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

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
Burt, Helen Mary Nanotechnology, non-sized drug carriers, nanoparticulte drug delivery
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); Drug Metabolism; Cytochrome P450; Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes; Gene Expression; Gene regulation; Nuclear Receptor; Pharmacology
Collier, Abby Drugs in children, Drugs in pregnancy, Developmental pharmacology, Drug metabolism, Pharmacokinetics, Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, primarily of the phase II (conjugation) enzymes, focused on pregnancy and pediatrics
Conklin, Annalijn Human nutrition and dietetics; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Chronic Diseases in Elderly; Community Health / Public Health; disease management evaluation; food and nutrition policy; Gender Epidemiology; gender and health equity; Health Policies; healthcare quality improvement; healthy ageing; Indigenous health; Obesity; obesity & CVD risk factors; Professional Practices; Social Determinants of Dietary and Metabolic Disorders; social nutritional epidemiology
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.
Frankel, Adam Drug discovery, design and delivery; Enzymes (including kinetics and mechanisms, and biocatalyst); Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Bioactive Molecules; Organic Molecules and Biomolecules; Proteins; arginine methylation; post-translational modifications; Chemical Biology; drug discovery; Target Engagement; Protein Biochemistry; yeast; autophagy; Amino acids
Giaever, Guri Model organisms, human therapeutics, high-throughput cell biology, drug synergy, technologies for understanding relationship between chromatic structure and transcriptional regulation
Hafeli, Urs Pharmacokinetics; Imaging; Radiotherapy; Immunotherapy; Development of Drug Delivery Systems; Radiopharmaceuticals; Radioimmunotherapy; Magnetic Targeting; Targeted Drug Delivery; Novel polymers; Nanoparticles; Microspheres; Microneedles; Bioconjugates
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
Hedtrich, Sarah Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Nanotechnologies; Structural Tissue Engineering / Biomaterials; Inflammatory Respiratory Diseases; Skin; New Biomedical Approaches - Alternatives to Animal Testing; Novel therapies for inflammatory and genetic diseases of human epithelia; Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing; Topical drug delivery and Nanomedicine
Jarvis-Selinger, Sandra Education, human learning, development, and instruction, education innovation, konwledge translation, teaching excellence, curriculum design, technology
Kumar, Ujendra Somatostatin hormone, molecular pharmacology, Somatostatin, , Hormones, somatostatin, locomotor and cognitive function, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs
Lalji, Fawziah Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Pharmacoepidemiology; Infectious diseases; Vaccination; Antibiotics and Resistance; Tuberculosis
Lau, Tim ,
Li, Shyh-Dar Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); biopharmaceutics; drug delivery; nanomedicine; pharmaceutics
Loewen, Peter Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Cardiovascular diseases; Arrhythmia; Thrombosis and Embolism; Heart Failure; Pharmacoepidemiology; stroke; Health Care Technologies; Professional Practices; Hematology; decision making; adherence to medication; atrial fibrillation; clinical prediction rules; healthcare communication technologies; 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 and develops biotechnology tools to address both fundamental and applied biological questions; Parallel genome-wide chemical genomic screens; High throughput cell-based screens; Next Generation Sequencing
Page, Brent Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Cell Signaling and Cancer; Cancer; Cell signaling; Chemical Biology; Drug development; drug discovery; Medicinal Chemistry; Target Engagement
Rafizadeh, Reza

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Michael Rowley

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Development of small-molecule inhibitors against Protein Arginine N-methyltransferase 2

Yuejian Liu

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Structure-function relationships of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases

Petar Iliev

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Developing selective small-molecule probes for STAT3 using thermal stability assays

Danielle Hanke

Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSc)

Medicinal Chemistry

Arwa Nemir

Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSc)

Exploring What Patients Can Teach Us About Pharmacy Student Skills

Tarique Benbow

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

The CB2 receptor as a potential target for Vascular Headaches

Sumreen Javed

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Understanding Role of Invadopodia in Breast Tumor metastasis via Lymphatics.

