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Jay Gorman
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Kimberley Li
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Rory Blackler
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Clinical Professor Dr. Hamed Umedaly Recognized for the Alumni UBC 2025-26 Alumni Builder Award
Congratulations to Dr. Hamed Umedaly for being awarded a 2025-26 Alumni Builder Award!
Created in 2017 as part of the 100th year of alumni UBC, the Alumni Builder Awards recognize a cross-section of alumni representing both campuses who have significantly contributed to the university and enriched the lives of others, and in doing so, have supported alumni UBC’s vision of a global alumni community for an exceptional UBC and a better world. We are proud to honour this year’s Alumni Builder Awards recipients whose generous contributions have been recognized by their UBC faculty.
Recently recognized with an Alumni Builder Award, Dr. Hamed Umedaly has shown exceptional commitment to UBC and the medical community through decades of volunteerism, philanthropy, and global health service. As a clinical professor and long-serving anesthesiologist at VGH and UBC hospitals, he led VGH’s Anesthesiology Department and has earned multiple UBC teaching awards. His involvement spans from supporting the Medical Student and Alumni Centre to nearly a decade on the UBC Medical Alumni Association Board, where he served as treasurer and later president. Internationally, his 20-year effort advancing anesthesiology training in Uganda through a UBC-led program with international universities reflects his lifelong dedication to improving global health care.
Trainee Spotlight: Jaycee Farmer
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 Jaycee Farmer!
Role: Graduate Student, PhD Candidate
Site: International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)
Jaycee Farmer (she/her) completed her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University in Health Sciences, specializing in Pharmacology and Toxicology, while also completing credits equivalent to a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Statistics. This unique combination of health and quantitative training inspired her to pursue an MSc in Pharmacology at UBC, where she applied her analytical skills to tackle clinical research questions. That experience ultimately sparked her interest in academia, leading her to continue her studies with a PhD in Pharmacology, which she has been pursuing since May 2024.
“When I’m not reading papers or analyzing data, I like to spend time in nature and the mountains hiking, camping, biking, and running.”
— Jaycee Farmer, PhD Candidate, UBC
Responses have been edited for flow, clarity, and style.
What inspired you to pursue anesthesiology, pharmacology, or therapeutics?
I was inspired to pursue anesthesiology/pharmacology research primarily because of my family’s experience with a rare, inheritable disease called malignant hyperthermia (MH). MH can cause a life-threatening reaction to volatile anesthetics, and in some cases (including my family’s), heat and exercise. It’s often regarded in the literature as a “well-managed” condition, but that wasn’t our reality. I started wondering whether other families felt the same – and whether there are other conditions we assume are well-managed when further research could actually improve day-to-day life.
How did your path lead you to UBC?
During my time at Queen’s, I made many friends that were originally from Vancouver and was lucky enough to visit them. During these visits, I was in awe of the landscapes and beautiful scenery, and made it a goal of mine to live here one day for graduate school at UBC. I was so excited after visiting, I actually started my UBC MSc application a year before I was technically eligible to apply!
What’s a fun fact about you that most people wouldn’t guess?
I play guitar, piano, and sing!
What do you enjoy doing outside of the hospital or lab?
When I’m not reading papers or analyzing data, I like to spend time in nature and the mountains hiking, camping, biking, and running. I also love playing beach and indoor volleyball, and hanging out with my golden retriever, Sawyer.
Trainee Spotlight: James Taylor
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 James Taylor!
Role: Anesthesia Resident, PGY-3
Location: UBC Vancouver
With no family background in medicine and limited early exposure to the field, James knew he wanted firsthand experience in a healthcare setting before committing to what he understood would be a lifelong pursuit. After graduating from McGill with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, he came across an opportunity to work as an anesthesia research assistant at BC Women’s Hospital. Over the next two years, this role immersed him in clinical medicine, affirming his decision to pursue a career in healthcare. Ironically, despite exploring the wide range of specialties and keeping an open mind throughout medical school, anesthesia ultimately felt like the calling that had been there all along.
Now an Anesthesia Resident (PGY-3) at UBC Vancouver, James is currently serving as the lead resident for BC Women’s Hospital for the 2026 academic year.
“The limited opportunity to spend meaningful time with patients in many other specialties only reinforced my decision to pursue anesthesia, where I was drawn to the one-on-one, undivided attention anesthesiologists are able to provide.”
— James Taylor, Anesthesia Resident, UBC
Responses have been edited for flow, clarity, and style.
What inspired you to pursue anesthesiology, pharmacology, or therapeutics?
As an anesthesiologist, you have a unique set of skills as the most skilled physician at resuscitation and acute medicine. Falling back on your training allows you to be a calming presence and problem solve on-the-fly in high stress situations. Anesthesia is also the perfect combination of internal medicine and surgery. You are a proceduralist who applies critical thinking and physiology knowledge to diagnose and treat abnormal vital signs intra-operatively. Most importantly, I feel a deep sense of job satisfaction from the intense patient-physician relationship required when giving a patient your undivided attention during a stressful period.
What has surprised you most about your training?
I’ve been most surprised by how brief and fleeting physician-patient interactions can be in the hospital setting. Of course, the role of the physician is to integrate all clinical data points to make informed medical decisions. However, if you ask a patient who had a lasting impression on them, it is the nurses and allied health professionals. They are the individuals who execute our orders and put in the hard work. In fact, the limited opportunity to spend meaningful time with patients in many other specialties only reinforced my decision to pursue anesthesia, where I was drawn to the one-on-one, undivided attention anesthesiologists are able to provide.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the hospital or lab?
Like many in anesthesia, I have far too many hobbies outside of medicine, which are all related to staying active. During my first year of residency in Victoria, I fell in love with surfing and tried to make it out to Jordan River as often as possible on post-call days. In Vancouver, I enjoy playing soccer whenever my schedule allows, and during the summer months my co-residents and I have a friendly golf competition. Finally, as a good Vancouverite, I bike to work rain or shine and ski Whistler. Truly no place like BC to work and play!
What’s a fun fact about you that most people wouldn’t guess?
I find high altitude physiology fascinating, and I was lucky to have an opportunity to break 6000 m on a mountain called Huayna Patosí in Bolivia just prior to starting medical school! I also had an opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2018. Multi-day trekking feels like the best way to reset mentally and disconnect.
Faculty Spotlight: Michael van der Westhuizen
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. Michael van der Westhuizen!
Rank: Clinical Instructor
Dr. Mike van der Westhuizen completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences with a minor in Psychology at Queen’s University, before moving west to attend medical school and residency at UBC. Having grown up in Victoria, he always felt a strong pull back to the west coast. His current role at UBC is driven by a clear sense of purpose — shaped by vivid memories of the challenges of residency. Motivated by those experiences, Dr. van der Westhuizen expresses that, “if I can make residency even a little better through my work as coordinator, I consider that a success.”
“A fast-paced, dynamic environment pushes you to grow, and being surrounded by talented residents and colleagues inspires continuous improvement.”
— Michael van der Westhuizen, Clinical Instructor, UBC
Responses have been edited for flow, clarity, and style.
What’s one piece of advice you received early in your career that has stayed with you?
Working hard through difficult times builds resilience and strength, while choosing the easy path ultimately makes life harder. Enjoy simple pleasures and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but don’t avoid meaningful challenges. Embrace demanding social and career experiences that help you grow, strengthen your character, and become a better person.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
A fast-paced, dynamic environment pushes you to grow, and being surrounded by talented residents and colleagues inspires continuous improvement. At Victoria and UBC, we are privileged to work alongside world-class surgeons, nurses, anesthetic assistants, and perioperative staff whose personalities make each day rewarding. This dedicated team works tirelessly to enhance patient care, supporting people during some of their most vulnerable and stressful moments—work that never grows old.
What have you learned from working with residents and students that has surprised or inspired you?
People come from diverse backgrounds, each bringing unique social and professional challenges as well as valuable perspectives. Everyone has something distinctive to offer, and discovering how to bring out the best in individuals based on their differences is both inspiring and continually surprising.
If you weren’t in this field, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I guess we’ll never know!
Research in Focus: Lynnie Correll
Research in Focus shines a light on the innovative studies and discoveries taking shape across the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Through each feature, we celebrate the minds driving meaningful change in research, education, and clinical practice across anesthesiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.
For many children and teens, medical procedures can be an experience overwhelmed with stress, uncertainty, and fear. Dr. Lynnie Correll is working to make those moments more manageable and empowering for children and their families.
Dr. Correll’s research centres around better understanding how Integrative Medicine techniques and therapies can help children and adolescents cope with the stressors associated with medical procedures and surgery. While it is well understood that preparing for, undergoing, and recovering from procedures can be both physiologically and psychologically challenging, there are virtually no evidence-based programs designed to improve this experience for young patients.
To fill this gap, Dr. Correll is leading a study that brings together patients, caregivers, and clinicians to co-design a first-of-its-kind mobile app aimed at helping families prepare for these stressors. Funded by the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Young Investigator Award, the project unfolds in two phases. The first uses focus groups and a Modified Delphi process to identify which integrative techniques should be included. The second phase focuses on building the app itself, creating a tool that could transform how young patients experience medical care.
“I hope that this app will empower children, adolescents, and families in BC and the Yukon (and beyond) by giving them more agency over how their bodies respond to periprocedural stress.”
— Lynnie Correll, Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Meet Lynnie Correll!
