Laura Arbour

Dr. Laura Arbour is a professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and is situated at the Island Medical Program in Victoria, BC. She is also an affiliate professor in the Division of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Victoria, and a medical geneticist at Island Health.

Arbour’s clinical practice and research focuses on northern and Indigenous health issues as they pertain to genetics. Trained as both pediatrician and clinical geneticist, her research integrates maternal child health issues and the understanding of the genetic component of Indigenous health. Notable studies include Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) in Northern BC – which led to the development of the BC Inherited Arrhythmia Program – potential risk of CPT1A P479L for infant mortality in Nunavut, and the genetics of Primary Biliary Cholangitis in First Nations women of BC. Arbour is also the project lead on “Silent Genomes: Reducing health-care disparities and improving diagnostic success for Indigenous children with genetic disease”, which aims to address the challenges of equitable access to genetic/genomic diagnosis and care for Canadian Indigenous populations.

For an up-to-date list of publications by Dr. Arbour, please see ResearchGate.