Faculty of Medicine

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
Fast, Danya Division of Social Medicine Social sciences; Substance Use; Substance Use Care; Adolescents and Young Adults; urban health; Urban Poverty; Medical Anthropology; Canada; East Africa
Fedida, David Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics How the heart generates, maintains and regulates electrical activity, Anesthesiology
Field, Thalia Division of Neurology stroke; Clinical trials; cerebral venous thrombosis; outcomes; cognition; Machine Learning
Fischer, Lisa Department of Family Practice sport concussion
Fisher, Charles Department of Orthopaedics adult spine surgery, with special clinical and research interests in trauma, oncology and evidence-based medicine
Flannigan, Ryan Department of Urologic Sciences evaluating genetic and molecular mechanisms contributing to non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA)
Fleetham, John Division of Respiratory Medicine Sleep disorders, neuromuscular disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, imaging techniques, respiratory muscle function, systemic blood pressure, hypothalamic pituitary function, psychological status, disordered breathing
Forbes, Connor Department of Urologic Sciences Urology; Other basic medicine and life sciences; Drug discovery, design and delivery; Endourology; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; Kidney stones; Translational research
Forster, Bruce Department of Radiology Radiology; imaging
Forwell, Susan Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy Neurological conditions and their impact on chosen occupations
Foster, Leonard Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories Biochemistry; Genomics; Agriculture; antigen presentation; Bioinformatics; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Biotechnology; Cell Signaling and Infectious and Immune Diseases; Honey bees; host-pathogen interactions; Immune System; Microbiology; Proteomics; Systems Biology
Francis, Gordon Division of Endocrinology lipoproteins; Cholesterol metabolism; Cardiovascular risk factors; Prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes; High density lipoproteins (HDL)
Frangou, Sophia Department of Psychiatry the study of the human brain in health and disease
Frank, Erica School of Population and Public Health Health sciences; Public and population health; Other education; Free accredited education; Preventive Medicine; Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Architecture; Holocaust studies; Exile Reintegration
Freeman, Hugh James Division of Gastroenterology Intestinal Diseases
Friedman, Jan Marshall Department of Medical Genetics Other clinical medicine; Genetic medicine; Genomics; Health counselling; Application of whole genome sequencing to diagnose genetic disease; Birth defects epidemiology; Clinical genomics; Developmental Genetics; Genetics and Heredity; Neurofibromatosis
Gadermann, Anne Social determinants of health; Housing and homelessness; Quality of
Gao, Zu-Hua Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Garbuz, Donald Department of Orthopaedics reconstructive surgery of the hip and knee; novel imaging techniques to assess early changes in articular cartilage, which may be indicators for osteoarthritis
Garnis, Catherine Department of Surgery Cancer biology; Tumor progression; Oral premalignant lesions; Head and neck cancer; RNA biology, microRNAs; Alternative splicing; Biomarkers
Geller, Josie Department of Psychiatry Eating Disorders
Geoffrion, Roxana Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology patient education, surgical outcomes after various pelvic reconstructive surgeries and surgical skill development through simulation and standardized training; pelvic floor reconstruction procedures such as vaginal prolapse or urinary incontinence surgery
Gerrie, Alina Division of Medical Oncology Clinical medicine; Lymphoid Cancer; Leukemia; genomics; Population-based outcomes; Cellular therapy; Quality of life; Survivorship
Giaschi, Deborah Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; amblyopia; reading; dyslexia; motion perception; binocular vision; visual development
Gibson, William Department of Medical Genetics Genetic medicine; Genetic Diseases; Chromosomes: Structure / Organization; Epigenetics

