With the wrap-up of the second part, Regulatory Science and Health Economics, we are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the first UBC Academy of Translational Medicine (ATM) micro-certificate in Regulatory Affairs in the Life Sciences.
The student evaluations of the course instructors and material were overwhelmingly positive, with >90% of the responding students reporting overall satisfaction with the course experience. One student’s feedback: “I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I registered for the course. I was very pleasantly surprised that all the information that was presented was highly relevant for the work I do and provided some of the initial tools and framework to understand the concepts related to them.”
The micro-certificate development and delivery was led by Dr. Dean Regier, who is also the Chair of the ATM Regulatory Advisory Council. Dr. Regier is an associate professor at the School of Population and Public Health, a Senior Scientist within Cancer Control Research and the Director of the Health Economics Support and Research Unit (HESRU) at BC Cancer.
Dr. Regier says: “Regulatory Science is the future of translational medicine. Our faculty presented the cutting-edge methods and thinking necessary to get sustainable and effective innovation to patients sooner.” Dr. Regier adds “We were once again extremely excited about the level of engagement from the learners and their ability and eagerness to engage and apply with the course material. Our experience continues to underscores the enthusiasm for translational medicine and regulatory science from all stakeholders involved in our life sciences ecosystems”.
With financial support from the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, the ATM partnered with UBC Extended Learning to offer the UBC Micro-certificate in Regulatory Affairs for the Life Sciences. The program consisted of two five-week part-time courses, which ran back-to-back September to November 2022, that could be taken separately or stacked into a UBC micro-certificate.
The UBC micro-certificate will be offered annually as part of a larger regulatory science program being built at UBC.
The importance of regulatory affairs is also currently of interest to the Government of Canada, whose Medical Devices Compliance Program (MDCP) has launched a new interactive e-learning course to ensure Canadians are provided health products that are safe. The course is free, open to everyone, and aims to provide “explanations of post-market regulatory requirements for medical devices in Canada” and “the information necessary for stakeholders to fulfill their regulatory responsibilities”. Access instructions to activate the course here.