Joshua Ferreira, MOT'23

Dr. Warren B. Fingrut (he/him) is a Hematologist and Transplant Physician with a research interest in characterizing and mitigating disparities in the provision of transplantation and cellular therapies. He is currently completing a research fellowship with the Adult Bone Marrow Transplantation Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, as well as a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Fingrut is also Founder and Director of Stem Cell Club, a Canadian national donor recruitment organization which augments access to unrelated stem cell donors, especially for patients from underserved racial/ ethnic populations. Through his work, Dr. Fingrut advocates for a more inclusive transplant system, both for populations underrepresented as donors and impacted by unique barriers to donation, and for underserved patient groups.

What drew you to the MD Program at UBC?
I was initially drawn to medicine as I wanted a career where I could forge strong longitudinal relationships with patients and provide care during difficult parts of their lives. I grew up in Toronto, and I moved across Canada to pursue Medicine at UBC. I quickly fell in love with Vancouver, and it’s still one of my favourite cities.

What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
In third year, I completed a rural medicine elective in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. In addition to rotating through the departments of Inuvik Regional Hospital, I also visited remote communities including Tsiigehtchic and Tuktoyaktuk. Through these experiences, I learned about the unique challenges facing rural Canadians, especially those of Indigenous heritage. For example, I was involved in the care of a patient facing a medical crisis while working on a barge, and for whom special evacuation plans needed to be arranged. Additionally, in clinic, I saw a patient who told me and the medical team that they were going to be leaving town to live off the land for the months ahead. I worked with this patient to develop a care plan to manage the relevant medical issues as best possible during their time away. I also followed pregnant patients from rural communities who needed to travel great distances for their pre- and perinatal care.

During my last week of the elective, when I was off-duty in hospital, I ran a stem cell drive – at a booth I setup at the Inuvik NorthMart. It was the first-ever stem cell donor recruitment event north of the Arctic Circle. I recruited 44 young adults to be potential stem cell donors, the majority of whom were Indigenous. Given that patients in need of an unrelated stem cell donor are most likely to find a match from within their own ancestral group, and since Indigenous peoples are underrepresented as donors, the outcome of this drive had special meaning. I wrote up my experience as a manuscript which I published the following year in the UBC Medical Journal. This was the very first paper of my academic career.

What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
I completed my Internal Medicine Residency at University of Toronto, and then returned to UBC for Hematology Fellowship training. Through to present day, I have continued to serve as Director of Stem Cell Club, building and supporting teams to engage Canadians to stem cell donation. Under my leadership, Stem Cell Club has recruited over 23,000 potential stem cell donors, the majority of whom are from underrepresented racial/ ethnic backgrounds. I led development of multiple resources aimed at improving the recruitment of diverse donors, including whiteboard videos, TikToks, and a stem cell donation story library called WhyWeSwab. These resources have been shared widely to support donor recruitment efforts around the world.

My teams and I partnered with advocates from diverse communities to spearhead national campaigns to recruit donors from underserved and historically marginalized groups (e.g. Black Donors Save Lives, Saving Lives with Pride). Overall, this work has secured coverage in >50 print/broadcast media outlets, has been routinely highlighted in Oral presentations at Canadian and US/ International meetings in Hematology and Transplantation, and has culminated in multiple peer-reviewed publications (including in The Lancet Haematology, BMT, BBMT, Transfusion, Vox Sanguinis, and Current Oncology). These efforts could not have been possible without the hard work of my many mentees across Canada, at all levels of training (undergraduates, medical students, Masters and PhD students, and resident physicians).

In the past few years, I’ve expanded my research to include projects which seek to identify and address inequities in care delivery for transplantation and cellular therapy candidates and recipients. My research is assessing how alternative donor allografts (i.e. cord blood, haploidentical, and mismatched unrelated donor transplants) have extended the possibility of allogeneic transplant, and evaluates whether significant disparities in access to optimal donors persist for patients from underserved racial and ethnic populations. I am also evaluating socioeconomic status and its intersection with patient race/ ethnicity/ ancestry as it pertains to the provision of therapies for life-threatening diseases of the blood and marrow.

