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Help UBC build the future of exercise medicine.

Could a place where elite athletes regain strength and confidence following an injury also be a site of healing and possibility for all people grappling with their health? What if exercise could be used not only to maintain wellness, but also to treat society’s most devastating illnesses? Researchers are just beginning to understand exercise’s full impact on human health. With this increasing knowledge, we could expand the treatment options available for a variety of common conditions, from mental illness, to arthritis — even cancer.

UBC is the birthplace of sports medicine, and over the past 30 years our scientists and clinicians have influenced sports medicine practice around the world. Because of this pioneering work, British Columbia is now recognized as a global leader in this specialized discipline. Armed with evidence that exercise is medicine, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is determined to improve the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities by understanding exercise’s role in common and debilitating conditions. This incredible opportunity is quickly becoming a reality as we prepare to launch the Centre for Physical Activity and Exercise Medicine.

The state-of-the-art Chan Gunn Pavilion, scheduled to open in October 2017, will house the Centre for Physical Activity and Exercise Medicine. This iconic new building will provide the space to achieve the centre’s vision and create a home for clinical care, fitness programming and laboratories equipped with the latest technologies to support the centre’s ground-breaking research. The centre’s activities and programming within the Chan Gunn Pavilion will include:

  • increased capacity and enhanced space for the UBC Sport and Exercise Medicine Clinic — one of the highest-quality sports medicine clinics in Canada
  • the Jack and Darlene Poole Rehabilitation and Research Gym — a space to develop and deliver evidence-based exercise programs to prevent, treat and manage cancer and other medical conditions
  • the proposed Gunn IMS Wing, dedicated to chronic pain treatment and research
  • a kinesiology and physiology laboratory to orchestrate research and care involving with fitness monitoring and muscular and cardiorespiratory testing
  • an imaging suite equipped with cutting-edge technology

With these features, clinicians will be well-equipped to expand the role and possibilities for exercise medicine, making it possible for everyone — from the elite athlete to the cancer survivor — to move beyond their diagnosis.

UBC needs your support to complete the construction of the Chan Gunn Pavilion and make the Centre for Physical Activity and Exercise Medicine’s vision a reality.

Donate today. Together, we can transform health through exercise.