Housed in the Life Sciences Center, the Life Sciences Institute is home to more than 100 Lead Researchers and more than 4,000 trainees and research staff. The UBC Institute of Life Sciences (LSI) has become UBC’s recognized Global Research Institute for Excellence (GREx) and is launching a new Biological Sustainability Initiative (BRI) aimed at transforming human and environmental health. The BRI is the first initiative in Canada to study life science issues through the lens of innate resilience. In 4 billion years of evolution, all living organisms, from single-celled microorganisms to humans, have developed resilience mechanisms to protect themselves from both internal and external threats. The BRI will enhance understanding of these mechanisms at the molecular, genetic, and cellular levels, as well as in all organisms and ecosystems. It will be a production hub, focusing on innovative, interdisciplinary collaborations on the great challenges facing human health and the health of our planet, including:
The fight against antimicrobial resistance Cancer as a failure of biological resistance at all scales – from molecules and cells to the whole organism Cell plasticity in immune resistance Metabolic stability and resistance to healthy aging Utilization of microbial resistance for sustainability
Launched in 2005 by UBC Schools of Medicine and Science, LSI is a world-leading research and innovation hub that has a global impact on human health and the well-being of our planet. As the new GREx Institute, LSI will build on its worldwide reputation, making it a unique location in Canada for biodiversity innovation. It will promote collaborative, interdisciplinary research supported by shared technology-based resources. These combined benefits will enable the LSI to address the great challenges facing human health, as well as to attract, cultivate and train the next generation of scientists. LSI becomes the fourth GREx Institute at UBC. UBC GREx Institutes promote global excellence in collaborative and interdisciplinary research. They aim to integrate fundamental and translational research and allow research complexes to make full use of their potential and impact. Read more about LSI GREX and BRI on their website.
