The Faculty of the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience believe that students within our Program should receive a comprehensive understanding of biological principles at the cellular level and training in the anatomical disciplines to ensure success during career development.
To achieve these objectives the Department participates extensively in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Curriculum which teaches fundamental biological principles during the first year. After the first year, students select a mentor and begin to focus on a significant research topic.
Areas of particular strength within the Department include:
- Mechanisms of DNA repair
- Oligodendrocyte development and maturation
- Functional neuroanatomy
- Neurophysiology
- Cellular responses to oxidative stress
- Kinesin motor proteins and motility
- Regulation of nuclear transcription
- Hormonal regulation of fertility
Students follow the Interdisciplinary Graduate Curriculum during the first 18 months, until completion of the requirements for admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Studies. Upon advancement to Candidacy, they are welcomed into the Department to follow a rigorous course of study that will provide the fundamentals for successful careers in academia or corporate biotechnology. The expected time for completion of the entire Ph.D. program is four to five years.
A unique feature of the Department is the capacity for excellent training in additional courses in preparation for a teaching career in traditional anatomical disciplines.
