Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Genetics - Cellular and Molecular Structure and Function

The Department of Molecular Genetics is administered from the Medical Sciences Building and has nearly 100 faculty members whose labs are located within the Medical Science Building, the Best Institute, the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, the FitzGerald Building, the Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and Princess Margaret Hospital.
The Master of Science and 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.
Our research interests in the area of Cellular and Molecular Structure and Function range from computational protein folding to stem cell biology. Despite the breadth, there are a number of themes that can be identified, all of which are centred on understanding fundamental mechanisms. Several labs are focussed on neuronal development and neuronal tissue function, for example, work that includes the study of neuronal stem cell generation, axon guidance mechanisms and the molecular basis for neural network formation. Central to these efforts is the study of stem cells and the use of a number of different animal models. Cutting-edge techniques involving laser optics and optogenetics are leveraged to study higher-order functions such as learning, memory and locomotion. Stem cells and animal models, including the zebra fish, are also being used to study development and disease in other systems and tissues including the heart and kidney. Collectively, the advances emerging from these efforts are expected to contribute to novel approaches to treating neural and heart tissue damage, brain cancers in children and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly to name just a few. Genome stability through successive cell divisions is central to the maintenance of normal cellular function. Not surprisingly, DNA damage and the gain or loss of chromosomes or portions of them are hallmarks of cancer. Several MoGen labs are working to understand DNA repair mechanisms and the processes that ensure proper chromosome replication and segregation. In one collaborative effort, functional genomics, microscopy and mass-spectrometry are being used to study centrosome biogenesis, an important component in the regulation of cell division. In another collaboration, cell-based approaches and x-ray crystallography are utilized to determine how DNA repair enzymes are recruited to double-strand breaks.

Completed or nearing the completion of a four-year Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent (MSc or PhD (Direct Entry))
A B+ average or higher cumulatively in a BSc degree to be considered for our MSc program,
An A- average or higher cumulatively in their MSc or BSc to be considered for our PhD (Direct Entry) program.
Transcript Requirements

To be considered for the PhD (Direct Entry) program:
Applicants must have completed or are nearing the completion of a Master of Science degree. Applicants must have distinguished themselves during their MSc to be considered for our PhD (Direct Entry) program.
Applicants who have never been enrolled in an MSc program but have an average of A- or higher in all relevant courses from their BSc may be considered for the PhD (Direct Entry) program.

A scan of your unofficial transcripts (submitted online). Official transcripts are not required at this point.
Your CV (submitted online).
A letter of intent

IELTS - Minimum required score 7.0 (Academic) with at least 6.5 for each component.
TOEFL IBT - Overall Score - 93, Writing and Speaking- 22, TOEFL Paper-based Test - Overall Score 580 with TWE 5.