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Director, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes (CAHO)

By andrea chiang | June 20, 2025

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The Faculty of Medicine (FoM) at The University of British Columbia (UBC), and the Providence Health Care Research Institute (PHCRI) invite applications for the position of Director, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes (CAHO). The appointment is for an initial term of five (5) years with the possibility of renewal, subject to satisfactory review. The position is expected to be filled by a candidate internal to UBC who currently holds a faculty appointment at UBC or is eligible to hold an appropriate faculty position in an academic unit.

Established in 1998, the Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes is a group of experienced health outcomes researchers and support staff based at Providence Research. The Centre evaluates the effectiveness of health interventions in populations to understand how to improve health and transform health systems for the future and produce high-quality evidence to make informed changes to the health care system. The Centre’s scientists are active in a number of clinical research areas, including cardiology, nephrology, critical care, and emergency medicine. A major focus of Advancing Health Scientists is research surrounding the structural and intermediary determinants of health. Their work spans the areas of urban populations with research related to mental health, substance use, and infectious diseases, as well as other groups such as ethnic minorities, new Canadians, and Indigenous Peoples. They are proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s foremost health outcomes research organizations. Bridging the gap between data, research, and care, Advancing Health is a collaboration between cross-disciplinary scientists and expert research staff. The Centre influences change and improves patient care and health systems by empowering decision-makers to find positive, evidence-based solutions. In addition to undertaking their own research, Advancing Health is dedicated to providing research support services for both health outcomes research and clinical trials. The Centre is committed to creating an inclusive, dynamic, and cooperative work environment in which younger researchers are mentored, established researchers are supported, and all participants are encouraged to pursue personal and professional challenges.

Reporting jointly to the Vice Dean, Research, FoM and the Vice President, Research and Academic Affairs, Providence Health Care (PHC), the Director, CAHO is responsible for implementing the research strategy, including leading the research priorities of the CAHO and encouraging interdisciplinary research, supporting the research of investigators and research scientists in the Centre, developing and maintaining partnerships to ensure faculty/research scientists are supported by the organization and host institutions to effectively conduct their scholarly activities. The Director will actively pursue opportunities for fund raising and will also put into place mechanisms within the CAHO to work collaboratively with the FoM’s Development Office and the St. Paul’s Foundation to raise funds for the CAHO, in keeping with the policies and regulations of the University and the FoM. The Director oversees the activities of CAHO, including grants, research contracts, and compliance with UBC research policies. The incumbent will be a member of relevant research committees of the UBC FoM.

Candidates should hold a PhD, MD or equivalent in a relevant discipline with a minimum of five years’ experience as an independent investigator including experience in the development, delivery, and implementation of collaborative research programs. Candidates should have a demonstrated track record of significant research achievement, commitment to multi-institute collaborations and ability to value the diversity of contributions from partners. Candidates should possess collaborative leadership skills, administrative experience, and ability to work effectively with learners, trainees, faculty and administrative leadership.

A detailed job description is available in the FoM Vice Dean, Research’s Office for those who wish to review it. Please inquire at the email address below. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice are essential to academic excellence, as well as to foster an inclusive community for voices that have been historically underrepresented or discouraged; the successful candidate will contribute to fostering an environment that promotes inclusivity and embodies values of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration, and equity. Candidates who bring diverse perspectives and lived experiences are encouraged to apply as we strive to enhance diversity, inclusiveness, socio-cultural representation, and perspective of the Centre.

An application package should include:
• A letter of application with 1) a detailed curriculum vitae that addresses (i) scholarly, professional and creative work, (ii) teaching (including summary of academic and/ or clinical teaching), and (iii) administrative service and experience fostering collaboration across partners; 2) a brief statement of your current or previous contributions to advancing anti-racism, equity, diversity, decolonization, Indigenization and inclusion in an academic, professional, or community context;
• A vision document (1-2-page) outlining a plan to enhance the vision and leadership of the research centre;
• Up to five recent publications that you would consider representative of how your research relates to the research centre;
• Publications record; and
• Names of two references.

Applications should be directed to:
Dr. Wyeth Wasserman
Vice Dean, Research
c/o Meredith Ladner, Research Administration Coordinator
Email: Meredith.Ladner@ubc.ca
Subject Line: Director, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact the Research Administration Coordinator at Meredith.Ladner@ubc.ca.

Review of applications will begin July 20, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2026, or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Please note that application packages will be shared with relevant parties (e.g., search committee, Dean) as part of the search process.

We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to employment equity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome applications from candidates belonging to historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups: Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and trans and non-binary people.

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are appreciated, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request. Please contact Meredith.Ladner@ubc.ca.

If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/workplace-accessibility/centre-workplace-accessibility or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.

With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and its distributed programs, which include four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of First Nations Peoples and communities around the province.

UBC — One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty — comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members — is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualifies persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.