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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. McGregor showed that laser light can illuminate early malignant changes in lung tissue. Through the development of a novel medical device and clinical trial, Dr. McGregor found that adding laser Raman Spectroscopy into routine clinical procedures can help improve early lung cancer detection. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2018 | In response to a scarcity of research addressing substance use in conflict and post conflict areas, Dr. Blair's work helped shed light on the intersection of mental health, HIV, and substance use in northern Uganda. Findings highlight the need to integrate rigorous evidence with community perspectives and understanding of risk. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Deng developed a novel strategy to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (or NSCLC) using coxsackievirus type B3 (or CVB3). His studies demonstrated that CVB3 could specifically target and kill KRAS-mutant NSCLC, a non-curable subtype, with minimal damage to normal organs. This finding will aid in the development of oncolytic virotherapy for patients unable to have surgery. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Diabetes is caused by a loss of the insulin-producing cells found in the pancreas. By studying how the pancreas forms during fetal development, Dr. Krentz uncovered new details about how insulin producing cells form. Her research may improve methods to make replacement insulin-producing cells for those with diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | How can we promote informed hope as new research transitions from the bench to the bedside? Dr. Benjaminy explored the ethical challenges in the development of novel biotechnologies for degenerative diseases of the brain. This research integrates the voices of patients, clinicians, and the media to further inform the development of stem cell research in a socially minded way. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Farrokhi studied the field of wound healing for the development of non-rejectable wound coverage. He devised a skin substitute using a novel method to remove cells from skin while keeping the structural components in the skin scaffold relatively intact. This work has significant application in the treatment of burn injuries and chronic wounds. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Zhao investiged the role of betacellulin, a unique growth factor, in ovarian cancer proliferation and migration. This research provides new hope in treating this lethal malignancy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | As the world's population ages, mobility and cognitive impairments are major healthcare priorities. Dr. Hsu's research advanced our understanding of the neural interplay between cognition and mobility in aging. His work facilitates the development of novel interventions to promote healthy aging. | Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Crowe studied how Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, is able to use cholesterol while inside the lungs of infected individuals. Specifically, he clarified how the last half of the cholesterol molecule is degraded. This work has implications in TB pathogenesis and may facilitate the development of new therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2018 | Isovaline is a rare amino acid brought to earth by meteorite in 1969. Dr. Asseri studied the effects of isovaline as an analgesic in animal pain models and brain tissue, discovering its potential to decrease neural excitability and reduce pain. These findings demonstrate that isovaline may serve as a prototype of painkillers with minimal side effects. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) |