Christopher Ong, PhD'95

Christopher Ong, PhD’95

Christopher Ong is someone who recognises talent around him and engages them to help achieve his goals. Picture nine students from his biochemistry course lined up in front of the class, handing off a football, crouching down and then standing up, as Dr. Ong talks them through the signalling pathways within the cell. Now imagine the same explanation, this time choreographed as the Biochemistry of Life Ballet, performed by his nieces, one of whom dances with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and other dancers at their neighbourhood studio, set to music, narrated by Dr. Ong and videoed for publication in an online science journal.

“The stage is the cell and the dancers are proteins interacting with each other causing a cascade of events,” Dr. Ong says. “People understand concepts in different ways. Circles and arrows on a chalkboard don’t make sense to everyone.”

A firm grasp of signalling pathways is central to Dr. Ong’s research. Early in his career, he and his colleagues, screened approximately 3,000 marine extracts from Earth and Ocean Sciences Professor Raymond Andersen’s medicinal library, which contains one of the largest marine extract libraries in the world, to identify molecules that would trigger the SH2-containing inositol phosphatase (SHIP), which Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Professor Gerald Krystal had found to inhibit inflammatory signalling.

Dr. Ong and fellow biochemist, Dr. Alice Mui, successfully identified a novel class of small molecules from the Papua New Guinea sponge, Dactylospongia elegans, that activates SHIP. They developed an efficient way of producing the compounds synthetically and tested them in animal models of inflammation and cancer to demonstrate the compounds as a robust activator of SHIP and as a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-leukemia/lymphoma agent.

As an undergraduate student, Dr. Ong was inspired by Dr. Julia Levy, who co-founded a spinoff company called Quadra Logic Technologies (now QLT Inc.) to commercialize her UBC research. “I was really excited because the whole field of biotechnology was just starting up, and I had this amazing professor with her own company that was developing new drugs and therapies with the potential to treat disease.”

Once experiments with the SHIP-activating molecules were far enough along, Dr. Ong and fellow scientists, Drs. Krystal, Andersen and Mui, started meeting with UBC professors who had started their own companies to gather ideas and advice. In 2006, they co-founded Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and inflammation. The company has since secured $40 million in venture capital financing through an international syndicate of investors, and the drug is now in Phase II clinical studies for the treatment of asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

Back when Dr. Ong was exploring options for his PhD research, the first investigators were being recruited to the new Biomedical Research Centre at UBC. Under the supervision of Dr. Jamey Marth, he learned the novel technique of creating transgenic animal models of human diseases to test new drugs.

This valuable expertise helped him secure his current position as a Senior Scientist with the Vancouver Prostate Centre working closely with clinical faculty in the Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre. Now an Assistant Professor with a cross-appointment in the departments of surgery and urologic sciences, Dr. Ong is investigating disease mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels and developing new molecular targeted therapeutics for treating a variety of disease including cancer and immune related disorders such as transplant rejection and inflammatory diseases. In one exciting area of research, Dr. Ong has identified a key signalling protein that seems to be a master regulator of growth and survival of prostate cancer.  He and his colleagues at the Vancouver Prostate Centre are now developing novel protein therapeutics to inhibit this pathway. He hopes to move these exciting new drugs forward to clinical trials for treatment of advanced prostate cancer next year.

Christopher Beauchamp, MD’78

Christopher Beauchamp was in his orthopaedics residency at UBC Faculty of Medicine in 1980 when Terry Fox, whose right leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, was forced to end his run across Canada because the cancer had appeared in his lungs. Inspired by Fox’s story, Beauchamp and three colleagues across Canada interested in the emerging field of orthopaedic oncology formed a group to discuss cases.

Three decades later, Beauchamp has helped to train hundreds of medical students and orthopaedics residents at UBC, and helped to build the Department of Orthopaedics at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. In his clinical practice, he has treated thousands of patients and is always touched by their courage, gratitude and optimism. A smile lit up his face as he recalled a nine-year-old cancer patient who recovered from an amputation, survived numerous surgeries and is now leaving home at age 19 to spend a year in France.

“Patient care is the most rewarding aspect of my work,” Beauchamp says. “But I also believe it’s every doctor’s duty and responsibility to teach medicine to the next generation.”

