Each year, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine recognizes faculty and staff members for excellence in teaching, research, administration, innovation and public service. Congratulations to the DMCBH members who received awards for 2022.
Distinguished Researcher — Clinical: Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose
In recognition of significant contributions to foundational science, clinical and applied research.
Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, professor and Canada Research Chair (CRC) in the department of physical therapy, has been recognized for her world-class research on healthy aging and her invaluable mentorship and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Dr. Liu-Ambrose serves in several major leadership roles, including as co-director of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility; chair of the UBC Institutional Council Research Prizes and Awards, and director of the Falls Prevention Clinic at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. She co-leads the UBC Physical Activity for Precision Health research excellence cluster, which includes more than 50 investigators from UBC and 11 other institutions. At the national level, Dr. Liu-Ambrose co-leads the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Healthy Brains, Healthy Aging Platform.
Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s research program focuses on healthy aging and promoting cognitive health and mobility into old age. Her research has been translated into community programs, clinical care and international guidelines that are helping transform the lives of patients around the globe. Specifically, Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s work has been influential in showing the role of resistance training in promoting cognitive and brain outcomes in older adults.
In collaboration with international experts, Dr. Liu-Ambrose has organized and delivered certified training workshops on falls prevention for health professionals across British Columbia. As an invited expert, she has contributed to global guidelines for falls prevention and recommendations for brain health in older adults. She has secured millions of dollars in individual and collaborative grants to fund this research and has been recognized with numerous local, provincial and national awards.
Dr. Liu-Ambrose has mentored and supervised over 100 students and is dedicated to inspiring students to become life-long, self-directed learners. She is deeply committed to advancing EDI, and as chair of the Institutional Council Research Prizes and Awards is leading changes to promote the celebration of EDI and implementation of EDI processes and metric tracking.
Killam Teaching Prize: Dr. Kurt Haas
Awarded to faculty nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching
Dr. Kurt Haas is a professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences and also a Graduate Program in Neuroscience faculty member. He has mentored and taught students at all levels, including providing internships for undergraduate students and supervising graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in his lab. In particular, he created the Indigenous Community Outreach Project, which provides opportunities for Indigenous undergraduate students to participate in summer research internships.
Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research: Dr. Cheryl Wellington
Recognizes outstanding clinical or applied research and scholarly contributions.
Dr. Cheryl Wellington is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Wellington’s research program encompasses the genetic and environmental risk factors that affect dementia, including apolipoprotein E metabolism, history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and cerebrovascular dysfunction. Her current research projects include drug discovery efforts to increase apolipoprotein function in the brain for application to both Alzheimer’s Disease and TBI, understanding the relationships between TBI and dementia, and innovative tissue engineering approaches to investigate cerebrovascular function in health and disease.
Overall Excellence — Mid-Career: Dr. Cornelia Laule
Recognizes outstanding contributions in the areas of research, education and service.
Dr. Cornelia Laule is an associate professor in the Departments of Radiology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Laule is a physicist and has been involved with nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research for 25 years. She heads an interdisciplinary research program in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury spanning technical innovations to clinical translation. She is passionate about science communication and leads initiatives to increase diversity in STEM, emphasizing women and Indigenous peoples.
Overall Excellence — Senior Faculty: Dr. Raymond Lam
Recognizes outstanding contributions in the areas of research, education and service.
Dr. Raymond Lam is a professor, BC Leadership Chair in Depression Research in the Faculty of Medicine and the Associate Head for Graduate and Undergraduate Education in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lam is also Director of the Mood Disorders Centre Research, Education, Awareness and Care Hub (MDCreach) at the DMCBH. His research examines clinical and neurobiological factors in seasonal, treatment-resistant and workplace depression, clinical trials, clinical guidelines, digital health technologies, and global mental health. Dr. Lam is also a lead investigator for the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND) and Executive Chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Digital Hub for Mental Health, hosted at UBC.
