UBC sowing seeds for research excellence
The University of British Columbia is a globally connected community that attracts the highest calibre research faculty and students and approximately $600 million in research funding each year. In 2016 the Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC) competition was created by the Vice-President Research & Innovation and the Provost & Vice-President Academic to enable growth of interdisciplinary clusters of research excellence. One of the successful cluster proposals in 2017 is entitled Diabetes: from Beta Cells to Bedsides.
Diabetes research has emerged as an area of impactful research at UBC. The new BC Diabetes Research Network (BCDRN) joins thirty two research excellence clusters across the campus. Like planting a garden, UBC is sowing seeds to stimulate areas of research excellence.
This cluster will strengthen diabetes research in BC from the laboratory bench to clinical trial, across themes from cure-oriented diabetes research, to diabetes prevention, to diabetes complications. The GCRC proposal was led by Dr Bruce Verchere, Professor in the UBC Departments of Surgery and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. The new network will focus on building membership, promoting research and increasing knowledge translation activities in 2018 for diabetes researchers across British Columbia.
All faculty and trainees involved in diabetes research are welcome and encouraged to connect with the BCDRN to help strengthen diabetes research in BC.