The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is pleased to share that Dr. Brent Page (see Brent Page Lab), an Investigator with the Centre and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC, has received an Early Career Researcher (ECR) Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aging.
This award recognizes promising early career researchers whose work advances understanding of aging and age-associated diseases.
Dr. Page’s research focuses on developing new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease by targeting NUDT5, a protein involved in neurodegenerative processes. His team has developed promising compounds that inhibit NUDT5 activity and help mitigate biological stressors linked to neurodegeneration in preclinical models.
With support from this award, the team will evaluate the effectiveness of these compounds in translational models of Alzheimer’s disease and further refine them to ensure their safety and stability for potential progression toward clinical testing.
Dr. Page’s research program operates at the intersection of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, with the goal of identifying and developing new compounds to better understand and treat complex diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer. Working collaboratively with experts in disease biology, as well as industry and patient partners, his work aims to advance novel therapeutic candidates toward real-world application.
This recognition highlights the importance of innovative, early-stage research in addressing the growing global burden of Alzheimer’s disease and supporting healthier aging.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) is proud to celebrate the successful award of a $1.65 million NSERC CREATE grant to support the launch of AGEnomics, a new interdisciplinary training program that will prepare the next generation of researchers and leaders at the intersection of genomics and aging biology.
Led by Dr. Stefan Taubert (UBC Faculty of Medicine) in partnership with collaborators at both the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Victoria (UVic), AGEnomics will provide Canada’s first dedicated training program focused on integrating cutting-edge genomics approaches with the biology of aging.
The six-year program brings together experts in genomics, geroscience, computational biology, bioinformatics, ecology, and molecular medicine to train highly qualified personnel (HQP) across a broad range of disciplines and sectors. Through immersive, hands-on training experiences, students and postdoctoral fellows will gain expertise in advanced multi-omics technologies, aging biology, computational methods, and translational applications relevant to health, biotechnology, conservation, and environmental sustainability.
ELCHA played a central role in the development of the successful proposal and will serve as a major institutional hub supporting the program. The Centre’s growing network of researchers, infrastructure, partnerships, and expertise in healthy aging and geroscience helped provide the foundation for this ambitious initiative.
The program will recruit trainees from both UBC and UVic across disciplines including medical genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, statistics, bioinformatics, computer science, microbiology, population health, and ecology. Participants will engage in a wide range of training opportunities, including:
An intensive AGEnomics Bootcamp focused on genomics and aging biology
Hands-on training in multi-omics technologies and computational approaches
Cross-disciplinary laboratory rotations
Professional development workshops in leadership, ethics, entrepreneurship, and equity, diversity and inclusion
Research seminars featuring academic, industry, and government leaders
National and international mobility placements with academic, industry, government, and non-profit partners
A major strength of the program is its strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and cross-sector training. AGEnomics trainees will have opportunities to work with partners from biotechnology companies, health authorities, conservation organizations, and government agencies, helping bridge foundational research with real-world applications.
The program also reflects ELCHA’s broader vision of advancing innovative, collaborative approaches to healthy aging research. AGEnomics aligns closely with the Centre’s mission to foster interdisciplinary discovery, training, and knowledge mobilization that can improve health across the lifespan.
Importantly, the program will help build capacity in one of the fastest-growing scientific areas globally. As populations continue to age, there is increasing demand for researchers and professionals with expertise in aging biology, genomics, data science, and translational health research.
The success of this grant further strengthens ELCHA’s role as a leading hub for aging research and training in Canada and highlights the growing momentum for interdisciplinary geroscience research at UBC.
Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health Professor, Department of Medicine Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia
Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy is an internationally renowned clinician-scientist, whose work spans cancer detection, biomedical engineering and global health.
Dr. Anandasabapathy joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) in November 2025 and serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, UBC. Prior to her appointment at UBC, she served as Vice-President and Senior Associate Dean, Global Programs, at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where she oversaw the institution’s global programs, affiliations and partnerships.
A gastroenterologist by training, Dr. Anandasabapathy’s work bridges education, training, clinical practice and innovation—from bench-to-bedside diagnostics to community-based implementation. She is known for developing and validating low-cost, scalable technologies to improve early detection of gastrointestinal cancers. She leads several global clinical trials and holds four major research grants funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Anandasabapathy earned an MD, with a distinction in research, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She completed her internal medicine training at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and her gastroenterology fellowship at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Anandasabapathy also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Yale University.
Throughout her career as a clinician, educator and researcher, she has focused on the interface of translational science, cancer early detection, biomedical engineering, innovation and global health equity.
