UBC Faculty of Medicine Researchers Awarded Over $5.8M in NSERC Discovery Grants for Biomedical Innovation
Key Insights
UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers secured more than $5.8 million through the NSERC (search) Discovery Research Program to advance discovery research across multiple disciplines.
The funding is part of a $630 million total federal investment, with $47.6 million allocated to 199 new UBC-led programs and projects.
Funded projects span brain health, biomedical engineering, gene therapies, pain genetics, AI-driven mental health care, and cell and gene therapy bioprocessing.
UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers have been awarded more than $5.8 million in new funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC (search)) Discovery Research Program, bolstering discovery research in areas ranging from brain health and biomedical engineering to gene therapies and beyond.
The awards are part of a total federal investment of $630 million announced by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, alongside Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, and Dominique O'Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph. Of this total, $47.6 million will support 199 new programs and projects led by UBC researchers.
"Discovery research is the driving force behind Canada's most groundbreaking scientific and engineering achievements," the program notes, emphasizing that these investments provide long-term support enabling researchers to pursue bold, transformative ideas across disciplines.
Discovery Grants: Sustained Support for Long-Term Research
The NSERC (search) Discovery Grants program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than single short-term projects, recognizing the creativity and innovation at the heart of research advances. Several Faculty of Medicine recipients also received Discovery Launch Supplements of $12,500, providing timely resources for early career researchers establishing their Discovery Grant-funded programs.
Among the funded projects, Peter Zandstra from the School of Biomedical Engineering will advance "Engineering Cell and Gene Therapy Bioprocesses through Systematic and Computational Approaches," addressing critical manufacturing challenges in the cell and gene therapy field. Fabio Rossi, also of the School of Biomedical Engineering, will investigate "Modulators of stromal cell function," with potential implications for tissue repair and fibrosis.
In neuroscience and brain health, Kurt Haas (Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences) will explore "Identifying mechanisms of information-driven functional brain circuit formation," while Ryan Hoiland (same department) examines "Cerebrovascular regulation and resiliency in response to brain tissue hypoxia." Shannon Kolind (Division of Neurology) will leverage "Exploiting the properties of ultra-low field MRI to explore brain microstructure," and Martin McKeown (Division of Neurology) will develop "EEG Latent Spaces for Non-invasive Brain Modulation."
Genetic and Molecular Discoveries
Several projects target fundamental genetic and molecular mechanisms. Catrina Loucks (Department of Pediatrics) will use Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to unravel "the genetic complexity of human pain." Francesca Capon (Department of Medical Genetics) will investigate "The role of interleukin-36 in regulating macrophage immunometabolism," while Peter Stirling (same department) studies "Regulation of nuclear protein quality control sequestration." Wendy Robinson (Department of Medical Genetics) will explore "The Developmental Origin of Human Extraembryonic Mesoderm."
Biomedical Engineering and Technology Development
Zhenwei Ma (Department of Surgery) will pursue "Precision biointerface engineering towards human-device symbiosis," and Babak Shadgan (School of Biomedical Engineering) will develop "Wearable Intelligence for Human Performance: Engineering Precision Sports Monitoring Technologies." In ophthalmology, Myeong Jin Ju will create a "Next-Generation Multi-Dimensional Ocular Imaging Platform for Advanced Digital Pathology," while Joanne Matsubara investigates "Structure and Function of Microglial in the Aging Retina."
Discovery Horizons and Cross-Disciplinary Innovation
The Discovery Horizons grants support projects that broadly integrate or transcend disciplines. Trisha Chakrabarty (Department of Psychiatry) received funding for "AI-Driven Innovation in Mental Health Stepped Care: Integrating Engineering and Clinical Perspectives," bridging artificial intelligence with mental health service delivery. Kaylee Byers (School of Population and Public Health) will lead "RATS (Risk Assessment and Tracking Systems): A transdisciplinary policy-oriented approach to urban rat management."
Additional funded researchers include Alexander Beristain studying invasive trophoblast differentiation, Inanc Birol developing tools for epigenetic signal analysis in diploid organisms, Ashley Dalrymple characterizing the posterior root-muscle reflex, Yanpu He investigating STING signaling in CD4+ T cells, Arun John Peter deciphering organelle-specific lipid quality control, Alexander Rauscher advancing precision quantitative MRI, Stephen Wright examining sex-specific left-heart interactions, and Tamara Vanderwal studying functional brain development under naturalistic conditions.
The NSERC (search) Research Tools and Instruments grants further support the purchase of research equipment to enhance discovery, innovation, and training capability across the Faculty of Medicine.