UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference
The UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference (ISHC) brings together students from across UBC Okanagan to showcase their health science research and public health experiences at an engaging presentation event. Student researchers, including graduate students, are invited to submit abstracts for poster or oral presentations and exemplary presentations are given recognition at the end of the conference. Other students can support the conference as volunteers.
The 2025 Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference will take place on March 22, 2025 from 9 am to 4 pm at the UBC Okanagan Engineering, Management, and Education (EME) building 1137 Alumni Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7.
Presentation Formats:
– Poster presentation
– 5-minute presentation
– 10-minute presentation
Keynote speaker Dr. Chris West, Assistant Dean, Research for the Southern Medical Program presents What do green fluorescent rats and the Beijing Paralympics have in common?
Immerse yourself in a dynamic academic environment that celebrates health research from diverse fields being conducted at UBC Okanagan.
Event is free to attend. Registration is required.
New workshop: Preparing an Engaging Poster or Presentation for the 2025 ISHC (March 11th 5:00 – 6:00pm)
Learn how to enhance your research presentation skills by joining our interactive online workshop, facilitated by the Centre for Scholarly Communication. Whether you’re new to presenting in a conference or looking to refine your approach, this session will provide you with valuable tools to communicate your research effectively to a multidisciplinary audience in both presentation and poster formats. You will learn strategies for structuring your presentation or poster, simplifying your ideas, and answering audience questions with confidence.
Register to attend
Abstract Submission:
Prior to submitting your final abstract, we will be accepting abstract drafts that we will review and provide feedback on by the end of January. Draft abstract submission will open on Jan 8th and final abstract submission will open on Feb 3rd. Please read all instructions on the submission portal prior to submitting your abstract.
Final Abstract Submission: (Opens on Feb 14th at 12:00 am; Closes Feb 26th at 11:59 pm)
Become a Volunteer:
Would you like to volunteer at the conference? Please fill out the survey below.
Questions? Contact ubco.ishc@ubc.ca. Follow the ISHC on Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions
Current UBC undergraduate and graduate students at the UBC Okanagan campus are eligible to present.
Yes, we encourage students to present regardless of the stage of their research. If you are still collecting data or have preliminary results, you may discuss how you will use the results to draw conclusions. Note – to be selected for the competitive 10-minute oral presentation slots, students must have results or findings to present.
You can present up to two projects at the conference.
No, research must be presented before approval for journal publication
To be eligible for a 10-minute oral presentation slot, abstracts must include project findings/results, and the presenting author did not present a 10-minute oral presentation at the 2022 or 2023 ISHC conference. Selection of abstracts for the 10-minute oral presentation slot is highly competitive, with slots given to the highly ranked abstracts following peer-review. Students who request this option and are not selected will be automatically considered for a 5-minute oral presentation spot.
Abstracts cannot exceed the 250 word limit.
Ensure your presentation is a PowerPoint file (Wide-screen 16:9).
Posters must be a maximum of 4’ wide x 3’ high, printed in landscape format. Students are responsible for having their poster printed and brought to the conference. Printing options include Paper & Supply Co on the UBCO campus or CanCADD Imaging Solutions in Kelowna.
We recommend that you list affiliations as Department, Faculty, Institution (e.g. School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development, UBCO). Please email ubco.ishc@ubc.ca if you have further questions.
If you would like to use UBC branded templates, please see available resources here.