Experimental Medicine is the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Modern experimental medicine represents a rapidly growing body of knowledge involving the determination of disease processes and the development of appropriate therapies.
Here at UBC, the Experimental Medicine program was first opened in 1987 and has since expanded to an incredible 125 PhD students, 66 MSc students, 3 MD/PhD students and 193 supervisors, making it the largest program in the Faculty of Medicine. Members of the Department of Medicine direct research programs in a wide range of basic and clinically relevant areas. Specialties within this program are extremely broad, and include cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious disease, medical immunology, medical oncology, molecular biology, nephrology, neurology and respiratory medicine.
The broad range of disciplines represented in the program is highly apparent if one attends the annual Experimental Medicine Student Research Day. An incredibly diverse group of researchers came together in November of 2012 for this exciting event, which included a keynote talk from Dr. Gerry Krystal, as well other poster and oral presenters on topics ranging from stem cells, to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa, to transcriptional profiling of asthma patients. Taking part in the annual research day is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the numerous disciplines represented in the program and catch up with colleagues from research institutions from all over Vancouver.
Generally, first year Experimental Medicine students will take part in both the MEDI501 (Molecular and Cellular Biology of Experimental Medicine) and MEDI502 (Experimental Medicine Methodology) courses. These courses include a broad overview of the cellular and molecular functions of normal tissues and specific disease processes, as well as a period of lab rotation and overview of grant and fellowship proposal writing.
The Experimental Medicine program is not all work however, and includes numerous social events each year. Last year there was both a summer grill and Christmas party, as well as a variety of other social events outside of these.
Selected Recent Publications
Differentiation of human embryonic stem cells using size-controlled embryoid bodies and negative cell selection in the production of photoreceptor precursor cells. Anat Y, Laver CR, Joe AW, Viringipurampeer IA, Wang X, Gregory-Evans CY, Gregory-Evans K. Tissue Eng Part C Methods. 2013
Functionally convergent white adipogenic progenitors of different lineages participate in a diffused system supporting tissue regeneration. Lemos DR, Paylor B, Chang C, Sampaio A, Underhill TM, Rossi FM. Stem Cells. 2012 Jun;30(6):1152-62. doi: 10.1002/stem.1082.
A single nucleotide polymorphism in NF-κB inducing kinase is associated with mortality in septic shock. Thair SA, Walley KR, Nakada TA, McConechy MK, Boyd JH, Wellman H, Russell JA. J Immunol. 2011 Feb 15;186(4):2321-8
Student Profiles
Farshad Babeijandaghi is a first year graduate student in Dr. Fabio Rossi’s lab at the Biomedical Research Centre. He has joined Dr. Rossi’s lab in January 2012 after earning his doctorate degree in Medicine from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. One area of research in this lab is the role of microglial cells in neuroimmunological disorders. Using an irradiation–parabiosis–based experimental model that can distinguish between blood–derived monocytes and CNS–resident microglia, Farshad is working to elucidate the precise roles of these two morphologically indistinguishable phagocytic cells in development of the experimental autoimmune encephalitis which is a well–studied mouse model of the human disease multiple sclerosis.
Christopher Laver is a 2nd year PhD student in Dr. Kevin Gregory-Evans’ lab at the Eye Care Centre of Vancouver General Hospital. The Gregory-Evans Retinal Therapeutics Lab focuses on developing stem-cell and gene-therapy approaches for treating retinal degeneration. Chris’ research falls firmly into the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM), where he is focused on deriving photoreceptor precursor cells (PPCs) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using two distinct approaches: i) small-molecule induction, and ii) mRNA-based gene-induction. With recent success in generating clinically-relevant quantities of hESC-derived PPCs (Yanai and Laver, et al., 2013, Tissue Engineering), Chris is now undertaking transplantation of these cells to the subretinal space of a rodent model of retinal degeneration (the Ser334ter4 rat) in an effort to repopulate the photoreceptor layer of the eye and thereby rescue vision. Outside of his lab, Chris is involved in community-outreach programs – Let’s Talk Science and StemCellTalks – that aim to foster scientific curiosity, critical thinking, and inspire the next generation of medical researchers. Chris is also a Global Impact Fellow of Unite For Sight (UFS) – a non-profit, global health organization with a central goal of breaking-down barriers to vision care in impoverished regions of Ghana, India, and Honduras.
Simone Thair is a PhD candidate studying at the James Hogg Research Centre with Dr. Keith Walley, an ICU physician at St. Paul’s Hospital. The main area of interest in this lab is translational research that may lead to reduced mortality in patients with sepsis or septic shock. Simone’s background is genetics and immunology and is particularly interested in TNFα induced NF-κB signaling. She has used survival analysis to search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these pathways associated with increased mortality in cohorts of patients with septic shock. In order to understand how a SNP could alter mortality she moved to the bench to use an array of techniques from microarrays and PCR to immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to identify functional SNPs, their mechanism of action, as well as novel protein function of the genes these SNPs reside in. She hopes one day this will translate to changes in patient care in the coming age of personalized medicine.
Ben Paylor is a 4th year PhD Candidate in Dr. Fabio Rossi’s lab at the Biomedical Research Center. His research is focused on understanding the role of tissue-resident PDGFRa+ Sca1+ mesenchymal progenitors in the development of cardiac fibrosis. Work in his lab has highlighted the role of a similar cell population in skeletal muscle regeneration, and preliminary data is highly supportive of their importance in the heart. Elucidating the complex interactions between different tissue-resident progenitor subsets has provided much needed insight into regenerative processes in other tissues, and could offer novel therapeutic pathways for treating cardiac pathologies. Outside of the lab, Ben is an active science communicator utilizing a wide variety of mediums to engage and educate the public about science. Ben was one of seventeen Canadians selected as an Action Canada fellow in 2012, a national leadership and public policy program.