Site: BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH)
Rank: Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Correll came to pediatric anesthesia by a somewhat scenic route. Always passionate about research, she initially planned to attend graduate school after college. However, her experience on a wilderness search and rescue squad opened her eyes to a love of clinical medicine, leading her to pursue an MD/PhD instead.
Her graduate work on the genetics of inherited immune cancers guided her toward pediatrics, but she soon discovered that looking in ears and freezing warts wasn’t her calling. Still, knowing that pediatrics was where she truly felt at home made it easy to specialize once she chose to pursue anesthesiology.
Responses have been edited for flow, clarity, and style.
What drew you to this particular research question or problem?
As a pediatrician, it was very clear to me that many of my patients and their loved ones had very little understanding of how much control they actually had over the way their bodies respond to health challenges, particularly those related to procedures and surgery. The field of Integrative Medicine addresses this directly, but its utility in the perioperative space has long been underutilized. As someone who understood both pediatrics and anesthesia, bringing this field into our arena was clearly the right thing to do — but you can’t convince anyone without evidence. Hence, the research.
What impact do you hope this work will have on clinical practice, education, or society in general?
Using co-design and co-selection strategies to create a mobile prehabilitation app for children and adolescents is something that has not been done before. My hope is that this study will demonstrate that patient- and family-centered product development is not only feasible, but in many cases preferable to the medical system’s usual prescriptive approach to preparing young people for surgery. I also hope that this app will empower children, adolescents, and families in BC and the Yukon (and beyond) by giving them more agency over how their bodies respond to periprocedural stress. Through simple, engaging, and enjoyable integrative techniques, the app aims to teach and guide users in ways that support their well-being throughout the surgical journey.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy the most?
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family traveling, skiing, hiking, cycling and running. As long as I am outside, I am happy!
Research in Focus: Donald Griesdale
Research in Focus shines a light on the innovative studies and discoveries taking shape across the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Through each feature, we celebrate the minds driving meaningful change in research, education, and clinical practice across anesthesiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.
When patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) become critically ill, VV-ECMO can be the lifesaving therapy that keeps them alive. However, starting this powerful form of life support may also place unexpected stress on the brain.
This prospective study by Dr. Donald Griesdale and his team investigates the mechanisms of brain injury in ARDS patients who require veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). When VV-ECMO is initiated, it can cause a sudden and steep drop in arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO₂). This rapid change may trigger cerebral vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow to the brain and potentially leading to ischemic injury.
To capture what happens in the brain at the exact moment VV-ECMO begins, the study uses robotic transcranial Doppler ultrasound to continuously measure middle cerebral artery flow velocity, providing real-time data on cerebral blood flow changes. At the same time, blood samples are collected to assess biomarkers of neurologic injury (GFAP, NF-L, tau, UCH-L1), and neuroimaging and neurocognitive follow-up help map the long-term clinical impact.
The INFORM study aims to determine whether PaCO₂-related reductions in cerebral blood flow mediate neurologic injury, and ultimately to guide safer management strategies for VV-ECMO patients. By integrating critical care, neurophysiology, and translational neuroscience, this work seeks to improve neurologic outcomes for those facing severe respiratory failure.
“I love working with diverse researchers and teams to tackle a variety of problems. That’s particularly why I love clinical epidemiology.”
— Donald Griesdale, Associate Professor, UBC
Meet Donald Griesdale!
Site: Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)
Rank: Associate Professor
Dr. Griesdale is the associate director of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation and an intensive care physician at VGH. He is also an assistant professor in the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics with cross appointments in the UBC Department of Medicine, Division of Critical Care Medicine and Neurology.
Following his clinical training, Dr. Griesdale completed a Master of Public Health with a focus in Clinical Epidemiology. He has been fortunate to practice at the intersection of care delivery and research.
Responses have been edited for flow, clarity, and style.
What drew you to this particular research question or problem?
I’ve always enjoyed trying to understand the link between physiology and outcomes. The data underpinning the association between PaCO₂ and neurologic injury is tenuous at best. Thus, actually examining cerebral flow velocity as a surrogate for blood flow during cannulation for ECMO was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.
What surprised you the most in this study?
The most surprising aspect of this project was the willingness of the entire team to perform TCD while patients were being cannulated for ECMO. I’m grateful to my colleagues for allowing me to explore this area of inquiry and for being so supportive throughout the journey.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy the most?
I have three boys aged 20, 16, and 14. Along with my wife Peggy, we love to do outdoor activities like camping and hiking. I also love landscape, street, and wildlife photography.
What’s been the most rewarding moment in your research journey so far?
Honestly, I love working with diverse researchers and teams to tackle a wide variety of problems. That’s particularly why I enjoy clinical epidemiology — there are so many different approaches you can use. I also enjoy learning about different quantitative and qualitative methods.