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Every day across British Columbia, trainees and researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are turning skills into jobs, investments into discoveries, and discoveries into solutions that are transforming health for everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors, health care professionals, and medical researchers, making remarkable discoveries to help create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers a diverse array of training opportunities including cutting-edge research experiences in the biosciences, globally recognized population health education, quality health professional training, as well as several certificate and online training options. The Faculty of Medicine is home to more than 1,700 graduate students housed in 20 graduate programs (14 of which offer doctoral research options). Year after year, research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine is supported by investment from funding sources here at home and around the globe, receiving approximately more than $1.8B in total research funding since 2016.

We value our trainees and the creative input they have to scholarly activities at UBC. Our priority is to enable their maximum potential through flexible opportunities that provide a breadth of experiences tailored to their own individual career objectives. We maintain high standards of excellence, and work to create a community of intellectually and socially engaged scholars that work collaboratively with each other, the university, and the world, with the overarching goal of promoting the health of individuals and communities.

 

Research Facilities

UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative educational and research programs in the areas of health and life sciences through an integrated and province-wide delivery model in facilities at locations throughout British Columbia.

The Life Sciences Centre is the largest building on the UBC Vancouver campus. Completed in 2004, the $125 million, 52,165 sq metres building was built to accommodate the distributed medical educational program and the Life Sciences Institute.

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH), a partnership between the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health, unites under one roof research and clinical expertise in neuroscience, psychiatry and neurology in order to accelerate discovery and translate new knowledge into better treatment and prevention strategies. DMCBH has both laboratory and clinical research areas within the Centre proper and in the UBC Hospital Koerner Pavilion. Our core facilities are essential to ongoing collaboration, teaching, and research.

The BC Children's Hospital Research Institute is it the largest research institute of its kind in Western Canada in terms of people, productivity, funding and size. With more than 350,000 square feet of space, the Institute has both 'wet bench' laboratory and 'dry lab' clinical research areas, and other areas to facilitate particular areas of research and training.

Research Highlights

New knowledge and innovation are crucial to successfully identifying, addressing and overcoming the increasingly complex health-related challenges that influence the lives of all of us – in British Columbia, in Canada, and in countries and communities around the globe.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is recognized nationally and internationally for research innovation that advances knowledge and translates new discoveries to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Research opportunities feature extensive collaborations across other faculties, health institutions and health partners across British Columbia, Canada and internationally.

The Faculty provides and fosters research excellence across the full continuum, from basic science to applied science and then to knowledge implementation, with a focus on precision health; cancer; brain and mental health; heart and lung health; population health; and chronic diseases.

