Inspiring Community Grants

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Wyeth Wasserman has been appointed Vice Dean, Research, effective June 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030.

Dr. Wasserman is a professor in the Department of Medical Genetics, and a senior scientist in the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, where he previously served as Director. He also previously served as Associate Dean, Research, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where he continues to serve as an investigator. 

Dr. Wasserman’s research uses computational biology to analyze the human genome, developing software, databases and AI-based approaches to investigate the genetic causes of diseases ranging from cancers to rare genetic disorders. He is also a co-leader of the Silent Genomes Project, working in partnership with Indigenous communities to promote equitable access to genomic technologies and rare disease diagnosis for Indigenous patients across Canada.

Dr. Wasserman has been recognized with a Killam Teaching Award, as well as a Killam Research Fellowship that supports collaborative work with the Māori-led He Kākano research program in Aotearoa (New Zealand). He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has previously served as Chair of the Genome Canada Science and Industry Advisory Committee.

In his role as Vice Dean, Research, Dr. Wasserman will oversee and support research efforts across the Faculty, fostering province-spanning collaborations to advance visionary research and expand opportunities for trainees. His key priorities include recruiting the next generation of faculty members and securing enduring support for clinician scientists. Dr. Wasserman will also focus on building biomedical data science and artificial intelligence capacity to support health research and improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Wasserman’s appointment follows the long-standing strategic leadership of Dr. Robert McMaster, who held the role from its creation in July 2020, before which he served as Executive Associate Dean, Research from 2016. Prior to this, Dr. McMaster also served as Associate Dean, Research, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Head, Department of Medical Genetics.

I wish to recognize Dr. McMaster for his exceptional contributions, collaborative leadership and commitment to advancing research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine. Over the years, he helped to expand and integrate the Faculty’s health research activities across the province. He played an integral role in the establishment of the first UBC joint faculty School of Biomedical Engineering created in 2017, the Faculty’s Academy of Translational Medicine and the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coordination Initiative in 2020. Most recently in 2024, he had a pivotal role in the UBC-led Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub, which received more than $170 million in federal and provincial investment.

On behalf of the Faculty, I would like to thank Dr. McMaster for his excellent stewardship and support of the Faculty of Medicine’s research enterprise, and his many contributions not only in this role but across his various leadership roles over the last two decades.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Wasserman on his appointment.