UBC is now ranked 22nd in the world for life sciences and medicine according to the latest QS World University Rankings. UBC is consistently among the top-tier life sciences and medical schools around the globe and this latest ranking represents the university’s highest placing ever, up two spots from 2022.
Dr. Dermot Kelleher
“These latest rankings reflect the university’s extraordinary community of scientists, educators, learners and staff who have come together with a shared vision to transform health for everyone,” says Dr. Dermot Kelleher, UBC’s Vice-President, Health and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “Together, through inspired and collective action, our community is translating breakthrough discoveries and innovative learning experiences into better health outcomes for patients here at home and around the world.”
Across disciplines, the UBC faculties of medicine, science, applied science, pharmaceutical sciences, dentistry and others are leading globally important research and innovation, and training the next generation of doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals who are creating pathways to better health for communities in British Columbia, across Canada and beyond.
For example, in the last year alone, researchers at UBC’s Faculty of Medicine launched the world’s first clinical trial for a genetically engineered stem cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes and identified a promising new treatment pathway for muscular dystrophy. Major advancements were also made toward universal organs for transplant, improving access to medicines using drone technologies, and on strategies to reduce ovarian cancer risk, among many other critical areas.
“These latest rankings reflect the university’s extraordinary community of scientists, educators, learners and staff who have come together with a shared vision to transform health for everyone.”
Dr. Dermot Kelleher
In response to the pandemic, UBC professor Dr. Pieter Cullis was widely recognized for his pioneering work developing the lipid nanoparticle delivery technology that enables mRNA therapeutics such as the highly effective COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Another UBC professor, Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, led first-in-the-world work to map the Omicron spike protein and identified a major therapeutic target for all variants of SARS-CoV-2.
A global leader in distributed education in regional, rural and remote communities, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine continues to expand its medical and health professions training programs across British Columbia to meet the unique health needs of individuals, diverse populations and society. This involves expanding the group of potential students, including those who identity as part of historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups.
Together with partners across academia, health care, industry and the public and not-for-profit sectors, UBC is fostering a world-leading biomedical innovation and life sciences ecosystem in B.C. and Canada that is improving the health and well-being of people everywhere.
Learn more in the Faculty of Medicine’s strategic plan, Building the Future: 2021-2026.