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Koehoorn, Mieke School of Population and Public Health Occupational health, injury, compensation policies, Worksafe BC, Gender Work and Health
Kolind, Shannon Division of Neurology Medical physics; Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; brain; Imaging; MRI; medical physics; multiple sclerosis; myelin; Neurological Disease; spinal cord
Komparic, Ana School of Population and Public Health Other medical sciences; Applied ethics; Public Health Ethics; Applied Ethics; Professional Ethics; Ethics and Policy; Empirical Approaches to Bioethics; Philosophy of Medicine and Public Health; Pharmacare; Health Insurance; Health Policy; Health Technology Assessment (HTA); Codes of Ethics; Solidarity
Kopp, Janel Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences Genomics; Modeling cancer; Pancreas; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic development
Kornelsen, Jude Department of Family Practice providing an evidence base to inform decisions on the planning of rural maternity services; advancing our understanding of women
Krahn, Andrew Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery management of cardiac arrhythmias; investigation of genetic causes of arrhythmias, causes of loss of consciousness and implantable arrhythmia device monitoring
Krajden, Mel Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Infectious diseases, cancer hepatitis prevention and care, human papillomavirus HPV, HIV and hepatitis C virus
Kramer, John Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Neuromechanical, Systems Biology, Exercise & Health
Krassioukov, Andrei Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Other clinical medicine; spinal cord injury, autonomic nervous system, electrophysiology, rehabilitation
Krausz, Reinhard Department of Psychiatry addiction, complex concurrent disorders, E -Mental Health, Internet based healthcare, vulnerable urban populaton, Psychosis, opiate addiction, e-mental health, internet based healthcare, vulnerbale urban population, trauma, homelessness and mental health
Krystal, Gerald Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Blood research, immunology, inflammation, effect of diet on cancer
Kuchenbauer, Florian Division of Hematology stem cell transplantation; translational leukemia research; treatment of patients with hematological diseases; physiology of normal and malignant hematopoiesis
Kuhl, David Department of Family Practice understanding compassion fatigue/vicarious trauma, burnout, moral distress, grief, and psychological well being in health care providers
Kuo, Calvin School of Biomedical Engineering Biomechanical engineering; Medical devices; Biomedical instrumentation (including diagnostics); Sensing human motion; How humans make sense of their own motion; Sensorimotor Neutrophysiology; Wearable Sensing; Musculoskeletal Modeling
Kwon, Janice Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology health policy relating to gynecologic cancers as well as hereditary cancer syndromes
Kwon, Brian Department of Orthopaedics Spinal cord injury
Lacaille, Diane Division of Rheumatology General internal, Arthritis & Joint Health
Lack, Nathan Department of Urologic Sciences late-stage prostate cancer
Laher, Ismail Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Cardiovascular diseases; animal models of sleep apnea; Diabetes; exercise; oxidative stress; regulation of small artery tone, mechanisms of pressuce-induced vasomotor responses, exercise, sleep
Laksman, Zachary Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Biomedical Engineering Cardiogenetics; Stem cell disease modeling; Drug screening
Lallous, Nada Department of Urologic Sciences Cancer drug development and therapeutics; Cancer progression and metastasis; Cancer molecular targets; Biochemistry; Biophysics; Cancer biology; Therapeutics; Protein research; Drug resistance; transcription factors
Lam, Stephen C Division of Respiratory Medicine Lung cancer, optical imaging, tomography, spectroscopy
Lam, Raymond Department of Psychiatry Psychiatry (including psychotherapy); depression; Biomarkers; light therapy; cognition; digital technologies; bipolar disorder; antidepressants; global mental health
Lam, Wan Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Cancer progression; Genome biology; Epigenetics; Molecular Systems Biology; Lung Cancer; Technology Development
Lan, James Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Kidneys and Urinary System; Histocompatibility; Immunogenetics

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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 Medicine.

 

Publication: Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions
UBC Author(s): John Webb (Divisions of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15221946
Volume: 105
Page Range: 787-794
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

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Publication: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas
UBC Author(s): Manish Sadarangani (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine), Laura Arbour (Medical Genetics / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 43
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Journal of Psychiatric Research
UBC Author(s): Daniel Vigo (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00223956
Volume: 183
Page Range: 225-236
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Child: Care, Health and Development
UBC Author(s): Ian Pike (Pediatrics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03051862
Volume: 51
Publication Date: March 2025

View Publication
Publication: Diabetic Medicine
UBC Author(s): Tricia Tang (Division of Endocrinology / Faculty of Medicine), Matthias Goerges (Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 07423071
Volume: 42
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Biometrics
UBC Author(s): Viviane Dias Lima (Division of Infectious Diseases / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0006341X
Volume: 81
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

View Publication
Publication: Brain Stimulation
UBC Author(s): Fidel Vila-Rodriguez (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 1935861X
Volume: 18
Page Range: 142-144
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

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Publication: Neurosurgery
UBC Author(s): Brian Kwon (Orthopaedics / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0148396X
Volume: 96
Page Range: e61-e63
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

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Publication: Neurotherapeutics
UBC Author(s): Andrei Krassioukov (Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19337213
Volume: 22
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: PM and R
UBC Author(s): Naznin Virji-Babul (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19341482
Volume: 17
Page Range: 319-329
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Brachytherapy
UBC Author(s): Juanita Crook (Surgery / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 15384721
Volume: 24
Page Range: 318-327
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

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Publication: The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
UBC Author(s): Bradley Quon (Division of Respiratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 22132600
Volume: 13
Page Range: 256-271
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Neuropsychopharmacology
UBC Author(s): Fidel Vila-Rodriguez (Psychiatry / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 0893133X
Volume: 50
Page Range: 685-694
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Transplantation
UBC Author(s): John Gill (Division of Nephrology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00411337
Volume: 109
Page Range: 527-535
Publication Date: March 2025

