Topic Courses
Most topics last for six weeks with one 2-hour session each week (i.e., 12 total hours in-class). Topics for the CBMG track consist of 24 hours in-class and are therefore the equivalent of two topics. In-class sessions generally include lectures by professors and presentations by students on current literature. Classes often involve discussion of research papers. Topics usually are evaluated through assignments and class participation. Marks are available within four weeks after the due date of the last assignment for the course.
Registration & Deadlines
Opening of registration and how to register for Topics will be communicated to students by email from the department. Note that Topics are generally offered every other year.
Registration is not on a first-come, first-served basis. All students will be given equal consideration for registration in topics as long as they submit a request by the deadline. In cases where a topic course is oversubscribed, preference may be given to senior Molecular Genetics students. Molecular Genetics Students may also enroll in courses from other departments to fulfill topic requirements upon approval from Graduate Coordinators in both departments, instructors, and their PI. In particular, the Department of Biochemistry course modules fulfills Topic requirements. Contact the Graduate Office for more information.
Non-Molecular Genetics Students
Students from other departments may enroll in Topics. However, preference is given to Molecular Genetics students. Biochemistry students may use Topics from this department to count towards the topic courses offered by the Biochemistry department (check with your home department for details). Please contact the Graduate Office for more information. Note that students from other departments must also select their topics by the deadlines above.
Topic Courses - Fall 2023
MMG1301H F - Developmental Neurobiology
Course Overview
This graduate course discusses current developmental neurobiology issues. Topics will include cell fate decisions in the nervous system; axon guidance/cell migrations; synaptogenesis, neuronal function; genetic analysis of behaviour, learning & memory & genetic models of neurodegenerative diseases. The format will consist of 1-2 hours class/week. Each class will consist of a lecture component and presentations from students. Students will be assessed using two criteria: presentation of current papers from the literature and an NSERC style grant on a topic discussed in class.
Course Instructors: Dr. Julie Lefebvre & Dr. Sabine Cordes
- Course Dates: October 9 – November 20, 2023
- Time: Monday 3-4pm ET
- Location: Multimedia Room – 3rd floor; PGCRL, SickKids Research Institute
MMG1304H F - Bacterial Pathogens
Course Overview
This course focuses on recent advances in the study of bacterial pathogens and the mechanisms by which they cause disease. Specifically, we will examine the virulence factors used by pathogens to infect their host, to subvert host innate and adaptive immune defences and transmit to new cells and new hosts. The course will consist of lectures and presentations and discussions by students of selected publications. The course grade will be based on presentations, participation in discussions and a short written paper.
Course Instructors: Dr. John Brumell, Dr. Jun Liu
- Course Dates: October 18 – November 29, 2023
- Time: Wednesday 10 am-12 pm ET
- Location: MaRs Rm. 1623
MMG1323H F - Signalling Networks in Development, Regeneration and Disease
Course Overview
Development, homeostasis and regeneration of animals requires extensive intercellular communication that serves to regulate cell fate choice, and tissue morphogenesis. In this course, we will explore how signalling networks orchestrate tissue morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and drive initiation and progression of disease. Areas of coverage include an overview of morphogen signalling networks and single cell biology in zebrafish, mouse and organoid models of human disease.
Course Instructor: Dr. Jeff Wrana
Course Dates: November 27 - December 13, 2023
Time: Monday and Wednesdays, 12-2pm
Location: TBA
Syllabus can be accessed here
MMG1324H F - Mitochondrial Genetics in Health and Disease
Course Overview
Mitochondria are essential intracellular organelles that contain their own genomes. This course will focus on understanding how mitochondrial genomes are maintained, inherited and expressed, and how their dysfunction contributes to diseases like cancer. Students will learn both fundamental concepts as well as recent advances in the field of mitochondrial genetics.
The structure of the course is as follows. Students will be organized into six groups. Each group will be assigned a topic from endosymbiotic theory to the role mitochondria play in cancer (see below). Groups will then develop and present a 30-minute power point-assisted lecture that would be suitable to teach this topic to a class of first-year graduate students.
