Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is where great minds make a difference. The Faculty enjoys an international reputation for outstanding pharmaceutical sciences research. Across a broad base of collaborative, paradigm-shaping pilot projects, our world-leading researchers generate relevant results that address the pressing health needs of society. In short, our work improves lives.

If you are passionate about health sciences research that makes a difference in people's lives, you're in good hands. We offer award-wining graduate programs led by world-class researchers. You'll have access to top-tier facilities and be working alongside the best and brightest in the field, conducting research that addresses real life problems. Our paradigm-changing approach is collaborative, innovative, and results-driven.

We're tackling diseases like asthma / chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. We're developing better ways to deliver drugs and prevent adverse drug reactions. And we're conducting clinical and economic research in pharmaceutical outcomes.

Our reputation as a top research centre attracts some of the brightest and most productive minds in the field. Our faculty includes Canada Research Chairs, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholars and Senior Scholars, and Distinguished University Scholars.

Purpose

We are innovators in pharmacy education, research and practice, with the goal of supporting the optimization of drug therapy in the pursuit of improved patient outcomes.

Commitments

We support our people, creating a community that enables excellence through collective action.
We seek novel ideas, putting into practice those with the greatest scope for sustained impact.
We search for relevant connections, fostering meaningful collaborations that provide mutual benefit.

Faculty Website

Fact Sheet

Mission

To be a catalyst for change in pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical sciences.

37

Master's Students

(2023)
44

Doctoral Students

(2023)
13

Graduate Degrees Awarded

(2022)
75

Full-Time Faculty

(2023)
13.7

million in Research Awards

(2023/2024)

Research Centres

adMare BioInnovations is located in our building. It is an independent, non-profit organization with a focus on bridging the gap between academic discoveries in the health sciences and the development of new medicines to treat human disease. The Faculty partners with adMare BioInnovations to provide unique research and mentoring opportunities for MSc and PhD students.

We are also home to several sophisticated research centres that specialize in the areas of human genome and exome sequencing, and health outcomes research.

Research Facilities

Opened in 2012, the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building at UBC is a state-of-the-art learning and research facility. The building houses modern, modular labs designed specifically for the type of research intended for the space. Our classroom facilities are fitted with advanced technology to facilitate new modes of learning.

Measuring 246,000 square feet, it's an eye-catching addition to our campus, and has drawn attention and admiration from around the world—including 15 awards of excellence.

Research Highlights

As a leading research faculty, we conduct ground-breaking research in the pharmaceutical sciences – all with the goal of addressing the pressing health needs of society and improving lives. Our research activities centre around four areas of focus.

Epidemiology & Health Outcomes

This theme covers our activities in epidemiological analysis, health outcomes and health economics research seeking solutions for the predictive enhancement of intervention strategies for practical and preventive healthcare. The impact of this work is used to shape policy to optimize the allocation of health care resources as well as defining the efficacy of healthcare interventions and strategy.

Molecular & Systems Pharmacology

This highly interdisciplinary theme embodies research directed at the interactions of therapeutic agents with human cells, and covers fundamental questions of the mechanisms of the drug action through to the behaviour of drugs in human systems. These studies are used to inform and optimize the development and delivery of drug intervention regimes for clinical practice and the pharmaceutical industry.

Nanomedicine & Chemical Biology

This theme applies our expertise in the chemical biology of the fabrication and handling of nanoscopic materials to drug discovery and delivery. Sensing and screening technologies are also an important focus.

Pharmacy Education

Our research in this theme addresses the issue of scholarship in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences with a view to augment our educational research capacity and enhance the methodologies of teaching practice, student learning and curriculum decision-making.

