Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
Students are admitted to a program area that is defined and determined prior to acceptance by the school’s graduate program committee. The program must be within the student’s and the school’s capabilities. Students must show competence in methodology relevant to proposed research.
Normally the supervisory committee will prescribe courses necessary to complete the student’s academic preparation. In exceptional circumstances, the supervisory committee may allow the student to proceed without additional course work over and above that for a master’s degree.
Study and research is designed to suit the background and research objectives of each student and may differ widely from student to student.
The student will present two school seminars on topics approved by the student's senior supervisor, of which one should be directly related to the student's thesis research. At least one of the seminars should be presented as a school seminar. The graduate program committee encourages students to participate in appropriate scientific meetings and conferences. As such, approval of a formal conference presentation, in lieu of one of the school seminars, will typically be granted.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive exam will normally consist of a research proposal, and a related oral exam.
The research proposal will be written in the format of a CIHR Operating Grant application, with an eleven page limit exclusive of references, appendices, figures and tables. The proposal is to be written independently by the candidate, and should be written in enough detail to determine that the research is feasible and sufficient for PhD level research.
The oral examination is designed to assess the candidate鈥檚 ability to understand the underlying science, and their ability to undertake the proposed research. It will consist of a 20-30 minute presentation of the candidate鈥檚 research proposal, followed by a closed session. At the oral examination, the examiners will further explore the student's knowledge in any area that is relevant to the proposed research.
Students should normally expect to complete their comprehensive exams within the first six terms. The examining committee will include the senior supervisor who, in consultation with the candidate, will nominate the other examining committee members, subject to the approval of the graduate program committee. Normally this will consist of the members of the student鈥檚 supervisory committee, plus an additional examiner who is external to the student鈥檚 supervisory committee. The graduate program committee chair or designate will chair the committee.
Dissertation
The completed dissertation is judged by the candidate鈥檚 examining committee. If the dissertation defence is failed, the candidate is ineligible for further candidacy in the degree program at this University.
For information and regulations, see the .
Interdisciplinary Oncology Graduate Specialization (IOGS)
This specialization is for students who are interested in gaining exposure to diverse facets of cancer-related research. Application to the program is through the Interdisciplinary Oncology Steering Committee. The PhD requirements for this specialization are as follows:
Entry with a BSc or equivalent:
Students who enter the program with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, or equivalent, are required to complete the same course requirements as for the thesis MSc.
Entry with an MSc Degree:
Students who enter the program with a Master of Science(MSc) degree will complete a minimum of two courses, including:
This course covers the biology and epidemiology of cancer and theories behind prevention, diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancer. A major goal of the course is to integrate knowledge and research on the biology of cancer with all disciplines in oncology. This course can only be taken once, either during an MSc or during a PhD. Prerequisite: Enrollment in a participating graduate program. No specific courses are prerequisites.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sharon Gorski |
TBD |
This course features cancer-related research by trainees and faculty at the BC Cancer Research Centre. Topics include recent developments in the molecular basis of oncogenesis, cancer bioinformatics, cancer epidemiology, cancer treatment and other clinical studies, and ethical issues. Students are required to present seminars on their research. Students undertaking the Interdisciplinary Oncology Graduate Specialization must enroll in this course throughout their entire time as a graduate student. This course can be taken twice, if a student does the Interdisciplinary Oncology Graduate Specialization (IOGS) as an MSc student, and also does it as a PhD student. Students who transfer from MSc to PhD would only take it once. Prerequisite: Enrollment in a participating graduate program. No specific courses are prerequisites.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sharon Gorski |
TBD |
Additional courses may be taken, at the discretion of the student's Senior Supervisor and Supervisory Committee. Such courses may be selected from the following:*
This course allows students to gain hands-on experience by rotations through specialty laboratories and/or by shadowing clinicians. Students can use the rotation opportunity to learn new techniques and or gain an understanding of the clinical aspects of their research project. The supervisor and supervisory committee create a custom rotation plan for the student. A grade is assigned based on a written report by the student, which is evaluated by the student's supervisory committee. This course can only be taken once, either during an MSc or during a PhD. Prerequisite: Enrollment in a participating graduate program. No specific courses are prerequisites. Permission from instructor required.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sharon Gorski |
TBD |
This class will integrate current knowledge on the process of carcinogenesis in tissues in which cancer commonly occurs in North America. Discussions will focus on new techniques being developed to identify individuals at risk for cancer and new approaches being used to intervene to prevent development of the disease. Prerequisite: BPK (or KIN) 431.
An examination of various types of cell death and cell survival mechanisms and their relationship to disease with a focus on cancer and therapeutic strategies.
The organization of the human genome and the role of genomic variation in health and disease. Genomics and personalized medicine; intellectual property and privacy issues.
Review of basic processes in cell biology including, but not limited to, cell adhesion/migration, cytoskeleton, endo/exocytosis, intracellular trafficking, signal transduction, ion homeostasis, energy generation, protein processing/apoptosis, post-translation modifications, genomics. A review of each topic will be followed by an introduction to cutting-edge work in this field. Prerequisite: Permission of the course co-ordinator.
Discussion of novel and advanced topics in chemical covalent modifications of chromatin that influence gene regulation. Prerequisite: MBB 331 or permission from the instructor.
Topics in molecular biology-based research into pathologies of disease related to drug and environmental exposures will be discussed. Focus on systems pharmacology and the molecular determinants of drug and toxicant action as they relate to gene expression and signal transduction. Prerequisite: HSCI 323, MBB 331, or permission of the instructor.
Application of modern molecular methods to epidemiological questions. Globally-relevant and emerging infectious diseases will be highlighted. The course will emphasize critical review of the current literature in the field. Prerequisite: BISC 303, 330, MBB 331, or permission from the instructor.
| Section | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rachel McGovern |
Sep 8 鈥� Dec 7, 2015: Mon, 9:30 a.m.鈥�12:20 p.m.
|
Burnaby |
*Note: Any relevant Special Topics course from any department maybe included upon permission of the IOGS Steering Committee. Oncology related courses at other institutions may also be used to satisfy the elective requirement. Please consult with the Interdisciplinary Oncology Graduate Specialization Steering Committee for queries regarding course eligibility.
If a student has already completed the specialization as an MSc student, they may still enroll in the IOGS as a PhD student upon approval by the IOGS steering committee. Note that in this circumstance, ONC 510-3 must be taken for credit again in the PhD program, but ONC 502-3 cannot be taken again for credit.
Research
The major portion of the PhD specialization program will be devoted to original research. An original thesis which contributes to new knowledge must be presented and defended at the end of the degree program in accordance with 丁香园AV Graduate General Regulations. In addition, all BPK PhD candidates must meet all other requirements for the BPK PhD degree.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the , as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled, as shown above.