Beauchamp was born in Nelson, BC, where his father settled to practice family medicine and surgery after serving in the Second World War. Young Christopher always wanted to become a doctor, and from his first year of medical school at UBC, he knew he wanted to specialize in orthopaedics. He didn’t tell anyone, though, because he didn’t want to be seen as following his older brother, Richard Beauchamp, MD’71, now a Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics based at BC Children’s Hospital.

After completing his residency in orthopaedics from 1980 to 1984, Christopher continued his UBC training with a fellowship in oncology, which opened the door to an exciting opportunity at the Mayo Clinic—a Special Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Oncology and Adult Reconstruction. He left for Rochester, Minnesota in 1985, and also completed a second fellowship in clinical and research oncology at the University of Florida, Gainesville that same year.

Beauchamp returned to UBC in 1986 to begin his medical practice at BC Children’s Hospital, the BC Cancer Agency and the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). He consulted for the Arthritis Society and Centre and assumed leadership positions at VGH with the Bone Bank and the Section of Musculoskeletal Oncology. He also began to teach orthopaedics at UBC, first as a Clinical Instructor and later as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Associate Professor.

“When I was a medical student, I was oblivious to the fact that my clinical teachers were largely volunteering,” Beauchamp says. “I’m thankful every day for the teachers who were so patient and taught me my skills. Teaching surgery is very stressful.”

The teachers at UBC who influenced Beauchamp the most were Drs. David Hardwick, Chuck Slonecker and David Harder. Dr. Harder introduced him to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a philosophical novel that explores the meaning of quality that Beauchamp believes should be required reading for all orthopaedic surgeons. He credits Dr. Harder with “teaching me how to think.” He is also thankful to all of his mentors, teachers and ultimately colleagues at Vancouver General Hospital especially Dr. Robert McGraw.

It was the culmination of these experiences that led to Beauchamp’s recruitment in 1994 to help build the Department of Orthopaedics at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was Head of the Department of Orthopaedics for 10 years. Now an Associate Professor, he continues to specialize in musculoskeletal oncology, adult reconstructive orthopaedics, and bone and soft tissue sarcomas. He is investigating new advances in joint replacement for patients with massive bone loss, tumours and infected, failed joint arthroplasty, including in-house product development using metal.

Siu-Kae Yeong, MD’09

For most, the combination of Shakespeare, engineering and submarines is not the traditional road to medicine, but it was what led Anesthesia Resident and UBC MD graduate Siu-Kae Yeong to a career that she loves. Yeong immigrated to Canada from Malaysia when she was seventeen years old. While completing her BASc in Engineering Physics with Mechanical Engineering and BA in English Literature from UBC in 2004,  she was granted a scholarship with the National Research Council of Canada. This allowed her to do submarine research in Newfoundland, biomedical engineering in Winnipeg and cardiac surgery research in Oxford, England. Working with Oxford University surgeons on new technology that allowed them expediently identify and revise faulty grafts during cardiac surgery, Yeong learned more about medicine and was drawn to it.

For Yeong, medicine was the medium between her two undergraduate degrees. Engineering provided the applied science understanding while English Literature explored humanity. She forged these two interests as she pursued her medical degree, dedicating much of her spare time as a student engaged in global health.

 As a student, Yeong was inspired by UBC’s strategic principles on global citizenship to try and improve global health disparities – both overseas and in her own Vancouver community. Her volunteer work included time with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders in Vancouver, , hospices in the Downtown Eastside, and aboriginal health initiatives in northern BC and global health projects in China, Uganda and India.
Yeong also worked with a team of students and faculty to co-found the Global Health Initiative, which teaches global health skills and social responsibility to UBC students and faculty through workshops, projects and mentorship. The program includes opportunities for students to volunteer overseas as global health workers and help improve the livelihood of citizens in impoverished countries by working in partnership with local communities.

Now a resident, Yeong continues her work in social equality and responsibility, and is working with a team of residents and faculty to improve global health training for physicians through new and existing programs.

Graduating with her MD in 2009, Yeong is in her second year as an anesthesia resident at UBC. She was impressed by many of the physicians she met during UBC medical school. Her experience during UBC anesthesiology rotations helped convince her that the Anesthesiology was for her. As one of the strongest anesthesiology programs in Canada, Yeong believes that UBC was the perfect school for her to complete her residency.

