Dr. Sarah Hedtrich.

Dr. Sarah Hedtrich obtained her PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology from the Freie Universität Berlin in Germany in 2009. During her postdoc, she moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich and Tufts University in Boston, USA. She was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Freie University of Berlin, Germany, in 2015 and relocated her lab to the U of British Columbia in 2019. Currently, she holds one of the prestigious Johanna-Quandt-Professorships at the Berlin Institute of Health Charité in Berlin, Germany, and is an Affiliate Professor at UBC. Her research centers around inflammatory and genetic diseases of human epithelia with a focus on skin and lungs and bioengineering of complex, human disease models which are leveraged to develop personalized next-generation therapies.

Dr. Hedtrich and her lab joined the CBR in February 2025 and we’re excited to share more about her work and her experience!

Can you tell us a bit more about your research background? 

I am a Pharmaceutical Scientist by training. Pharmaceutical Sciences is a very interdisciplinary field at the interface of biology, chemistry, technology and medicine. I really enjoyed that and this also stimulated the research I am currently doing.

 What inspired you to lead the research that you do?

My lab’s overall vision is to develop and employ complex bioengineered human (disease) models to significantly advance our understanding of the manifestation, progression, and treatment of inflammatory and genetic diseases of human epithelia.

During my PhD, I got exposed to the concept of human (disease) modeling and learned about the current challenges in translating therapies from bench-to-bedside, which sparked my interest. It was also during my PhD that I started working on a skin-related topic. Skin is a fascinating organ and a field that I never left.

Could you tell us what a day in your life looks like?

A typical workday typically involves getting the kids ready for school, dropping them off and/or later picking them up (dependent on my partner’s schedule), working in my office/with my team, spending time with my family in the evening, putting the kids to bed, and then either working or having some me-time, depending on the length of the to-do list.

I am usually also quite good at shaking this up by adding some workouts throughout the week and meeting up with some friends. Weekends are very easy-going, we try to spend as much time as possible with our kids doing fun stuff.

I see that you are coming from Germany. How do you like Vancouver? Do you notice any big or surprising differences between working/living in Germany and Canada?

I love Vancouver, that was also part of the reason why I came back to UBC. The nature, the whole scenery, the people – all very pleasant. Really a unique place to live and work. I don’t see major differences between working/living in Germany and Canada. One thing that struck me though when I first moved here is that people line up at the bus stop, say “Thank you” when leaving the bus, and that people hardly ever complain. This is very different in Germany. Another positive aspect of working at UBC is that the transition and welcome is much more appreciative than what I experienced in Germany. 

What advice would you have for emerging researchers?

Do not plan too much, be flexible, and go with the flow. Do not worry too much about what may or may not happen in the future and try to live your best life possible.

What excites you most about your work? 

The idea that what my team and I are doing is meaningful for patients and that our work could have an actual positive impact on their lives. Further, I really enjoy the freedom that I have as a researcher and PI meaning that I get to choose what to focus on and when.

What are the challenges of being a researcher? 

Being a researcher is clearly not a traditional job. A downside is that I am never really off my job, I constantly think about certain aspects of it, either scientific or administrative.

When you’re not working, what other activities do you enjoy? 

I like traveling a lot, exploring nature, hiking and I enjoy going to fancy restaurants and trying out new food menus.