Naveen Deshpande's memory to live on through lectures

To honour the memory of Dr. Naveen Deshpande, a resident in the Division of Neurology who died in October after a battle with leukemia, the Division and Faculty of Medicine have created a fund for a new lecture series.

The Naveen Deshpande Annual Neurology Lecture Series will bring a visiting clinical professor from elsewhere in the world to UBC. The speaker will deliver a lecture at grand rounds to a diverse mix of physicians, residents and medical students, and a teaching rounds lecture to a residents-only audience.

The idea for the lecture series came from Dr. Deshpande, in his final months of life. Dr. Deshpande came to UBC as a resident in 2004, and developed leukemia in 2006. He took a year’s leave of absence, then returned to work as co-chief resident, only to suffer a relapse.

“He was an amazing guy,” said Dr. Jeff Beckman, a Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director for Neurology. “You’d never know he had a disease. He never talked about it.”

Dr. Deshpande, raised in Oakville, Ontario, graduated from Queens University in 1995, earned a master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Western Ontario, and earned an MD from Queen’s in April 2004.

The goal for the lecture series fund is $150,000. To make an online donation, follow this link: