Applicants to master’s and doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details
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.
Most Faculty research is conducted under the auspices of 23 centres and institutes that are part of UBC or affiliated with it, in collaboration with our health partners.
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.
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.
This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dr. Jagdeo explored new ways in which picornaviruses hijack host cellular pathways to support the viral life cycle. The picornavirus family include many clinically relevant viruses such as poliovirus and coxsackievirus. Her work has provided new insights into viral-host interactions required to promote infection that may contribute to disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Sexual reproduction requires the creation of sperm and eggs within the complex environment of the body. Dr. Fairchild investigated how specialized cells within the body form a physical architecture that guides the formation of sperm. This physical architecture is critical for the creation of sperm and consequently for the fertility of animals. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Tam's research examined the molecular mechanisms governing the progression of prostate cancer. His contributions to this field have shed light on some of the driving forces behind the disease and will help inspire novel therapeutics for those suffering from it. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Mercer developed and tested a method of measuring the contributions fathers make to rearing healthy children in South Africa. Future application of this method in national surveys will inform initiatives to remove barriers and encourage positive, gender-equitable parenting by fathers. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Yeung examined the function of a novel molecule in cerebellar development, Wntless, and how it defines new compartments in cerebellar development. She also documented that Pax6 is a master gene for the cerebellum as in other brain regions. Her findings will lead to new understandings of the molecular bases of cerebellar development and disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Pon characterized how mutations in the gene MEF2B may contribute to lymphoma development. She mapped, for the first time, interactions between MEF2B and other genes throughout the genome, including genes involved in cancer development. Her research contributes to our understanding of the regulatory networks altered in cancer development. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Dalton studied the machinery required to move proteins to the right places in the cell. She searched the entire yeast genome for new protein trafficking components and did initial investigations into how they work. Her work contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms that cause Parkinson's disease, Alzheimers's disease and others. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Crabtree conducted participatory research with people who drink non-beverage alcohol, such as mouthwash and rubbing alcohol. Her work contributed to the development of harm reduction programs for this population and led to the formation of an activist group of illicit drinkers who advocate for the health of their community. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Liu studied how integrin cell adhesion receptors can modulate chemotherapeutic resistance in pediatric leukemia. He found that a common peptide motif within this protein group can sufficiently promote drug resistance. This knowledge can facilitate the design of therapeutics to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Perrotta examined athlete monitoring and performance enhancing techniques that focused on the cardiovascular system. This research will assist Canadian National Sporting organisations in their pursuit for Olympic success. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |