This October, Innovation UBC, in partnership with the Life Sciences BC Invest in BC Conference, co-hosted our inaugural UBC Day. Alongside UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), the Faculty of Medicine, Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH) and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, we brought together several of the university’s leading researchers and scholars whose groundbreaking work continues to strengthen UBC’s reputation as a top research intensive university. They connected with guests from across North America who were in Vancouver for the Invest in BC Conference, offering a dynamic introduction to the bold and rapidly growing life sciences sector at UBC.
Designed for industry leaders, investors, and innovation partners seeking high impact collaboration opportunities across our life sciences ecosystem, this partnership highlighted the remarkable research and innovation emerging from UBC. The day leveraged the momentum of the LSBC conference to shine a spotlight on the depth and breadth of UBC’s life sciences talent.
The morning began with a Breakfast hosted by UBC's School of Biomedical Engineering, followed by Innovation UBC’s From Lab to Market: Tours and Venture Connections, a series of small group tours and presentations that offered unparalleled access to labs and researchers across the Point Grey campus.
More than 50 attendees, from investors to innovators and business leaders, participated in hands on introductions to some of UBC’s most advanced research facilities, including:
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health: PROGENITER with Dr. Sriram Subramaniam
- The Life Sciences Institute: Pieter Cullis Lab led by Dr. Cedric Brimacombe
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Building featuring:
- Dr. Colin Ross (Genome Editing)
- Dr. Joel A. Finbloom (Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Infections)
- Dr. Shyh-Dar Li (Needle-free Drug Delivery)
- Dr. Miffy Hok Yan Cheng (Next Gen Nanomedicines)
Through in-depth, successive tours, each group moved across campus, hearing directly from leaders in their fields who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge across an impressive array of disciplines.
Following the tours, guests reconvened for lunch and networking at the Graham Lee Innovation Centre located in the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, a space where UBC's student entrepreneurs and business leaders gather and make meaningful connections that help drive UBC's thriving innovation ecosystem forward. Guests were provided a “Look Book” featuring some of UBC’s emerging life sciences ventures, offering a broader view of the innovation happening across campus.
Participants praised the level of access and engagement throughout the day, with one attendee sharing:
Thank you to our incredible campus hosts at UBC’s Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the Life Sciences Institute and the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building for helping facilitate this opportunity, and to our guests for contributing to the momentum, energy, and excitement of the event!
