Connor Forbes

Assistant Professor

Research Interests

Endourology
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Kidney stones
Translational research

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

Affiliations to Research Centres, Institutes & Clusters

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).
I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.
I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.
 
 

Recruitment

Master's students
Doctoral students
Postdoctoral Fellows
2024

Dr Connor Forbes graduated from UBC Medicine and completed his residency in Urology at UBC. His fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre was a combined research and clinical fellowship including subspecialty training in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), Kidney Stones, and advanced minimally invasive surgical approaches to upper and lower tract urologic diseases. 

Dr Forbes' primary research interests are in the pathophysiology, treatment, and patient experience of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia and Kidney Stones. He is integrated within the Vancouver Prostate Centre, leveraging world class facilities and infrastructure into the Benign Prostate Hyperplasia space, including large biobanks and translational basic science evaluating growth pathways in the prostate with an ultimate goal of prognostication, targeted therapy, and personalized medicine. Additional basic science interests include the prevention and treatment of infections in kidney stones, and he works closely with Drs Dirk Lange and Ben Chew on this front in the Stone Centre research group and internationally as a member of the EDGE research consortium.

Clinically, Dr Forbes provides expertise in BPH including medical management, TURP, HoLEP, UroLift, iTind, MISTs, and Robotic approaches. Dr Forbes treats the spectrum of Kidney Stone disease with Shockwave Lithotripsy, Ureterorenoscopy, and Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL). He has specialized training in Minimally Invasive Surgery for Upper Tract urologic issues including robotic approaches for Kidney Cancer, Stricture Disease including complex reconstruction, and others.

The ideal applicant will have interest in molecular pathways of the prostate, with a focus on identifying targets of interest for drug discovery. My laboratory uses both biobanked prostate tissue and an organoid model of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia to look for overlapping changes in prostate growth using a multi-omic approach. My laboratory is integrated in the Vancouver Prostate Centre and leverages the considerable expertise and abilities of this Centre to advance our translational goals.

I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).
I am interested in hiring Co-op students for research placements.

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Location

Vancouver General Hospital

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