View Publication
Publication: Transplantation
UBC Author(s): David Harriman (Urologic Sciences / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 00411337
Volume: 109
Page Range: e146-e147
Publication Date: 1 March 2025

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Publication: Musculoskeletal Care
UBC Author(s): Linda Li (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 14782189
Volume: 23
Publication Date: March 2025

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Publication: Nucleic Acids Research
UBC Author(s): Leonard Foster (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 03051048
Volume: 53
Publication Date: 28 February 2025

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Publication: Journal of virology
UBC Author(s): Honglin Luo (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 99
Page Range: e0180424
Publication Date: 25 February 2025

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Publication: JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions
UBC Author(s): Jonathon Leipsic (Radiology / Faculty of Medicine)
ISSN: 19368798
Volume: 18
Page Range: 506-517
Publication Date: 24 February 2025

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Publication: iScience
UBC Author(s): David Huntsman (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 28
Publication Date: 21 February 2025

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Publication: Bio-protocol
UBC Author(s): Eric Jan (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: 20 February 2025

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Publication: BMJ Open
UBC Author(s): Clare Ardern (Physical Therapy / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 15
Publication Date: 20 February 2025

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Publication: Reclaiming the Teaching Discourse in Higher Education: Curating a Diversity of Theory and Practice
UBC Author(s): Rola Ajjawi (Medicine, Dean's Office / Faculty of Medicine)
Page Range: 23-37
Publication Date: 20 February 2025

View Publication
Publication: Addiction science & clinical practice
UBC Author(s): Nadia Fairbairn (Division of Social Medicine / Faculty of Medicine)
Volume: 20
Page Range: 18
Publication Date: 19 February 2025

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
2023 Dr. Kwon's work focused on developing radiopharmaceuticals targeting molecular markers present on cancers with poor outcomes. These radiopharmaceuticals are able to both image and treat cancers through radiation emission. Several candidates showed better performance than the standard of care and will be considered for clinical investigation. Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD)
2023 Dr.Chen developed a novel drug for treating stroke. He also extended his research interest to employing precision medicine to assit the management of young patients with epilepy that are caused by rare variants. His studies showed a great potential in improving the life quality of the old and young patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2023 Dr. Pataky's research explored methods to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of precision medicine technologies. She found that using genomic testing to define eligibility for cancer therapy can provide value for money. These new evaluation methods will help health care systems to better assess the value of funding precision medicine. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2023 Dr. Yagi investigated sex differences in how new neurons in the hippocampus are related to learning and memory in males and females, and roles of estrogens in females. He found sex differences in new cell production and how they are integrated into the brain. This knowledge will lead to a better understanding of hippocampus-related diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2023 Dr. Huang studied the impact of genetics on heart-related side effects caused by cancer drugs, and explored ways to minimize them. Her research offers new insights that can assist doctors in identifying genetic mutations in patients before initiating cancer therapies, improving cancer treatment safety and efficacy. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2023 Dr. Kajabadi identifies the cell population and molecular signals responsible for inducing muscle atrophy, a progressive condition of muscle loss commonly seen in chronic pathologies such as cancer associated cachexia. This finding can help in developing therapeutics aimed at ameliorating disease-induced muscle atrophy. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2023 Dr. Langman studied mechanisms of stress adaptation in cancer cells and identified novel functions of stress granule proteins in tumor growth and metastasis. Her research revealed new therapeutic targets for some of the deadliest pediatric cancers. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD)
2023 Dr. Solomons studied patterns of nervous system sensitisation in musculoskeletal pain syndromes. This research gives insight into the nature of persistent pain problems that is expected to inform more effective management strategies. Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences (PhD)
2023 Dr. Hathaway studied risky decision making in rats. They found that pairing lights and sounds with reward on a risky decision-making task can both increase risky choice and impair flexibility. They identified the orbitofrontal cortex as a key region underlying this effect. These findings advance our understanding of gambling disorder in humans. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2023 Dr. Ha studied the function and regulation of a unique class of genes which are expressed only when inherited from the mother or father. Her research furthers our understanding of the mechanism regulating the expression of a maternally-expressed gene and may impact the management and diagnosis of patients with imprinting disorders. Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)

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