Jennifer Brown

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Identification and elucidation of the roles of methylarginine-containing proteins in stress and aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Swamy Yeleswaram

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) [1992]

Job Title
VP

Employer
Incyte Corporation

Gary Lopaschuk

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) [1983]

Job Title
Professor

Employer
University of Alberta
All Alumni Stories

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 Pharmaceutical Sciences.

 

Co-production of randomized clinical trials with patients: a case study in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant for patients with scleroderma
Publication: Trials
UBC Author(s): Mark Harrison (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 22
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Nerve growth factor and glutamate increase the density and expression of substance P-containing nerve fibers in healthy human masseter muscles
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Brian Cairns (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Shared decision making in pregnancy in inflammatory bowel disease: design of a patient orientated decision aid
Publication: BMC Gastroenterology
UBC Author(s): Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Researchers’ perspectives on methodological challenges and outcomes selection in interventional studies targeting medication adherence in rheumatic diseases: an OMERACT-adherence study
Publication: BMC Rheumatology
UBC Author(s): Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 5
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Validation and minimum important difference of the UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire in fibrotic interstitial lung disease
Publication: Respiratory Research
UBC Author(s): Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14659921
Volume: 22
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Sex-related differences in response to masseteric injections of glutamate and nerve growth factor in healthy human participants
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Brian Cairns (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
A genome-wide portrait of pervasive drug contaminants
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Corey Nislow (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Guri Giaever (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Transcriptome-wide association study uncovers the role of essential genes in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity
Publication: npj Genomic Medicine
UBC Author(s): Colin Ross (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 6
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
“Walking into the unknown…” key challenges of pregnancy and early parenting with inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
Publication: Arthritis Research and Therapy
UBC Author(s): Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14786354
Volume: 23
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Trends in oral corticosteroids use in severe asthma: a 14-year population-based study
Publication: Respiratory Research
UBC Author(s): Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14659921
Volume: 22
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Mild catalytic defects of tert rs61748181 polymorphism affect the clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Judy Wong (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 11
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Gender modifies the effect of body mass index on lung function decline in mild-to-moderate COPD patients: a pooled analysis
Publication: Respiratory Research
UBC Author(s): Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14659921
Volume: 22
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Correction to: Understanding the key processes of excellence as a prerequisite to establishing academic centres of excellence in Africa (BMC Medical Education, (2021), 21, 1, (36), 10.1186/s12909-020-02471-0)
Publication: BMC Medical Education
UBC Author(s): Corey Nislow (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Biological and therapeutic implications of a unique subtype of NPM1 mutated AML
Publication: Nature Communications
UBC Author(s): Corey Nislow (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Understanding the key processes of excellence as a prerequisite to establishing academic centres of excellence in Africa
Publication: BMC Medical Education
UBC Author(s): Corey Nislow (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Pharmacogenomics at the point of care: A community pharmacy project in British Columbia
Publication: Journal of Personalized Medicine
UBC Author(s): Corey Nislow (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 11
Page Range: 1-18
Publication Date: December 2021

View Publication
Novel variant in glycophorin c gene protects against ribavirin-induced anemia during chronic hepatitis C treatment
Publication: Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy
UBC Author(s): Colin Ross (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 07533322
Volume: 143
Publication Date: November 2021

View Publication
Methodology for constructing scenarios for health policy research: The case of coverage decision-making for drugs for rare diseases in Canada: Constructing scenarios for health policy research
Publication: Technological Forecasting and Social Change
UBC Author(s): Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 00401625
Volume: 171
Publication Date: October 2021

View Publication
Choice and Trade-offs: Parent Decision Making for Neurotechnologies for Pediatric Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Publication: Journal of Child Neurology
UBC Author(s): Mark Harrison (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 08830738
Volume: 36
Page Range: 943-949
Publication Date: October 2021

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Toward the diagnosis of rare childhood genetic diseases: what do parents value most?
Publication: European Journal of Human Genetics
UBC Author(s): Mark Harrison (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 10184813
Volume: 29
Page Range: 1491-1501
Publication Date: October 2021