Explore Research Themes

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

Name	Research Interests
Cairns, Brian	Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); electrophysiology; headache; Neuropharmacology; Oro-Facial Pain; pain; pain mechanisms; peripheral analgesics; sex-related differences; temporomandibular disorders
Chang, Thomas	Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects)
Cheng, Miffy	nanomedicine; gene therapy to combat chronic diseases
Conklin, Annalijn	Public health nutrition policy; Other basic medicine and life sciences; Social Determinants of Dietary and Metabolic Disorders; social nutritional epidemiology; women's health; Health Equity; Chronic Diseases in Elderly; Obesity; CVD risk factors; healthy ageing; food and nutrition policy; Indigenous health; Community Health / Public Health; disease management evaluation; healthcare quality improvement
Coughtrie, Michael	Drug metabolizing enzymes
Cragg, Jacquelyn	Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); data science; open science; Causal inference; Drug Effectiveness; Drug Safety; Epidemiology; neuro-epidemiology; Neurological diseases; Spinal cord injury; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); multiple sclerosis; Parkinson’s disease
De Vera, Mary	examining how eHealth technologies can support new and existing models of care to improve care delivery and patient outcomes; exploring patients' perspectives and experiences with medication taking and adherence; and evaluating the use and impacts of medications among pregnant women, particularly with inflammatory conditions.
Finbloom, Joel	Drug discovery, design and delivery; Biologically active molecules; Nanochemistry; Antimicrobial resistance; Nanomedicine; nanomedicine; Chemical Biology; drug delivery; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Infectious disease; Bacterial Biofilms; Microbiome; Probiotics; Antibiotic resistance
Frankel, Adam	Other basic medicine and life sciences; Enzymes (including kinetics and mechanisms, and biocatalyst); Protein Biochemistry; arginine methylation; Histones; Nucleosomes; post-translational modifications; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Organic Molecules and Biomolecules; Bioactive Molecules; Proteins; Chemical Biology; drug discovery; Target Engagement; yeast; Amino acids
Giaever, Guri	Model organisms, human therapeutics, high-throughput cell biology, drug synergy, technologies for understanding relationship between chromatic structure and transcriptional regulation
Harrison, Mark	measurement and valuation of health, health technology and policy assessment, and preferences for healthcare interventions; evaluation/re-evaluation of the type of health care that is provided, the point in the treatment pathway, and the way in which it is delivered
Jarvis-Selinger, Sandra	Education, human learning, development, and instruction, education innovation, konwledge translation, teaching excellence, curriculum design, technology
Johnson, Kate	Health care effectiveness and outcomes; Health economics; Health outcomes; Epidemiology
Krentz, Nicole	Human development and organogenesis; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, n.e.c.; Human physiology, n.e.c.; Diabetes; Developmental biology; Genetics
Kumar, Ujendra	Somatostatin hormone, molecular pharmacology, Somatostatin, , Hormones, somatostatin, locomotor and cognitive function, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs
Lalji, Fawziah	Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Pharmacoepidemiology; Infectious diseases; Immunization; Antibiotics and Resistance; Vaccine preventable diseases
Li, Shyh-Dar	Drug discovery, design and delivery; Nano-technology; biopharmaceutics; drug delivery; nanomedicine; pharmaceutics; Gene delivery and therapy; Regenerative medicine; Localized drug delivery
Loewen, Peter	Cardiology and circulatory sciences (including cardiovascular disease); Clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Population health interventions; atrial fibrillation; Pharmacoepidemiology; Thrombosis and Embolism; adherence to medication; Cardiovascular diseases; Arrhythmia; Heart Failure; stroke; Health Care Technologies; Professional Practices; Hematology; decision making; clinical prediction rules; hospital pharmacy practice; knowledge translation of evidence to patient care; patient complexiometry; patient decision aids; patient education; pharmacy practice; prediction of stroke and bleeding in atrial fibrillation patients; quality of care, quality drug therapy; Shared decision-making; stroke prevention therapy; use of mobile technology for clinical decision-making
Lynd, Larry	health economics, orphan drugs, pharmaceutical policy, respiratory medicine, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, rare diseases
Maharaj, Anil	Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, n.e.c.; Pharmacometrics; Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics; Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology
McCormack, James	Knowledge translation and evidence-based practice
Nislow, Corey	Genomics; Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; genomics; Genetics; drug discovery; Biotechnology; Space Biology
Page, Brent	Drug discovery, design and delivery; Cell Signaling and Cancer; Cancer; Cell signaling; Chemical Biology; Drug development; Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery; Medicinal Chemistry; Target Engagement
Rodrigues, Brian	Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Diabetes; Cardiomyopathy; Heart Failure; Energy Metabolism; Cardiovascular metabolism; Endothelial cell - cardiomyocyte crosstalk; Vascular Endothelial Growth factors
Ross, Colin	Care; Genomics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Biomedical Technologies; Drug Metabolism; Gene Therapy; Gene-based therapeutics; Pharmacogenomics; Precision Medicine; transgenic models