Yeong is drawn to the challenge of anesthesia. While many see anesthesia as a field distanced from the patient, she sees it the exact opposite.

“Going into surgery can be very stressful experience for the patient. Anesthesiologists have to connect with a patient and establish a good working relationship in a very short amount of time.”
Yeong continues to use her two undergraduate degrees as she forges her way into her career as an anesthesiologist. The problem-solving skills and iterative design that she learned as engineer guides her through the technical aspect of her job, while the study of character and motivation in literature has helped her in interacting with patients and understanding their perspectives better.
While Yeong doesn’t feel like she has an established career yet, she is doing what she loves. She is most proud of the Global Health Initiative and the work that it has done. While there may always be health disparities throughout global communities, doctors like Yeong help to shorten the gap that separates us all. Yeong feels as though she learns something from everyone she meets, but judging from all she has done in her life thus far, it is clear that the people she meets also have a lot to learn from her.

— Written by Laura Laverdure

Evan Wood, PhD’03

It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a positive outlook. A rejection letter on the first attempt to get into UBC Medical School didn’t stop Dr. Evan Wood from accomplishing a myriad of undertakings. With a positive attitude on the turn of events, he calls the rejection a “blessing… as [he] was then recruited to stay at UBC as an assistant professor and received a large grant from the US National Institutes of Health to continue doing clinical research while [he] pursued a medical degree in Calgary”.
At the young age of 36, UBC Alumnus (PhD’ 03), Dr. Wood has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, supervised 37 graduate students and sits on editorial board of eight scientific journals. His research work has significantly impacted HIV treatment guidelines, proven the benefits of supervised injection facilities, compelled pharmaceutical companies to offer free antiretrovirals to HIV-positive pregnant mothers in Africa and most recently shown conclusively that offering HIV treatment to injection drug users can reduce HIV incidence at a community level. All of this during the same time he was either a medical student or an internal medicine resident, during which time he was also chief resident at UBC.

Among his many accolades, most recently, Dr. Wood received the inaugural Junior Doctor of the Year Award from the prestigious British Medical Journal. The ever modest Dr. Wood accredits his recognition to the work his teams are doing at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Dr. Wood learned from the best and cites Dr. Julio Montaner and Dr. Robert Hogg as key mentors from his student days, which inevitably influenced his career direction. Once the student, now the teacher, Dr. Wood finds he gets a ‘buzz’ from his student’s success, and enjoys mentoring grad students, medical students and junior residents. Dr. Wood is helping to train the next generation of doctors and researchers so that they can carry on with the uphill battle against HIV & AIDS.

When asked about the future of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Wood noted that there should an added cultural component around drug addiction & urban health education. Students and doctors need a broader understanding of the stigma towards drug addicted persons to remove any pre-conceived notions that they may have. He also feels that there is a constant challenge balancing practical and theoretical work. Traditionally the focus has been on practical work but he believes it’s just as important to focus on the theoretical while keeping the need for innovation in focus.

How does one choose a career highlight when there are so many noteworthy accomplishments? Dr. Wood cites his research showing the role of Vancouver’s supervised injecting facility in preventing the spread of disease and death – and saving taxpayer’s dollars – as his most important work. The legal fight to keep Insight open is an ongoing challenge; however the research that Dr. Wood does is highly valuable in keeping this life saving program open.

With so much accomplished in such a short time don’t expect Dr. Wood to be slowing down anytime soon. He is currently finishing his internal medicine final exams this spring and will continue the fight against HIV/AIDS.

— Written by Marisa Moody

Marc Rizzardo, BPE’77, MPE’81, BSc(PT)’87

Rizzardo was invited to interview for the job of Chief Therapist with the 2010 Olympics after his job as Chief Therapist for the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio De Janeiro short-listed him for the role. When he was asked if wanted the job, a volunteer position, his answer was a resounding yes. When asked why, he replied “Because I’ll never have the opportunity to do this again in my career.” Rizzardo grew up in East Vancouver, and the opportunity to take the job in his hometown thrilled him.

