Celebrate Learning Week is a cross-campus, week-long forum for the UBC teaching and learning community to collaborate, network and engage in knowledge exchange presented by the Provosts and Vice-President Academic from UBCO and UBCV.
This year’s showcase will run from May 5–9 with the theme Collective Growth: Cultivating Meaningful Change, which will highlight the ways we plant the seeds of change for lasting impacts in teaching and learning.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit session proposals that explore meaningful change in teaching and learning — whether through small, everyday shifts or large-scale initiatives.
Sessions can include open lectures, workshops, panel discussions, asynchronous courses and more. Explore the list of topic and format suggestion and submit your ideas by March 31.
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Dean Regier has been appointed Director, Academy of Translational Medicine (ATM), effective to June 30, 2029.
Dr. Regier is an associate professor, partner in the School of Population and Public Health, and served as Associate Director, ATM since 2022. He is also a senior scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute. An internationally-recognized health economist specializing in translational medicine and regulatory science, his research aims to develop learning healthcare systems and policies that accelerate access to safe, effective, and cost-effective healthcare, with a focus on patient-oriented clinical trials and AI-supported real-world evidence generation.
Through the ATM, Dr. Regier developed Canada’s first educational offering in regulatory affairs and regulatory science. He also chairs the Faculty of Medicine’s Regulatory Advisory Council, providing UBC scientists with real-time guidance on efficiently navigating the regulatory landscape. He has also previously served on the B.C. Drug Benefit Council, where he provided evidence-informed recommendations on the inclusion of therapeutics in the province’s PharmaCare formulary.
As Director, ATM, Dr. Regier will lead the continued development of the academy into a world-leading network and hub for innovation in translational medicine and regulatory science. He will expand the academy’s educational initiatives and help to strengthen the UBC and B.C. life sciences ecosystem in translational and health policy research. By fostering collaboration and innovation, he will enhance connections among outstanding research institutes, centres and programs, advancing translational medicine on a global scale.
Dr. Regier’s appointment follows the leadership of Dr. Poul Sorensen, who served as the inaugural Director from the academy’s establishment in 2020. Dr. Sorensen’s extensive experience in translational medicine and discovery of novel genetic changes in childhood cancers and breast tumours has led to new diagnostic tests and treatments for both pediatric and adult cancer patients. His research has also significantly advanced our understanding of the role of proteins in cancer cell growth, such as activated NTRK fusion proteins, and how aggressive tumour cells adapt to microenvironmental stress. I wish to thank Dr. Sorensen for his exemplary service, leadership and contributions to the Faculty in this role.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Regier on his appointment.
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, UBC.
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Achievement Awards.
These awards are an important opportunity to acknowledge faculty members who have made exceptional contributions in the areas of education, research and/or service, and who are dedicated to advancing both the Faculty of Medicine’s values and vision of transforming health for everyone.
Please review the award criteria and available categories. Depending on the category, recipients will be selected based on performance within the past assessment year or on both past assessment year and overall career achievement.
Nominations must be made by department heads or school directors by Friday, April 11, 2025. Recipients will be announced in the summer, and the awards will be presented at the Faculty of Medicine Awards Reception in the fall.
On Thursday, June 12, join 200+ UBC faculty, students, staff and community partners to explore the complexities and rewards of partnered research at the 2025 UBC Partnering in Research Conference.
Through keynotes, exercises, and interactive sessions, discover ways to build equitable partnerships, create real-world impact and transform research practices for systemic change.
Co-organized by UBC’s Knowledge Exchange Unit, Indigenous Research Support Initiative, Office of Community Engagement and the Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement, the conference is free for UBC faculty, staff, graduate students and external partners who collaborate with UBC.
A message from Roger Wong, Vice Dean, Education and Robert McMaster, Vice Dean, Research.
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Susan Forwell as the Associate Dean pro tem, Graduate and Postdoctoral Education effective to December 31, 2026.
Dr. Forwell is a professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy and a principal investigator at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD). She previously served as Head, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, during which time she oversaw the significant growth of the department and the expansion of the Master of Occupational Therapy program in the North and Fraser regions, raising the Department’s profile at UBC, locally, provincially and nationally.
Dr. Forwell’s research focuses on providing patients with chronic neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, with programs and strategies to manage physical and cognitive changes so they can participate in their life roles. For her contributions to the field of occupational therapy, she has received numerous awards, including Outstanding Occupational Therapist of the Year and the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship Award from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
As Associate Dean pro tem, Dr. Forwell will provide strategic leadership for graduate and postdoctoral education programs within the Faculty of Medicine, collaborating closely with department and program leadership to ensure continuity of and advancement of graduate and postdoctoral education across British Columbia. We appreciate Dr. Forwell’s leadership to serve in this capacity and look forward to working with her to further the strategic priorities of both the Faculty of Medicine and UBC.
Dr. Forwell’s appointment follows the leadership of Dr. Miriam Spering, to whom we extend our gratitude for her service.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Forwell on her appointment.
