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Molecular Genetics

Contact | Courses | Faculty | Overview | Programs: Collaborative, Degree

Faculty Affiliation

Medicine

Degree Programs Offered

Genetic Counselling - MSc
Molecular Genetics – MSc, PhD

Collaborative Programs

Degree programs that participate in:

1. Biomolecular Structure

  • Molecular Genetics - PhD

2. Developmental Biology

  • Molecular Genetics - MSc, PhD

3. Genome Biology and Bioinformatics

  • Molecular Genetics - PhD

4. Neuroscience

  • Molecular Genetics, MSc, PhD

Overview

The Department of Molecular Genetics is located in the Medical Sciences Building, the FitzGerald Building, the Best Institute, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Mount Sinai Hospital.

The Master of Science program in Genetic Counselling is a full-time professional degree program that prepares students with the academic and clinical skills to provide genetic counselling. Graduates may work as part of a health-care team to gather relevant medical and family histories, to guide further investigations, and to communicate probable or established diagnoses, mode of inheritance, natural history, risk of recurrence, and associated options. This program has been accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

The Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy programs in Molecular Genetics offer research training in a broad range of genetic systems from bacteria and viruses to humans. Research projects include DNA repair, recombination and segregation, transcription, RNA splicing and catalysis, regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, interactions of host cells with bacteria and viruses, developmental genetics of simple organisms (worms and fruit flies) as well as complex organisms (mice), molecular neurobiology, molecular immunology, cancer biology and virology, structural biology, and human genetics and gene therapy.

For detailed information on these programs, visit the Department’s Web site.

Contact and Address

Web: www.moleculargenetics.utoronto.ca
E-mail: graduate.coordinator@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-8359
Fax: (416) 978-6885

Department of Molecular Genetics
University of Toronto
Medical Sciences Building
Room 4398, 1 King’s College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8
Canada

Degree Programs

Genetic Counselling

Master of Science

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Four-year University of Toronto bachelor's degree with a B+ standing both cumulatively and in the final year, or its equivalent from another university.
  • Prerequisite courses in biology, molecular biology/genetics, biochemistry, embryology/developmental biology, statistics, and psychology.
  • The development of strong interpersonal skills as evidenced by extracurricular activity is sought in both the application and interview processes.
  • Conditional acceptance may be granted to outstanding applicants lacking the above prerequisite courses; in such instances, the courses deemed necessary must be completed with a B+ standing prior to admission.

Program Requirements 

  • Students must complete 14 required courses (totalling 6.5 full course-equivalents (FCE) listed below) laboratory and clinical practica with a minimum B standing. Lectures, meetings, and rounds must be attended at a minimum of 85% of scheduled occurrences.
  • There is no thesis requirement, but an independent research project consisting of a limited clinical research study, an extensive literature review from a novel viewpoint, or a new case presentation involving clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular work-up will be completed and presented both orally and in written format suitable for publication.
  • Students spend a minimum of 21 months over a two-year period in full-time attendance.
  • Students are required to organize an intervening summer rotation in a geographic location of their choice.

Normal Program Length

  • 6 sessions (full-time)

Required Courses
MSC 2010Y Advanced Concepts in Human Genetic Disease
MMG 1120Y Clinical Rotations I
MMG 1122Y Issues in Genetic Counselling I
MMG 1124Y Principles of Effective Counselling
MMG 1126Y Clinical Issues in Pregnancy and Child Development
MMG 1128Y Risk Calculation and Research Methodology
MMG 1130Y Tutorial in Molecular Genetics
MMG 1132H Laboratory Skills
MMG 1220Y Clinical Rotations II
MMG 1222Y Issues in Genetic Counselling II
MMG 1224Y Advanced Principles of Effective Counselling
MMG 1226Y Concepts in Clinical Genetics
MMG 1228Y Independent Research Project
MMG1230H Cancer Genetic Counselling

Molecular Genetics

Master of Science

Minimum Admission Requirements 

  • Normally a B.Sc. or M.D. degree or equivalent with excellent academic credentials in molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, and/or biochemistry.

Program Requirements 

  • Successful completion of MMG 1012Ho (or equivalent) and MMG 1015Yo (seminar course).
  • A thesis on a research project.
  • Defence of the thesis at an oral examination.
  • Students are required to spend 12 months in full-time attendance.

Normal Program Length

  • 6 sessions (full-time)

Doctor of Philosophy

Minimum Admission Requirements 

  • Admission via one of three routes:

o Admission into the PhD program with a completed MSc degree or equivalent from the University of Toronto or another recognized university.
o Reclassification to the PhD program during the first or second year in the MSc program.
o Under exceptional circumstances, outstanding students with a BSc degree, an MD degree, or equivalent, may be accepted directly into the PhD program.

  • Attainment of minimum admission standards does not guarantee acceptance into the PhD program.

Program Requirements 

  • Successful completion of MMG 1012Ho (or equivalent) and MMG 1015Yo (seminar course), MMG 1016Ho (or equivalent), and MMG 1017Ho.
  • A thesis on a research project.
  • Students entering the doctoral program from a master's program, either through transfer or admission, are required to spend a minimum of two sessions in full-time attendance. Students entering the doctoral program from a bachelor’s program are required to spend a minimum of three sessions in full-time attendance.

