The Faculty & Trainee Spotlight Series shines a light on the incredible people who make up the heart of UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Amidst the remarkable achievements and developments within the department, it is a pleasure to share the stories of the dynamic trainees and faculty who bring passion, curiosity, and insight that drive the areas of anesthesiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics forward.
Meet Dr. Brenda Lau!
Rank: Medical Director, Clinical Associate Professor
Brenda Lau completed her anesthesiology residency at UBC in 2004 before traveling to Sydney for a three-year interventional pain fellowship and a Master of Medicine under the mentorship of Professor Michael Cousins. Her thesis, “Future of Multidisciplinary Pain Clinics: Change or Die,” proved to be more than an academic exercise, it became a vision that shaped the trajectory of her career.
After returning to British Columbia, she pursued advanced certification in interventional pain sonology, Gunn IMS, clinical hypnotherapy, and physician quality improvement, continually expanding the scope of her expertise. Today, she serves as Medical Director of Changepain, an 80-member interdisciplinary pain clinic, and has played a pivotal role in shaping the field nationally. Her contributions include helping to establish Canada’s Pain Medicine subspecialty, UBC’s Pain Medicine Residency program, multiple training initiatives, three multidisciplinary clinics, and provincial standards that advance equitable and safe pain care.
“Teaching becomes a shared journey of problem-solving, where breaking through clinical, personal, and system challenges together deepens insight and capacity for meaningful change. ”
— Brenda Lau, Medical Director & Clinical Associate Professor, UBC
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
What I find most rewarding is witnessing breakthroughs in long-standing health gaps, such as women’s health as patients move from feeling dismissed or stuck, to empowered and hopeful. Seeing tangible improvements in brain and body performance confirms the impact of whole-person care. I’m equally driven by helping clinicians overcome regulatory and administrative barriers, reducing burnout, and restoring purpose. Creating innovative solutions that integrate science, creativity, and choice to simplify complex care energizes me. Teaching and learning are constant sources of inspiration, and bringing whole-person care into daily practice—while sharing laughter with patients and teams—makes my work deeply meaningful.
What’s one piece of advice you received early in your career that has stayed with you?
An early piece of advice that stayed with me was simple but profound: words change biology. Neuroscience shows that how we think and speak—before seeing a patient—shapes brain states, and our internal regulation which directly impacts trust, connection and clinical approach. I teach this to clinicians, patients, and leaders. For providers, intentional language restores agency and reduces burnout. For patients, it reduces overwhelm and builds confidence—the true healing stimulus beyond medications or procedures. Health begins with mind mastery, informed by neuroscience and whole-person care, delivered at the point of care—not outsourced—enabling self-regulation, and better outcomes.
What drew you to anesthesiology/pharmacology/therapeutics as a specialty or area of research?
I was drawn to anesthesiology from my very first clinical rotation in medical school. The operating room’s high-stakes environment combining physiology, intensive care, procedures, and real-time leadership felt like home. Anesthesiology’s residency uniquely includes chronic pain training, which proved formative. Mentors across St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH), Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH), and Prince George Regional Hospital (PGRH) crystallized my lifelong mission that began at the age of 7 to change pain. When I graduated, pain medicine had just emerged as a specialty in Australia. Training there allowed me to integrate clinical, administrative, systems change and health-economic insights, which I brought back to Canada and shaped into my life’s work.
What have you learned from working with residents and students that has surprised or inspired you?
Working with residents and students continually inspires me. They are deeply motivated to improve patient care, themselves, and the systems they work within, yet are rarely taught how to do this. Addressing their internal state is often pivotal. Presence, regulation, and psychological safety unlock curiosity, confidence, and clinical reasoning. Teaching also makes me hyperaware of how my own internal state shapes learning. Simple practices, from breathwork to honest conversations, help learners feel grounded and seen. Teaching becomes a shared journey of problem-solving, where breaking through clinical, personal, and system challenges together deepens insight and capacity for meaningful change.
Learn more about: Changepain & UBC Pain Medicine Residency Program