Insights from
UBC's Expert Voices

Two phrases defined this year's Access USA conference: "calm the chaos" and "can't eliminate the human touch." As AI reshapes patient support programs, the question isn't whether to adopt it, but how to deploy it without losing what patients value most.

Women's depression is often framed as a hormonal imbalance of the body. Men's? A failure of will. These aren't just outdated ideas — they're active barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and survival. As treatment-resistant depression challenges conventional medicine, psychedelic-assisted therapy is emerging not only as a clinical option, but as a way to dismantle the very stigmas that keep people from seeking help in the first place.

As psychedelics move toward potential FDA approval, Oregon’s psilocybin service centers offer early lessons in patient-centered care. This article examines real-world practices in preparation, dosing, facilitation, and integration—and what they may reveal about future clinical use.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors deliver transformative outcomes, yet real‑world durability is often limited by primary and acquired resistance. This article explores the biological foundations of ICI resistance and outlines how integrating these insights into HEOR models can improve value assessment and real‑world decision‑making.

As AI becomes embedded across pharmacovigilance, the skills required of safety scientists are rapidly evolving. This article examines the shifting balance between human expertise and AI-enabled tools, outlining the competencies, training pathways, and cultural changes needed to prepare tomorrow’s hybrid PV workforce.

HEOR is taking on a broader role within modern CROs. In this podcast conversation hosted by HealthEconomics.com, UBC's Aaron Berger and Dr. Mir Sohail Fazeli discuss how integrated evidence delivery, strong methodology, and real‑world context are shaping the next generation of evidence strategies.

The history of depression treatment reflects a centuries-old tension between mind and body—and how we conceptualize the condition has always shaped how we treat it. Today, with up to 30% of patients classified as treatment-resistant, psychedelic-assisted therapies are attracting serious scientific and regulatory attention. But emerging evidence suggests that the therapeutic context surrounding these treatments—relationships, setting, and social environment—may matter as much as the compounds themselves.

One in four drugs traces its origin to serendipity—unexpected discoveries that changed medicine forever. From penicillin to GLP-1s now projected to reach $100 billion by 2030, the most transformative treatments often emerge when researchers pay attention to "off-target" effects. As AI reshapes drug development, human observation and patient-centered design remain our most powerful tools for breakthrough discoveries.

UBC talked with Josh Hardman, founder of Psychedelic Alpha, to discuss the evolving landscape of psychedelic drug development—from shifting regulatory expectations to the role of psychotherapy and the impact of stigma on patient access. Hardman shares a clear-eyed perspective on where the field stands today, the scientific rigor needed to advance it, and what he’s watching most closely as the industry moves toward potential first approvals.