On March 1, 2017, alumni and friends of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences will gather to celebrate the achievements of Gary D. Lopaschuk, BSc(Pharm)'78, MSc(Pharm)'80, PhD(Pharm)'83 and Arden Barry, BSc'01, BSc(Pharm)'06 and PharmD'10.
The event, to be held in the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre and hosted by Dr. Michael Coughtrie, professor and dean, UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, will pay tribute to Dr. Lopaschuk's outstanding career as a cardiovascular researcher. Gary D. Lopaschuk is a triple alumnus of UBC's Pharm Sci program and is a distinguished university professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta as well as accomplished cardiovascular researcher. His research focuses on the regulation of fatty acid oxidation in the heart and the mechanism by which high rates of fatty acid oxidation contribute to heart disease and heart failure. It has lead him to Metabolic Modulators Research Ltd., where he is president and CEO, which is developing novel drugs to treat heart disease that optimize energy metabolism in the heart. It is a new approach to cardiovascular treatment and has the potential to revolutionize the industry.
Dr. Lopaschuk is an Alberta Innovates Health Solution Scientist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, as well as serves on a number of journal editorial boards including, Circulation Research, Journal of Clinical Investigation, American Journal of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research, Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, Heat and Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy. His research has resulted in over 400 original published research articles and he has been recognized with awards including the Canadian Cardiovascular Research Achievement Award and the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences Research Achievement Award.
UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences assistant professor, Arden Barry, will also be honoured at the event as a Future Alumni Agent of Change. Following the completion of his bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from UBC, he went on to complete a residency with Vancouver Coastal Health/Providence Health Care, before continuing on to pursue his doctor of pharmacy. Dr. Barry is a clinical pharmacy and research specialist with Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services and maintains a clinical practice at a primary care clinic at Chilliwack General Hospital and a heart function clinic at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. His professional and research interests include dyslipidemia, cardiovascular risk reduction and expanded scope of pharmacy practice. He is the member representing community hospitals on the Board of the College of Pharmacists of BC and is an active member of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
"The careers of Drs. Lopaschuk and Barry have had a wide-ranging impact on the care of patients, pharmaceutical science and clinical practice," says Dr. Coughtrie. "We are looking forward to recognizing their achievements with our community of alumni and friends." The UBC Pharm Sci Alumni Agent of Change event and the awards presented have been established to bring together the UBC Pharm Sci community in recognition of alumni achievements demonstrating excellence in the areas of research, education and pharmacy practice.
Learn more about the UBC Pharm Sci Alumni Agent of Change
Join the conversation: #AlumniAgentOfChange