A Message from the Dean
Healthcare is being transformed by emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, precision medicine, and advanced computational modeling are reshaping how we discover therapies, diagnose disease, optimize treatments, and deliver patient care. For our Faculty, these technologies represent both an opportunity and a responsibility to harness their potential in ways that advance patient outcomes, address health inequities, and prepare the next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to lead in an increasingly data-driven healthcare landscape.
This issue of Dean's Spotlight explores how we are advancing in an important strategic commitment at UBC: Excelling in the Development and Application of Emerging Technologies. These technologies are not just tools. They accelerate every stage of the health innovation pipeline, from identifying novel drug targets to optimizing treatment regimens in real time, and transforming how we educate future practitioners with the computational literacy and analytical skills essential for modern practice.
Imagine a future where new therapies are discovered faster, where precision medicine and tailored therapies are the norm, and patients receive care informed by real-time data and advanced analytics. These innovations are unlocking new pathways for therapeutic development and bringing us closer to a more responsive, efficient, and patient-centred model of care. But realizing this vision demands thoughtful integration into research, responsible application in clinical settings, and intentional preparation of students who will navigate and shape this evolving landscape.
This issue features three initiatives that embody this vision: the Catalyze event, showcasing our emerging researchers on their work on how AI and computational modeling are accelerating drug discovery and clinical translation; how one of our newest faculty member to join us, Dr. Tyler Cassidy, brings expertise in quantitative systems pharmacology that will strengthen our research capacity in this area; and the AI AM READY initiative, led by our Lecturers, Kayla Fang and Gilly Lau, which integrates AI literacy and responsible use frameworks into pharmaceutical education. Together, they demonstrate our commitment to advancing these powerful tools responsibly, not as ends in themselves, but as means to better serve patients, society, and the future of the profession and pharmaceutical sciences.
Lalitha Raman-Wilms
Dean
Catalyze: Innovations in Drug Discovery and Clinical Care
In April, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences welcomed researchers, industry leaders, donors, alumni, and partners to UBC Robson Square for Catalyze: Innovations in Drug Discovery and Clinical Care. The evening explored how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, precision medicine, and advanced computational modeling, are transforming pharmaceutical research and accelerating the path from scientific discovery to patient care.
Events like Catalyze play a vital role by providing a forum for emerging ideas and innovative solutions that support the expansion of British Columbia's life sciences and biomanufacturing sectors. This growth is driven in large part by advances in artificial intelligence and computational technologies. During the course of the evening, Faculty researchers, through presentations and a panel discussion, demonstrated how these cutting-edge tools are transforming every stage of the health innovation pipeline, from drug discovery and diagnostics to medication safety and clinical care.
Moderated by Dr. Helen Burt, former UBC Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation and Officer of the Order of Canada, the event featured presentations from three research leaders in the pharmaceutical sciences.
Speakers highlighted how emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and advanced computational modeling are reshaping drug discovery and development. Dr. Henry Kilgore, Assistant Professor in Nanomedicine and Chemical Biology, described how AI is revealing new rules of cellular organization through biomolecular condensates. This opens entirely new therapeutic possibilities in cancer and neurodegenerative disease. His work exemplifies how computational approaches can uncover biological mechanisms that were previously invisible, creating pathways to therapies that target diseases at their most fundamental level. Across discussions, emerging technologies were positioned as key enablers of BC's growing life sciences and biomanufacturing sector, accelerating the path from discovery to clinical impact. The integration of AI into early-stage research is not only speeding up the identification of promising drug candidates but also reducing the cost and risk associated with traditional drug development approaches.
Speakers also emphasized a shift from one-size-fits-all treatment toward precision medicine approaches powered by genomics and stem cell technologies. Dr. Nicole Krentz, Assistant Professor in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, highlighted how genetic risk profiling and cellular models could enable earlier intervention and more tailored therapies for diabetes. Her work underscored a broader vision: using emerging technologies to move diabetes care from reactive treatment toward prevention and individualized medicine. Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized how emerging technologies enable clinicians to understand not just what disease patients have, but why—and how genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors should inform treatment decisions. Precision medicine represents a fundamental reimagining of healthcare delivery, one where therapeutic strategies are designed around the individual rather than the population average.
Importantly, speakers stressed that innovation only matters when it reaches patients. Dr. Anil Maharaj, Assistant Professor in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, showed how pharmacometric modeling is already improving dosing decisions and supporting real-world clinical tools, including applications in opioid use disorder care at Vancouver General Hospital. His presentation demonstrated that emerging technologies are not confined to research laboratories but actively shape clinical practice. Pharmacometric modeling exemplifies this translation: computational tools developed in research are now implemented in real-world healthcare to optimize dosing decisions, ensuring patients receive the right doses at the right time while maximizing therapeutic benefit and minimizing adverse effects.
The evening concluded with a panel discussion and audience Q&A exploring the opportunities and practical challenges associated with integrating emerging technologies into healthcare systems. Audience members raised questions about translational readiness, the role of emerging technologies beyond AI, and how researchers are training the next generation to navigate an increasingly complex innovation landscape. These discussions reinforced that translating emerging technologies into impact depends on collaboration across academia, healthcare, and industry along with practical implementation in health systems. Technology alone cannot transform care; it requires partnerships, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and a workforce equipped to use these tools responsibly and effectively.
