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Overview

Experimental Medicine is the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Modern experimental medicine represents a rapidly growing body of knowledge involving the determination of diseases processes and the development of appropriate therapies.

The Experimental Medicine Program is intended for individuals seeking a career in research. The Department of Medicine offers opportunities and facilities for advanced studies in Experimental medicine, leading toward the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Members of the Department direct research programs in a wide range of basic and clinically relevant areas. There are a variety of special interest areas of national and international stature. Specialties within the Experimental Medicine Program include: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Immunology, Medical Oncology, Molecular Biology, Nephrology, Neurology and Respiratory Medicine.

The principal emphasis of this graduate program is training in research. Success at this level is traditionally measured by the preparation and defense of a thesis. Course work is required of all students, based on the background of the candidate and the degree program. The work of each Ph.D. candidate will be supervised by a candidate’s Committee consisting of not fewer than three members. These may include faculty members from a department other than that in which the candidate is writing the thesis. 

 
 

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Program Enquiries

Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

Applicants are not required to have a supervisor at the time of applying, but the application won't be reviewed until they secure a supervisor and all required paperwork is submitted.

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement: 96

Reading

22

Writing

22

Speaking

22

Listening

22

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

7.0

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Listening

7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

For admission to the PhD program in Experimental Medicine, the student must hold a M.Sc. degree in life sciences, biology, zoology, biochemistry, or related disciplines.

2) Meet Deadlines

May 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
01 May 2024
Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 15 January 2025
Transcript Deadline: 31 January 2025
Referee Deadline: 31 January 2025
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 15 December 2024
Transcript Deadline: 31 December 2024
Referee Deadline: 31 December 2024

September 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
01 September 2024
Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 15 May 2025
Transcript Deadline: 31 May 2025
Referee Deadline: 31 May 2025
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 15 April 2025
Transcript Deadline: 30 April 2025
Referee Deadline: 30 April 2025

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.

Citizenship Verification

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

FeesCanadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / DiplomatInternational
Application Fee$116.25$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year33
Tuition per installment$1,838.57$3,230.06
Tuition per year
(plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)
$5,515.71$9,690.18
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) $3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)$1,116.60 (approx.)
Costs of livingEstimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

Effective September 2024, successful applicants who will start the Ph.D. program and who do not hold a major scholarship, will receive a minimum stipend of $30,000 per year from their supervisor.
 

Average Funding
Based on the criteria outlined below, 48 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $33,763.
  • 1 student received Teaching Assistantships valued at $3,372.
  • 37 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 37 students was $20,467.
  • 7 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 7 students was $3,906.
  • 48 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 48 students was $10,058.
  • 13 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 13 students was $26,914.

Study Period: Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 - average funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

124 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 graduate is seeking employment; for 16 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 107 graduates:


RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (30)
Stanford University (4)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (2)
University of Toronto (2)
Universite de Montreal (2)
University of Alberta
Emory University
McGill University
University of Cambridge
China Medical University
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
AstraZeneca (3)
Takeda Canada Inc. (2)
Vancouver Coastal Health (2)
STEMCELL Technologies (2)
Pfizer (2)
Provincial Health Services Authority (2)
Omniox Inc.
Vancouver General Hospital
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Epidemico
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Medical Science Liaison (4)
Postdoctoral Fellow (4)
Research Associate (3)
Senior Scientist (3)
Research Scientist (3)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2)
Epidemiologist (2)
Associate Research Scientist
Director of Business Development
Technology Specialist
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.
Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

 20232022202120202019
Applications1520362632
Offers71120815
New Registrations61013714
Total Enrolment988594114120

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 87% based on 113 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 47 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 3.07 years and the maximum time is 9.22 years with an average of 5.92 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Monday, 18 November 2024 - 4:00pm - Room 203

Katarzyna Kabacinska
End-User Perspectives on Social Robots to Support Mental Health in the Hospital and at Home

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 - 9:00am - James Hogg Conference Centre, Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Str

Abhinav Kumar Checkervarty
Investigating Early Life Immunity and Vaccine Response Using High-Dimensional Biological (omics) Datasets

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
All applicants need firm commitment from a supervisor prior to applying.
 
