Our department is saddened by the passing of Dr. Mary Louisa Miller on January 28, 2024. Born and raised in Montreal and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Mary grew up on a farm and went on to study at McGill University. There she did undergraduate studies in Mathematics, followed by a medical degree. She went on to intern at Vancouver General Hospital, and obtained a fellowship in Anaesthesia, becoming one of the first women in Canada to achieve this specialty. Mary had a nearly 40-year career at Vancouver General Hospital. We extend our condolences to Dr. Miller’s family. She will be dearly missed by members of the Anesthesia family, especially those at Vancouver General Hospital
We wish to extend congratulations to this year’s Pharmacology graduates:
Master of Science in Pharmacology Jaycee Farmer
Bachelor of Science, Major in Pharmacology Parsa Alizadeh Tejveer Atwal Pamela Bai Tim Chin-Yueh Cheng Eric Cheuk Katherine Feng Nathan Zai Yu He Miyuki Hui Roy Jui Yi Hung Janell Ko Debon Lee Henry Zi Han Li Elaine Ling Jessica Liu Joshua Liu Harsirat Naraina Saina Nemati Selina Eunyoung Park Sabrina Rai Xindi Wang Catherine Xu Eleen Qinyu Yang Jenicia Zhen
Kudos goes to Dr. Laine Bosma who is being recognized by the Canadian Association of Medical Education for his longstanding commitment to medical education with the awarding of the 2024 Certificate of Merit. Dr. Bosma was instrumental in introducing simulation training into anesthesiology and other residencies and in transitioning our anesthesiology residency program to a competency-based curriculum. Dr. Bosma was the Simulation Director for the UBC Anesthesiology Residency Program from 2012 to 2016, Education Lead on Simulation for UBC Postgraduate Medical Education from 2014 to 2016, and UBC Anesthesiology Residency Program Director from 2016 to 2023. His impact has been felt by many of the early-to-mid faculty in our department across this province. Congratulations, Dr. Bosma, for a well-deserved recognition!
Recognizing outstanding mentoring by investigators in allergic disease research and education, at any career stage or in any discipline (including senior or junior University-based faculty or clinician scientists).
“Dr. Hackett’s approach to mentoring goes far beyond traditional academic boundaries. She cultivates an environment where critical thinking, creativity, and independent research are not just encouraged but are the foundation of daily practice. Her ability to inspire confidence and foster a sense of belonging within her team is remarkable. A quality that is consistently echoed by Dr. Hackett’s mentees is her dedication to creating a positive learning environment where everyone feels heard. She never fails to support her trainees who collectively represent different cultural backgrounds at all levels of training.”
Professor Mark Ansermino was presented with the 2024 J.S. Gravenstein Award at the Society for Technology in Anesthesia on Saturday 13th January 2024. The award is given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of anesthesia technology throughout their career. He is the first Canadian to receive this award. A list of the previous recipients of this prestigious award can be found on the STA website.
Our department is saddened to announce the passing of Dr. David Stewart on August 31, 2023. Dr. Stewart was active in the department’s simulation program and served as Head of Pediatric Anesthesia at BC Children’s Hospital. After leaving Vancouver he went on to serve as Head of Pediatric Anesthesia at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and then followed his passion of developing pediatric anesthesia in China from 1985-2011.
Our department is saddened by the passing of Dr. Richard Wall on August 19th, 2023. A brilliant intellectual, Dick joined our department as a chemist. His expertise in medicinal chemistry led to a number of fruitful collaborations within our department, including the discovery of vernakalant. Dick was instrumental in the development of the B.Sc. pharmacology program and he was a beloved academic and content advisor to countless undergraduate and graduate students. We extend our condolences to Dr. Wall’s family. He is dearly missed.
He is currently joining the Therapeutics Initiative team, to collaborate notably with the Drug Assessment Working Group and the Cochrane Hypertension Group. He will pursue the INDANA project of individual participants data meta-analysis in high blood pressure, initiated by Pr Gueyffier. In the context of the growing overweight and obesity pandemic, Dr Grenet will assess the impact of the body mass index on the cardiovascular benefits of antihypertensive drugs. The results are expected to help personalizing evidence-based treatment of people affected by overweight or obesity and high blood pressure.
Congratulations to Dr. Catrina Loucks on the recent awarding of a Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) award for The Loucks Pain Management Pharmacogenomics (PMP) Lab.
The opioid crisis continues to devastate the lives of Canadians, and unfortunately, it has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased movement toward opioid-sparing pain management strategies means that we are at risk of undertreating serious pain. This can be particularly devastating in children with high burdens of pain, where ongoing pain can interfere with brain development, disrupt behaviour, and increase the risk of chronic pain.
Safe and effective pain management is influenced by individual genetic differences that dictate both the likelihood of pain and whether medications will be safe and effective. Dr. Loucks is using pharmacogenomics to identify genetic factors that can help predict an individual’s need for, and subsequent response to, opioid and non-opioid pain relievers.
Safe and effective pain management is influenced by individual genetic differences that dictate both the likelihood of pain and whether medications will be safe and effective. Dr. Loucks is using pharmacogenomics to identify genetic factors that can help predict an individual’s need for, and subsequent response to, opioid and non-opioid pain relievers.
The Loucks Pain Management Pharmacogenomics (PMP) Lab is leveraging the resources of, and filling a critical gap in, the interdisciplinary Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety, which is a drug surveillance network that collects adverse/unexpected responses to approved medications, including opioids. With the requested infrastructure, the Loucks PMP Lab will enable both advanced training in pharmacogenomics, and the development of a pipeline from genetic discoveries to predictive genetic testing to help select the safest and most effective medications to ultimately lessen the burden of pain for Canadian children.
