Welcome to the new academic year

Welcome to the new academic year

Dr. Sophia Frangou appointed Associate Dean, Research

A message from Robert McMaster, Vice Dean, Research.


Dr. Sophia Frangou

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Sophia Frangou has been appointed Associate Dean, Research in the Faculty of Medicine, effective to December 31, 2024.

Dr. Frangou is a professor and Associate Head, Research in the Department of Psychiatry, as well as the UBC President’s Excellence Research Chair in Brain Health. She is also the Scientific Lead for the Early Psychosis Intervention Services at Vancouver Coastal Health.

Dr. Frangou is an internationally-recognized clinician-scientist. Using advanced neuroimaging and bioinformatics methods to study brain-behaviour relationships and the influence of genetic and environmental factors, Dr. Frangou is advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of mood and psychotic disorders. She has received numerous awards, including the 2019 Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorder Research from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the 2020 Mentor Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry for her work in promoting women in academic psychiatry.

In this new role as Associate Dean, Research, Dr. Frangou will be responsible for promoting research excellence and facilitating collaboration within the Faculty of Medicine, and providing strategic leadership for research and innovation programs. She will work in partnership with academic leaders, Associate Deans, Research at our health authority partners, and Regional Associate Deans to integrate and further advance health research efforts at all Faculty of Medicine sites.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Frangou on her appointment and thanking her for her leadership and commitment to this important work.

Associate Vice-President, Health — call for applications

BC Injury Research & Prevention Unit webinar: Dr. Sharief Hendricks

The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit invites faculty, staff and students from the Faculty of Medicine to a presentation from visiting scholar Dr. Sharief Hendricks on Tuesday, September 5 at 11 am.

Join in-person at BC Children’s Hospital or virtually via Zoom to hear Dr. Hendricks talk about the SHRed Concussions Study’s work related to improving tackle training. He will also share some of his work related to science communication, engaged scholarship/social accountability, and the wellbeing of cricketers.

Campus as a Living Lab Grand Challenge

Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) offers faculty and staff at UBC Vancouver an opportunity to explore, develop and test new ideas on sustainability and climate action on campus.

This year, the annual CLL Fund Competition is scaling up, with $750,000 in funding available for faculty and staff in Vancouver and the Okanagan to develop or pilot innovative projects that are aimed at addressing the climate emergency within UBC and beyond.

Key dates

Generative AI in teaching & learning: Events & resources

Generative AI in Teaching and Learning

As Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI or GenAI) continues to emerge as a significant tool in education, explore resources and events developed to help UBC educators navigate this new landscape and explore the opportunities generative AI presents. 


AI in Teaching and Learning website

Find ongoing support and up-to-date tools and resources to support the use of Generative AI in teaching and learning, from the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT) at UBCV and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at UBCO.

CTLT events & workshops

Weekly GenAI support clinics

One-hour drop-in clinics on teaching and learning topics to do with the use of tools such as ChatGPT, Stability AI, Google Bard and others, every Wednesday.

Integrating GenAI in Education at UBC 30+30 workshops

30-minute interactive presentations followed by 30-minutes of discussion designed to assist faculty and staff in navigating this new landscape.

Dr. John Kramer appointed interim Director, ICORD

A message from Robert McMaster, Vice Dean, Research and Patricia Daly, Vice President, Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health.


Dr. John (Kip) Kramer

We are pleased to announce that Dr. John (Kip) Kramer has been appointed interim Director, International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), a Senate-approved Centre of the Faculty of Medicine, effective to December 31, 2023.

Dr. Kramer is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics dedicated to improving outcomes and quality of life for people with spinal cord injury. His research is focused on understanding the relationships between spinal cord injuries and neuropathic pain, and he is currently developing advanced neuroimaging and quantitative sensory testing techniques to better understand how changes in the central nervous system relate to the development of neuropathic pain.

As interim Director, ICORD, Dr. Kramer will facilitate and support the research of investigators and scientists in the Centre and oversee administrative activities. He will also foster interactions with collaborating institutions and stimulate international partnerships, while ensuring ICORD activities help advance the goals of the Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute’s strategic plans.

Dr. Kramer’s appointment follows the leadership of Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff, who has held the role since July 2013. We wish to recognize and thank Dr. Tetzlaff for his incredible dedication and leadership in promoting integrative research to understand basic mechanisms of spinal cord injury, accelerate the search for cures, and improve functional outcomes and quality of life for persons with spinal cord injury.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kramer on his appointment and thanking him for his leadership and commitment to this important work.

his message was sent to all faculty and staff in the Faculty of Medicine.

Community-University Engagement Support Fund

The 2023/24 Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund is now open. Get up to $25,000 to support community-university partnerships that benefit communities across the province and advance collaborative research, teaching and learning.

The fund is open to BC-based community partners and UBC students, faculty, and staff. Interested applicants are invited to submit a Notice of Intent by September 22, 2023.

Paid directly to community partners, CUES funding removes financial barriers and prioritizes reciprocal, inclusive engagement so all communities — especially those that have been and continue to be underserved, marginalized or excluded — can benefit. This year, a total of $675,000 is available to fund up to 27 community-university projects.

The CUES fund is jointly administered by UBC Community Engagement and the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.


Information session

Attend the information session: What to know before applying on September 14. Get an overview of the CUES fund, review the applicant guide and eligibility requirements, and ask any questions before submitting your Notice of Intent.

UBC Okanagan resumes activities after wildfires

In Memoriam: Dr. Jennifer Oates

Dr. Jennifer Oates

Dr. Jennifer Oates passed away August 8, 2023.

A current Clinical Instructor, Dr. Oates joined the Department of Psychiatry in 2015. She taught and practiced as a geriatric psychiatrist on Vancouver Island.

Read more about Dr. Oates’ life.

The BC, Musqueam and UBC flags were lowered on Thursday, August 31, 2023 in remembrance.