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
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.
Graduate Degree Programs
Research Supervisors in Faculty
| Name | Research Interests |
|---|---|
| Sadatsafavi, Mohsen | Respiratory diseases; Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Respiratory Research |
| Sindelar, Robert | Rationally-designed enzyme inhibitors; Computer-assisted molecular design and computational chemistry; Protein homology modeling; Medicinal Chemistry; Computer-aided drug discovery and design; Pharmaceutical biotechnology; Human immune system and drug design for related diseases |
| Soja, Peter | how synaptic transmission through identified ascending spinal sensory pathways and motoneuron pools differs during distinct behavioral states such as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and REM sleep, or general anesthesia vs. wakefulness |
| Soon, Judith | Contraception |
| Turgeon, Ricky | Cardiology and circulatory sciences (including cardiovascular disease); Health care effectiveness and outcomes; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Heart failure pharmacotherapy; Acute coronary syndromes / myocardial infarction; Cardiovascular risk reduction (lipid-lowering therapy, antiplatelet therapy); Cardiovascular safety of medications; Drug Effectiveness; Evidence-based practice; Shared decision making; Point-of-care decision aids / decision support tools; Knowledge translation / implementation; Risk calculators / clinical prediction tools; Pharmacist scope of practice; Clinical assessment / physical examination |
| Wilbur, Kerry | Professional Practices; Education Systems; workplace-based learning; culture and health professional education; patient and medication safety; interprofessional education; public health roles of pharmacists |
| Williams, Karla | Oncology |
| Wong, Judy | Carcinogenesis, cancer, aging, genetics, chromosome stability, cancer biology, pharmacology, pharmacognetics, human genetics, genomes, DNA, genomics |
| Wong, Harvey | applications of translational modeling and simulation techniques to optimize drug dose and regimen for new therapeutics, and to better understand emergence of cancer tumor drug resistance |
| Zed, Peter | Pharmacotherapy, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, airway pharmacology, sedation and analgesia, evidence-based medicine, adverse drug events, Pharmacotherapy best practice in emergency medicine and patient safety, particularly adverse drug events |
Pages
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.
UBC Author(s): Ricky Turgeon (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 0828282X
Volume: 36
Page Range: 1317-1321
Publication Date: August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Ricky Turgeon (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 0828282X
Volume: 36
Page Range: 1313-1316
Publication Date: August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Ricky Turgeon (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 0828282X
Volume: 36
Page Range: 1180-1182
Publication Date: August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 59
Page Range: 1808-1817
Publication Date: 1 August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Jacquelyn Cragg (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 15459683
Volume: 34
Page Range: 686-689
Publication Date: 1 August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 00123692
Volume: 158
Page Range: 479-490
Publication Date: August 2020
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UBC Author(s): Mohsen Sadatsafavi (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 00987484
Volume: 324
Page Range: 235-236
Publication Date: 21 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Brent Page (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 15
Page Range: 1842-1851
Publication Date: 17 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Peter Shane Loewen (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14439506
Volume: 29
Page Range: 1000-1014
Publication Date: July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Mary De Vera (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 14620324
Volume: 59
Page Range: 1514-1521
Publication Date: 1 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Annalijn Conklin (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: July 2020
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UBC Author(s): James McCormack (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 66
Page Range: 505-507
Publication Date: 1 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Harvey Wong (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 12
Page Range: 1-18
Publication Date: July 2020
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UBC Author(s): James McCormack (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 66
Page Range: 509-517
Publication Date: 1 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): James McCormack (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Volume: 66
Page Range: e187-e189
Publication Date: 1 July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Urs Hafeli (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 09396411
Volume: 152
Page Range: 108-115
Publication Date: July 2020
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UBC Author(s): Colin Ross (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Publication Date: 26 June 2020
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UBC Author(s): Larry Lynd (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Publication Date: 24 June 2020
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UBC Author(s): Urs Hafeli (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
ISSN: 19360851
Volume: 14
Page Range: 6693-6706
Publication Date: 23 June 2020
View Publication
Pages
Recent Thesis Submissions
