UBC Recruits New Faculty Member Dr. Anna Blakney

The Michael Smith Laboratories and School of Biomedical Medical Engineering are excited to welcome Dr. Anna Blakney to UBC. As a joint faculty member and with her extensive training in biomaterials, drug delivery and immunology, Anna will benefit from, and be a key catalyst for, meaningful collaborations in research and education.

Her research focuses on the development of new biotechnologies with particular interest in applying cell biology and materials sciences to the engineering of vaccine formulations that deliver self-amplified RNA. This work has enormous potential for numerous diseases, which is why it is no surprise that Dr. Blakney is currently working on the scientific frontline of the COVID-19 crisis (read about her efforts here in Elle Magazine).

“I’m delighted to join the Michael Smith Labs and School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC, and look forward to fruitful collaborations, both academic and industrial, in the rich scientific environment in Vancouver.“
– Dr. Anna Blakney

Dr. Blakney joins UBC from Imperial College London where she was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Research Fellow, joint between Professor Robin Shattock’s and Professor Molly Stevens’ laboratories. She earned her PhD in Bioengineering under Professor Kim Woodrow at the University of Washington with her graduate research focused on the development of small molecule drug-eluting fibers for HIV and pregnancy prevention. During this time, she also spent six months with Professor Heather Jaspan at the University of Cape Town to broaden her immunology experience and study how the BCG vaccine affects susceptibility to HIV.

Her research expertise is very much aligned with both MSL and SBME and will no doubt create opportunities for collaboration across the UBC community, as well as enhance already established connections to Vancouver-based industry.  

UBC has a world-class, robust and growing bioengineering research and education ecosystem. The addition of Dr. Blakney will help UBC, MSL and SBME build on these past successes while propelling us toward our ambitious goals for the future.

Join us in welcoming Dr. Anna Blakney.