A message from Robert McMaster, Vice Dean, Research and Jat Sandhu, Chief Strategy Officer, BC Centre for Disease Control.
We are pleased to share that Dr. Naveed Janjua has been appointed Director of the University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (UBC CDC), effective to August 31, 2029.
Dr. Janjua is a clinical professor in the School of Population and Public Health and an epidemiologist at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), where he has also served as Executive Director of Data and Analytic Services. His research interests include the study of infectious diseases with a focus on hepatitis B and C and COVID-19. He also leads Hepatitis Education Canada, a program that develops culturally and linguistically sensitive hepatitis C education resources for the population, hepatitis patients and health care providers.
In his role as Director of the UBC CDC, Dr. Janjua will provide strategic leadership, with a focus on building collaborations and strengthening funding opportunities and support to enable investigators to continue producing high-impact research that advances public health and disease control and prevention. Dr. Janjua will also focus on enhancing support for current and future scientists, including the development of mentorship and training opportunities for Indigenous researchers and examination of systems to support Indigenous and racialized scientists and other underrepresented groups.
Dr. Janjua’s appointment follows the leadership of Dr. David Patrick from 2020 to 2023. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Dr. Patrick, who was instrumental in establishing a strong COVID-19 research program that helped to inform B.C.’s emergency health response while maintaining the strengths of UBC CDC’s existing research programs.
Please join us in thanking Dr. Patrick and congratulating Dr. Janjua on his new role.
