Dr. Roger Wong to join Vancouver Coastal Health as Vice President, Medicine and Academic Affairs
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, UBC.
Today, I’m writing to share that Dr. Roger Wong, Vice Dean, Education, has accepted a new and exciting role at Vancouver Coastal Health as Vice President, Medicine and Academic Affairs, beginning this September.
While it’s never easy to say goodbye to someone who has made such a meaningful impact at the Faculty of Medicine, we are truly pleased for Roger as he steps into this new opportunity.
Roger has been a key member of the Dean’s Executive Team for nearly a decade as Vice Dean, Education, and prior to that, for five years as the Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education. Over the years, his steady leadership and significant contributions have helped guide our Faculty through periods of great change and growth.
During his tenure, Roger helped shape and lead a number of important initiatives. Together with his team and colleagues at the distributed sites across the province, he led and collaborated with government and health partners to expand undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, including across the health professions in physical therapy, occupational therapy, midwifery, speech-language pathology, and genetic counseling. Roger oversaw innovation and new approaches to how we teach and train, including strengthening existing pathways and developing new ones for students from rural, remote, Indigenous and Black communities to pursue a career in medicine. All of this has been done while fostering a culture grounded in respect, compassion and equity.
Roger’s work has left a lasting mark on our organization, and the impact will be felt well beyond his departure. As he transitions to his new position, we look forward to continuing our close collaborations with him and VCH leadership.
Please join me in thanking Roger for his exceptional service and congratulating him on this well-deserved next chapter.
In closing, the search for a new Vice Dean, Education will begin immediately, led by our Faculty HR team. Details about the posting and application process will be available shortly on our website here.
This message was sent to all faculty, staff and learners in the Faculty of Medicine.
Inspiring Community Grants
Faculty, staff and students can now apply for the Inspiring Community Grants, which provide up to $500 to support community projects that foster togetherness and connection on campus and in the Musqueam community – from art exhibits to cultural celebrations.
Since 2016, this grant has funded over 200 projects led by the UBC community and local residents of all ages.
UBC Inspired (part of UBC Campus + Community Planning) provides these grants in collaboration with the Vancouver Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG).
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Details about this initiative, general guidelines and project eligibility are available on the UBC Inspired website.
Dr. Wyeth Wasserman appointed Vice Dean, Research
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health.
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.
This message was sent to all faculty and staff in the Faculty of Medicine.