Clinical and Translational Research (Ph.D.)
Offered by: Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program Description
The overall objective of this program is to train students in the in-depth analysis of fundamental, translational and/or clinical research. Students perform studies at diverse levels, from molecular, cellular, and tissue to whole animal, human, and population in order to elucidate mechanisms behind human diseases, leading to drug discovery. Students are trained to become research leaders in both academic and industrial settings.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EXMD 634 | Quantitative Research Methods. | 3 |
Quantitative Research Methods. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Topics covered include: 1) An overview of common research designs based on examples from research currently undertaken in the Division of Experimental Medicine; 2) Types of data arising from these designs; 3) Basic methods for data analysis; and 4) Application of these methods to student research projects. | ||
| EXMD 701 | Comprehensive Oral Examination. | 0 |
Comprehensive Oral Examination. Terms offered: Fall 2026, Winter 2027 An examination that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. | ||
Complementary Courses (3 credits)
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EXMD 510 | Bioanalytical Separation Methods. | 3 |
Bioanalytical Separation Methods. Terms offered: Fall 2026 The student will be taught the capabilities and limitations of modern separation methods (gas and high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, hyphenated techniques). Application of these techniques to solve analytical problems relevant to biomedical research will be emphasized, with special attention being paid to the processing of biological samples. | ||
| EXMD 521 | Computational Methods Single-Cell Analytics. | 3 |
Computational Methods Single-Cell Analytics. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Computational methods (particularly machine learning methods) for various single-cell data analysis, modelling, and visualization tasks that could drive novel biomedical discoveries, focusing on “real-world” biomedical applications. | ||
| EXMD 600 | Principles of Clinical Research. | 3 |
Principles of Clinical Research. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Foundations for conducting clinical research including the principles underlying clinical studies, an overview of key methods in clinical research and the critical interpretation of peer-reviewed literature. | ||
| EXMD 602 | Techniques in Molecular Genetics. | 3 |
Techniques in Molecular Genetics. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Precise description of available methods in molecular genetics, and rationales for choosing particular techniques to answer questions posed in research proposals for targeting genes in the mammalian genome. Emphasis placed on analysis of regulation of gene expression and mapping, strategies for gene cloning. Course divided between lectures and student seminars. | ||
| EXMD 604 | Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 1. | 3 |
Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 1. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Recent aspects of cell and molecular biology, including cellular organelle structure and function, molecular genetics, gene expression regulation, DNA replication and protein trafficking. | ||
| EXMD 605 | Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 2. | 3 |
Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 2. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Recent aspects of cell and molecular biology, includin signal transduction, cell growth and development, and immunology. | ||
| EXMD 609 | Cellular Methods in Medical Research. | 3 |
Cellular Methods in Medical Research. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Different cellular methods used in biomedical research, including spectroscopic, microscopic and immunological techniques as well as statistics. Lectures, some demonstrations by faculty as well as short seminars given by the students. | ||
| EXMD 610 | Molecular Methods in Medical Research. | 3 |
Molecular Methods in Medical Research. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Different molecular methods used in biomedical research, including chromatography, purification and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids, various techniques in molecular biology, transgenic technology, and stem cells. Lectures, some demonstrations, and short seminars given by the students. | ||
| EXMD 616 | Molecular and Cell Biology Topics. | 3 |
Molecular and Cell Biology Topics. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Structured and instructor-directed student presentations and discussions of recent advances in molecular and cellular biology. The course will reinforce the students' knowledge of currently major areas of investigation, with a focus on human disease and medical applications. Important recent publications will extend material from textbook and review articles. | ||
Electives (6 or 12 credits)
6 credits, at the 500 level or higher, are required for students admitted to Ph.D. 2, i.e. students entering the program with a prior Master's degree. Course choices should be made in consultation with research supervisor(s). Courses may be taken outside the department at the 500 level or higher in medical and allied sciences1.
12 credits, at the 500 level or higher, are required for students admitted to Ph.D. 1, i.e. students entering the program with only a B.Sc. or M.D. degree. Students that fast track from the masters level should take a total of 18 credits including previous courses taken at the Masters Level in a related-field.
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Note that some seminar, current topics and readings, and conference courses may not count towards your degree. Thus, students must obtain prior approval from the Division’s Student Affairs Coordinator for courses at the 500 level or higher from other Allied Health Sciences departments.