One-on-One with Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy

Meet the new Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President of Health, UBC

What attracted you to a career in medicine?

My journey to medicine was not a straight path. My father was a physician (and that certainly had some influence). But my mother was an artist, and I grew up immersed in the visual arts, dance and music.

In college, I majored in English literature and dreamed of becoming a writer. Then, through a combination of curiosity and experience, I was drawn to medicine — pursuing a degree and training in gastroenterology. This ultimately set me on an incredible path to becoming a clinician-scientist, which has allowed me to bridge my research and clinical work to better support patients. But I still have a special place in my heart for the arts.

Who inspires you, and why?

Over the course of my life, I have met many people — patients, mentors, close friends and students — who have inspired me in different and meaningful ways: some for their resilience in overcoming adversity, some for their overwhelming generosity, and others for their tireless efforts in pursuit of global health equity. Inspiration comes from many sources, if we have the heart and mind to see it.

What excites you most about joining UBC?

The people, the people, the people. From the first time I came to UBC, I felt a connection to the extraordinary community here. That feeling has only grown. Over the coming months, I look forward to the opportunity to meet many more people who are a part of the incredible health community at UBC — faculty, clinical faculty, staff, students and alumni around this beautiful province.

When it comes to advancing the transformative impact of the Faculty of Medicine and UBC Health here in B.C., across Canada and around the world, what do you see as some of the biggest opportunities?

Transformative impact requires changing paradigms, thinking and leading differently. And we need to think and lead differently today due to the tremendous challenges we face in health care, the environment, geopolitics and economics.

These interconnected issues require deep collaboration and innovative solutions. From what I can see, this Faculty and UBC Health are incredibly well positioned to continue playing a fundamental role in leading the way forward. This strength comes from the intellectual depth and breadth of the UBC community, our access to cutting-edge resources, and the strong health and Indigenous partnerships we have here in B.C., across Canada and around the world. Looking ahead, the key will be to further foster and fuel creativity, and build a safe and supportive space for innovation.

What was your first job?

Filing charts alphabetically in a dark, windowless hospital basement. That was before the digital age. Clearly, I am dating myself!

You’ve worked to transform patient care globally, with a focus on developing culturally appropriate and accessible solutions for patients and communities in underserved, rural and remote regions. How has your global experience shaped you as a leader?

Early on in my global health journey, I quickly realized that the world is small, and what affects others affects us. As a leader, I try and remind myself of this every day and to work collaboratively across borders for real and lasting impact.

My experiences working globally have also taught me that necessity is the mother of invention. When you have a lot, there is little need to innovate, so progress is often incremental, not transformative.

What has been a great realization in my career is that many of the tools, technologies and low-cost approaches that were developed out of necessity for remote, low-resource global communities went on to become highly relevant and applicable in North America too. The most high-tech, expensive technology is not always the most effective. Sometimes, true innovation comes from applying existing tools in unexpected ways and environments.

Proudest accomplishment as a researcher.

As a clinician-scientist, it’s incredibly rewarding when your research is translated and applied in real-world settings to improve patient lives. My proudest accomplishment is seeing rural health workers in different parts of the world adopt technologies and approaches that I have played a role in creating. Watching the portable ‘optical biopsy’ technology, a non-invasive medical imaging technique, advance to cancer clinical trials in low-resource settings on three continents after more than 15 years of work — that was an incredible moment.

Tell us why partnerships matter to you.

The quality of our work (and our lives) lies in the strength of our relationships. It’s really important to me that we are a trusted partner to governments and within the overall health system. It’s also critical that we all learn from one another — whether you are a scientist, educator, staff member or learner, we must work seamlessly in multidisciplinary teams. I want UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and UBC Health to be the place that everyone wants to work for, at, and with.

What’s your secret talent?

Remembering song lyrics, including really silly ones.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” — Albert Einstein

How do you spend your downtime?

Exercising, reading and enjoying some culinary experimentation!

What is your all-time favourite book?

Well, I was a lit major, which basically means getting course credits for doing what you love. I have a penchant for old and contemporary ‘gothic’ novels with mysterious and symbolic landscapes: Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day, a few others. On the non-fiction side, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time, an amazing treatise on leadership during a unique period in history. There are more…

What never fails to make you laugh?

My dog, Luna. But I love laughter in general — I’m told it’s the best medicine.