This message is sent on behalf of Dr. Gavin Stuart, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost Health, The University of British Columbia, and Carl Roy, Chair, CFRI Board of Directors, and Interim President and Chief Operating Officer, Provincial Health Services Authority.
Dear Colleagues,
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Wyeth Wasserman as the Executive Director of the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) and UBC Faculty of Medicine Associate Dean, Research, CFRI, effective immediately.
On behalf of the CFRI Board of Directors and CFRI’s partners, the University of British Columbia and the Provincial Health Services Authority, please join us in congratulating Dr. Wasserman and welcoming him to his new role.
Dr. Wasserman is a senior scientist, professor of medical genetics, and an internationally renowned member of our community. He is committed to driving forward the agenda of research to improve the health of children and families in British Columbia and beyond.
This joint appointment is important for both UBC and PHSA. We are confident that Dr. Wasserman will help advance the development of the academic health sciences centre on the Oak Street campus, in partnership with the site hospitals and research partners. In his role as Associate, Dean, Research for CFRI, Dr. Wasserman will represent the research needs of faculty members at the CFRI campus and participate in fostering innovative research and advancing the health research strategy for the UBC Faculty of Medicine across the province.
Having worked in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, both in North America and Europe, Dr. Wasserman’s research focuses on projects with applied biomedical impacts. His bioinformatics laboratory develops computer algorithms for the analysis of DNA sequences. Originally established at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and since 2002 at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Wasserman’s lab provides international leadership in the computational study of the transcriptional control of gene activity, for which he holds several patents. Recent work from his lab addresses emerging challenges for personalized medicine, including the creation of software for analyzing, interpreting, and delivering DNA sequence data to clinicians to access and interpret patient genetic profiles. With undergraduate degrees in mathematics and molecular cell biology from the University of Washington and a PhD in oncology from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Wasserman brings a quantitative perspective to genetics research. He has published over 75 peer-reviewed papers and participated in over $15-million of funded research. He is a Professor in the UBC Department of Medical Genetics and a Scientist at the Child & Family Research Institute.
In taking on these roles, Dr. Wasserman has stepped down as the interim co-director of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT). He will continue leading an active research program and as a member of CMMT at CFRI and UBC.
We would like to thank Dr. Michael O’Shaughnessy for his contribution as CFRI’s interim leadership and interim Associate Dean, Research, CFRI at UBC as well as Ellen Chesney for her role as part of the interim leadership team. Ms. Chesney will continue to provide support to Dr. Wasserman and CFRI during his initial transition into the role.
We would like to express our appreciation to the members of the Search Committee and to all of the individuals who contributed and participated in the recruitment process. The calibre of candidates for this position was very high, and we are grateful to the individuals who stepped forward and presented themselves as candidates. Their involvement in this process reflects the passion for research and the commitment to improving the health of children and families that exists on the BC Children’s and BC Women’s campus.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gavin Stuart
Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost Health | The University of British Columbia
Carl Roy
Chair, CFRI Board of Directors and Interim President and Chief Operating Officer |Provincial Health Services Authority