While long and stressful, he insists that he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world. A year before the Olympics, Rizzardo and Dr. Bob McCormack, the Canadian Olympic team’s head doctor, visited the Canadian teams, getting to know their wants and needs from the coaches, athletes and medical team. From there he helped handpick the therapist team that he would be working with for the duration of the games. During the games Rizzardo helped manage his team of forty five through the good and bad moments.The teamwork and interdisciplinary collegiality between the trainers, therapists and doctors that he experienced during the games is something that Rizzardo would like to see applied to the general practice of Physiotherapy. With the doctors, trainers and imaging technology all accessible within one facility, therapists could collaborate directly with other medical personnel to ensure that the athletes received the best care possible.After his experience in 2010, Rizzardo will also reprise his role as Chief Therapist for the Canadian Olympic Team at the 2012 Games in London. He believes that his experiences at the 2010 will help his preparation. Anticipating a much larger games, he wants to ensure he is as organized for 2012 as he was for 2010. After dealing with extenuating circumstances during the Vancouver games, one in which an athlete’s mother died, he also stresses the importance of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his team and preparing them for every possible situation.

On February 28, 2010, Marc Rizzardo, Chief Therapist for the Canadian Olympic Team was basking in the final day of an experience that he calls the highlight of his career.

Sitting in a VIP Box at Canada Hockey Place between the Blue line and Centre with Chef de Mission for the 2010 Olympic Games, Natalie Lambert and Assistant Chef de Missions Joe Juneau and Steve Podborski, Rizzardo watched Sidney Crosby score the winning goal of the Gold Medal Game in his hometown. After months of intense preparation and time away from his family, the moment was the highlight of his games.

Rizzardo grew up in East Vancouver and completed all of his schooling at UBC. In 1977, as he was completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, his dream to be a PE teacher changed after spending an afternoon per week for a semester in an elementary school and becoming disenchanted by the structure of the curriculum. Rizzardo completed his degree and changed career directions.A long time soccer player and enthusiast, Rizzardo’s experience playing for UBC eventually landed him a job as trainer for the Canadian National Team. He spent the next year travelling with the team as Apprentice Coach, gaining experience and meeting key mentors Derek Mackesy who would eventually write Rizzardo a reference letter that helped him get into Physiotherapy the second time around. Rizzardo completed his Masters in Physical Education at UBC in 1981 and after attending the 1984 Olympics as therapist for the Men’s Soccer Team, Rizzardo was offered a spot in Rehabilitation Sciences at both UBC and Western, and he credits his mentors, Clyde Smith, Glen Page and Alex McKencknie for steering him toward UBC’s program.After graduating in 1987 with his Bachelors of Rehabilitation Sciences and a short 8 month stint working at the WCB rehab centre, Rizzardo opened his own private practice. Now in its third location in Burnaby, he continues to work with patients while taking advantage of the career opportunities that have come his way. Many of his roots remain in UBC – he is currently a clinical instructor for the University. In the 90’s he taught a course on Sports Physiotherapy and recently participated in a course that taught fourth year medical students when and how they should use physiotherapy in their jobs.

Rizzardo’s role as a coach and his practice are intertwined. With the support of his wife and kids, he is able to work for himself and building his schedule around his life.

In addition to his own practice, he is currently Director for SportMed BC, a Physiotherapist Consultant for the Minnesota Wild, EA Sports, Ubisoft and Canada’s National Soccer & Fencing Team, a Clinical Instructor at UBC’s school of Rehabilitation Sciences, National Examiner for Sports Physiotherapy Canada. His resume also includes past experience as Assistant Coast for the Vancouver Whitecaps Women’s Team and Head Coach for the Langara Men’s Soccer Team.

Rizzardo loves his job. The improvements he sees in his patients from day to day and the wide variety of the injuries that he deals with are what keep him enthusiastic and interested in his job. Every day is different and every person he meets presents a new challenge. 90% of what he works on are extremities and he calls himself a “knee and shoulder guy.” He also has a special joy in working with adolescents and insists if he wasn’t working with them in his own practice, he would have worked in a children’s hospital.

With reminders of London games looming in his inbox, Rizzardo is taking the lessons learned from the Vancouver games and is keen to translate the integrated, interdisciplinary approach both into his own practice and again at the Olympics in London 2012.

