UBC Health is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the UBC Health Awards and Scholarships. These honours celebrate the outstanding academic and research contributions of faculty and students across health disciplines at UBC, as well as the impactful work of health educators, professionals, and community partners throughout British Columbia.
John McNeill Excellence in Health Research Mentorship Award
The John McNeill Excellence in Health Research Mentorship Award recognizes faculty members at any stage in their academic career, in any of UBC’s health-related disciplines, who have formally been identified as mentors and who exemplify a deep commitment to fostering the professional and personal development of faculty colleagues, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows in the early stages of their academic career. This prestigious award was established by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in honour of Dean Emeritus John McNeill, whose leadership helped distinguish the Faculty as one of Canada’s best graduate programs and research environments, paving the way for future excellence in research and research capacity in health at UBC.
The 2025 recipient is Dr. Bruce Vallance, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine, and an internationally recognized leader in intestinal microbiology and mucosal immunology.
A dedicated mentor and academic leader, Dr. Vallance has made significant contributions to UBC and the broader health research community through service on key committees shaping the Faculty of Medicine’s research strategy, supervision, and examination of graduate students, and leadership of research initiatives within the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at BC Children’s Hospital. Through his ground-breaking research, Dr. Vallance has helped position UBC as a global centre for innovation in gastrointestinal health. He holds an exceptional publication record, with more than 220 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters, and over 25,000 citations.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Vallance has directly supervised 22 post-doctoral fellows, 27 graduate students, and more than 100 undergraduate trainees, fostering a highly collaborative, productive, and supportive training environment. His approach to mentorship is deeply personalized, fostering critical thinking, creativity, rigor, and professional growth in each individual. He encourages each mentee to follow their passion to build a successful and fulfilling career.
R. Paul Kerston Community Educator Award
The R. Paul Kerston Community Educator Award was named after long-time community educator, R. Paul Kerston to honour outstanding community educators who have made a difference to student learning in health and human service programs at UBC.
The 2025 recipients are Melody Brown and her sons, Tyrone and Lyndon Brown, exceptional patient partners and Experts by Experience in living with and managing disability. For more than 11 years, they have contributed to UBC’s Interprofessional Health Mentors Program and served as panelists for Patient & Community Voices workshops, supporting interprofessional education on disability, patient-centred care, and collaborative decision-making.
Since 2014, Melody, Tyrone, and Lyndon have mentored students across a wide range of health disciplines through workshops, classroom-based group work, and co-facilitated learning sessions.
As Tyrone and Lyndon are non-verbal, Melody shares their lived experiences, insights, and perspectives on their behalf, alongside her own experiences as a caregiver navigating the health care system. Together, they are powerful advocates for people with disabilities and the importance of community-based support systems. Their work has reached broader audiences through a published book, presentations, and videos, which are now part of the Living Library for students, faculty, and staff at UBC.
Award for Excellence in Interprofessional Teaching and Learning
The Award for Excellence in Interprofessional Teaching and Learning recognizes two outstanding educators who demonstrate excellence in facilitating interprofessional groups of learners at UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan. The awards are presented to two educators who have facilitated interprofessional learning activities for UBC Health and have demonstrated exemplary facilitation skills.
The 2025 recipient is Elly Park, Assistant Professor of Teaching and the Academic Site Lead for the Master of Occupational Therapy - North Cohort program in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. Dr. Park has been a long-standing contributor to interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives at UBC Health.
Since 2021, Dr. Park has facilitated multiple UBC Health Integrated Curriculum workshops, including sessions on iEthics, Collaborative Decision-Making, Professionalism, and Team-Based Care. She has contributed significantly to inter-institutional collaborations involving UBC Occupational Therapy, UNBC Nursing students, and other health professionals, helping advance interprofessional education in northern and rural communities in BC.
Dr. Park places strong values on lived experiences and experiential learning as essential components of health professions education. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive learning environments where students learn with, from, and about one another through collaboration, dialogue, and shared storytelling across disciplines
John F. McCreary Prize for Interprofessional Teamwork
The John F. McCreary Prize for Interprofessional Teamwork recognizes and promotes interprofessional teamwork in the health and human service professions. The award is named after Dr. John F. McCreary, the first coordinator of health sciences at UBC, and is intended to draw attention to Dr. McCreary’s vision of interprofessional collaboration in clinical work and education and the value of a team approach in meeting the health care needs of British Columbians.
The 2025 recipient is the Lu’ma Medical Centre team. The Lu’ma Medical Centre exemplifies innovation in interprofessional care by integrating clinical services with cultural and community-based supports to deliver a holistic, patient-centred model that brings together Western and Indigenous healing practices.
