Master of Science 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 cellular and molecular structure and function research interests range from computational protein folding to stem cell biology. Despite the breadth, we can identify many themes, all of which centre on understanding fundamental mechanisms. Several labs focus on neuronal development and neuronal tissue function, such as 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 several different animal models. We leverage cutting-edge techniques involving laser optics and optogenetics to study higher-order functions such as learning, memory and locomotion. We also use stem cells and animal models, including the zebrafish, to study development and disease in other systems and tissues, including the heart and kidney. Collectively, we expect the advances emerging from these efforts 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.

Please ensure that all supporting documents (references, electronic transcripts, CV and letter of intent) are submitted online by the dates above. It is entirely the applicant's responsibility to monitor the status of their documents on the online application system and follow up with their referees if references are not received in advance of the deadline.
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

TOEFL (U of T Institutional code: 0982-00)
Paper-Based Test & TWE: Overall Score 580, TWE 5
Internet-Based Test IBT: Overall Score 93, Writing/Speaking 22
IELTS: 7.0, with at least 6.5 in each component