— Written by Laura Laverdure

Bas Masri, MD’88

Having the perfect work-life balance is not easy for most, especially if you’re Bas Masri, MD ‘88.  With over 100 peer-reviewed articles published and having achieved academic rank of full professor at the University of British Columbia by his early 40’s, it’s easy to see that Masri has had a very busy career so far.  Now, as the Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at UBC and Vancouver Acute Hospitals, Masri continues to add impressive accomplishments to his resume while trying to balance a healthy lifestyle with his wife and two beautiful children.

Becoming a doctor was decision made early for Bas Masri.  His curious mind got the best of him and from a young age he was fascinated by medicine and was always asking questions.  Masri started his medical training prior to graduating with a Chemistry degree (BSc ’85), allowing him to complete his medical degree a year early in 1988.  Throughout his medical education, Masri often believed he would specialize in internal medicine given that it was intellectually challenging to him, but he soon learned that other areas were equally stimulating.  He eventually pursued orthopaedics after working with then resident, Dr. Marcel Dvorak, whose enthusiasm and skill greatly impressed Masri.  Today, Masri focuses on hip and knee replacement in his clinical work and has started performing patello-femoral replacement surgical procedures, as an alternative to total knee replacement, which will dramatically ease the pain for patients with patello-femoral arthritis while still allowing maximum mobility and range of movement.

While a student, Masri had another strong influence in Dr. Bill Ovalle. Ovalle instilled in Masri an appreciation for research. The synergies of combining clinical treatment and research in his practice have undoubted benefits. Masri is currently focusing his research interest on clinical outcome of joint replacement as well as on alternate bearing surfaces to resist wear better and last longer than polyethylene.

As a professor, Masri has the opportunity to see firsthand that the student perspective of medicine hasn’t changed much from when he was a student.  For Masri, he was relatively young to be starting medical school at the age of 19.  “As a student you have a different perspective of medicine, a perspective that is often idealistic rather than realistic” remembered Masri.  Now when he teaches, he focuses on realistic teaching practices and tries to show medical students and residents the struggles that doctors face such as limited resources, politics, human resources, and the wait lists and how to overcome these obstacles, while still highlighting the rewards of this wonderful profession.  Giving his students a better understanding of the ‘real medical world’ will help them when it comes to running their own practices, and as long as they continue to learn how to keep learning, Masri knows the next generation of doctors will do amazing things.

Masri believes he is privileged to have a stable and rewarding job.  From being a child and wanting to know more behind medicine to being a doctor who is able to restore peoples’ lives, Masri knows why he is so passionate about his career.  He believes that he has to continually prove his value to society because that is who he serves.

With all that he does, Masri’s greatest challenge is to ensure that he maintains a proper work-life balance, which continues to be a challenge. While ideally he would like to organize his time so that he can drive his children to school at least once a week; this does not happen as often as he would like. He does his paperwork after his children have gone to sleep, and even tries to play tennis once a week.  As a mentor to his 12 year old son, who happens to want to be an orthopaedic surgeon, Masri is trying to teach him the importance of hard work, inquisitiveness and keeping an open mind.  After all, that is how Bas Masri is where he is today.

Written by Kira Peterson

Marlys Koschinsky, PhD’88

Discovering and understanding clues that lay hidden in plaque may not appeal to the average person, but UBC alumna Dr. Marlys Koschinsky has devoted her research to studying certain lipoproteins to determine how they contribute to atherosclerosis.  More specifically how apolipoprotein(a) actually interferes with the ability of the body to break down blood clots.  Her research is important to the potential development of new drugs that will reduce the risk associated with having high blood levels of lipoprotein.

Dr. Koschinsky received her PhD from UBC and spent countless hours in the research lab under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Ross MacGillivray.  Today she speaks in the highest terms about her time at UBC, particularly the mentoring she received which she believes was critical to setting her on her own successful career path. Creating a work environment rooted in respect, support and collaboration is a cornerstone of her own success and what she believes is essential to achieve the best outcomes in any field.

From this experience at UBC Faculty of Medicine, her career continued to progress. She did her post-doctoral work in the United States and then went on to teach at Queen’s University where she was the first female research professor in biochemistry. She is currently the Dean of Science at the University of Windsor.