Course Instructors: Dr. Thomas Hurd
- Course Dates: October 3 – November 7, 2023
- Time: Tuesday 2-4 pm ET
- Location: MaRs Rm. 1523
MMG1326H F - Post-Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms
Course Overview
This course will cover topics related to the mechanisms underlying post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Topics change yearly, reflecting the most recent state of the field, and may include concepts such as: RNA binding proteins, alternative ribosomes, lncRNAs, phase separated RNA granules, riboswitches, small RNAs regulation, etc.
Students will be organized into 6 groups. Each group will be assigned a topic, develop a ~45 min power point-assisted lecture that would be suitable to teach this topic to a class of first year graduate students, and present the lecture to the class.
Following the presentation the class will discuss a paper related to the topic. Students (either volunteers of chosen at random) who were not involved in that week’s presentation will present individual figures from the paper.
Course Instructors: Dr. Julie Claycomb & Dr. Craig Smibert
- Course Dates: November 6 – December 18, 2023
- Time: Monday 12-2 pm ET
- Location: MaRs Rm. 1622
MMG1333H F - Virus Replication
Course Overview
This course will consider new developments in understanding of how viruses and viral proteins interact with host cells to generate thousands of progeny virus particles from a single infected cell. This version of the course is for students with no background courses in virology at the undergraduate or graduate level. The first class will comprise a discussion of virus replication in the context of selected viruses, to set the stage for specific papers that will be covered in the subsequent weeks. Classes consist of student presentations of selected papers from the literature, followed by class discussion. Assessment is based on presentation of one or more papers (depending on class size), participation in class discussion and a written assignment.
Course Instructors: Dr. Martha Brown
- Course Dates: October 20 – November 24, 2023
- Time: Friday 2-4 pm ET
- Location: MS3290 (Medical Sciences Building)
Topic Courses - Winter 2024
BCH2024H S - From Chaperones to CRISPR-CAS: the incredible genius of phages
Course Overview
This course will cover both classical and contemporary studies involving phages that have led to major technological breakthroughs.
Your grade will be based on participation, presentation of a journal article and a written assignment (Cell Preview or Nature News & Views style paper).
Instructors: Karen Maxwell & Alan Davidson
MMG1004H S - A Practical Course in Programming for Biologists
Prerequisite: This course is intended and required for first-year MoGen students (MSc or direct entry Ph.D.) who do not have advanced computational biology training. Graduate students from other departments will be considered on a case-by-case basis if there is capacity. Students with advanced computational biology training (approved on a case-by-case basis by the instructors), will enrol in Foundational Computational Biology I (MMG1344; 0.25 FTE) instead of MMG1004.
Course Instructors: Philip M. Kim and Gary D. Bader
MMG1344H S - Foundational Computational Biology I
Course Overview
The Foundational Computational Biology (FCB) courses are two 6-meeting topic courses offered through the Molecular Genetics Graduate program, covering foundational concepts and current applications for computational biology and bioinformatics. The courses are targeted to first-year graduate students, with preference given to students in the CBMG track of the Molecular Genetics Graduate Program.
Assignments will be pen-and-paper and practical assignments requiring programming (e.g., Python) or statistical environments (e.g., R).
Instructors: Drs. Fritz Roth and Kieran Campbell
Enrollment: Subject to Instructor approval (for non-CBMG students) and will require:
- Emailing the course coordinator with the following information:
- Evidence of comfort with computer programming and
- Excellence in two or more quantitative subjects, including calculus, linear algebra, probability/statistics, or other mathematics courses.
Once approval is acquired, email the Graduate Coordinators to confirm enrollment.
MMG1345H S - Foundational Computational Biology II
Course Overview
The Foundational Computational Biology (FCB) courses are two 6-meeting topic courses offered through the Molecular Genetics Graduate program, covering foundational concepts and current applications for computational biology and bioinformatics. The courses are targeted to 1st-year graduate students, with preference given to students in the CBMG track of the Molecular Genetics Graduate Program.
Assignments will be pen-and-paper and practical assignments requiring programming (e.g., Python) or statistical environments (e.g., R).
Instructors: Dr. Fritz Roth
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Enrollment: Subject to Instructor approval (for non-CBMG students) and will require:
- Emailing the course coordinator with the following information:
- Evidence of comfort with computer programming and
- Excellence in two or more quantitative subjects, including calculus, linear algebra, probability/statistics, or other mathematics courses.
Once approval is acquired, email the Graduate Coordinators to confirm enrollment.