Top: Dr. Lillian Hung, Dr. Mahmoud Pouladi, Dr. Julian Henderson; Bottom: Dr. Katharine Davies, Dr. Thibault Mayor, Dr. Laura Hurd
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) is pleased to announce the recipients of our first-ever Catalyst Grant Competition.These awards support innovative, interdisciplinary projects that advance research on aging and generate new knowledge to improve the health and well-being of older adults.
Three projects have been selected for funding:
Dr. Lillian Hung (Principal Applicant) and Dr. Katharine Davies (Co-Principal Applicant) are leading a project to evaluate the World Health Organization’s Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework in Canadian primary care settings. This approach assesses key aspects of health, including memory, mobility, mood, and sensory function, to support earlier identification of decline. Working closely with clinicians and patients, the team will examine how feasible and useful this framework is in real-world care, with the goal of informing care planning and supporting independence and quality of life.
Dr. Mahmoud Pouladi (Principal Applicant) and Dr. Thibault Mayor (Co-Principal Applicant) are leading a biomedical project investigating how genetic variation influences brain aging and neurodegenerative disease. Focusing on the gene Med15, the team will examine how genetic differences affect the accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain. This work may uncover new biological pathways and inform future strategies to delay or prevent diseases such as Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Julia Henderson (Principal Applicant) and Dr. Laura Hurd (Co-Principal Applicant) are leading an interdisciplinary project that combines health research, social science, and the arts to better understand the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults. In collaboration with community members, the team will co-create a theatre performance based on lived experiences and evaluate its impact on audiences. The project aims to foster empathy, reduce stigma, and support more inclusive care and social environments.
Together, these projects reflect the breadth of ELCHA’s research—from molecular mechanisms to health systems and community-engaged approaches—and contribute to advancing healthier aging across diverse populations.
Please join us in welcoming investigator Dr. Annie Ciernia to the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging.
Annie Ciernia, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, as well as an Investigator with the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, at the University of British Columbia.
Prior to joining UBC, she completed her PhD in Neurobiology and Behaviour at the University of California, Irvine, with Dr. Marcelo Wood, where she examined the role of a neuron-specific nucleosome remodeling complex in regulating transcription subserving long-term memory formation. Following her doctoral training, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Davis, in the Autism Research Training Program, where she investigated how DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility impact gene expression in autism spectrum disorders.
In her work at UBC, Dr. Ciernia combines her extensive experience in animal behavior, molecular neuroscience, bioinformatics and systems biology approaches for interpreting epigenomes, exploring research questions such as how early-life perturbations to the epigenome alter microglia-neuron interactions in the developing brain and lead to life-long changes in cellular function and behaviour.
Dr. Ciernia is also extending her previous work in adult brain inflammation and mouse models of aging brains to investigate how signals from gut microbes can promote either vulnerability or resilience to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Ciernia shared: “We are developing several collaborative projects with Dr. Carolina Tropini to investigate how the gut microbiome shapes neuroinflammation. Our work focuses specifically on microglia—the brain’s resident immune cells—using novel tools developed in my laboratory.”
Dr. Ciernia is excited to expand her knowledge of aging research through her involvement with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, as well as to build new scientific collaborations to continue to expand her work in this area.
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ciernia to the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and look forward to her involvement in the Centre!
To read more about Dr. Ciernia’s work related to healthy aging, adult neuroinflammation, and the tools she has developed to study mouse models of aging, view select publications below:
The project will examine how social prescribing, an emerging model of integrated, person-centred care, can be expanded across the province to better support older adults’ health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing connects individuals with non-medical supports in their communities, such as social programs, meal services, transportation resources, and other local services that address social determinants of health. By strengthening referral pathways between healthcare providers and community organizations, the model aims to improve quality of life while reducing pressure on traditional healthcare systems.
In British Columbia, social prescribing has expanded rapidly through government investment and collaboration with United Way British Columbia. Implementation has largely focused on community integration, with less emphasis on integration within health authorities. The Fraser Health region, however, has developed one of the most integrated models through an intentional partnership between Fraser Health and United Way BC.
Building on these successes, the newly funded project will leverage insights from Fraser Health to inform the province-wide expansion and evaluation of social prescribing across British Columbia’s health regions.
The research team will investigate how social prescribing programs are implemented across different regional contexts and how the model is adapted to meet local needs. The project will also identify barriers and enabling factors that influence program success, including the experiences and behaviours of clinicians, community connectors (navigators), older adults, and caregivers.
In addition, the study will examine the effectiveness of referral pathways and identify key predictors that influence whether older adults successfully access and benefit from community services.
The project is managed through Fraser Health and will be implemented across multiple health regions throughout British Columbia.