Marlys found the move from research to Dean of Science a welcome challenge.  She had taken on administrative roles at Queen’s, but the unique opportunity and scope of the Dean’s position was a draw that she couldn’t resist. Having to transition into thinking and leading in other areas of science outside of her own sphere of study has it challenges but also its rewards.  It has allowed her to be creative and link the various areas of science and research together to create interdisciplinary projects that are stimulating for the students and applicable for society. This includes the continued building of a health research focus that brings together areas of natural and life sciences as well as a dynamic new undergraduate program in Health Sciences that is currently under development.

In fact, that is part of what she finds so rewarding about her current position, getting people to work and collaborate together.  Marlys is very proud of the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs at the Faculty of Science and derives a great deal of satisfaction from improving the student experience and helping all reach their full potential.

Similar to UBC, the University of Windsor is part of a distributed medical school, based out the University of Western Ontario.  This was another aspect of what drew her to the Dean’s position.  The opportunity for partnerships and collaboration between the research departments in Science and the medical school has enormous potential.

When asked if she still continues to do research, her response was “of course, I would never give up research; it is fundamental and core to who I am”.   Working with students, collaborating with colleagues, and exploring new possibilities in the lab mirrors what she enjoys most in her role as Dean of Science. In each role, questions are essential and learning from others is a joy.

If you would like to more information on Dr. Koschinsky’s research in cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and lipoproteins, please visit her webpage by following the links to People>Faculty.

Written by Marisa Moody

Jaspreet Khangura, MD’10

In May 2010, Jaspreet Khangura walked across the stage at the Hooding Ceremony to receive a shingle that bore her name and the letters “MD” for the very first time. While most of her fellow graduating classmates walked across the stage with their looming residencies in the back of their mind, Khangura’s path will be a little less conventional than her peers. One of two UBC graduates to be awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2010, this fall Khangura will put her residency on hold as she attends Oxford to complete her Masters in Global Health.
The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1902 after the death of Cecil Rhodes, is an international fellowship that brings students from all over the world to study at Oxford University in the interests of promoting international understanding and public service. Recipients are well rounded individuals whose academic achievement is matched by a commitment to leadership and the community.Community is something that Khangura knows a lot about. A trip to India as ten year old left an impression on her that has continued to guide her life goals. Struck by the poverty and pollution of the country, the trip opened her awareness to the social inequality that faces many communities around the world. Khangura’s interest in social justice committed her to both local and global volunteerism and advocacy throughout her student years. Some of her numerous volunteer projects have included the establishment of a Kids Can Free the Children chapter and Humanitarian Outreach Program, raising money for children in developing countries.

Khangura has also worked at local food banks, and with the Community Health Initiative by University Students (CHIUS) clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In 2008 she travelled to the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas as a part of the student-led health initiative to conduct health screenings and promote hygiene and nutritional education. Locally, she has worked to help develop a community health outreach program for new immigrants and subsequently developed workshops for the local YMCA and Vancouver Immigrant Society.

Khangura’s positive experiences at UBC while completing her Bachelors of Science in Physiology convinced her to apply to UBC’s medical school. Medicine was perfect for Khangura because it mixed her passion for science with her desire to work with people and contribute back to the community. Fortunate enough to complete most of her studies through scholarships, she stresses that she could not have accomplished all that she has without the funding that she received from those scholarships and is incredibly grateful for the support she has received over the years.

Khangura finds excitement in all areas of medicine and looks forward to the challenges that her career in health care brings. After completing her Masters in Global Health at Oxford, Khangura plans to complete her residency and pursue her PhD. Her ideal career would mix both clinical work and research, a combination that would give her the satisfaction of helping people directly, as well as contributing to a greater impact through research.

Each career goal is a stepping stone to Khangura’s wish to bring health care to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Her past experiences have already helped countless people and her dedication to continue this through other forums, both academic and hands-on, will no doubt make a lasting impact on the individuals that she works with as well as the broader community. At the end of the day, that’s what being a Rhodes Scholar is all about.

— Written by Laura Laverdure

Theresa McElroy, BScOT’98

Why did you choose your career? What made you specialize in this area of healthcare? These are questions regularly asked of our alumni in the Faculty of Medicine. And, in each case, there are interesting answers. Theresa McElroy, BSc Occupational Therapy ’98, has answers to these that are not only interesting but inspiring.

