UBC Faculty of Medicine emerging researchers are among the UBC recipients of the 2025 Health Research BC Research Trainee Awards.
These awards provide support for postdoctoral and health professional researchers to focus on high-quality research and drive health outcome improvements.
Their work spans a wide range of areas – from improving brain and heart health, to developing cancer and infectious disease treatments, tackling mental health and substance use challenges and promoting health equity through stronger community and health system responses.
Since 2001, Health Research BC has awarded more than 1,400 Research Trainee awards, supporting the launch of many careers in research, biotech, health policy and other sectors. This continued investment ensures B.C.’s health research system can meet evolving talent needs and strengthens the province’s research capacity for the future. Seven of this year’s Research Trainee awards are co-funded by organizations in partnership with Health Research BC.
UBC Faculty of Medicine Recipients
- Jordan Broberg, Orthopaedics
- Project: Effect of Lateral Meniscus Posterior Root Tears and Repairs on the Mechanics of the Loaded Knee
Research Location: Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM)
Supervisor: Dr. David Wilson
- Miguel Cordova Delgado, Pediatrics
- Project: A multi-layer genomic analysis to understand the biological basis of corticosteroid-induced AVN in children with cancer: Toward precision health strategies.
Research Location: BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Supervisor: Dr. Bruce Carleton
- Wesam Farag, Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Project: Targeting G Protein-Coupled Receptors to Improve Neurovascular Coupling in Alzheimer’s Disease
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supervisor: Dr. Khaled Abdelrahman
Funding Partner: Alzheimer Society of B.C.
- Daniele Ferrari, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Project: Exploring the Role of Granzyme B in Aging-Related Pruritus: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential
Research Location: International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)
Supervisor: Dr. David Granville
- Mallory Flynn, Population and Public Health
- Project: Heterogeneity of risk of substance-related harms in British Columbians – using machine learning and statistical models to predict individual overdose risk with administrative healthcare data
Research Location: BC Centre for Disease Control
Supervisor: Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite
Funding Partner: BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
- Emily Gemmell, Population and Public Health
- Project: Urban environments to support healthy cognitive aging
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Brauer
- Jacob Hutton, Emergency Medicine
- Project: Validation and Implementation of a Wearable Cardiac Arrest Detection System in Clinical and Community Settings
Research Location: Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Grunau
Funding Partner: Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
- Monika Kowatsch, Medicine
- Project: Hormones and Inflammation among Women Living with HIV
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supervisor: Dr. Melanie Murray
- Jean Damascene Makuza, BCCDC
- Project: The Hepatitis C Cascade of Care among people in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, British Columbia: a population-based study
Research Location: BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Supervisor: Dr. Kate Salters
- Hiten Naik, Medicine
- Project: Reducing harms associated with ‘before medically advised’ hospital discharge
Research Location: University of British Columbia
Supervisor: Dr. John Staples
Funding Partner: Health Quality BC
- Kenneth Noguchi, Southern Medical Program
- Project: Power Exercise for Stroke Recovery: A Multi-Site Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus, McMaster University
Supervisor: Dr. Brodie Sakakibara
- Robert Reklow, Pediatrics
- Project: AID-PCD: Assessing Immunofluorescence for Diagnosis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
Research Location: BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
Supervisor: Dr. Sharon Dell
- Verena Rossa-Roccor, Population and Public Health
- Project: Climate change and youth mental health and wellbeing: a population-based study and participatory knowledge-to-action project
Research Location: Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
Supervisor: Dr. Anne Gadermann
- Talia Salzman, Physical Therapy
- Project: ACTIVE: Adding Life to Years in Cognitive Frailty by Preventing Falls and Promoting Cognitive Function
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supervisor: Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Stefano Sorrentino, Medicine
- Project: Alzheimer brain through 3D bioprinting patient-derived stem cells
Research Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
Supervisor: Dr. Haakon Nygaard
Funding Partner: CLEAR Foundation
- Linda Truong, Physical Therapy
- Project: Pushing musculoskeletal primary care to new frontiers: Musculoskeletal Comprehensive Assessment and Response in Emergency (MSK CARE) clinic in the Fraser Health Authority
Research Location: University of British Columbia, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM), Fraser Health Authority
Supervisor: Dr. Clare Ardern
- Carolyn Wang, Medicine
- Project: Characterizing the effects of cannabis smoking on airway epithelial cell reprogramming
Research Location: Centre for Heart Lung Innovation
Supervisor: Dr. Don Sin
- Printha Wijesinghe, Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
- Project: Unraveling Apolipoprotein E’s Role in Alzheimer’s Disease: Insights into miRNA & Glial Regulation and Amyloid Pathology.
Research Location: University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus
Supervisor: Dr. Joanne Matsubara
Funding Partner: CLEAR Foundation
- Jade Witten, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
- Project: The Implementation and Effectiveness of a Peer Support Program for People Living with Brain Injury in British Columbia
Research Location: GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre
Supervisor: Julia Schmidt
- Anthony Wong, School of Biomedical Engineering
- Project: Mapping and Enhancing mRNA Vaccine Delivery & Immune Activation for SARS-CoV-2
Research Location: UBC Biomedical Research Centre
Supervisor: Dr. Fabio Rossi
- Robert Wright, Experimental Medicine
- Project: Drug resistant CAR Tregs to promote transplant tolerance
Research Location: BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Supervisor: Dr. Megan Levings