Welcome to Pathology's Bi-Weekly Bulletin | March 06, 2026
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Recruiting new committee members to the PALM Trainee Award Committee
The PALM Trainee Award Committee would like to recruit two new committee members. This committee reviews scholarship/fellowship award applications to select Department nominees for UBC and nationwide competition. Committee members will score each application based on the assessment criteria of these awards. Applications will be ranked by the average score of all committee members.
Time commitment: ~60 h per year (no written report required)
Timeline:
- May: UBC Spring Awards
- August and September: UBC Four-Year Fellowship, UBC Affiliated Awards, and CGRS-D
- November & December: Postdoctoral Awards and CGRS-M
Benefits:
- Learn about the exciting research that is happening in our community.
- Know how your trainees are assessed and navigate future applications as a reviewer.
- Learn about how to build a strong application package by reviewing the good examples.
Eligibility:
PALM and PALM-affiliated research faculty members at any rank.
Please respond to Ying Wang with your expression of interest.
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Faculty Promotion – Dr. David Schaeffer
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine congratulates Dr. David Schaeffer on his promotion to Professor, Partner. We thank Dr. Schaeffer for his continued contributions to the department’s clinical, academic, and leadership activities.
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Dr. David Huntsman Receives Funding for Cancer Prevention Research
Dr. David Huntsman, Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at UBC, has been awarded $2 million to support research on ovarian cancer prevention.
The funding is part of a nearly $10 million investment awarded to UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers to advance cancer prevention and early detection. The national initiative supports five projects addressing ovarian, breast, colorectal, cervical and gastrointestinal cancers.
Dr. Huntsman’s project, “Biologic basis of contraceptive choice associated ovarian cancer risk: from populations through cells to action,” will investigate how contraceptive use influences ovarian cancer risk and explore biological mechanisms that may inform prevention strategies.
More information:
UBC Medicine announcement
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Dr. Poul Sorensen Receives Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research
Dr. Poul Sorensen, Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia, has received the 2025 Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research. The national award is presented by the UBC Faculty of Medicine to a Canadian physician or scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the treatment, amelioration, or development of therapies for cancer.
The award was presented by Dr. Christian Steidl at a ceremony in Vancouver attended by family, colleagues, and members of the research community.
The Department congratulates Dr. Sorensen on this recognition of his contributions to cancer research.
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CaRMS 2026 Residency Match Results
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is pleased to share the results of the 2026 CaRMS R-1 Main Residency Match (first iteration). The department successfully matched residents to several training programs, including Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology, Hematological Pathology, and Neuropathology.
- Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (CMG Stream): Laney Beaulieu (Western University), Calvin Chang (University of British Columbia), Walter Yin (Université de Montréal)
- Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (RoS Stream): Yi Han Xia (University of British Columbia)
- Hematological Pathology: Theodora Yung (University of Alberta)
- Neuropathology: Joseph Silburt (Dalhousie University)
One position in Medical Microbiology remains unfilled and will proceed to the second iteration of the match.
We congratulate the incoming residents and thank all faculty and staff involved in the recruitment process.
View full match results
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International Women's Day — March 8, 2026
On International Women's Day, we recognize the women of our department — past, present, and future.
As researchers, clinicians, educators, and mentors, they have shaped and continue to shape the field of
pathology and laboratory medicine. Their contributions advance science, strengthen patient care, and
inspire the next generation of women in medicine and science.
To all the women of UBC Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: thank you.
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Update: Extraordinary Expense Fund Contribution Rates (Effective April 1, 2026)
The Faculty of Medicine has announced the contribution rates for the Extraordinary Expense Fund (Policy FM7), which supports grant- and contract-funded research personnel by covering certain costs not normally funded through external grants. Eligible expenses include short-term sick leave, maternity, parental and adoption leave, and in some cases severance or working notice.
The fund is supported through contributions based on a percentage of salaries or earnings for grant- or contract-funded staff, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows.
Contribution rates effective April 1, 2026:
- Tri-Agency funds: 0.40% of grant/contract-funded salaries or earnings (no change)
- Non-Tri-Agency funds: 0.65% of grant/contract-funded salaries or earnings (reduced from 0.80%)
Contribution rates are reviewed annually. More information is available in the Extraordinary Expense Fund Policy (FM7).
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Opportunity for Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Early-Career Researchers: VCID Research Workshop
Dr. Cheryl Wellington (Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC) and Tetiana Poliakova (UBC PhD student) are co-organizing the Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) Workshop, hosted by The Jackson Laboratory.
The workshop will take place April 28 – May 1, 2026 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. This interdisciplinary program brings together investigators in vascular biology, neurodegeneration, genetics, and computational biology to examine current challenges in understanding and treating cognitive impairment and dementia.
The program includes scientific lectures and hands-on sessions focused on integrating human data with preclinical models and research resources.
The workshop may be of interest to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers. It includes structured mentoring and career development activities, and a limited number of travel awards are available to support trainee participation.
More information:
Workshop details and application information | Flyer
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Weekly Province-wide Pathology Rounds
Friday, March 6, 2026 — Province-Wide Pathology Rounds (12:00 noon – 1:00 pm)
Please join us for Province-wide Pathology Rounds featuring a presentation by:
Dr. Katy Rezvani
Optimizing NK Cell Engineering for Therapeutic Efficacy
Learning Objectives:
- Understand key strategies for engineering NK cells, including CAR design, cytokine support, and genome editing approaches to enhance persistence and anti-tumor activity.
- Evaluate preclinical and clinical advances in engineered NK cell therapies, with emphasis on translational lessons.
- Identify challenges and future directions in NK cell engineering, including overcoming the tumor microenvironment.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She serves as Vice President and Head of the Cell Therapy Institute for Discovery and Innovation, holds the Barnts Family Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research, and is Medical Director of the GMP Facility. Her research focuses on NK cell biology and the development of engineered NK cell therapies for cancer, with the goal of translating these approaches into clinical applications. Dr. Rezvani completed her medical training at University College London and her PhD at Imperial College London. She completed further training in immunology and transplantation biology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She has co-authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and has received several awards, including the American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas Award.
Zoom Access
- Go to ubc.zoom.us and click “Join a Meeting”
- Meeting ID: 661 1423 1597
- Passcode: 564976
- Meeting link: Join via Zoom
- Dial-in option: +1 778 907 2071 (long-distance charges may apply)
Download event poster (PDF)
🔁 Missed a session? View recordings of previous rounds here:
Past Rounds Archive
💡 Have ideas for future rounds or speakers?
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at
pathassist@pathology.ubc.ca
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PathDay 2026
The PathDay 2026 website is now live. Speaker information and a tentative program schedule are available.
PathDay registration and abstract submission can be accessed directly through the website.
Please visit the site regularly for updates, deadlines, and program details.
Visit the PathDay 2026 website
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📣 Have News to Share?
Do you have a story, publication, award, event, or other exciting update to share with the UBC Pathology community?
We’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to Debbie Bertanjoli at
dbertanjoli@pathology.ubc.ca.
Let’s celebrate our collective achievements and keep our community connected!
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