View Publication
Treatment initiation in patients with interstitial lung disease in Canada
Publication: Annals of the American Thoracic Society
UBC Author(s): Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 23296933
Volume: 18
Page Range: 1661-1668
Publication Date: October 2021

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Correction to: Toward the diagnosis of rare childhood genetic diseases: what do parents value most? (European Journal of Human Genetics, (2021), 29, 10, (1491-1501), 10.1038/s41431-021-00882-1)
Publication: European Journal of Human Genetics
UBC Author(s): Mark Harrison (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 10184813
Volume: 29
Page Range: 1589
Publication Date: October 2021

View Publication
Successes, lessons and opportunities: 15-year follow-up of an integrated evidence-based medicine curriculum
Publication: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
UBC Author(s): James McCormack (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 2515446X
Volume: 26
Page Range: 241-245
Publication Date: 1 October 2021

View Publication
Characterization of an ester-based core-multishell (CMS) nanocarrier for the topical application at the oral mucosa
Publication: Clinical Oral Investigations
UBC Author(s): Sarah Hedtrich (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14326981
Volume: 25
Page Range: 5795-5805
Publication Date: October 2021

View Publication
Secondary biogenic amine deficiencies: genetic etiology, therapeutic interventions, and clinical effects
Publication: Neurogenetics
UBC Author(s): Colin Ross (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 13646745
Volume: 22
Page Range: 251-262
Publication Date: October 2021

View Publication

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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
2021 Dr. Yang studied a special four-stranded nucleic acid structure, called the G-quadruplex, through developing new tools and methods. His collection of works provide evidence for the biological relevance and existence of these structures in living human cells. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2020 Dr. Lin performed structure-activity relationship studies on anti-HIV molecules. During this process, she discovered novel chemical reactivities of these compounds. The findings are crucial for the future development of biologically active molecules toward treatments of various diseases and crop protection. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2020 Dr. Agnoletti investigated the use of polymeric microspheres as carriers to deliver antibiotics selectively to the lungs after intravenous administration. Her findings support the passive lung targeting strategy to improve the treatments of bacterial lung infections and, potentially, other lung diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2020 Dr. Lal studied the role of the protein VEGFB in the diabetic heart. He found that this growth factor has the potential to protect against the changes that occur in the heart following diabetes and can lead to heart failure. This research helps in identifying a novel therapeutic target to prevent diabetic heart disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2020 Dr. Atiquzzaman revealed the mediating role of NSAIDs in the increased risk of heart diseases among osteoarthritis patients. He also evaluated the cardiovascular safety of various NSAIDs used to treat osteoarthritis. This will help to understand the link between osteoarthritis and heart disease better and improve the safe treatment of this disease. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2020 Dr. Johnson evaluated strategies for improving the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She found that early detection strategies for COPD are cost-effective, and that the risk of COPD should be assessed regularly at primary care visits. Her research can help to reduce the burden of COPD on patients and the healthcare system. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2019 Current HIV treatment can effectively manage infection, but it is not a cure. Hence, there is a need for new kinds of anti-HIV drugs. Dr. Zamiri discovered two anti-HIV molecules active in both wild and drug resistant HIV strains. Her research suggests a mechanism of action different from the current HIV drugs and may inform future therapies. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2019 Dr. Gorrin constructed a model based on his conversations with people with asthma and measured how participants in two asthma studies reported their medication usage. The integration of his findings helped to understand why some people don't take the medication and how to encourage regular medication usage. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2019 Drug discovery can be lengthy, complicated and requires extensive resources. Working in partnership with the pharmacy and chemistry departments, Dr. Koperniku explored access to pharmaceutically relevant small molecules. Her work advances the optimization of pharmaceuticals and informs improved patient care. Her past and future dedication is to serve humanity. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
2019 Dr. Wang found out that heparanase, using its properties to promote cell survival, protect the heart cells against multiple stresses frequently seen in patients with ischemia and diabetes-induced heart diseases, in both cell experiments and animal studies. This research could help devise new strategies to combat heart diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

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Interesting Links

https://phargsubc.wixsite.com/phargsubc
https://atavist.com/
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