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Note: This is the 2018–2019 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .
Note: This is the 2018–2019 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .
What is Biochemistry?
Biochemistry is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. It emerged as a distinct discipline around the beginning of the 20th century when scientists combined chemistry, physiology, and biology to investigate the chemistry of living systems.
The Department of Biochemistry offers three undergraduate programs:
This is the most flexible of departmental programs offered, providing students with a useful concentration in Biochemistry, while allowing them to pursue a minor in another speciality or to broaden their education in the sciences.
The Major program becomes more specialized in Biochemistry during the final two years. This program requires skills and insight from all areas of chemistry, and from other areas such as biology, physiology, microbiology and immunology, statistics, and pharmacology. For students aiming for a professional career in the biological sciences or in medicine, these programs can lead to postgraduate studies and research careers in hospital, university, or industrial laboratories.
The Honours program in Biochemistry combines the substantial background given by the Major program with a challenging opportunity to carry out laboratory research projects in the U3 year. These courses provide students with research experience under the supervision of a professor in the Department. Honours students intending to pursue an M.Sc. in Biochemistry may be interested in the B.Sc./M.Sc. track, which offers a streamlined path to a graduate degree.
Our Major and Honours programs provide a sound background for students aiming for a professional career in biochemistry. The less specialized Liberal program allows students to select courses in other fields of interest. The Liberal program provides students with the opportunity to study the core of one science discipline along with a breadth component from another area of science or from many other disciplines; for more information, see Faculty of Science > Undergraduate > Faculty Degree Requirements > Program Requirements > Liberal, Major, and Honours Programs.
During the first year, each program provides introductory lecture and laboratory courses in biochemistry, as well as basic courses in cell and molecular biology and organic and physical chemistry. In the second and third years, the programs offer an expanded focus in biochemistry through lecture courses, a second laboratory course in biochemistry, and opportunities to carry out research projects in faculty members' laboratories through our BIOC 396, BIOC 462 and BIOC 491 courses. Students can also take a variety of complementary courses in other biological, biomedical, and chemical disciplines in their second and third years.
Increasingly complex technology requires training in both chemistry and biology. As well, the combination of chemistry, molecular biology, enzymology, and genetic engineering in our programs provides the essential background and training in biotechnology. With this, our graduates can work in a variety of positions in industry and health. These range from R&D in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, to testing and research in government and hospital laboratories, to management. Many graduates take higher degrees in research and attain academic positions in universities and colleges.
Additional information is available on the Department of Biochemistry website.
Chair |
---|
Albert Berghuis |
Emeritus Professors |
Rhoda Blostein; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.), F.R.S.C. |
Philip E. Branton; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.), F.R.S.C. (Gilman Cheney Professor of Biochemistry) |
Peter E. Braun; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Br. Col.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) |
Robert E. MacKenzie; B.Sc.(Agr.)(McG.), M.N.S., Ph.D.(Cornell) |
Edward A. Meighen; B.Sc.(Alta.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) |
Walter E. Mushynski; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) |
Gordon C. Shore; B.Sc.(Guelph), Ph.D.(McG.) |
John R. Silvius; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Alta.) |
Clifford P. Stanners; B.Sc.(McM.), M.A., Ph.D.(Tor.) |
Maria Zannis-Hadjopoulos; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Professors |
Nicole Beauchemin; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Albert Berghuis; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Rijks Univ. Groningen, The Netherlands), Ph.D.(Br. Col.) |
Maxime Bouchard; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Laval) |
