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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

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.

 

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
2012 Dr. Wang examined the factors that control the molecular function of a type of immune cell called a T regulatory cell. When the activities of these cells go awry, diseases such as auto-immunity and cancer can result. This research has revealed potential tactics to better use T regulatory cells for treatment of those diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2012 Dr. Fairbank studied the ways in which cells protect themselves against stress and death. She investigated the role of a particular protein known as gp78, and examined previously unknown ways in which groups of proteins known as G proteins interact. This research deepens our understanding of the complex biology of cell survival and adaptation. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2012 Dr. Ho discovered that low carbohydrate, high protein diets slow cancer growth and incidence in mice. His research suggests that low carbohydrate, high protein diets could be used both to reduce the risk of cancer and as an adjunct treatment for cancer in humans. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2012 Dr. Wong discovered a long-sought causative mechanism behind tuberculosis. His studies revealed that a key protein from the tuberculosis-causing bacteria blocks the ability of human immune cells to defend against infection. His research contributed to our understanding of tuberculosis and promoted the development of new antibiotics against the re-emerging disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2012 Dr. Lin identified and examined molecules in the blood of heart transplant patients. Those molecules can help indicate when patients are having acute and chronic immune rejection episodes. His work demonstrated the potential use of these molecules, known as biomarkers, in a clinical setting, as well as their value in helping us understand the biology behind transplant heart rejection. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2012 Dr. Minks studied inactivation of X chromosome, which is one of the chromosomes that determine gender. In almost every woman cell, genes from only one of the two X chromosomes are utilized to produce proteins. The work of Dr. Minks helps to explain the relationship between sequence, structure and function of XIST, the key RNA molecule that regulates X chromosome inactivation. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)
2012 Dr. Heine conducted research into stem cells and the way blood vessels regenerate. She implanted a device, similar to a petri dish, which allows the study of cells within the living body. Her work revealed that there are subtle and complex relationships between cells under different conditions. The findings will contribute to advancements in stem cell research. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)
2012 Dr. Kannangara used mice to study how new memories can be formed in the brain. He specifically examined how a protein, called the NMDA receptor, is involved in the way brain cells grow and communicate with each other. This work assists us in understanding how learning and memory is accomplished in the brains of all animals. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2012 Dr. Zhang discovered novel mechanisms in which inflammatory stressors alter communication between neurons in the brain. Her findings assist us in understanding cognitive dysfunction in various brain disorders, including stroke, traumatic injuries, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2012 Dr. Krentz's research on drinking water safety showed that some bacteria can act as early warning indicators of a system failure, and others can be used to trace contamination back to a particular source. These findings will contribute to the development of better water protection measures for small water systems. Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD)

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