Several ELCHA investigators are contributing to the project, including Dr. Grace Park (Primary Applicant Co-Lead), Dr. Eli Puterman, and Dr. Maureen Ashe, alongside a multidisciplinary team of collaborators from Fraser Health, academic institutions, and community partners across the province.
By evaluating how social prescribing can be implemented effectively at scale, the project aims to strengthen systems that support health, independence, and social connection for older adults across British Columbia.
The Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is pleased to announce a new career opportunity supporting the Canadian Microbiome Mapping Initiative (CMMI). We are currently seeking an outstanding candidate for a full-time role contributing to the development of an integrated multi-omics platform designed to investigate how the microbiome influences health and disease.
CMMI is a large, collaborative research initiative involving investigators from ELCHA, multiple UBC research centres, and external partners. The project aims to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms linking the microbiome to human health, including healthy aging and clinical applications beginning with Parkinson’s disease.
To support this work, ELCHA is recruiting for either a Postdoctoral Research Fellow or a Data Analyst, depending on the experience, background, and funding associated with the successful candidate.
Working closely with investigators, bioinformaticians, and research staff across participating laboratories, the individual hired will support the design and implementation of reproducible pipelines for multi-omics data integration and analysis, coordinate technical data activities across research groups, and contribute to statistical and computational analyses exploring relationships between the microbiome, multi-omics datasets, and human health.
Under the supervision of CMMI PI Dr. Michael Kobor, and with scientific and technical guidance from Dr. Emilia Lim and the CMMI Data Analysis and Integration Committee, the candidate will contribute to data analysis, data integration, and interpretation across diverse datasets. The role also includes collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure data quality, develop analytical workflows, and support the interpretation and dissemination of research findings.
The successful candidate will contribute to the integration and analysis of a rapidly expanding dataset involving more than 600 participants. This work will support high-impact research exploring the microbiome’s role in aging and disease while helping to build a scalable data platform for future discovery.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow: The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will lead analytical strategy and multi-omics data integration, developing and refining computational pipelines while contributing to study interpretation and scientific publications. Candidates should hold a PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, computer science, or a related field, with experience in reproducible workflows, pipeline development, and AI/ML-based analysis. The role includes mentoring trainees, presenting research at international conferences, and contributing to grant applications and manuscripts. The fellow will benefit from mentorship and collaboration with leading experts across UBC and ELCHA, supporting career development and opportunities for future funding.
Data Analyst: The Data Analyst will support the development and maintenance of multi-omics data integration pipelines and contribute to computational analyses across project datasets. Candidates should hold a Master’s degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, computer science, or a related field, with experience in data integration, pipeline development, and computational analysis. Familiarity with multi-omics datasets and AI/ML analytical approaches is preferred. The role involves collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure data quality, workflow implementation, and effective data analysis across the initiative.
The position will be full-time (100% FTE) for a one-year term with the possibility of extension, and will be based at the Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging on the UBC Vancouver campus, with the possibility of a hybrid work arrangement.
How to Apply:
Applicants can view the full job posting and submit their application through Workday using the links provided below:
My overall research interest is in understanding epigenetic mechanisms of transcriptional regulation involved in brain plasticity and neurodevelopmental disorders. I have a broad background in neurobiology and behavioural neuroscience as well as epigenetics and neurodevelopmental disorders. My graduate work in Dr. Marcelo Wood’s laboratory at UC Irvine focused on examining the role of a neuron-specific nucleosome remodeling complex in regulating transcription subserving long-term memory formation. My postdoctoral work under Dr. Janine LaSalle at UC Davis focused on understanding how DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility impact gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). I have extensive experience in animal behavior, molecular neuroscience, bioinformatics and systems biology approaches for interpreting epigenomes. I was co-mentored in the Autism Training Program at the UC Davis MIND Institute by Dr. Jacqueline Crawley, an expert in animal models and behaviours related to neurodevelopment and ASD. I also have a long-standing collaboration with Dr. Paul Ashwood (UC Davis), an expert in ASD neuro-immunology and Dr. Carolina Tropini (UBC), an expert in the gut microbiome. My current research focus is on understanding how early-life perturbations to the epigenome alter microglia-neuron interactions in the developing brain and lead to life-long changes in cellular function and behaviour.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is pleased to announce two upcoming documentary film screenings that explore aging through the lenses of creativity, advocacy, and cultural participation. These events are part of the Centre’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive conversations about later life and highlighting the diverse ways individuals continue to contribute to their communities over time. Both events are free and open to the public, and community members, students, researchers, and older adults are warmly encouraged to attend.