Imed Gallouzi; Maitrise, D.E.A., Ph.D.(Montpellier, France) |
Kalle Gehring; B.A.(Brown), M.Sc.(Mich.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) (Chercheur National du FRSQ) |
Vincent Giguère; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Laval) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Philippe Gros; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Montr.), Ph.D.(McG.), F.R.S.C. (James Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Professor) |
Alba Guarné; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Barcelona) |
Roderick R. McInnes; B.Sc., M.D.(Dal.), Ph.D.(McG.) |
William Muller; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (Canada Research Chair in Molecular Oncology) |
Alain Nepveu; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Montr.), Ph.D.(Sher.) (James Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Professor) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Morag Park; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Glas.), F.R.S.C. (Diane and Sal Guerrera Chair in Cancer Genetics) (James Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Professor) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Arnim Pause; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Konstanz), Ph.D.(McG.) |
Jerry Pelletier; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (James Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Professor) |
Nahum Sonenberg; M.Sc., Ph.D.(Weizmann Inst.), F.R.S.C., F.R.S. (James Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Professor) (Gilman Cheney Chair in Biochemistry) |
David Y. Thomas; B.Sc.(Brist.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Univ. College, Lond.), F.R.S.C. (Canada Research Chair in Molecular Genetics) |
Michel L. Tremblay; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Sher.), Ph.D.(McM.), F.R.S.C. (Jeanne and Jean-Louis Levesque Chair in Cancer Research) |
Associate Professors |
Josée Dostie; B.Sc.(Sher.), Ph.D.(McG.) (CIHR New Investigators Award; Chercheure-boursière du FRSQ) |
Thomas Duchaine; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.) (Chercheur-boursier du FRSQ) |
Bhushan Nagar; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.) |
Martin Schmeing; B.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Yale) (Canada Research Chair in Macromolecular Machines) |
Jose G. Teodoro; B.Sc.(W. Ont.), Ph.D.(McG.) (CIHR New Investigators Award; Chercheur-boursier du FRSQ) |
Jason C. Young; B.Sc.(Tor.), Ph.D.(McM.) |
Assistant Professors |
Uri David Akavia; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tel Aviv) |
Maxime Denis; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.) |
Sidong Huang; B.A.(Boston), Ph.D.(Calif.) (Canada Research Chair in Functional Genomics) |
Lawrence Kazak; Ph.D.(Camb.) |
William Pastor; Ph.D.(Harv.) |
Ian Watson; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.) (Canada Research Chair in Functional Genomics of Melanoma) |
Associate Members |
Gary Brouhard (Dept. of Biology) |
Robert S. Kiss (Dept. of Medicine) |
Gergely Lukacs (Dept. of Physiology) |
Janusz Rak (Dept. of Medicine) |
Stéphane Richard (Depts. of Medicine and Oncology) |
Selena M. Sagan (Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology) |
Reza Salavati (Inst. of Parasitology) |
Maya Saleh (Dept. of Medicine) |
Erwin Schurr (Ctr. for Host Resistance, MGH) |
Peter Siegel (Goodman Cancer Ctr., Dept. of Medicine) |
Ivan Topisirovic (Dept. of Oncology) |
Youla S. Tsantrizos (Dept. of Chemistry) |
Bernard Turcotte (Dept. of Medicine) |
Josie Ursini-Siegel (Dept. of Oncology) |
Simon Wing (Dept. of Medicine) |
Xiang-Jiao Yang (Goodman Cancer Ctr., Dept. of Medicine) |
Adjunct Professors |
Mirek Cygler (Sask.) |
Jacques Drouin (IRCM) |
Matthias Götte (Alta.) |
Michael Hallett (C'dia, Dept. of Biology) |
Enrico Purisima (NRC/BRI) |
Julie St-Pierre (Ott.) |
For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biochemistry (47 credits).
Students may transfer into the Major program at any time, provided they have met all course requirements.
For more information, see Major Biochemistry (64 credits).
Admission to the Honours program will not be granted until U2. Students who wish to enter the Honours program in U2 should follow the U1 Major program. Those who satisfactorily complete the U1 Major program with a GPA of at least 3.20 and a mark of B- or better in every required course are eligible for admission to the Honours program.
For more information, see Honours Biochemistry (73 credits).
For more information, see Immunology. This program is offered by the Departments of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Physiology.
Students interested in the program should contact:
OR