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

 

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

  • Li, Linda (Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Patient and citizen engagement research; Patient-centered care; Mobile health (mHealth); Health counselling; Health promotion and disease prevention; Physical therapy; Care)
  • Lim, Chinten James (Cancer progression and metastasis; Solid cancer tumours; Hematological tumours; tumour cell biology; mechanisms of drug resistance; integrin cell adhesion and migration; tumour microenvironment; pediatric oncology)
  • Lima, Viviane Dias (Aging process; Population health interventions; Health promotion and disease prevention; HIV; Aging; Epidemiology; Statistics; mathematical modelling; prevention strategies for the transmission of HIV; novel intervention strategies to avert HIV disease progression)
  • Liu-Ambrose, Teresa (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Physical therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Healthy Aging; exercise; Fall prevention; Cognitive Aging; Randomized Controlled Trials; Physical Activity; Mobility; Neuroimaging; Sleep)
  • Loree, Jonathan (Cancer; Carcinoid tumors)
  • Loucks, Catrina (Medical, health and life sciences; Pharmacogenomics; Pain management; Medical Genetics; Model organism genetics; Drug reactions)
  • Luciani, Dan (Cell metabolism; Cell differentiation, proliferation and death; Organelle function; Other basic medicine and life sciences; Diabetes; Pancreatic beta-cell function and failure; Mitochondrial physiology; Lysosomal physiology; Cell calcium signalling; Cell stress signalling; Mechanisms of cell death; autophagy; Cellular senescence; fluorescence microscopy)
  • Lui, Harvey (lasers; skin disease; psoriasis; dermatology; pigmentary disorders; vitiligo; applied optics; photomedicine; photodynamic therapy, Dermatology, photomedicine, lasers, psoriasis, vitiligo, dermatologic education)
  • Lunken, Genelle (Clinical nutrition; Human nutrition and dietetics, n.e.c.; Gastroenterology; Personalised nutrition therapies; Dietary fibre; Inflammatory bowel disease; Gut microbiome; Food additives)
  • Luo, Honglin (Basic medicine and life sciences; Viral Infections; Cardiomyopathy; Innate immunity; Central Nervous System Inflammatory Diseases; Enteroviral infection and neurodegeneration; Oncolytic virus; Protein quality control in cardiac remodeling; RNA viruses)
  • Lyons, Christopher (Pediatric Ophthalmology; Oculoplastics)
  • Madden, Kenneth (Geriatrics and gerontology; Exercise interventions; Sedentary Behaviour; Syncope; Falls Prevention; Sarcopenia; Machine Learning)
  • Masse, Louise (Health care administration; Health sciences; Public and population health; Childhood obesity with specific interests in prevention and treatment using lifestyle modification; Films, Membranes and Multiphase Polymers; Health Promotion; Nutrition; Obesity; Physical Activity)
  • Matsell, Douglas (Childhood kidney disease, Congenital urinary tract obstruction)
  • Matsubara, Joanne Aiko (Sensory systems, visual; Cellular interactions (including adhesion, matrix and cell wall); Gene and molecular therapy; Cellular neuroscience; neuroscience; vision; cell and development; cell death pathways; innate immune response; eye disease, retinal degenerations; Alzheimer's disease; neurodegeneration)
  • Maxwell, Christopher (Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; Cell differentiation, proliferation and death; Pediatric cancer; Cancer progression and metastasis; Hereditary Cancer; Cell division; Cell migration; Differentiation; Cell polarity)
  • McAlpine, Jessica (subtypes of ovarian and endometrial cancers, and prevention)
  • McCracken, Rita (Audit and feedback to improve primary care prescribing; Health human resources; Polypharmacy and deprescribing; Frailty, aging; Patient-oriented research outcomes; Primary care research; Health services evaluation)
  • McKay, Heather (Population health interventions; Aging process; Social and biological determinants of aging; Health promotion and disease prevention; Prevention, treatment and support of youth health; Medical, health and life sciences; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; Health and community services; Aging Process; Public and Population Health)
  • McNagny, Kelly Marshall (Cellular immunology; Regenerative medicine (including stem cells and tissue engineering); Stem Cells; Immunology; Inflammation; Mouse models of human disease; Tissue degeneration/regeneration; Cancer; innate immune response; kidney function; Biologics and therapeutics)
  • Milloy, Michael-John (Infectious diseases; Clinical sciences, n.e.c.; Psychosocial, sociocultural and behavioral determinants of health; medical cannabis; overdose; HIV disease; people who use drugs; Substance use disorder)
  • Miran-Khan, Karim (Exercise is Medicine; Health promotion via Exercise; Type 2 DM prevention)
  • Moore, David (HIV prevention and control, HIV among men who have sex with men, HIV in sub-Saharan Africa; epidemiology; public health)
  • Moritz, Orson (Mechanisms underlying genetically inherited forms of blindness)
  • Mui, Alice (Inflammatory Signalling Pathways)