The first screening, Tough Old Broads, produced and directed by Stacey Tenenbaum will take place on February 21st at 1:00 pm at the AMS Student Nest. This inspiring new documentary features Kathrine Switzer, Siila Watt-Cloutier, and Sharon Farmer — trailblazing women whose achievements reshaped sport, environmental and human rights advocacy, and public life. The film celebrates determination, creativity, and lifelong purpose, inviting audiences to reflect on representation, opportunity, and the enduring impact of leadership in later life. The screening will be followed by a virtual talk-back panel moderated by age-studies scholar Dr. Julia Henderson, featuring director Stacey Tenenbaum; Siila Watt-Cloutier, Inuk climate and human-rights advocate; and Dr. Margaret Morganroth Gullette, an eminent cultural age-studies scholar. The panel will provide attendees with an opportunity to engage in discussion and ask questions. Register here.
The second event, a screening of Silver Screamers, will be held on March 29th at 12:30 pm at UBC Frederic Wood Theatre. This documentary offers a humorous, heartfelt, and spine-tingling glimpse at a group of older adults brought together to embark on the journey of creating a horror film. Through stories of friendship, expression, belonging, and learning new skills, and through flipping the script on the genre of horror, the film challenges stereotypes about aging and highlights the importance of social connection and cultural participation. The screening will also be followed by an in-person, interactive panel conversation including director Sean Cisterna and age studies scholar Dr. Julia Henderson and moderated by Dr. Kirsty Johnston — Professor and Head of UBC’s Department of Theatre and Film. Register here.
Together, these films explore themes of creativity, inclusion, social connection, and lifelong engagement — values that closely align with the Centre’s mission to support wellbeing, dignity, and opportunity across the aging journey. By showcasing older adults as innovators, artists, and advocates, the screenings aim to spark dialogue about ageism, representation, and the many ways people continue to shape society at every stage of life.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is pleased to announce that two of our investigators, Dr. Silvia Stringhini and Dr. Brent Page, have been awarded highly competitive Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants in the Fall 2025 funding competition. These awards recognize outstanding research that advances our understanding of aging and supports the development of interventions to improve health and well-being across the lifespan.
Dr. Silvia Stringhini, Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health and Investigator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
Grant Title:Unequal Ageing Trajectories Across the Life Course: Environmental Pathways, Protective Factors, and Actionable Levers
Dr. Stringhini’s four-year project examines how social and economic conditions across the life course shape biological and functional aging, and why some individuals experience poorer health outcomes as they grow older. While prior research has often focused on lifestyle and behavioural risk factors such as smoking or diet, this study places particular emphasis on the cumulative impact of environmental conditions — including air pollution, housing quality, and access to green space — as well as the protective factors that enable some people to age more healthily despite lifelong social adversity.
Drawing on data from six large population cohorts across five countries and representing nearly 350,000 individuals, the project will investigate how early-life and adult socioeconomic conditions influence disease onset, functional decline, and biological markers of aging. It will also estimate which realistic policy and lifestyle interventions could most effectively reduce inequalities in aging outcomes. By comparing countries with different social policies and cultural contexts, the research will generate actionable evidence on how environments and systems can either accelerate or buffer the aging process.
This work is especially important for healthy aging because it moves beyond individual behavior to address structural and environmental drivers of health disparities, helping inform policies and community-level strategies that can support more equitable aging for current and future generations.
Dr. Brent Page, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Investigator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy aging
Grant Title:Novel Therapeutics for Neurodegeneration – Targeting NUDT5 in Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Page’s project focuses on developing new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia and a growing public health challenge in Canada and worldwide. With more than 750,000 Canadians currently living with Alzheimer’s disease — and millions more diagnosed globally each year — there remains an urgent need for treatments that can slow or halt disease progression rather than only manage symptoms.
This research targets NUDT5, a recently identified protein that plays a central role in cellular stress signaling linked to neurodegeneration. Dr. Page and his collaborators have already identified promising inhibitor compounds that are non-toxic and capable of reaching effective concentrations in the brain in pre-clinical mouse models. The CIHR-funded project will focus on improving the stability and safety of these compounds to identify candidates suitable for future clinical trials.
By bringing together expertise in Alzheimer’s biology, dementia research, and drug discovery, this interdisciplinary effort aims to advance the development of next-generation therapeutics that could meaningfully improve both the quality and length of life for individuals living with neurodegenerative disease. As dementia prevalence increases with population aging, breakthroughs in this area are critical to supporting healthy cognitive aging and reducing the societal and personal burden of disease.
Together, these projects reflect our Investigator’s commitment to advancing research that addresses both the biological mechanisms of aging and the social and environmental contexts that shape health across the lifespan. We congratulate Drs. Stringhini and Page on this significant achievement and look forward to the impact their work will have on promoting healthier, more equitable aging.
