Research
UBC Author(s): Lori Brotto Fontana (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00224499
Volume: 61
Page Range: 299-312
Publication Date: 2024

View Publication
Publication: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology
UBC Author(s): Adeera Levin (Division of Nephrology / Faculty of Medicine), Mohammad Ehsanul Karim (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 22138587
Volume: 12
Page Range: 51-60
Publication Date: January 2024

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Publication: Journal of Orthopaedic Research
UBC Author(s): Jacqueline Whittaker (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 07360266
Volume: 42
Page Range: 78-89
Publication Date: January 2024

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Publication: Diabetologia
UBC Author(s): Francis Lynn (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0012186X
Volume: 67
Page Range: 156-169
Publication Date: January 2024

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Publication: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
UBC Author(s): Marianne Vidler (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14700328
Volume: 131
Page Range: 46-62
Publication Date: January 2024

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Publication: Nature Cancer
UBC Author(s): Alexander Wyatt (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
Publication Date: 2024

View Publication
Publication: Environmental Research
UBC Author(s): Stuart Turvey (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00139351
Volume: 240
Publication Date: 1 January 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. Ganguly used Drosophila as a model system to systematically classify ~100 variants of the PTEN gene, which have been found in cancer and ASD patients, as pathogenic or benign, using simple, robust experimental assays and examined the effect of these variants on protein function. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2022 Dr. Yu measured the climate vulnerability and health of neighbourhoods in Metro Vancouver and examined the effects of densification on health. Overall, her dissertation reveales stark health and climate inequalities across neighbourhoods and provides evidence to support policies that prepare for the threats of urbanisation and climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Saberi studied HIV Antiretroviral Therapy at the cellular level in HIV+ pregnant women and cell culture models. She found that most treatments increased mitochondrial DNA content and reflect cellular metabolism dysregulation. Her research advanced our knowledge of cellular aging and cytotoxicity that could affect fetal development and growth. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Laugen conducted research in Indonesia to demonstrate that achievement of maternal and newborn care meeting professional standards in hospitals is related to organizational readiness for change in low- and middle-income countries. His work will be used to assess readiness in health care organizations to facilitate successful practice change. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Rattray developed methods to investigate protein-protein interactions in host cells during Salmonella infection. These approaches assist us in better understanding host-pathogen interactions. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2022 In line with a research priority recently established by the World Health Organization, Dr. Schwartz adapted a pan-Canadian chronic disease prevention program for Brazilians. He revealed significant improvements in lifestyle behaviours demonstrating the efficacy of this intervention in the fight against chronic disease in lower-income countries. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Boutin studied the role of the early life gut microbiota in the development of childhood asthma, showing a critical role for both bacterial and fungal organisms in immune development. Her work lays the foundation for the development of novel microbiota-based therapies for asthma in children. Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD)
2022 Dr. Nikoo studied the role of opium tincture for treating patients with opioid use disorder. His results showed that opium tincture is a safe and effective treatment for this purpose. His findings can improve the availability and diversity of cost-effective and culturally acceptable treatments for patients with opioid use disorder across the world. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2022 Dr. Voon studied the issue of pain among people who use drugs and its implications for health, risk behaviours, and clinical care. She identified different patterns of substance use among people who use drugs, and found relationships between pain, substance use, depressive symptoms, and barriers to accessing health services and addiction treatment. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2022 Dr. Delaidelli investigated novel mechanisms contributing to the progression of aggressive childhood brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma. His research uncovered new therapeutic vulnerabilities and clinically applicable biomarkers for this disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)

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