PhD in Molecular Genetics - Cellular and Molecular Structure and Function in Toronto Canada | University of Toronto

The Department of Molecular Genetics operates from the Medical Sciences Building, with close to 100 faculty members conducting research across multiple facilities including the Best Institute, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, FitzGerald Building, Hospital for Sick Children, Mount Sinai Hospital, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and Princess Margaret Hospital.
Our Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs in Molecular Genetics provide research training across diverse genetic systems, from microorganisms to humans. Investigative areas encompass DNA repair mechanisms, gene regulation, developmental genetics in model organisms, molecular neurobiology, cancer biology, structural biology, and human genetics with therapeutic applications.
Research in Cellular and Molecular Structure and Function spans computational protein analysis to stem cell studies, unified by the pursuit of fundamental biological mechanisms. Multiple laboratories focus on neural development, employing stem cell research and animal models to explore neurogenesis, axon guidance, and neural network formation. Advanced techniques like optogenetics enable investigation of complex brain functions including memory formation. Similar approaches using zebrafish and other models advance our understanding of cardiac and renal development and disease. These discoveries may lead to innovative treatments for neurological disorders, pediatric brain tumors, and age-related conditions like Alzheimer's. Maintaining genomic integrity during cell division represents another key research focus, with several labs examining DNA repair processes and chromosome dynamics. Collaborative projects employ functional genomics and structural biology techniques to study centrosome formation and DNA damage response mechanisms.