Dr. Brian Christie

Professor – Division of Medical Sciences

Dr. Christie was born in Treaty 7 territories on the western outskirts of Calgary. He completed a B.Sc. and an MSc. at the University of Calgary (Dr. Brian Bland), a Ph.D. at the University of Otago (Dr. Cliff Abraham) and did post-doctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine (Dr. Daniel Johnston) and the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences (Dr. Terry Sejnowski). Dr. Christie was recruited to the University of British Columbia in 2001, where he became an active member in the rapidly growing Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. In 2007, Dr. Christie moved his laboratory to start a research program at the newly created UBC Island Medical Program in Victoria, BC. Dr. Christie helped found the Neuroscience Graduate Program at UVic and served as the inaugural program director and graduate advisor. He has also created some of the first undergraduate courses offered by the DMS and has supervised undergraduate and graduate students in the EPHE, Psychology, Biology, Biochemistry and INTD programs over the years, giving him a unique perspective on teaching in multiple programs related to Health. Dr. Christie was recognized for his teaching efforts at UVic with the 2021 Teaching Award in Medical Sciences.

Dr. Christie’s research program focus’s on using brain plasticity to promote functional recovery in both acquired (i.e. brain injury) and congenital (i.e. FASD, FXS) neuropathological conditions in the aging brain. His students engage in both preclinical and clinical research, and his translational research program is currently funded by awards from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR); the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS); the National Institutes for Health (NIH); the National Health Research Medical Council (NHMRC) of Australia; and most recently his concussion program in the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health was funded by a significant CDQM grant.