Normal Program Length

  • 4 years (full-time PhD); 5 years (direct-entry PhD or transfer from master’s)

Course List
JBB 1425H Biophysical Methods
JBB 2025H Protein Crystallography
JDB 1025H Developmental Biology
MMG 1012Ho Topics in Molecular Genetics I (formerly MMG 1012Yo)
MMG 1015Yo Seminar
MMG 1016Ho Topics in Molecular Genetics II (formerly MMG 1014Yo)
MMG 1017Ho Topics in Molecular Genetics III
MMG 1420H* Regulation of Gene Expression
MMG 1425H Signal Transduction and Cell Cycle Regulation
MMG 1451H* Genetic Analysis of Development: Yeast and Worms

*Listing (course description) in the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar, Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology Program
oCourse which may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Andrews, Brenda Jean - BSc, PhD
Andrulis, Irene - BA, PhD
Aubin, Jane - BSc, PhD
Bader, Gary - BSc, PhD
Bernstein, Alan - MD
Blencowe, Benjamin - BSc, PhD
Bognar, Andrew - BSc, PhD
Boone, Charlie - BSc, PhD
Boulianne, Gabrielle - BSc, PhD
Brill, Julie - PhD
Brown, Martha - BSc, MSc, PhD
Brumell, John - BSc, PhD
Chan, Hue Sun - BSc, MA, PhD
Ciruna, Brian - BSc, PhD
Cochrane, Alan - BSc, PhD
Collins, Richard - BSc, PhD
Cordes, Sabine - BS, PhD
Cowen, Leah - BSc, PhD
Culotti, Joseph - PhD
Davidson, Alan Richard - BSc, PhD
Dennis, James - PhD
Derry, W. Brent - BSc, MSc, PhD
Dick, John - PhD
Durocher, Daniel - PhD
Edwards, Aled - BSc, PhD
Egan, Sean - PhD
Ellis, James - PhD
Emili, Andrew - DPM
Frappier, Lori - PhD
Fraser, Andrew - BSc
Funnell, Barbara - PhD
Gallie, Brenda - MD
Giaever, Guri - BS, PhD, Canada Research Chair
Gingras, Anne-Claude - BSc, PhD
Gray-Owen, Scott - BS, PhD
Greenblatt, Jack - BSc, PhD
Hudson, Thomas J - MD
Hughes, Timothy - BSE, BMus, PhD
Hui, Chi-Chung - PhD
Ingles, C James - BSc, PhD
Joshi-Sukhwal, Sadhna - BSc, MSc, PhD, DSc
Kaplan, David - BA, PhD
Kay, Lewis - PhD
Krause, Henry - BSc, PhD
Lavoie, Brigitte - PhD
Lipshitz, Howard – PhD (Chair & Graduate Chair)
Liu, Jun - PhD
McInnes, Roderick - MD, MD
McNeill, Helen - PhD
Meneghini, Marc - BSc, PhD
Meyn, Michael - MD
Miller, Freda - BSc, PhD
Moffat, Jason - BSc, PhD
Moran, Michael - BSc, PhD
Morris, Quaid - BS, PhD
Nagy, Andras - PhD
Navarre, William - BSc, PhD
Nislow, Corey - BA, PhD
Osborne, Lucy - PhD
Pai, Emil - PhD
Parkinson, John - BS, PhD
Pawson, Anthony - PhD
Pearson, Christopher - PhD
Pelletier, Laurence - BSc, MSc, PhD
Ray, Peter - PhD
Rini, James - BSc, PhD
Roder, John - PhD
Rommens, Johanna - BSc, PhD
Rossant, Janet - PhD
Roy, Peter John - BSc, PhD, (Graduate Coordinator)
Scherer, Stephen - PhD
Scott, Ian - BSc, PhD
Segall, Jacqueline - BSc, PhD
Sicheri, Frank - BSc, PhD
Sidhu, Sachdev - BSc, DPhil
Siminovitch, Katherine - MD
Smibert, Craig - BSc, PhD
Spence, Andrew - BSc, PhD
Stagljar, Igor - BS, PhD
Stein, Lincoln - BA, MD, PhD
Steipe, Boris - MD, PhD
Tailor, Chetankumar - PhD
Tyers, Michael - PhD
Van Der Kooy, Derek - BSc, MA, PhD
Wilde, Andrew Rhys - BSc, PhD
Wodak, Shoshana - LICSCCHEM, PhD
Wrana, Jeff - PhD
Zhang, Zhaolei - BS, PhD
Zhen, Mei - PhD

Members Emeriti

Becker, Andrew - MD, PhD
Buchwald, Manuel - PhD
Campbell, James - BSc, PhD
Carver, Jeremy - BA, PhD
Chan, Voon - BSc, MSc, PhD
Gold, Marvin - BA, PhD
Krepinsky, Jiri - MSc, PhD, DrRerNat
Murialdo, Helios - MS, PhD
Penner, John - PhD
Sadowski, Paul - MD, PhD
Siminovitch, Louis - BSc, BSc, PhD
Thompson, Margaret - MD

Associate Members

Babul-Hirji, Riyana - BSc, MSc
Chitayat, David - MD
Clarke, Joe - MD
Cytrynbaum, Cheryl - MSc
Druker, Harriet - MSc
Dupuis, Lucie - MSc
Feigenbaum, A - MBChB
Harrison, Christine - BA, MA, PhD
Kaiser, Amy - BA
Kim, Philip - BS, PhD
Klatt, Regan - BSc, MSc
Koren, Gideon - MD
Lemmens, Trudo - LLM, DCL
Mendoza, Roberto - MD
Okamoto, Kenichi - BS, MA, PhD
Quercia, Nada - BS, MSc
Ryu, William - AB, PhD
Shugar, Andrea - BSc, MS
Shuman, Cheryl - MSc
Sutherland, Joanne - MSc
Teebi, Ahmad - MB, MBChB, BS
Teshima, Ikuko Eileen - PhD
Thomas, Michal - MSc
Trevors, Christopher - BSc, MS
Weksberg, Rosanna - MD, PhD
Winsor, Elizabeth - BSc, MSc, PhD
Yoon, Grace - MD


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