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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: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
UBC Author(s): Julio Sergio Gonzalez-Montaner (Division of Infectious Diseases / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15254135
Volume: 96
Page Range: 393-398
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
UBC Author(s): Sarka Lisonkova (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine), Joseph Kuruthukulangare (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00029378
Volume: 231
Page Range: e87-e92
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Journal of Applied Biomechanics
UBC Author(s): Michael Anthony Hunt (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 10658483
Volume: 40
Page Range: 270-277
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Current Opinion in Lipidology
UBC Author(s): Liam Brunham (Division of General Internal Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 09579672
Volume: 35
Page Range: 219-221
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
UBC Author(s): Sarka Lisonkova (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine), Joseph Kuruthukulangare (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00029378
Volume: 231
Page Range: e96-e98
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness
UBC Author(s): Bruce Forster (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 64
Page Range: 800-806
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: Nature Materials
UBC Author(s): Calvin Kuo (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14761122
Volume: 23
Page Range: 1138-1149
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
UBC Author(s): Fabio Rossi (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14710072
Volume: 25
Page Range: 671
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Journal of Physical Activity and Health
UBC Author(s): Heather Anne McKay (Family Practice / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15433080
Volume: 21
Page Range: 731-740
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: CJC Open
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 6
Page Range: 959-966
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
UBC Author(s): Fabio Rossi (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14710072
Volume: 25
Page Range: 617-638
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Canadian Journal of Anesthesia
UBC Author(s): Lindsay MacHan (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0832610X
Volume: 71
Page Range: 1163-1164
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: International Journal of Stroke
UBC Author(s): Thalia Field (Division of Neurology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 17474930
Volume: 19
Page Range: 817-822
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Canadian Journal of Anesthesia
UBC Author(s): Brian Grunau (Emergency Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0832610X
Volume: 71
Page Range: 1145-1153
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
UBC Author(s): Roxana Geoffrion (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00029378
Volume: 231
Page Range: 166-186.e8
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Politics, Philosophy and Economics
UBC Author(s): Daniel Steel (School of Population and Public Health / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 1470594X
Volume: 23
Page Range: 230-251
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Endocrinology (United States)
UBC Author(s): Leonard Foster (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine), James Johnson (Cellular & Physiological Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00137227
Volume: 165
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: Transplantation
UBC Author(s): Tom Blydt-Hansen (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00411337
Volume: 108
Page Range: 1776-1781
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: Nature Reviews Cancer
UBC Author(s): Calvin Kuo (School of Biomedical Engineering / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 1474175X
Volume: 24
Page Range: 523-539
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Journal of Pain
UBC Author(s): Paul Yong (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15265900
Volume: 25
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: International Journal of Obesity
UBC Author(s): Nadia Ahmed Khan (Division of General Internal Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03070565
Volume: 48
Page Range: 1118-1125
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Kidney International Reports
UBC Author(s): Adeera Levin (Division of Nephrology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 24680249
Volume: 9
Page Range: 2410-2419
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
UBC Author(s): Tom Blydt-Hansen (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03065251
Volume: 90
Page Range: 1790-1803
Publication Date: August 2024

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Publication: Blood
UBC Author(s): Andrew Weng (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), David Scott (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine), Christian Steidl (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine), Kerry Savage (Division of Medical Oncology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00064971
Volume: 144
Page Range: 525-540
Publication Date: 1 August 2024

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Publication: Fertility and Sterility
UBC Author(s): Paul Yong (Obstetrics & Gynaecology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00150282
Volume: 122
Page Range: 304-315
Publication Date: August 2024

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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. Saville characterized SARS-CoV-2 variants in real-time as they emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborating with the BC - Centres For Disease Control, antibodies from patient sera were assessed for their ability to neutralize major viral variants to help inform future vaccination strategies. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Musoke evaluated the impact of two interventions to improve access to medicines in Uganda. He found that the benefits of such interventions were maintained over a long duration when implemented nationally. This knowledge will aid in the design of future interventions to improve access to medicines in Uganda and other countries. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2024 Dr. Nassrallah found that mice with the Huntington Disease (HD) gene have altered calcium signaling and decreased levels of a neuroprotective protein called Activin A. Increasing Activin A expression improves the performance of these mice on a motor task. This research presents Activin A as a new therapeutic avenue for HD. Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD)
2024 Dr. Bhasin investigated a novel drug target for breast cancer treatment, where his research revealed that this target is involved in poor patient survival, promotes pro-cancer signals, and drives treatment resistance. Further exploration confirmed its high druggability potential, paving the way for a new mechanism of action for anti-cancer drugs. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Molzahn characterized the composition of protein aggregates that form in brain tissue during aging, contributing new information to the mechanism of aggregate formation and neurodegeneration. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Rahavi's work advances neuroblastoma (NB) research by refining mouse models for better real-time, non-invasive tracking of tumour progression. By integrating luciferase expression into TH-MYCN mice and human NB cell lines, it enables effective monitoring of potential treatments, offering insights into NB biology and therapy development. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2023 Dr. Radisavljevic investigated the role of gut bacteria in Parkinson's disease using a mouse model. This work helps with an understanding of which gut bacterial members may play a role in modulating non-motor symptoms of this disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Moon developed enzyme-mediated cell surface engineering techniques that modify both major blood antigen A and minor blood antigen RhD to generate universal donor red blood cells. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2023 Dr. Dziurdzik investigated a protein family implicated in different neurological disorders that hold together cellular compartments and shuttle lipids between them. Her work uncovered how these proteins target various compartments, improved our understanding of the disease pathogenesis, and also identified novel proteins with related functions. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2023 Dr. Zhang studied the effect of non-invasive stimulation therapies on brain neurobiology. Stimulation therapies are critical for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and her work showed that stimulation therapies can affect the generation of new neurons in the brain to potentially mediate therapeutic and side-effects. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)

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