Dr. Robert Petrella reappointed Head, Department of Family Practice

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Petrella has been reappointed Head, Department of Family Practice, effective to June 30, 2030.

Dr. Petrella is a professor in the Department of Family Practice. He is also a scientist with the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and academic lead physician at the UBC Sport and Exercise Medicine Clinic. Dr. Petrella’s research is focused on lifestyle interventions for chronic disease prevention and the development and implementation of new treatments for sport injuries.

In recognition of his research contributions, Dr. Petrella has been named Chair of the Section of Researchers with the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and was recently named among the top 50 most cited researchers in family medicine in Canada. Dr. Petrella has previously served as President of Hypertension Canada, Director of the Canadian Center of Activity and Aging and the inaugural Beryl and Richard Ivey Chair in Healthy Aging at Western University. He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the American College of Sport Medicine, as well as a Specialist of the American Society of Hypertension.

In his second term, Dr. Petrella will continue to provide leadership to the department, fostering partnerships to support family medicine and midwifery training and advance primary care research across B.C. He will also continue to advocate for collaboration across all health sectors and with partners to advance innovative team-based learning and care in B.C. in order to provide the next generation of primary care providers with the skills and support needed to transform health for everyone.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Petrella on his reappointment.

We are pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Darryl Knight as Associate Dean, Research, Providence Health Care Research Institute (Providence Research), UBC Faculty of Medicine for a five-year term effective to June 30, 2029. He has also been reappointed as President, Providence Research and Vice President, Research and Academic Affairs at Providence Health Care.

Dr. Knight is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and a cell biologist with an international reputation in the area of lung and airway remodeling. He has previously served as Associate Director of the James Hogg Research Centre (now the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation).

Dr. Knight is also a founding member of several prominent health research initiatives and currently holds leadership roles in a variety of national and international research networks. His efforts to enhance collaboration between researchers, clinicians and policymakers have been instrumental in strengthening Providence Research’s mission to improve patient care and health systems.

In his previous term as Associate Dean, Research, Providence Research and President, Providence Research, Dr. Knight’s leadership has been integral in advancing Providence Research’s strategic goals, including enhancing interdisciplinary research, fostering meaningful community partnerships and driving impactful innovations in health care. His vision for the future of Providence Research — as part of the care, research and innovation network working with the new St. Paul’s Hospital at the Jim Pattison Medical Campus — focuses on expanding research capacity, increasing Providence Research’s global visibility, and further strengthening its contributions to clinical research, health policy and practice.

We extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. Knight on his reappointment and look forward to his continued leadership as Providence Research builds on its world-class reputation for excellence in health research.