An Indigenous-led, interdisciplinary primary care clinic, the Lu’ma Medical Centre is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving access to culturally safe health services for Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders are central members of the care team, supported through an Elders Coordinator, traditional healing rooms, ceremonial supports, and a traditional medicines program developed in collaboration with a community pharmacy.
Since its establishment in 2016, Lu’ma has grown from a single- physician practice to an Indigenous and culturally aware interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social navigators, Elders, and allied health professionals who work collaboratively to deliver coordinated, culturally grounded care. Lu’ma is a place of teaching and learning in partnership with UBC’s Medical Residency program. Lu’ma provides clinical practicum for NP’s and other clinical disciplines.
Lu’ma continues to strengthen its model by expanding access to traditional medicines, enhancing mental health and chronic disease supports, and addressing social determinants of health through partnerships with the First Nations Health Authority, First Nations and Aboriginal Primary Care Network and UBC.
Practice Education Team Award
The Practice Education Team Award honours a healthcare team that provides outstanding interprofessional collaborative patient-centred education in the practice setting for UBC pre-entry to practice level students.
The 2025 recipient is the CHANGE BC team. Change BC is an interprofessional primary care and education initiative dedicated to improving health outcomes for individuals living in British Columbia through community-driven, evidence-based lifestyle interventions. The team brings together clinical exercise physiologists, registered dietitians, family physicians, oral health professionals, health administrators, academics, and Indigenous Elders to collaboratively prevent and manage metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes within primary care.
As an interprofessional teaching and learning site, CHANGE BC trains UBC students from various disciplines, including Kinesiology, Medicine, and Dietetics. Supported by a strong interprofessional mentorship network, students become fully integrated into the care team, gaining hands-on experience in collaborative care planning, motivational interviewing, health assessment, and patient communication
CHANGE BC also demonstrates a strong commitment to community-engaged education, particularly in rural, remote, and Indigenous settings. Students contribute to community-based initiatives such as culturally responsive physical activity programs, food security outreach, elder programming, and chronic disease rehabilitation, while developing leadership, adaptability, and cultural competency. Since its pilot in 2018, CHANGE BC has exemplified excellence in interprofessional teamwork and student-centred practice education that strengthens primary care and builds capacity across northern communities.
ImpactBC Scholarships in Health Care Research and Development
The ImpactBC Scholarships in Health Care Research and Development recognize outstanding students in a UBC health discipline who have completed a research or development project focusing on patient/client involvement in health care decision-making or in health professional education. The scholarships were established through an endowment by ImpactBC.
2025 Recipients
Naila Ali is a third-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Naila's research, conducted in partnership with the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, focuses on improving medication safety and access to culturally safe pharmacy care in rural and remote communities. Naila led the qualitative evaluation of the Nuxalk Pharmacy Program, contributed to direct clinical care, and developed virtual documentation tools to strengthen continuity of care and service delivery. The project informed recommendations for long-term program sustainability and enhanced access to pharmacy services. Her work also supported the development of PHRM 300: Place Based Learning, an experiential PharmD elective piloted with 12 students that offers hands-on learning grounded in Indigenous community engagement and land-based education.
Soeun Chang is a second-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Soeun is part of the Building Resources and Accessibility in Neurology (BRAIN) team, a research and education group dedicated to strengthening patient engagement and interprofessional learning. Her involvement bridges pharmacy education, clinical practice, and patient experience through resource development and collaborative research. She has helped design and deliver the PD Medication Program, a patient education initiative, and contributed to creating the neurology of SPOTLIGHTS learning modules for pharmacy students. She also supported research evaluating the pharmacist’s role in a Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Clinic, assisting with ethics preparation, literature review, and study design. Soeun's leadership emphasizes patient partnership, educational innovation, and advancing person-centred pharmacy care.
Jenine Hira is a second-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program in the Faculty of Medicine. Jenine’s research builds on the Women’s Health Research Institute’s HERBC Report, which identified significant gaps in access, education, and support for people experiencing menopause. As part of this project, Jenine conducted a rapid review of the existing literature on complex menopause to understand how medically complex patients are defined and supported within tertiary care settings. Her research examines current models of care, challenges in symptom management, and the need for multidisciplinary approaches for patients with multiple health conditions. By synthesizing available evidence and integrating insights from a patient partner with lived experience, Jenine is helping shape a future research agenda aimed at improving specialized menopause care in British Columbia.
Zeba Fariha Khan is a third-year student in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PhD in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences program in the Faculty of Medicine. Zeba serves as the lead coordinator of the Period Pain is Real Pain campaign, a national initiative improving access to youth-friendly information about period pain. Zeba co-designed the campaign and the PeriodPain.ca website in partnership with youth patient partners, ensuring youth voices guided all aspects of development. She facilitated co-design workshops, created engagement strategies, and collaborated with healthcare providers and developers to produce accessible, evidence-based resources. Zeba's campaign reached over 800,000 viewers, generated 6,200 website visits in its first month, and was featured on CBC’s homepage, demonstrating Zeba’s leadership in youth-engaged research and knowledge mobilization.
Akashdeep Manes is a third-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program in the Faculty of Medicine. Akashdeep leads a project to reduce opioid-related harm through the development of a wearable device that detects early signs of overdose using continuous oxygen saturation monitoring. In addition to device development, Akashdeep conducted a comprehensive systematic review identifying evidence-based oxygen saturation thresholds associated with opioid-induced respiratory depression, informing future monitoring protocols and device calibration. He led key project components including patient engagement, device co-design, literature synthesis, data analysis, and knowledge translation. His work integrates technology, clinical evidence, and lived experience to advance innovative harm-reduction strategies and improve patient safety.
Shawna Narayan is a second-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program in the Faculty of Medicine. Shawna contributed to the Virtual Primary Care for People with Opioid Use Disorder (VPCOUD) project, an interdisciplinary study examining how individuals with opioid use disorder accessed and experienced virtual primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shawna supported participant recruitment, data management, and thematic analysis of interviews with people with lived experience and family physicians across British Columbia. She also collaborated with community organizations to ensure the research remained grounded in-patient needs. Her work helped identify the benefits of virtual care, such as increased autonomy, and its challenges, such as digital access issues. Shawna’s contributions strengthened efforts to develop equitable, patient-centred virtual care models for marginalized populations.
Heather Ranger is a second-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Heather has led and contributed to multiple initiatives that advance patient involvement in health professional education and care. As a member of the Building Resources and Accessibility in Neurology (BRAIN) Team, she has led the development of the BRAIN Framework, a novel pedagogical approach developed within the UBC PharmD neurology module that integrates patient educator voices throughout the curriculum. Building on this work, she now co-leads the creation of The BRAIN Guide, an open-education toolkit that supports meaningful patient inclusion in health curricula. Heather also developed contraception education tools for PharmD students and contributed to a new Contraception Tool to support evidence-based pharmacy practices.
John H.V. Gilbert Interprofessional Scholarship
The John H.V. Gilbert Interprofessional Scholarship recognizes an outstanding student in the final year of any health or human services degree program who best combines academic excellence and demonstrated student leadership in interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centred practice.
2025 Recipient
Olivia Grace Stevenson is a second-year student in the Master of Social Work program in the Faculty of Health and Social Development at UBC Okanagan. As a graduate research assistant, Olivia contributes to interprofessional education through leadership, research, and community engagement. She collaborates with faculty and students across health science programs to advance holistic, patient-centred care and works with educators and healthcare providers to promote physical literacy and lifelong health. Olivia's involvement with the Kelowna Physical Literacy Working Group and the Interior Health Research Ethics Board highlights her commitment to ethical, community-focused, and interprofessional practice.
Professor Jessie Gordon MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship
The Professor Jessie Gordon MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship recognizes an outstanding student in the final year of any pre-licensure health science program who best combines academic excellence, demonstrated interest, and leadership in the field of community health. The scholarship was established through an endowment in memory of Jessie Gordon MacCarthy, a long-term contributor to the development of health sciences at UBC.
2025 Recipient
Elsie Jiaxi Wang is a fourth-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program in the Faculty of Medicine. Elsie is part of a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund project with UBC Health to design a Virtual Care Team Curriculum, advancing innovation in team-based and virtual health care education and supporting over 1,000 health students annually through interprofessional collaboration and data-driven program design. Her advocacy extends beyond academia to health system reform, promoting national physician licensure, strengthened primary care teams, and technology integration. Elsie also collaborates with public and private schools in Vancouver and Burnaby to improve health literacy and access to care. She is committed to advancing reproductive health access through education, workshops, and training initiatives.
Congratulations to the 2025 UBC Health Award and scholarship recipients for their leadership in collaborative education and patient-centred health research. Their work is preparing future health leaders and advancing better health outcomes across BC.
Recipients will be honoured at a ceremony in May 2026.
- Stories
- Awards + Scholarships