What do you find most interesting about your medical career?
My clinical work provides me with the opportunity to care for very sick, complex medical patients, both as a transplant expert (i.e. evaluating eligibility for transplant, optimizing the transplant platform, managing post-transplant complications) and as a generalist (being the most responsible physician for my patients, both on the ward and in clinic). While there are challenging cases, including those with disease relapse or severe graft-versus-host disease, there are also many success stories. Patients in my networks have shared some of these stories with Stem Cell Club – we’ve published a series of heartwarming letters written by patients to their anonymous unrelated donors, and last year we were invited to capture the first meeting between a stem cell recipient and the donor who saved her life (https://youtu.be/k6xmtXcOjwk; this five minute video has secured > 110k views on YouTube).

On the research front, I am especially interested in deploying “big data” to advance equity for vulnerable patient groups. Through my work at Sloan-Kettering, I have had the opportunity to describe disparities in large cohorts of transplant recipients, and share my findings with stakeholders in the transplant community. I have seen firsthand the importance of such data to mobilize the resources and support required to change policy and practice.

Where do you find inspiration?
I am greatly inspired by the mentors I have had over my career, who have made me into the physician I am today. I am also inspired by my trainees and mentees with Stem Cell Club, many of whom have personal connections to stem cell donation and/or have pursued national projects with me spanning years. They all bring unique skills and passion to the work, and I am so proud of their accomplishments. In the past year alone, one of my mentees was invited to give two plenary presentations; another delivered a TedX talk sharing lessons she learned from her experience being a stem cell donor for her father; and a third presented the first-ever Oral on a LGBTQIA+ topic at a major meeting in Hematology/Transplant, a milestone in our field. Many others have won leadership and abstract achievement awards, spoken with the media, published manuscripts, and abstracts on our work, and spearheaded stem cell drives and campaigns recruiting hundreds of donors.

How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of medicine and future pursuits?
My passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in hematology stems from multiple facets of my identity. My Canadian multicultural upbringing taught me to respect and accept people across diverse backgrounds, and my medical training instilled in me the critical value that everyone deserves medical care, including those from marginalized or underprivileged groups. I am Jewish and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, and my family history has motivated me to pursue equity, justice, and anti-racism efforts. And my LGBTQ+ identity has guided me to work to advance inclusion in Hematology, for patients, donors, and the Hematology workforce.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish?
My research aims to better recognize specific patient groups at special risk for compromised care delivery, and to develop interventions to mitigate structural barriers, diversify patient populations, and maximize the equitable provision of optimal transplantation and cellular therapies. For donors, a key theme of my work is that health equity should be prioritized alongside donation safety.

Altogether, I hope to help build a more inclusive transplant system.

What does a healthy society mean to you?
A healthy society aims to eliminate discrimination and ensure that everyone has equal opportunities for education, employment, healthcare, and social participation, regardless of their background or identity. This work is critical for creating a culture where all individuals can thrive, contribute to their fullest potential, and lead fulfilling lives.

James Andrew, BSc’96 is a 2023 recipient of the UBC Medical Alumni Association Honorary Medical Alumni Award.

James Andrew, a member of Lil’wat Nation’s Mount Currie Band, has been with the University of British Columbia for more than 25 years. Twenty-one of those years has been with the Faculty of Medicine as the Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager where his role was to recruit and support the Indigenous medical students through the Indigenous Pathway. The Indigenous Pathway program recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary in November 2022. To date, UBC Faculty of Medicine’s MD program has graduated more than 130 Indigenous physicians. He is currently the Associate Director of Indigenous Initiatives, Office of the Vice Dean, Education, Faculty of Medicine.

Rachel Ramsden (she/her) is a PhD Candidate at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC and a Research Coordinator at the Play Outside UBC Lab. Rachel completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology (2013) and a Master of Public Health (2016) at UBC before pursuing her doctoral studies in 2019. Rachel’s PhD research examines the design of outdoor environments and how they support young children’s outdoor play. She is also a UBC Public Scholar and invested in ensuring children’s perspectives are sought in research through innovative methodologies. Rachel grew up in Richmond, BC, and enjoys regularly connecting with the outdoors by running on the local trails with her dog and playing on her community soccer team. Through her research, Rachel hopes to mobilize academic findings into policies and community planning standards that enhance children’s outdoor play opportunities across communities in BC.