Theresa’s interest in Occupational Therapy  first began when she attended a local rehabilitation centre with her father who was speaking about his experiences flying aircraft as a pilot with paraplegia. After graduation, Theresa spent several years working as an Occupational Therapist in pediatrics across acute care, rehabilitation and community care. She also spent time volunteering overseas with various organizations that focused their work on children with impairments; this is where Theresa discovered her passion for International Health.  She went on to complete her Masters in International Health at Curtin University in Western Australia and spent the next 6 years working in the field.  Theresa reports having had the privilege of conducting research with a number of child health programs based in Uganda including: ‘The Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project’, which provides early detection and treatment of clubfoot, ‘Healthy Child Uganda’ that works through community resource people to promote child health practices and prevent morbidity and mortality through early recognition of health ‘danger’ signs.  From 2006-2008 she worked as Program Manager at the Centre for International Child Health at BC Children’s Hospital.

Theresa is pleased that UBC has a growing focus and expertise in global health and this is one of the reasons why she decided to return to UBC to complete her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies.  Her doctoral work has been on researching early childhood health & development during post-conflict transition in northern Uganda, and working to ensure the children there can have every opportunity to reach their maximum potential.  Theresa’s research was used to plan and implement six early childcare initiatives in return villages with international organizations, local government and community based organizations.

Being in the field and working directly with people is the most rewarding aspect of her job.  Getting to know the families and the challenges they face daily are what inspire her to continue her work.  As Theresa was reflecting on her work over the years she said “the things that inspire me are not the big moments but the small moments, the connection with women who work so hard every day to make a better life for their kids.  These women inspire me to be grateful for all I have and to work for things that are important to me and to them”.
When asked what her greatest achievement is thus far, Theresa couldn’t pick out a moment, instead stating that everything is a step in a journey and no one experience outshines the other.  Theresa hopes to continue to focus on children’s health in the context of their environment through a post-doctoral position.

For those who are doing work in Uganda or other global outreach projects and would like to connect with Theresa to get information or share ideas on best practices and on-the-ground resources, please contact us at 604 875 4111 ext. 62031 or marisa.iuvancigh@ubc.ca and we will put you in touch.

Written by Marisa Iuvancigh

Shelagh Davies, MSc’75

Our voice should match the person we are inside.  If it doesn’t, we feel discomfort; distress. – Shelagh Davies

Helping singers regain their voices and transgendered people find their voices are two of the job satisfactions for UBC Alumna Shelagh Davies. (MSc’75).  Shelagh is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, a Clinical Assistant Professor, and researcher in the Graduate School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at UBC. She has been practicing for over 25 years.  In the early days she established speech-language pathology services at Lions Gate Hospital and Burnaby General Hospital, then went on to  open her own private practice.  She now specializes in working with the voice and its disorders and regularly sees performers, teachers, public speakers, those living with Parkinson’s, and individuals with issues of gender and voice.

Seeing clients with their ‘ah-ha’ moment as they grasp a concept or understand a technique is what motivates this alumna to continue in her work and research.

As a singer and performer herself, Shelagh is familiar with the struggles and challenges of performance, but as a speech-language pathologist she understands the science and medical aspects as well.  She finds a perfect balance in her profession, blending her passion with her knowledge.

Research on transgendered voice is still in the beginning stages but Shelagh is seen as a leader in the field not only in Vancouver and BC but also internationally. In 2006 she co-wrote best practice guidelines for BC clinicians on transgender speech feminization/masculinization.  She is currently working on an international research project to assess the validity and reliability of a ‘self evaluation of voice questionnaire’ that she previously developed.  Currently there is no standard tool that allows transgender people to evaluate their own voices so this questionnaire will be important both clinically and for research. There have already been several requests for it to be translated into different languages.

Shelagh holds regular vocal rehabilitation and training workshops for singers and a speech and voice training program for transsexual women.  Looking ahead Shelagh hopes to develop a workshop for singing teachers about aspects of voice science relevant to the singing voice.  She is also looking forward to developing a program to train other speech-language pathologists in working with transgendered voice.

(If you would like more information on Shelagh Davies, you can visit her website at http://www.shelaghdavies.com/ )

Written by: Marisa Moody