image below transparent slide with scientist adding solution via a pipette

Setting the Pace

Bio-innovation means saving more lives, sooner.

It’s about accelerating world-class biomedical research and innovation to develop lifesaving new treatments and technologies for everything from COVID-19 to cancer, to the pandemic threats of the future.

UBC researchers are combining expertise in basic science, genomics, oncology, medical genetics, biology, computer science, biophysics, and other disciplines to find new ways to treat and cure diseases. And they are collaborating with partners in the private and public sectors to advance a world-class biomanufacturing ecosystem. 

With national and global leadership in key areas — such as lipid nanoparticle technologies, regenerative medicine, nanomedicine, precision medicine, immuno-engineering and more — BC’s bio-innovation community is transforming the future of medicine.

Together we are accelerating the translation of research into solutions to the most urgent health challenges of today and tomorrow — bringing new hope to patients and families everywhere.

Image
illustration of three scientists ,with one pipetting, encircled by illustrated medical icons

 

 

How to accelerate biomedical innovation, explained.

Biomedical innovation is a six-step process from scientific discovery through to the development of patient-ready medicine. Learn more about the six steps and how we can accelerate them to bring lifesaving treatments to patients, sooner.

 


Explore Stories of UBC Biomedical Innovation


  1. Dr. Meyers in a lab surrounded by equipment and people working

    Can your breath be used to detect lung cancer?

    What if the world’s deadliest cancer could be quickly and easily detected using something as simple, and painless as a breath test? That’s the big question driving the work of Dr. Renelle Myers, a clinical associate professor in UBC’s department of medicine.

    Learn more

  2. Dr. Paul Yong in a lab coat with people working in a lab behind

    Endometriosis: Towards better diagnosis and treatment

    Right now, people in Canada wait up to an average of five years — and in some cases much longer — before they receive a diagnosis and treatment. UBC’s Dr. Paul Yong is helping ignite change for thousands of people faced with the painful disorder. 

    Learn more

  3. Dr. Navajas standing next to a large image of an eye

    Helping British Columbians see clearly

    The retina is our bridge to the visual world, transforming the light that enters our eyes into the images we see. Dr. Eduardo Navajas, clinical associate professor and director of resident research at UBC’s department of ophthalmology and visual sciences, is working to preserve this precious gateway for thousands of British Columbians. 

    Learn more

  4. Two scientists standing in a wet lab watching a third, seated, pipetting

    $33.8M gift to transform multiple sclerosis research and save more lives, sooner

    A $33.8 million gift has been donated to the UBC Faculty of Medicine and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation for multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care — the largest known donation ever for MS research worldwide. At UBC, $29.85 million will be used to establish the B.C. MS Cell Therapies Translational Research Network, or MS Research Network, a world-class research and patient-care hub that will use the latest advances in cell and gene engineering to develop, manufacture, and test next-generation cell-based therapies.

    Learn more

  5. Finger pointing to part of digital image on a screen

    Artificial intelligence enhances ovarian cancer diagnostics

    Ovarian cancer impacts over 3,100 Canadian women each year, making it the most lethal of all female reproductive cancers. A new study led by Dr. Ali Bashashati, a UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, reveals how artificial intelligence (AI) can aid in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer to improve patient outcomes.

    Learn more

  6. snapcyte

    AI cell analytics app aims to supercharge biotechnology research

    Transformative technology developed at the Vancouver Prostate Centre is putting cell analytics into the hands of scientists around the globe. The technology — an artificial intelligence-driven smartphone app called SnapCyte — produces data for cell growth medical research faster and at a fraction of the cost compared to current technology.

    Learn more

  7. Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez

    Mapping the brain

    Using advanced neuroimaging, UBC scientists are changing how we understand and treat mental health disorders.

    Learn more

  8. two healthcare providers with covid hospital patient

    How to build better health care technology

    Last year, an interdisciplinary team led by UBC Nursing professor and Canada Research Chair in Senior Care Dr. Lillian Hung set out to help make ventilators more accessible. What they created is an effective, affordable ventilation device that costs only $100 to produce and weighs in at just six kilograms — ideal for use in remote care settings and patient transports like ambulances.

    Learn more

  9. Dr. Poul Sorensen

    Hope, accelerated

    Dr. Poul Sorensen’s breakthrough cancer research has saved countless lives. But he thinks we can cut the time from discovery to treatment by 50% — or more.

    Learn more

  10. Alexandra Williams

    Meet Dr. Alexandra Williams

    Dr. Alexandra Williams, a postdoctoral fellow in clinical cardiovascular physiology at UBC’s International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), is studying the link between the cardiovascular and nervous systems to understand how we can use innovative treatments that target the heart to improve outcomes among individuals with spinal cord injury.

    Learn more

  11. vanessa porter

    Meet Vanessa Porter

    Vanessa Porter, a PhD candidate in UBC’s department of medical genetics, is using a cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology to understand how cervical cancers evolve and how this knowledge can inform future treatments for individual patients.

    Learn more

  12. Soh Ishiguro

    Meet Dr. Soh Ishiguro

    Dr. Soh Ishiguro, a postdoctoral fellow at the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, is working on new genome editing tools that could one day cure rare and debilitating diseases from blood disorders to heart disease.

    Learn more

  13. person showing a hydrogel ionic smart skin to camera

    Engineers at UBC get under the skin of ionic skin

    "How hydrogel sensors work is they produce voltages and currents in reaction to stimuli, such as pressure or touch — what we are calling a piezoionic effect. But we didn't know exactly how these voltages are produced," said the study's lead author Yuta Dobashi, who started the work as part of his master's in biomedical engineering at UBC.

    Learn more

  14. researcher looking at printed biological material

    Printing Parts

    New discoveries in tissue engineering present 3-D-printed options for skin, organs, joints and ligaments. School of Engineering researchers are exploring processes to improve patients’ chances for successful tissue transplants.

    Learn more


UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. External Link An arrow entering a square. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.