07/22/2019
It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dr. Bruce Verchere as the Director of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT).
Dr. Verchere is a highly accomplished researcher and Professor in the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Surgery. He is a prominent member of both the UBC and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) communities.
Over the course of its twenty-year history, CMMT researchers have made significant achievements advancing the state of health research and making changes to the lives of children and families in BC and beyond. As a Faculty of Medicine Senate-approved centre, CMMT currently supports ten principal investigators dedicated to understanding the genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors that contribute to disease and translating this specialized knowledge into new prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies. As a scientist and academic of international standing and an experienced administrator with a long track record of success, Dr. Verchere is uniquely well suited to build on this exceptional legacy and advance CMMT's vital mission.
As head of the Canucks for Kids Fund (CFKF) Diabetes Research Laboratories since its creation in 2002, Dr. Verchere has established BC Children's as a national leader in the field of pediatric diabetes research. During his time in this role he has built a multi-disciplinary team of over 100 world-class researchers, trainees and staff, secured several major infrastructure grants, and developed an engaged provincial network to further research into understanding the causes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and improving treatments. Throughout this time, Bruce has continued to pursue his own leading-edge research on the functioning of insulin-producing beta cells and how their dysfunction or failure contributes to type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
A well-respected leader, Dr. Verchere has offered tireless service to BC Children's and UBC, as well as the larger research community in Canada. He is currently a member of BCCHR's Research Leadership Council and the Faculty of Medicine Faculty Academic Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee. He has also served on the national boards of Diabetes Canada and Partners in Research and on the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Diabetes Institute Advisory Board.
In the coming weeks, BCCHR will begin recruitment for a new head of the Canucks for Kids Fund Diabetes Research Laboratories. Dr. Verchere will continue in this role until a successor is identified.
On behalf of CMMT, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute and the UBC Faculty of Medicine, please join us in congratulating Dr. Verchere on this appointment.