As advances in emerging technologies continue to reshape healthcare, Catalyze demonstrated the important role universities play in convening the collaborations, technologies, and ideas that will define the future of pharmaceutical research and patient care.
Strengthening computational expertise: Dr. Tyler Cassidy joins the Faculty
Building on our commitment to emerging technologies, the Faculty welcomes Dr. Tyler Cassidy, who joined as an Assistant Professor in Pharmacokinetics on July 1, 2026.
Dr. Cassidy is an applied mathematician whose research is at the intersection of mathematics, medicine, and systems pharmacology. His work uses mechanistic modeling and quantitative systems pharmacology to understand how intrapatient heterogeneity drives disease progression and to develop model-informed treatment strategies for chronic infectious diseases. His research program focuses on new therapeutic approaches towards functional cure of HIV-1 and chronic hepatitis B virus infection, oncolytic virus therapy, and the development of new capabilities for model-informed drug development. His contributions have informed both clinical and preclinical decision-making.
Before joining UBC, Dr. Cassidy was a Lecturer in Mathematical Biology at the University of Leeds. He brings a rich background in interdisciplinary research, having previously served as a senior scientist in Pfizer's Oncology Research Unit, a postdoctoral research associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and a Junior Fellow at the Mittag-Leffler Institute. He completed his PhD at McGill University and serves as an Academic Editor for PLOS Computational Biology and an Associate Editor for the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology.
Dr. Cassidy's work expands the Faculty's expertise in pharmacometrics, quantitative systems pharmacology, and translational modeling, with natural connections to the PRePARE cluster, our HIV/AIDS research community, and collaborators across clinical and computational sciences. As Dr. Cassidy notes, "The most impactful research happens when scientists combine their diverse expertise and perspectives to solve real problems in patient care."
He is also deeply committed to trainee development and offers a wide range of collaborative and interdisciplinary research opportunities for students. As emerging technologies become increasingly central to pharmaceutical sciences, faculty members like Dr. Cassidy play a crucial role in preparing the next generation of researchers to work at the intersection of computation, biology, and medicine.
Preparing for AI: The AI AM READY Initiative
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery, pharmacists must be equipped to use these technologies responsibly and effectively in practice. Through a UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) project titled "AI AM READY: Readying Pharmacy Students for Practice in a World with GenAI," Kayla Fang and Gilly Lau, Lecturers, are creating educational content for students and pharmacists to develop the AI literacy essential for modern pharmaceutical care.
Working with their team consisting of Alexis Webster (graduate student), and Esther Lu and Annabelle Lui (undergraduate pharmacy students), they are scaffolding curricular content into the Faculty's Entry-to-Practice PharmD program. The curriculum progresses from foundational knowledge of how AI tools work, through debate of AI's implications for the pharmacy profession and society, to hands-on learning where students critically evaluate AI-generated outputs. As Kayla Fang explains, the approach prioritizes judgment over mechanics: "We're not just teaching students how to use AI tools; these tools are evolving much too quickly. Instead, we're preparing them to think critically about when and how these technologies should be applied in practice." Students will evaluate AI recommendations with the clinical judgment they apply to any information source, always prioritizing patient safety and professional responsibility.
Beyond student education, this work extends to practicing pharmacists through a webinar series addressing responsible AI use. According to Gilly Lau, this broader reach is essential. "AI is already changing how pharmacists work, and we have a responsibility to ensure we are prepared to use these tools thoughtfully and ethically," he explains. Lau notes that pharmacists have expressed interest in learning appropriate integration of this technology into their practice. His team has partnered with the Faculty's Continuing Pharmacy Professional Development and Office of Experiential Education teams to address this need through their webinar series, which shares principles of appropriate AI use and helps pharmacists discuss these tools with pharmacy students on practicum.
The AI AM READY initiative ensures that pharmacists at all career stages can leverage AI's potential while maintaining the professional judgment and patient-centered care that define pharmaceutical practice.
Building the future of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The three initiatives featured in this issue—Catalyze, Dr. Cassidy's appointment, and the AI AM READY project—collectively demonstrate how the Faculty is advancing emerging technologies across research, clinical translation, faculty expertise, and education. Together, they create a comprehensive ecosystem where cutting-edge research, faculty leadership, and student preparation reinforce one another, ensuring that innovation flows seamlessly from discovery through to the next generation of practitioners who will implement it.
Each initiative strengthens a different dimension of this ecosystem: Catalyze demonstrates research innovation in action, Dr. Cassidy's appointment deepens faculty expertise in quantitative approaches, and the AI AM READY project ensures students are prepared to lead in this evolving landscape. Collectively, they create a pipeline where discovery, mentorship, and education reinforce one another.
Together, these efforts position the Faculty to be a catalyst for change. They are not only advancing pharmaceutical research but preparing the next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to navigate and shape the future of healthcare. As emerging technologies continue to evolve, our commitment remains constant: to develop and apply these innovations responsibly, collaboratively, and always in service of improving patient outcomes.