UBC SPPH

Congratulations to our SPPH researchers on receiving the inaugural Engage Awards from Michael Smith Health Research BC, a new initiative supporting collaborative, community-connected health research across B.C.

Delivered with support from the BC SUPPORT Unit, the Engage Awards boost early-stage collaboration between researchers and local partners—including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, community organizations, policymakers and Indigenous partners. The awards enable teams to strengthen collaboration, explore shared priorities, and lay the foundation for future knowledge mobilization.

We're proud to celebrate:

🔹 Dr. Mark Gilbert
Project: Strengthening relationships for sexual health research and knowledge mobilization for Indigenous people in BC.
Learn more: https://www.healthresearchbc.ca/award/strengthening-relationships-for-sexual-health-research-and-knowledge-mobilization-for-indigenous-people-in-bc/

🔹 Michelle Takeuchi, with Researcher Co-Lead Dr. Julie Bettinger
Project: Building Trust in Vaccinations: What Different Communities Need From Immunization Providers.
Learn more: https://www.healthresearchbc.ca/award/building-trust-in-vaccinations-what-different-communities-need-from-immunization-providers/

Congratulations to our researchers and all UBC recipients of this funding.

Read more: https://spph.ubc.ca/spph-researchers-receive-engage-awards-to-advance-community-connected-research/

Congratulations to the UBC Medicine recipients of the Engage Awards from Michael Smith Health Research BC for community-connected health research.

The awards support collaboration between researchers and local partners—including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, community organizations, policymakers and Indigenous partners.

Together, the teams will collaborate on projects in areas like primary care, neurodivergent aging, equitable vaccine uptake and more. https://bit.ly/4wKSoVa

Air quality warnings have been issued for Vancouver, Kelowna and parts of B.C. For health and safety info, please go to www.ubc.ca

🚨 Science, Stand-Up, & Song is bringing cutting-edge science, hilarious comedy, and live music together for an unforgettable experience Aug 20th Fox Cabaret

🎟️ Link to tickets in bio and here: bit.ly/scienceticket

🔥 The Lineup:

👩‍🔬Science: Diving into the latest tech shaping our future—AI, robotics, and organoids grown from stem cells. We have the brilliant Dr. Angelica Lim, Dr. Kevin Leyton-Brown, and Dr. Maksymilian Prondzynski!

🎤Stand-Up: Top-tier, hilarious professional comedians as seen on CBC and Just for Laughs—including

Charlie Demers
Akeem Hoyte-Charles
Randee Neumeyer
Katie Carrier
Sarah Masri
Rob Cottingham

🎵 Music: Original, witty, and captivating songs written and performed live by Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos to tie the whole evening together

🧪 Support Science Education
Every ticket makes an impact. 100% of the net proceeds from this event directly support science educational programming

🙌Grab your tickets now for a night of exciting science, massive laughs, and great tunes—don’t miss our only show of the year!

Thank you to our community sponsor Science in Vancouver! Thank you to our Beaker Banter with Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos partner Innovation UBC 👏

UBC Computer Science
UBC Faculty of Science
Simon Fraser University

Congratulations to this year's SPPH student award recipients! 👏

We're proud to celebrate students whose academic excellence and research achievements are helping shape the future of public health.

Please join us in recognizing:

⭐ Emma Cameron, PhD candidate — George R. F. Elliot Fellowship
⭐ Laura Cunningham, MSc student — Murray Stratton Memorial Scholarship
⭐ Kira Gerein, MPH graduate — Hy and Lee Schechter Scholarship
⭐ Alison Head (MPH) — Hy and Lee Schechter Scholarship
⭐ Iris Kwon (MPH) — Hy and Lee Schechter Scholarship
⭐ Eric Mereniuk (MHSc) — John M.S. Lecky Foundation Masters of Health Science Award
⭐ Arnima Singh (MSc) — Hy and Lee Schechter Scholarship

Read more:

Recognizing student excellence at SPPH - School of Population and Public Health SPPH is proud to celebrate student award recipients whose academic excellence, research achievements and leadership are making a difference in public health.

Congratulations to our SPPH researchers on receiving new funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)!

The funding will help to bridge the gap between academic research and community impact to inform policy, drive innovation and improve quality of life for all Canadians.

We're proud to celebrate:
🔹 Dr. Amanda K. Slaunwhite, recipient of an Insight Grant, for research examining the layered inequities and vulnerabilities experienced by people leaving correctional centres in British Columbia.

🔹 Dr. Magdalena Janus, recipient of an Insight Development Grant, with Co-applicant Dr. Brenda P**n, for research exploring equitable access to social-emotional support services for families of young children with disabilities.

Congratulations to our researchers and all UBC recipients of this funding!

Read more: https://spph.ubc.ca/spph-researchers-receive-federal-funding-to-address-social-and-economic-challenges/

Proud to share that researchers at The University of British Columbia have been awarded more than $16.6 million through this year's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) competitions. This is part of a $289 million investment in social sciences and humanities research announced across Canada.

A total of 121 UBC-led projects were supported - this includes $11.4 million for 57 Insight Grants, $4.8 million for 62 Insight Development Grants, and $0.4 million for 2 Partnership Development Grants. These are not abstract numbers. They represent researchers asking the hard questions about how we live, how we organize our societies, and how we address the economic and social challenges of our time. Congratulations to all the UBC researchers receiving this recognition!

Thank you to Minister Mélanie Joly and Parliamentary Secretary Karim Bardeesy, Member of Parliament, Taiaiako’n—Parkdale—High Park for this important commitment to the University of British Columbia and to the broader Canadian research community. The social sciences and humanities are at the heart of understanding and shaping a better world.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/44Pf2Q2

Congratulations to Dr. Silvia Stringhini on receiving a $602,056 CIHR Project Grant to study the long-term health impacts of parental leave in Canada.

This important research will help generate evidence to inform policies that support healthier, more equitable outcomes for Canadian families.

Read more: https://spph.ubc.ca/dr-silvia-stringhini-awarded-602k-cihr-grant-to-study-the-long-term-health-impacts-of-parental-leave-in-canada/

We are proud to share the 2026 Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research has been awarded to Dr. Gina Ogilvie for transforming cervical cancer prevention worldwide.

Dr. Ogilvie is a professor at the School of Population and Public Health, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Control of HPV-Related Disease and Cancer, a senior public health scientist at the BC Center for Disease Control and a senior research advisor at the Women’s Health Research Institute in Vancouver. She is a physician-scientist and public health leader trained at McMaster University, UBC, and the University of North Carolina. Her career has focused on women’s and global health, particularly HPV research, cervical cancer prevention and equitable access to care.

Dr. Ogilvie has played a key role in advancing more efficient HPV vaccination strategies and self-screening approaches that improve access and uptake, particularly for underserved communities in Canada and globally.

As a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and trusted advisor to national and international health organizations, her work has directly influenced clinical practice, public health policy and global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer. Her contributions to cancer research are distinguished by their scientific excellence, practical impact and measurable benefits for patients and communities worldwide.

Congratulations, Dr. Ogilvie!

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The Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research is named for a Hong Kong physician who retired to Vancouver in 1988. An obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Chew grew determined to improve outcomes for people with cancer. After his death in 2009, his family and friends sought to honour his goals by endowing a Faculty of Medicine prize in cancer research, as well as a chair and a professorship in gynecologic oncology.

Congratulations to the UBC Medicine researchers who received new funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Their research will drive innovation and improve quality of life for Canadians. https://bit.ly/4bbZHwC

🦺 Build the skills to recognize, assess and control workplace hazards.

🆕 This September, SPPH launches Principles of Occupational Hygiene: an 8-week online course (48 contact hours, ~6 hrs/week) taught by Drs. Hugh Davies and Melanie Gorman Ng from UBC's Faculty of Medicine.

Designed for professionals with workplace health and safety responsibilities, this course welcomes learners from all backgrounds. No occupational hygiene experience required.

📅 Course starts: September 14
💸 Early bird: Save $150 with code POHEB before Aug 25
🗣️ Free info session: August 25 (meet the instructors and ask your questions live)

🔗 Info session registration: https://extendedlearning.ubc.ca/courses/principles-occupational-hygiene-information-session/0435?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=poh_infosession

🔗 Learn more: https://extendedlearning.ubc.ca/courses/principles-occupational-hygiene/0423?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=poh_sep2026

“Challenge the status quo – just because something has been done a certain way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way. Systems, processes, needs, and technology all change, and our practice has to change with them.” — Quinn Danyluk (MSc OEH ’01)

Throughout his career, Quinn Danyluk has advanced occupational health and safety across healthcare systems, strengthening protections for frontline workers and helping lead critical risk reduction efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, as Executive Director overseeing People Health, Well-Being, and Safety, Quinn brings together occupational hygiene, worker safety, and organizational well-being to create healthier, safer workplaces. He is also a dedicated mentor whose evidence-based leadership continues to shape both the profession and the next generation of practitioners.

Read our Q&A with Quinn to learn about his career journey, leadership philosophy, and advice for future occupational and environmental health professionals: https://spph.ubc.ca/meet-oeh-alumni-changemaker-2026-quinn-danyluk/

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The OEH Alumni Changemaker Award recognizes outstanding alumni of the UBC MSc in Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) program whose work has advanced practice, research, policy, education, or the OEH community.

Recipients demonstrate leadership, influence, and a sustained commitment to protecting worker and community health, along with meaningful engagement with the OEH program.

Established in 2026, the award's inaugural cohort of six recipients was celebrated at the OEH Alumni Engagement Night on March 2, 2026.