UBC Health supports government research priorities
Five UBC research projects have been funded to address some of the pressing questions from the Ministry of Health in 2026 – each designed to address evolving health priorities across the province.
The Ministry of Health Seed Grant program administered through UBC Health continues to back research that aligns with the Ministry’s strategic focus areas. Funding recommendations were shaped by an interdisciplinary review panel that brought together academic experts alongside patient, community, and Indigenous perspectives.
“The strength of this process comes from the breadth of voices at the table,” said Teo Quay, Assistant Director, Research at UBC Health. “When you combine academic expertise with lived experience and community insight, you get a more complete view of what impactful research looks like. That depth ultimately leads to projects with greater relevance and real-world impact.”
Christie Newton, Associate Vice-President, Health, highlighted the continued importance of the partnership. “Our collaboration with the Ministry of Health plays a critical role in connecting UBC research to the realities of the health system,” she said. “Programs like this are helping spark partnerships that move ideas forward – supporting practical, forward-looking solutions that respond to the needs of British Columbians.”
The selected projects reflect UBC’s depth of expertise and capacity in these priority areas, and signal continued momentum in aligning research with the health challenges facing British Columbians today.
Project Title: AI-Enabled Hospital at Home Patient Selection in BC
Streamlining Patient Selection for Care Efficiency: AI-Enabled Hospital at Home (AIHaH) in BC
Funding: $49,995
Research Team
- Kendall Ho, Professor; Lead, Digital Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Iain McCormick, Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Bhushan Gopaluni, Professor; Associate Vice-Provost, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC Vancouver
- Sean Spina, Clinical Assistant Professor; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Health Information Sciences, UBC Vancouver / University of Victoria
- Craig Mitton, Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Karen Dahri, Associate Professor, Office of the Associate Dean, Practice Innovation, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC Vancouver
- Helen Novak Lauscher, Associate Lead, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Hubert Wong, Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Karen Tran, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- John A. Staples, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Teresa Tsang, Professor; Executive Director, VCHRI, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Pam Papp, Director of Operations, Vancouver Coastal Health
- Sonya Cressman, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Simon Fraser University
- Anna Meredith, Director of Special Initiatives, AI Hub, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Hiten Naik, Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Zhiying Li, Associate Director, AI and Advanced Analytics, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
- Kristy Wang, Clinician Fellow, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Olivia Tseng, Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinician Scientist, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Project Summary
Hospital at Home (HaH) delivers acute-level care in patients' homes, with outcomes comparable to hospital care and strong patient satisfaction. A key barrier to the program's efficiency is identifying eligible patients in a timely fashion — a time-consuming process that diverts clinicians from direct care and results in eligible patients being missed. Dr. Ho and his team are collaborating with the BC Ministry of Health and HaH programs across five health authorities to develop a harmonized provincial AI strategy for patient identification and selection. The project will address clinical, technical, and economic dimensions of AI implementation, delivering a phased "build once, deploy many times" plan designed to support equitable, efficient, and standardized patient screening across BC.
Project Title: Investing in Matriarchal Power, Access, Care, and Traditional Wellness (IMPACT)
Investing in Matriarchal Power, Access, Care, and Traditional Wellness (IMPACT)
Funding: $50,000
Research Team
- Brittany Bingham, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Lori Brotto, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Rachel Ollivier, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Chelsey Perry, PhD Candidate, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Danielle Harkey, MPH, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Piper Scott-Fiddler, MSc, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Danielle Behn-Smith, MD, Office of the Provincial Health Officer
Project Summary
While menopause is receiving increased attention in BC's health system, Indigenous women's access to culturally safe menopause care and support remains poorly understood. Through community gatherings, sharing circles, and interviews with Indigenous Matriarchs and Elders, this Indigenous- and community-led project will document barriers, facilitators, and unmet needs related to menopause care, as defined by Indigenous women themselves. Conducted in partnership with the Musqueam Indian Band, Stó:lō Women's Society, shíshálh (Sechelt) Nation, the Nisga'a Ts'amiks Vancouver Society, and Squamish Nation, the project is grounded in reciprocity, cultural safety, and Indigenous governance principles. Findings will be shared with the Women's Health Research Institute and BC Women's Hospital Complex Menopause Clinic to inform service planning and future health equity initiatives across BC.
Project Title: Behavioural Science for Public Health: Improving Climate Hazard Messaging
Behavioral Science for Public Health: Improving Messaging to Increase Awareness and Actions that Mitigate Risks from Climate Hazards
Funding: $49,850
Research Team
- Mark Harrison, Professor of Health Economics; Director, Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC Vancouver
- Nazafarin Esfandiari, MSc Student (Trainee), Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC Vancouver
- Kate Johnson, Assistant Professor, Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC Vancouver
- Anne-Marie Nicol, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University / BC Centre for Disease Control
- Rashmi Chadha, Co-chair, Provincial Sustainable Clinical Services Working Group; Planetary Health Clinician Engagement Lead, Vancouver Coastal Health
- Glory Apantaku, Climate and Health Scientist, Interior Health
- Sue Pollock, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Interior Health; Clinical Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
Project Summary
Climate hazards pose growing threats to public health, making effective communication essential to motivate protective action. This project applies behavioural science frameworks to examine how attitudes, perceived norms, and self-efficacy shape intentions to adopt climate-adaptive behaviours. Working with the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, and Vancouver Coastal Health, the team will co-develop and rigorously test messaging strategies across climate hazards, with a particular focus on reaching at-risk and historically excluded populations. Using a factorial survey design with over 2,000 participants and formative focus groups, findings will provide evidence-based guidance for BC public health agencies to craft messaging that reduces health risks and strengthens community resilience.
Project Title: Youth, Families, and Service Providers' Experiences with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Exploring Youth, Families, and Service Providers' Experiences with Provincially Funded Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Services in British Columbia
Funding: $49,865.60
Research Team
- Kirsten Marchand, Assistant Professor (Partner), School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Emily Jenkins, Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC Vancouver
- Jason Sutherland, Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Skye Barbic, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Roberto Sassi, Associate Professor (Partner), Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Danya Fast, Assistant Professor (Partner), Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Gabrielle Legault, Assistant Professor, Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UBC Okanagan
- Heather Palis, Assistant Professor (Partner), School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Sarah Adair, MSc Student (Trainee), Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Avneet Dhillon, PhD Student (Trainee), Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Cameron Eekhoudt, PhD Candidate (Trainee), Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Roxanne Turuba, Senior Research Coordinator, Foundry
- Violet Cameron, Youth Research Assistant, Foundry
- Karen Tee, Co-Executive Director, Foundry
- Julia Langton, Provincial Director, Research, Evaluation and Data, Foundry
- Verena Strahlau, Psychiatrist, Foundry
- Bradley Robinson, Director, Substance Use, Treatment and Recovery Division, BC Ministry of Health
- Patrick Lee, Senior Policy Analyst, Substance Use, Treatment and Recovery Division, BC Ministry of Health
- Katherine Hastings, PhD Candidate (Trainee), School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
Project Summary
The Government of BC has made significant investments in mental health and substance use (MHSU) services for youth aged 12–24, including the expansion of both bed-based and community-based programs. This project will generate new knowledge about the experiences and outcomes of youth and families accessing these services, examining how experiences differ between bed-based and non-bed-based care and identifying barriers and facilitators to access. Using youth-led workshops, journey mapping, and service provider surveys across the Interior and Fraser Health Authority regions, the team will also identify the indicators most meaningful for monitoring program effectiveness. The research is designed to directly inform provincial policy and service improvement, with findings shared through briefing notes, community of practice presentations, and academic publications.
Project Title: Improving Access and Delivery of Pharmacy Care to People with Opioid Use Disorder
Improving the Access and Delivery of Pharmacy Care to People with Opioid Use Disorder
Funding: $50,000
Research Team
- Adam Easterbrook, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC Vancouver
- Nazafarin Esfandiari, MSc Student (Trainee), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC Vancouver
- Mary Berger, MA Student / Research Assistant, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Simon Fraser University
- Mona Kwong, Director, Clinical Addiction Pharmacy Fellowship; Pharmacy Advisor, BC Centre on Substance Use
- Ashley Cole, Community Engagement Lead, BC Centre on Substance Use
- Taija McLuckie, Peer Advocacy and Knowledge Translation, BC Centre on Substance Use
- Jennifer Hawkins, Senior Project Manager, Community-Based Research, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
- Kim Friesen, Community Partner; Outreach Worker, Abbotsford OAT Clinic
- Rahim Janmohamed, Community Pharmacist
Project Summary
In BC, fewer than one third of those diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive opioid agonist treatment, and retention in care remains a significant challenge. Using community-based participatory research, this project will explore the experiences of people with OUD accessing care at community pharmacies, and develop recommendations for how pharmacy service delivery can be optimized to improve access and retention. The research builds directly on two previous MoH-funded projects examining pharmacist perspectives and is informed throughout by people with lived experience of OUD. Findings will be shared with the Ministry to support actionable improvements to pharmacy-based care across BC.
We congratulate all the grant recipients and appreciate their efforts in contributing to improving BC’s health system. For more information about UBC Health’s Interdisciplinary research initiatives, visit our website.
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