Event: Opening of Canada’s first purpose-built biomedical engineering facility at UBC

On Monday, the University of British Columbia will unveil Canada’s first purpose-built biomedical engineering facility—a state-of-the-art building that will serve as the new home for UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering.

The five-storey, 158,000-square-foot facility includes specialized labs, collaborative research spaces, and teaching facilities designed to advance innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, medical devices, and lifesaving treatments. Researchers will be using these spaces to develop solutions to pressing health challenges, while students will gain hands-on training experience to prepare them for careers in B.C.’s growing life sciences sector.

The name of the building will also be announced during Monday’s event.

Following the announcement, media are invited for a tour of the facility, including:

• A demonstration in the Biomechanics Lab, where robots and machinery are being used as part of crash testing research to help develop new ways to prevent serious trauma from falls, sports, and vehicle accidents. 
• Wet labs with specialized equipment and advanced microscopes, where researchers are working in fields such as stem cell engineering to better understand diseases like cancer and diabetes. 
• State-of-the-art digital labs, where researchers are using the power of artificial intelligence to improve diagnostic accuracy to enhance treatment outcomes, helping doctors detect diseases earlier and with a greater degree of accuracy.

Assignment editors: Media are asked to register to attend. Photos and b-roll video of the building and research labs are also available upon request.

Date/Time: Monday, April 7, 10-11:30 a.m. PT

Location: Vancouver campus. Details will be provided upon registration.

Program:

9:30 a.m.         Media registration opens
10 a.m.            Podium announcement begins
10:50 a.m.       Media tour begins     

Interview opportunities:

• Dr. Peter Zandstra, Director, School of Biomedical Engineering
• Dr. Dermot Kelleher, Vice-President of Health and Dean, Faculty of Medicine
• Dr. Agnes d’Entremont, Associate Dean pro tem, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Faculty of Applied Science
• Dr. Govind Kaigala, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering
• Dr. Ali Bashashati, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering
• Dr. Nika Shakiba, Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering
• Sogand Golshahian, fourth-year biomedical engineering student