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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.
Most Faculty research is conducted under the auspices of 23 centres and institutes that are part of UBC or affiliated with it, in collaboration with our health partners.
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.
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.
This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Dubland studied smooth muscle cell foam cell formation in atherosclerosis. He found that a deficiency in lysosomal acid lipase, a key enzyme used to break down fats, was implicated in cholesterol accumulation in these cells. These results provide new insights into lipid build up in atherosclerosis and identify a new potential therapeutic target. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sommerfeld investigated how two specific protein complexes regulate the cell division process in cervical cancer cells. His studies identified novel functions for these protein complexes, and showed how loss of their activities may contribute to uncontrolled cell division and cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Tsai studied how the immune system in the gut responds to ingested particles. He found that gut leakiness can impact the development of the immune system. This work furthers our understanding on how ingested particles can potentially shape our immune system to control its responses towards food and the environment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Trenaman evaluated patient decision aids, which are tools designed to help patients make better quality health care decisions. He found that patient decision aids for individuals considering total hip and knee replacement improved outcomes and reduced costs. His research will help policy makers invest in cost-effective tools for patient-centred care. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Thaper studied the malleable nature of epithelial prostate cancer cells, specifically the ability of these cells to survive hormone therapy by moving up the differentiation ladder to a more aggressive neuronal state. This research identified an important protein for this process and new therapies are currently under development for clinical use. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Sannan studied the fovea, a region in the retina essential for our central sharp vision. He published novel mutations in patients with abnormal fovea and defined the cellular and molecular cues deriving fovea development in green anoles. The latter has opened a new path of research toward treating the untreatable foveal abnormalities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Lam studied the neurobiological basis of mental health problems associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. She found that alcohol exposure increased vulnerability to stress by changing how the brain and endocrine systems regulate emotion and respond to stress. Her work contributes to understanding the connection between early alcohol exposure and mental health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Ghanouni developed a novel client-centred virtual reality gaming program as a therapeutic intervention for children with autism to enhance their socio-emotional skills. This trans-disciplinary project illuminates the role of community as equal partners with researchers during the design and development of products that can meet end users' needs. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Li identified gene SRRM4 as a powerful driver and therapeutic target for a special type of drug-resistant prostate cancer. This study provides insights into personalized medicine-based strategies for prostate cancer patients and may guide future development of novel therapeutics for drug-resistant prostate cancer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. McCracken examined how hypertension is currently being treated in Canadians 70 years and older. She subsequently studied the possibility that hypertension treatment patterns are related to polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications, and that too much hypertension treatment may increase specific harms, such as an earlier diagnosis of dementia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |