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Derek Human, BM, BCh, FRCPC, Director  

Medical Director, Cardiac Sciences Program, BC Children’s Hospital
 
Appointment
 
Head, Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UBC
 
Bio
 
Dr. Derek G Human, MA, BM BCh, is the Medical Director of the Cardiac Sciences Program and Children’s Heart Centre of BC Children’s Hospital, as well as Head of the Division of Cardiology. His main interests are in clinical cardiology, especially in the delivery of quality cardiology care in all communities, as well as in the long-term care of patients who have undergone cardiac transplantation.
 
Dr. Human was born and raised in Southern Africa, and then attended Oxford University in England on a Beit Scholarship, where he obtained an honours degree in Physiology and completed his medical degree. Following further training in England and South Africa, in 1981 Dr. Human accepted an appointment as a Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cape Town. In 1987 he moved to Canada to take an appointment as Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist at the IWK Children’s Hospital, and Associate Professor at Dalhousie University, Halifax. He moved to Vancouver in 1993, and since 1994 he has been the Head of the Division of Cardiology at BC’s Children’s Hospital and at the University of British Columbia.
 
Dr. Human led the development of the Pediatric Partnership Program in Cardiology for the province of British Columbia, a program that services eight regional centers across the province. He is currently involved in facilitating the evolution of this to include teleconferences with tele-echocardiography. Dr. Human is also currently involved in spearheading the development of a Western Canadian Children’s Heart Network.
 
Dr. Human is particularly interested in the epidemiology of congenital heart disease, and the development of cost effective strategies for the management of pediatric heart disease. He remains an active member of the interventional cardiology team at the hospital.
 
Continuing medical education is another special interest for Dr. Human; he has been closely involved in the Canadian Cardiovascular Society professional development committee and developed CME programs for Pediatric Cardiology. He is the immediate past chairman of the Examination Board for Pediatric Cardiology for the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, and served on the Board for seven years. At the University of British Columbia he is a regular contributor to CME programs for both family practitioners and pediatricians.

Credentials
 
Honours degree in Physiology, and Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, University of Oxford, (Lincoln College), United Kingdom: 1968-1971
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, UK: 1975
Post-graduate training in Pediatrics & Cardiology in the UK, Zimbabwe, & South Africa
Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Pediatrics: 1992
Certificate of Special Competence in Pediatric Cardiology: 1993
 
Professional organization memberships
 
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Chair and Member, Examination Board, 1996-2002
Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Abstract Reviewer 1988 – 1992, 2002-2004
Canadian Pediatric Society
American College of Cardiology
American Heart Association
Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom

Awards and honors
 
Excellence in Teaching, Dalhousie University
Excellence in Teaching, University of British Columbia

Special interests
 
Dr. Human has special interests in program development for cardiac care, cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiac procedures, and pediatric cardiac transplantation.


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