What drew you to the Master of Public Health program at UBC?
I was initially drawn to the MPH program at UBC to learn more about health promotion and how it applies to my interests in child health and development. I was particularly interested in how societal systems and policies contribute to children’s early development, as well as their health outcomes into adulthood. The MPH program provided further education on the social determinants of health, health policy and epidemiology, while also allowing me to explore specific interest areas within the field of child health. I was also drawn to the MPH program because it offered a practicum placement opportunity and gave graduates a unique range of skills that are highly sought after by employers. I knew that this program would provided a positive foundation for future work in industry or academia, regardless of where my path took me.

What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
I’ve spent a lot of time at UBC, as an undergraduate and graduate student, and my fondest memories are those spent outdoors on campus. As an undergraduate student, I was a member of the women’s soccer team and spent most of my time between classes on the soccer field. It then became a practice of mine to seek out new outdoor spaces on campus to study or write my thesis during my graduate degrees. I’m grateful for the great outdoor spaces UBC has to offer and the opportunities to connect with nearby nature.

What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
After graduating from the MPH program, I continued to work with the BC Injury Research Prevention Unit (BCIRPU), a research unit in the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where I completed my practicum as a component of the MPH program. In this role, I investigated the determinants of childhood injury, and became interested in policy development and urban design as primary levers to influence child health outcomes. I then entered a career in community planning at the City of Richmond, where I worked on the planning, design and development of child care-related projects in the community. These opportunities lead me to pursue a PhD and combine my passion for early child development, healthy built environment and community planning towards a research graduate degree. Since commencing my PhD studies, I joined the Play Outside UBC Lab, where I am able to work on research projects that bridge outdoor play research, child care policy and outdoor space design to support my research and future career interests.

What do you find most interesting about a career in public health?
The thing that I find most interesting about a career in public health is the amount of unique career paths and job roles within this field. When I first entered the MPH program, I wasn’t sure where my path would lead me after graduation. However, the skills you learn through the program are highly applicable to a range of roles across multiple sectors, which open up opportunities that extend beyond the well-known health sector career paths. The field of public health also has many different interest areas and intersections with other fields of work, and there are always new and emerging roles created to support population health.

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in the many amazing colleagues and mentors I have had through the course of my career to-date. Being a part of the public health community amidst the pandemic has also highlighted the important work that many individuals do on a daily basis to support healthy and safe communities. I’m continually inspired by the public health community and the many front-line health care workers who have supported our health care system during this time.

How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of public health and your future pursuits?
My identity has largely been shaped by experiences participating in competitive sport throughout childhood and into adulthood. This led me to complete an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with the thought that I would enter into a sports medicine or physiotherapy career path. However, once introduced to the field of public health, I realized that an interest in physical activity and sport can extend into many other career opportunities. I continue to see physical activity as a key ingredient to support human health and well-being, but I also recognize that population-level systems and policies play an important role in influencing human behaviour and health outcomes.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish?
I would love to see an increased emphasis on outdoor play as a key component of healthy child development, as well as an overall increase in children regularly participating in outdoor play. While there are many individuals working towards these goals across the globe, I hope my research can contribute new academic knowledge to support these outcomes. Through my PhD research, I also hope to advance outdoor space planning and design so that children’s preferences for play are prioritized.

What does a healthy society mean to you?
A healthy society prioritizes and values equity in health care access and the determinants of health. It supports strong and healthy starts for our children, so they may grow to have positive and equitable health outcomes throughout their lifetime.

Dr. Taran J. Main is the 2022–23 UBC Alumni Builder Award – Southern Medical Program Recipient.

Dr. Main (he/him) is an addictions medicine specialist and family physician in the Okanagan and a dedicated alumnus of the Southern Medical Program and clinical instructor. He devotes his career and spare time to advocating for those experiencing homelessness, substance use, and mental illness, and he helps patients make connections within the community.

