In a world first, B.C. teen cured of rare disease through gene editing treatment. Ty Sperle cured of chronic granulomatous disease with a treatment known as “prime editing,” by Brenna Owen www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti... via @theglobeandmail.com
26.02.2026 16:27 — 👍 32 🔁 12 💬 0 📌 2
Ty Sperle says he felt "insane shock" after learning he'd been cured of a rare genetic disease through a clinical trial using a new gene-editing treatment.
26.02.2026 15:13 — 👍 21 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 3
Elakkiya presented her research at the Healthy Starts Research Day 2026! She also received the best poster presentation award. Congratulations Elakkiya 🎉
27.02.2026 17:44 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Man cured of rare disease in world-first for a new gene-editing technology.
www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
Canada’s first-ever pan-Canadian clinical trial—DECRYPT-BABYBRAIN—is pioneering a radiation-free approach to treat rare and aggressive brain tumours in infants and young children.
Dr. Sylvia Cheng is one of the lead investigator at @bcchresearch.bsky.social for the trial.
🖇️ https://bit.ly/4rdcu7K
What happens after a child survives sepsis?
AoS member Dr. Matthew Wiens and colleagues are leading the first Canadian Horizon Europe Pillar 2 project to reduce post-discharge childhood sepsis deaths.
🔗Read the full story by @bcchresearch.bsky.social here: shorturl.at/V2FDX
Figure showing CD19Δ‑mScarlet localization and expression. (A) Flow cytometry dot plots of HEK293 cells 72 hours after transfection with CD19Δ‑mScarlet constructs, comparing untransfected control, construct with 2A, and without 2A; right panel shows a bar graph quantifying the percentage of mScarlet⁺CD19⁺ cells. (B) Flow cytometry of d25 SCβ‑cells showing unstained, surface‑stained, and surface plus intracellular CD19 staining, with a bar graph of CD19⁺ percentages. (C) Immunofluorescence images of stage 6 d25 SCβ‑cell clusters showing DAPI‑stained nuclei (blue), insulin (green), and CD19Δ‑mScarlet (red), including two magnified insets highlighting red fluorescence at the cell surface.
This new paper from Luo Ting Huang, @nictitate.bsky.social & co @bcchresearch.bsky.social used genetic engineering to facilitate magnetic-activated cell sorting enrichment of insulin-producing stem cell-derived β cells with implications for cell-replacement therapy
doi.org/10.1242/dmm....
A team led by @bcchresearch.bsky.social 's Dr. Matthew Wiens has been awarded €5 million in Horizon Europe funding to improve community-based care for children after hospital discharge in Uganda and Kenya.
The goal of reducing deaths from severe infections like #sepsis: https://bit.ly/4r1T31L
Registration is now open for the eleventh annual Women’s Health Research Symposium!
Join us on Friday, March 6th, 2026, in-person at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre on the UBC campus or virtually via live-stream.
Learn more and register today: whri.org/eleventh-ann...)
As we close out #CervicalCancerAwarenessMonth, we spoke with Amy Booth to share which areas of cervical cancer research she is interested in exploring in 2026.
Learn more: linktr.ee/womensresearch
#MedSky
ICYMI: Our Director Dr. Shelina Babul breaks down five concussion myths in this Q&A by @ubcmedicine.bsky.social:
28.12.2025 20:12 — 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Embracing Risky Play at Schools with Dr. Mariana Brussoni | Teach Outdoors podcast with Lauren MacLean
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAX2... via www.youtube.com/@TeachOutdoors
Ready to model the brain your way?
Join The Virtual Brain Node at CNS 2026 in Vancouver and learn how to build personalized brain network simulations in this hands-on workshop.
March 6th, 2026 | 9:00 AM–5:30 PM
Register early: www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-virtua...
For the first time, researchers at UBC have demonstrated how to reliably produce #TCells from stem cells in a lab setting.
See the work from Dr. @jonesr18.bsky.social, @kevinsalim.bsky.social, and the Zandstra & Levings labs: https://bit.ly/4qJcXhi
Abstract: https://bit.ly/45QKIFo
Congratulations Nikita!
16.01.2026 18:57 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A headshot of Glen Tibbits along with a photo of his big white dog.
A celebration of life is planned to honour biomedical physiology professor Glen Tibbits on January 24 and a memorial fund has been set up to honour his passion for mentoring graduate students. Learn more: www.sfu.ca/bpk/glentibb...
14.01.2026 23:17 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1FYI for non-Canadians, the Canadian government has just invested in a special, likely one-time, program of prestigious federally funded positions to recruit outstanding scientists to Canada this year.
12.01.2026 18:36 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
A researcher works at a laboratory bench using instruments and samples during experiments related to developing stem cell‑based immune therapies.
Big breakthrough for living drugs.
UBC researchers have discovered how to grow “helper” immune cells from stem cells—paving the way for more effective and accessible off-the-shelf immune therapies. Learn more: news.ubc.ca/2026/01/stem...
Reimagining the Mind: Innovations in Mental Health Research and Care Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Free and open to all
In partnership with UBC Connects at Robson square, the DMCBH presents leading UBC scholars Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, Dr. Julie Robillard, and Dr. Tamara Vanderwal in a conversation about the technologies reshaping mental health care on January 28, 2026.
communityengagement.ubc.ca/events/reima...
👏👏👏This is really a remarkable breakthrough in treating patients with chronic granulomatous disease👏👏👏
Proud to have played a very small part in this medical miracle.
@bcchresearch.bsky.social @nejm.org @bcchf.bsky.social @ubcmedicine.bsky.social
As genetic testing becomes part of health care, one question remains: who helps patients make sense of it all?
Drs. Alison Elliott & @j9austin.bsky.social at @bcchresearch.bsky.social & UBC are a part of the GenCOUNSEL project changing how we experience #GeneticCounselling: https://bit.ly/48WtfMO