Pages

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
2022 In line with a research priority recently established by the World Health Organization, Dr. Schwartz adapted a pan-Canadian chronic disease prevention program for Brazilians. He revealed significant improvements in lifestyle behaviours demonstrating the efficacy of this intervention in the fight against chronic disease in lower-income countries.
2022 Dr. Nikoo studied the role of opium tincture for treating patients with opioid use disorder. His results showed that opium tincture is a safe and effective treatment for this purpose. His findings can improve the availability and diversity of cost-effective and culturally acceptable treatments for patients with opioid use disorder across the world.
2022 Dr. Chakraborti examined families involvement in adapted physical activity programs for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She found parents formed peer support networks, promoting a sense of community. This demonstrates a potential innovative approach to overcome social isolation among families while supporting child development.
2021 Dr. Balthazaar longitudinally examined cardiac alterations of individuals in the months following spinal cord injury. He also investigated the impact of exercise modalities on cardiac adaptations in this population. His work brings to light the cardiac changes after spinal cord injury and can help guide clinical practice and future research.
2021 Dr. Ammar looked at the role of leech saliva extract (LSE) in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), he also looked at the role of protease activate receptor-1 (PAR-1) in PCa. He found anticancer effects of LSE in advanced stages of PCa, while he did not find an impact of PAR-1 alone on PCa growth. This helps in better treatment of advanced PCa.
2021 Dr. Mahmood investigated accelerometer based measurement of physical activity (PA) and sedentary time in South Asian adults at high risk for diabetes. This research highlighted low levels of Light and Moderate-to-Vigorous PA and high sedentary time. Socio-cultural influences impacted how PA was conceptualized in a South Asian context, offering valuable insights and recommendations for policy development.
2021 Dr. Nizamudheen studied novel therapeutic strategies for two childhood genetic eye diseases, Aniridia syndrome and Usher syndrome 1D, in mouse and 3D tissue models. Drug (Ataluren) and stem cell approaches were used to replace the missing Pax6 and Cdh23 proteins, rescuing the structural abnormalities and improving vision in the mouse models.
2021 Is exercise good for us? Undoubtedly it is, however, Dr. Morrison found that physically active older individuals can have heart disease and should undergo a cardiac assessment if engaging in vigorous exercise. This research increases heart health awareness in older physically active individuals to prevent adverse heart events during exercise.
2021 Some chemotherapy drugs can severely damage the heart, leading to lifelong heart complications. Dr. Christidi generated heart cells from patients' stem cells to identify ways to predict and prevent chemotherapy induced side effects.
2021 Dr. Babaeijandaghi dissected the role of the immune system in muscle regeneration. His work unveiled the therapeutic potential of a new class of immune-modulatory drugs to treat a debilitating genetic muscular disorder called Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Pages

Further Information

Specialization

Experimental Medicine offers research opportunities in the following specialties: cardiology, cancer biology, dermatology, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, molecular medicine, nephrology, neurology, and respiratory medicine. All these fields can involve patients and/or experimental animal models.

Program Website

Faculty Overview

Program Identifier

VGDPHD-QB
 

Apply Now

If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.
If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.
 

May 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
01 May 2024
Canadian Applicant Deadline
15 January 2025
International Applicant Deadline
15 December 2024

September 2025 Intake

Application Open Date
01 September 2024
Canadian Applicant Deadline
15 May 2025
International Applicant Deadline
15 April 2025
 
Supervisor Search
 

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