What drew you to the MD program at UBC?
I grew up in BC and wanted to stay local, so I was excited to be a part of either Victoria IMP or the Kelowna SMP program for my medical training and I am so grateful I was accepted into the Southern Medical Program in Kelowna where I now live and practice.

What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
My favourite memory at UBC-O was honestly just sitting in the lunch area on campus laughing with my colleagues alongside the SMP physician and admin staff and joining in the fun. These special moments show how intimate and connected the program at SMP was and still is.

What has been your journey since graduating from the MD program at UBC?
Since graduating from the SMP, I completed my family medicine residency at the Kelowna rural program and then my enhanced skills in Addictions Medicine in Kelowna and Victoria. I am now working as part of the Addiction Medicine Consult Service at Kelowna General Hospital and in the community as an addictions provider. I also locum as a family physician.

Since your graduation, tell us about your connection with the SMP community.
I have always enjoyed teaching and wanted to integrate it into my career as soon as possible. I wanted to get connected with SMP to contribute to this incredible program. I have been thrilled to have students join our service at the hospital as well as facilitate sessions at the campus around physician burnout, mindfulness, and academic sessions.

Why are you inspired to give back to your communities?
I had some incredible mentors/preceptors in the SMP and my family practice program that had a very big impact on my medical training and were a big part of my passion for addiction medicine. I feel pulled to give back to Kelowna and hopefully inspire and leave lasting impressions on the next generation of medical students as my mentors did for me.

What advice would you give to alumni who want to get more involved with UBC?
Do it! Reflect on what you are interested in or how you would want to contribute and there are great opportunities to get involved or, from my experience, they will create opportunities if there is a need/interest.

How has your identity affected your perspective in your practice, community involvement, and/or your future pursuits?
My identity and who I am have greatly influenced who I am as a physician, colleague, husband, father, and friend. It influences what I prioritize in my practice, my schedule, my time at home, how I want to be remembered, how I want to be seen, where and who I make a stand against or with, where I look to make change, how I choose to interact with patients and who I choose to trust and associate myself with in this profession.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?
Increase medical student awareness and knowledge of trauma-informed care for patients with substance use disorders.

What does a healthy society mean to you?
That is a big question. The short answer, I think a healthy society is one that is present.

The long answer, I find that this is incredibly hard to achieve and something that I work hard to attempt to do daily. So many people are swept away in the busyness of life while all the important things pass them by as it insidiously impacts the individual’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The ripple effect of being present can be so profound. From appreciating your walk to work and the robin who made a nest in the tree by your house, vs looking at your phone; to being present with your patient instead of worrying about how behind you are in the clinic; appreciating the food available at the grocery store and what you could make with it that night, and how I can include my family in the kitchen with music and laughter and quality time, instead of scarfing down the take out with the TV on in the background; to appreciating the little moments in your life like my daughter and cat having a special moment on the couch as the sun sets behind them instead of scrolling through social media on my phone; to taking a pause in your busy to-do list for the day to sit on a bench with stranger who is grieving. Working in palliative care, I have never heard anyone say they wished they worked more, spent more time on their phone, wished they had more money or wished they had done more with their careers. Every single person wished they poured more time into their friends, their spouse, their kids and the ventures and hobbies they enjoyed.

Not only will being present benefit you as an individual but to those around you. To be present to your emotions and needs, gives you the space and time to develop the skills to work through your own hurt, personal trauma and everything in between. This then, allows you to be present for your children and all of their needs, who in turn would be present for themselves and their children. This would combat and reduce the impact of intergenerational trauma, reduce the growing number of individuals turning to substances to cope through so much hurt and pain. If we are to slow the tide that is the opioid crisis, or the insidious and overwhelming alcohol consumption so normalized by society and many other substances we need to change. This is only one piece of the 1000 piece puzzle, but to be present is to be aware of yourself and everything around you, and to be aware allows you to take first steps to making change towards a healthier you and a healthier society.

Take the time to be present, as time is our most precious resource, every single moment in life has value if you take the time to appreciate it.