About the Program

This WACH program is the only interdisciplinary MSc and PhD training program in BC and in Canada in women+ and children’s health sciences research.

The program is jointly offered through the UBC Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Pediatrics, and is interdisciplinary, building on the strengths of our faculty members, whose research encompasses biomedical, clinical, health services, and population health.

WACH Degrees Offered

Current areas of research:

  • Placental biology
  • Trophoblast biology
  • Ovarian and gynecological cancer
  • Endometriosis
  • Reproductive and molecular endocrinology
  • Genetic and epigenetic aspects of reproduction
  • Sexual psychophysiology
  • Model systems
  • Childhood diabetes
  • Pediatric cancer biology
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Immunology
  • Transplant biology
  • Immunometabolism
  • Pain
  • Neurodevelopment
  • Mental illness
  • Nutrition
  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

  • Ovarian and gynecological cancer
  • Endometriosis
  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Maternal mental health
  • Minimally invasive and robotic surgery
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • Reproductive infectious diseases
  • Diabetes complications
  • Childhood cancer treatments
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Immunology
  • Rare diseases
  • Inborn errors of metabolism
  • Human nutrition
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Transplant medicine
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Neonatology
  • Clinical pharmacology
  • Pediatric psychiatry
  • Asthma and allergy

  • Knowledge translation
  • Implementation science
  • Surgical outcomes
  • Maternal, fetal, and infant health services
  • Gynecologic health services
  • Perinatal substance use
  • Cervical cancer screening
  • Social determinants of health
  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
  • Vaccine epidemiology
  • Play and child development
  • Global health

  • Perinatal epidemiology
  • Family planning
  • Maternal and newborn population health
  • Cancer prevention
  • Gynecologic cancer
  • Prescription drug use during pregnancy
  • Reproductive health of marginalized women
  • Digital health
  • Quality of care
  • Health systems delivery

 

WACH Program Co-Directors

Dr. Alexander Beristain
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Dr. Angela Devlin
Department of Pediatrics

wach.director@ubc.ca

Administration

Natalie Twohey
Program Manager

wach.program@ubc.ca