Transforming Health Symposium charts a path forward for translational medicine
On November 4, 2024, the inaugural Transforming Health Symposium brought together thought leaders, clinicians, researchers, and industry experts to explore the future of translational medicine in British Columbia – sparking insightful discussion on how B.C.’s rapidly growing life sciences sector can turn scientific discoveries into real-world solutions for patients.
The full-day event took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre and was presented by Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub, UBC Academy of Translational Medicine and UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Precision Health Initiative.
A golden age for biomedical research
The event began with a traditional welcome performance by Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolf Pack), a multi-generational group of Coast Salish people.
Dr. Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health at UBC, set the tone in his opening remarks, describing the current era as a “golden age” for biomedical research.
“There’s never been a more exciting time in biomedical research,” he said. “With advances in artificial intelligence, multiomics, bioengineering and data science, science has come so far — and there’s much further it can go.”
This sense of optimism permeated the event, as speakers discussed how innovations in RNA-based therapies, AI-driven drug discovery and precision medicine are changing the landscape of healthcare.
Dr. Kelleher also noted that B.C. is uniquely positioned to lead these advances, with a world-class life sciences ecosystem that includes renowned scientists, entrepreneurs and clinicians working together to solve pressing health challenges. This was showcased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when B.C. scientists helped to translate lipid nanoparticle technology into the Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Building a new care system for translational research
In the keynote address, Professor Graham Lord, Senior Vice-President, Health & Life Sciences, King’s College London (KCL) and Executive Director, King’s Health Partners, focused on the challenges and opportunity of integrating innovation within healthcare systems. He noted the enormous pressure and costs facing our healthcare systems, balanced by exciting innovations, therapies and technologies on the horizon that could greatly improve health outcomes for people around the world.
A key takeaway was the importance of community engagement. Dr. Lord stressed that research should be conducted in collaboration with the governments and communities it aims to serve, addressing the social determinants of health such as poverty, education and access to care.
“If we don’t address health inequality, we’re going to cause more problems than we solve,” he warned.
Indigenous perspectives on health research
A pivotal session explored the role of Indigenous knowledge in health research, featuring a panel discussion with Dr. Brittany Bingham, Assistant Professor in the Division of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, Dr. Gabrielle Legault, Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan and Director of the Indigenous Health Research Unit at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and Derek K. Thompson, Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement, Faculty of Medicine, UBC.
Indigenous communities have long been poorly served by ill-attuned and colonial research practices, leading to distrust in medical systems. Panelists spoke about how Western science has often dismissed Indigenous knowledge, and how this has worsened healthcare disparities.
“Historically Western science has been presented as the only one way of knowing,” said Dr. Legault, Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan and Director of the Indigenous Health Research Unit at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
Thompson emphasized that the path toward reconciliation is a shared duty. “The burden of responsibility doesn’t lie with us as Indigenous people. It lies with all Canadians,” he said.
AI: Revolutionizing Healthcare
In a panel discussing artificial intelligence as a driver of translational medicine, Dr. Artem Cherkasov, Professor, Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UBC and a Senior Research Scientist at Vancouver Prostate Centre, emphasized that AI will be one of the most useful applications for computational drug screening.
“With AI, we are now at the verge of digital disruption. The same revolution that happened in genomics for 20 years is now picking up with drug discovery through AI,” he said.
The panel also raised concerns about AI biases, particularly for rural and Indigenous communities, and the challenges of regulating AI technologies. Despite these issues, the panel positioned AI as the future, complementing and supporting human clinicians and diagnostic capabilities, rather than replacing them.
Centering the patient perspective in research
An important theme of the symposium was the patient relationship. Panels touched on the importance of empathy in patient-oriented research, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative and rare diseases.
Patient panelist Suzanne Cummings, a bookkeeper who was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011, until her diagnosis was changed to neuromyelitis optica in 2014, joined a clinical trial led by Dr. Anthony Traboulsee, Professor, Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC and Chair of the MS Society of Canada because of her deep desire to serve the greater good.
“Participating in a trial just made sense,” she said. “The whole experience was fantastic… I thought, ‘this makes sense to further science; if not for that, what else’?”
In another talk, Dr. Stuart Turvey, Pediatric Clinical Immunologist, and Professor, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UBC presented alongside patient partner Jennie Thorner, whose two sons were diagnosed with a rare immune dysregulatory syndrome that led to high levels of eosinophils in their blood. Thorner’s sons experienced marked improvement on a novel oral medication after a collaborative journey to arrive at the correct medical diagnosis with Dr. Turvey.
A shared vision for the future
A recurring theme throughout the day was the difficulty of translating scientific discoveries into widespread clinical practice.
Professor Lord captured this in his remarks, saying “It’s not just about developing the next great technology, but about building the systems that will allow those innovations to reach patients in a sustainable, scalable way.”
Regulatory hurdles, economic challenges, lack of diversity among medical students, and disparities in healthcare infrastructure were cited as obstacles. Strengthening partnerships in industry-academia was also seen as key to enabling the translation of world-class science and attracting investment to commercialize innovative health solutions for patients in B.C. and beyond.
As the symposium concluded, it was clear the event ignited important dialogues about the future of healthcare. By leveraging emerging technologies, integrating diverse knowledge systems, and addressing health inequalities, the symposium participants shared a unified vision for how translational medicine could transform health for everyone.
Dr. Kelleher closed the symposium with a call to action and a thank you to Professor Lord for providing the keynote address. “The conversations we’ve had today are just the beginning,” Dr. Kelleher said. “We must continue to bring our collective expertise together to tackle the most urgent health challenges of our time.”
The Transforming Health Symposium was hosted by Canada’s Immuno-engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub, The Academy of Translational Medicine and Precision Health. The event was sponsored by Amgen, Genome BC, Michael Smith Health Research BC and UBC Data Sciences and Health.
Published: November 22, 2024