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Benzisothiazole based anti-viral agents : new chemistry revealed during structure-activity relationship studies (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Development of efficient strategies for the synthesis of compound libraries of anti-HIV agents that block HIV replication (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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The neuroprotective role of somatostatin against beta amyloid induced toxicity in in vitro models of Alzheimer’s disease (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Safety of perinatal biologic use in autoimmune diseases : population-based studies of maternal and infant outcomes (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Understanding the epidemiology of young-onset colorectal cancer and information needs of patients and survivors (Pharmaceutical Sciences - MSC)
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Antibiotic-loaded polymeric microspheres for passive lung targeting after intravenous administration (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling can guide drug candidate optimization (Pharmaceutical Sciences - MSC)
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Population-level studies of the incremental economic burden of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Evaluating strategies for the early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Regulation and function of heparanase in the heart (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Crosstalk between somatostatin receptor subtypes and cannabinoid receptor 1 in excitotoxicity (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Octadentate chelators for zirconium- and other metal-based radiopharmaceuticals (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Cholesterol metabolism as a target in castration-resistant prostate cancer (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Assessment of atrial fibrillation patients' education needs. (Pharmaceutical Sciences - MSC)
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Genetic modifiers of telomere maintenance and their contributions to phenotypic variations in telomere biology disorders (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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The role of RhoA/ROCK signaling in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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The role of Rho kinase 2 in the development of ischemia/reperfusion injury in normal and diabetic hearts (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
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Pharmacologic targeting of the CB2 cannabinoid receptor for application in centrally-mediated chronic pain (Pharmaceutical Sciences - PHD)
Doctoral Citations
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr. Paik studied the mechanism involved in somatostatin-mediated protection against progression of Alzheimer's disease. He examined the effect of somatostatin on protecting blood brain barrier integrity and neurite stability. The findings from this research may be used in developing a novel therapeutic application in treating Alzheimer's disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Gordon studied the importance of altered cholesterol metabolism in advanced prostate cancer. His work established the critical nature of specific cholesterol metabolism proteins in driving cancer proliferation. These findings will further our understanding of cancer biology and aid in the creation of the next generation of cancer therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Tsao studied the safety of treatments for autoimmune diseases when used during pregnancy. Autoimmune diseases occur more frequently in females and untreated disease results in harm to both mothers and offspring. Her research findings show that a group of medications called biologics are safe and effective treatment options during pregnancy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Garcia-Patino studied the role of an enzyme called Rho kinase 2 in the development of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetes. Her findings show that the absene of this enzyme confers protection against this type of injury, while protection is lost in the presence of diabetes. These findings have potential therapeutic implications. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Nyamandi investigated the heart in obesity and diabetes. She showed that a diet high in fat and sucrose causes greater cardiac dysfunction than high fat alone, and that inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway prevents the onset of cardiac dysfunction in a diabetic model. This work advances our knowledge of diet- and diabetes-related cardiac disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Zou studied the relationship between somatostatin receptors and cannabinoid receptor 1 and found that these receptors exist and function in a complex. She also explored the pathological significance of such interaction in neuronal toxicity, offering a potential target for drug discovery against related neurological disorders. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. Campbell developed several economic models to inform healthcare policy aimed at reducing the disproportionate tuberculosis burden seen in migrant populations. He determined that targeting latent tuberculosis infection screening could cost-effectively improve population health and reduce the incidence of tuberculosis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2018 | Dr. McCormick studied the costs of lupus and related systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases in British Columbia. Her estimates of the extra medical costs of these little-known forms of arthritis, and impact on patients' paid & unpaid work, will inform public spending and research priorities | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Gong studied Rho-kinase, an enzyme involved in regulating the shape and movement of cells. She studied its effectiveness for the treatment of diabetic cardiovascular disease, different cancers, HIV, as well as inhibitors of protein for the treatment of cancer. Her work advances our understanding of disease at the molecular level. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Chiu studied the changes in cardiac metabolism during diabetes. Her findings revealed that during the onset of diabetes the heart switches from using fats and sugars for energy to use only fats, a switch that eventually leads to heart disease. Her research assists in identifying ways to treat or prevent diabetes-related heart disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) |