About SBME

Who We Are

Created in 2017 through a partnership between the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, and enabled by the leadership of British Columbia’s provincial government, the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) is Canada’s living laboratory for new models of convergent research and education. SBME’s Vision is for transformed health and healthcare for all, achieved through innovative research and education at the convergence of engineering, medicine and biology. Read our Strategic Plan from 2025-2030 to find out how we’re making that world a reality, and how by 2030 we will position SBME as a globally recognized leader in biomedical engineering.

Read Our Strategic Plan

Our Home

The School of Biomedical Engineering resides in the Gordon B. Shrum Building, Canada’s first purpose-built biomedical engineering facility. The facility opened in April 2025 and is set to advance health solutions and grow Canada’s biotech sector.

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The Road To Now

1970

1960

1970

UBC establishes first MEng program in Clinical Engineering

2006

UBC launches first official Biomedical Engineering program under Professor Ezra Kwok

2009

UBC officially establishes MEng Biomedical Engineering Program

2011

Dr. Antony Hodgson launches Engineers in Scrubs Program to give students hands-on experience with real-world health and healthcare challenges

2017

Faculties of Medicine and Applied Science, with support from BC Government, launch SBME with Dr. Peter Zandstra as Founding Director

2019

SBME completes and launches Strategic Plan for 2019-2023

2025

The Gordon B Shrum Building Opens at UBC

Vancouver is Home

Welcome to Vancouver, BC, Canada’s third largest metropolitan area. With stunning vistas of mountains and ocean, and its myriad recreational opportunities, Vancouver is consistently rated as one of the top 10 livable cities in the world. It is also home to the largest hub for biomedical engineering and health science innovation in Canada. This collaborative and entrepreneurial ecosystem works to push medicine forward against the beautiful backdrop of the west coast. We dare you to find a prettier city.

UBC is one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious public research and teaching institutions and is home to over 58,000 undergraduate and 12,500 graduate students from all over the world. It is ranked among the world’s 50 best universities making a global impact and is top 10 in North America.

Learn More About UBC Rankings

Support the future of human health and healthcare

SBME’s research and education initiatives, as well as its community of world-class students, faculty and staff, are making an impact on health and healthcare right now, with programs tackling everything from the human microbiome to human interfacing devices to stem cell therapeutics. It is a blueprint for the future of medicine.

Get involved and help us go further.

Learn How To Support SBME