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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 | Virotherapy uses biotechnology to reprogram viruses enabling them to treat diseases. Dr. Delwar's doctoral studies focused on anticancer virotherapy to treat brain tumours. His research revealed different strategies to enhance the therapeutic potential of a herpes virus-based, anti-tumour therapy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Slowski studied the contribution of small RNA genes, known as microRNAs, to the progression of blood cancers. She developed a novel method to characterize the loss of microRNAs, leading to the discovery of a potentially cancer-related microRNA. This will lead to improved models of microRNA loss and prevent complications in gene therapy. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Jamshidi studied a rare cancer called epithelioid sarcoma. His results show that while it is a complex disease, inhibition of a specific protein called EZH2 can be of therapeutic value. His work has resulted in the inclusion of epithelioid sarcoma in EZH2 inhibitor clinical trials in the US and Canada. | Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Goh studied how organisms respond to cellular stress, an important process in disease and aging. She identified two new regulators of stress responses that are found in many animals including humans. This research may allow the identification of new therapeutic targets for cancer and other age-related diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Xu studied two genes that regulate the development of insulin producing pancreatic beta-cells. HIs findings have shown that these genes are indispensable for beta-cell development and maintenance. These results improve our understanding of how beta-cells are derived and may aid in cell generation, ultimately working towards a cure for diabetes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Trinh has characterized the penetrance of genetic mutations in Parkinson's disease. Her most significant work is the identification of dynamin 3 as a potential genetic modifier that delays the onset of Parkinson's. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Islam showed that harm reduction interventions significantly reduce hepatitis C (HCV) reinfection, and that protection against one HCV type does not provide protection against other HCV types. His findings inform comprehensive public health approaches to HCV prevention and provide promising insights regarding hepatitis C vaccine development. | Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Salimi Elizei investigated the anti-inflammatory role of the tryptophan degrading enzyme (IDO) and downstream metabolites on T Helper 17 cells, which have been connected to inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. She subsequently showed that IDO cell therapy improved the disease condition in psoriasis-like dermatitis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2017 | Dr. Jenkins showed that Acute Leukemias are dependent on the genes IGF1R and RUNX1 for disease pathogenesis. She identified regulation of downstream signaling pathways and the epigenome as important underlying contributors. This research highlights key pathways suitable for future therapeutic intervention in Myeloid and Lymphoid leukemias. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Oncology (PhD) |
| 2017 | Bleeding is the major side-effect of heparin anticoagulants that are used to prevent blood clotting during surgeries. Dr. Kalathottukaren developed a molecule that is nontoxic and efficient to stop bleeding induced by heparins. Successful translation of this molecule into clinics would reduce blood transfusions and make anticoagulation therapy safer. | Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (PhD) |