UBC’s Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation has announced a total of 43 Research Excellence Clusters that will be supported with funding in 2026/27. Research Excellence Clusters are networks of researchers addressing societal and cultural challenges that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Learn more about the two Research Excellence Clusters that are being led by DMCBH researchers.

CEREBRI

Cerebri translates from Latin to English as brain. Therefore, CEREBRI embodies the cluster’s focus on cutting edge research to study acute brain injuries. CEREBRI (Collaborative Entity for REsearching BRain Ischemia,) is comprised of multidisciplinary health professionals, clinician-scientists, health policy-makers, neuroscientists, UBC academic Faculty of Medicine Departments/Divisions, as well as patient and family partners who are collectively focused on improving the clinical outcomes of British Columbians with diseases emanating from cerebral ischemia. The cluster will focus its main research themes on creating new and novel projects that are based upon forging breakthroughs in the diagnosis, management and understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia-based diseases in humans.

Cluster lead: Mypinder Sekhon
Cluster website: https://www.cerebriresearch.ca/

 

Cluster in Vision Research: From Molecules to Behavior to Society

Vision is one of our most important senses, relying on the intricate interplay between the eye and the brain. The Research Excellence Cluster in Vision unites a diverse community of vision and brain researchers, fostering new partnerships among experts, trainees, and individuals with lived experiences. Through collaboration, the cluster aims to advance understanding of visual function and improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of eye and brain disorders using cutting-edge methods in engineering, AI, imaging, proteomics, and super-resolution microscopy. The goal of the cluster is to lead an international network that drives innovation and collaboration in vision science.

Cluster lead: Joanne Matsubara
Cluster website: https://vision.ubc.ca/