Physiology

Physiology: Introduction

Faculty Affiliation

Medicine

Degree Programs

Medical Physiology

MHSc

Physiology

MSc and PhD

Combined Degree Programs

MD / PhD

Collaborative Specializations

The following collaborative specializations are available to students in participating degree programs as listed below:

Overview

In the Department of Physiology, research ranges from the gene level to the organism level in areas including endocrinology and diabetes; reproduction endocrinology; fetal physiology, pregnancy, and parturition; neuroendocrinology; cardiorespiratory regulation; gastrointestinal motility; sensory physiology; motor control; brain development and aging; ionic channels and synaptic transmission; excitability, ultrastructure, and plasticity of the brain.

Contact and Address

MHSc Program

Web: www.physiology.utoronto.ca
Email: mhsc.physiology@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-6843
Fax: (416) 978-4940

Department of Physiology
University of Toronto
Room 3209, Medical Sciences Building
1 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8
Canada

MSc and PhD Programs

Web: www.physiology.utoronto.ca
Email: graduate.physiology@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-2601
Fax: (416) 978-4940

Department of Physiology
University of Toronto
Room 3217, Medical Sciences Building
1 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8
Canada

Physiology: Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Adeli, Khosrow - DipChem, MSc, PhD
Anderson, Harvey - BSc, MSc, PhD
Bagli, Darius - BS, MD
Barr, Cathy - BSc, PhD
Bear, Christine - BSc, MSc, PhD
Belik, Jaques - MD
Belsham, Denise - PhD
Billia, Filio - BSc, MSc, MD, PhD
Bolz, Steffen-Sebastian - MD, DrMed
Brown, Theodore - BSc, PhD
Brubaker, Patricia - BSc, PhD
Caniggia, Isabella - MD, PhD
Carlen, Peter - MD
Cherney, David - MD, PhD
Collingridge, Graham - BSc, PhD
Connelly, Kim - MBBS, PhD
Cox, Brian - BSc, MSc, PhD
Dimitrijevic, Andrew - BSc, MSc, PhD
dos Santos, Claudia - MSc, MD
Duffin, James - BASc, MASc, PhD
Eubanks, James - BSc, AA, PhD
Feng, Zhong-Ping - PhD (Graduate Coordinator, Student Admissions and Affairs)
Ferguson, Niall - MSc, MD
Fisher, Joseph - MD
Frankland, Paul - MA, PhD
Gaisano, Herbert - BS, MD
Giacca, Adria - MD
Gillis, Jesse - BSc, MSc, PhD
Goldenberg, Neil - BSc, MD, PhD
Gollob, Michael - MD
Gramolini, Anthony - BSc, MSc, PhD (Graduate Coordinator, Academic Affairs)
Hare, Gregory - MD, PhD
Harrison, Robert - PhD, DSc
Hay, Etay - BSc, MSc, PhD
Heximer, Scott - PhD (Chair and Graduate Chair)
Hill, Sean - BA, PhD
Horner, Richard - BSc, PhD
Husain, Mansoor - MB, MD
Hutchison, William Duncan - BSc, MSc, PhD
Jia, Zhengping - PhD
Jin, Tianru - PhD
Jones, Nicola - MD
Jurisicova, Andrea - PhD
Kadis, Darren - BSc, MA, PhD
Kingdom, John - DipCH, MB, MD
Klip, Amira - ScD
Lam, Tony - BS, DPhil
Lambe, Evelyn - AB, MSc, PhD
Levitan, Robert - MSc, MDCM
Lewis, Gary - BCh, MBCHB
Li, Ren-Ke - MHSc, MSc, MD, PhD
Librach, Clifford - MD
Liu, Fang - PhD
Liu, Mingyao - MSc, MD
Lye, Stephen - BSc, PhD
Matthews, Stephen - BSc, DPhil
McGahan, Anita - BA, MA, MBA, PhD
McGowan, Patrick - BSc, MA, PhD
Miller, Freda - BSc, PhD
Monnier, Philippe - MBA, PhD
Ng, Dominic - MD
Orser, Beverley - MD
Palmert, Mark - MD
Peever, John - MSc, PhD
Post, Martin - PhD
Prescott, Steven - BSc, MSc, MD, PhD
Rocheleau, Jonathan - BSc, PhD
Rogers, Ian - MSc, PhD
Rosenblum, Norman - MD
Salter, Michael - MD, PhD
Seed, Mike - MBBS
Sessle, Barry - BS, MDS, BDS, PhD
Skinner, Frances - PhD
Subbarao, Padmaja - MD
Sugita, Shuzo - PhD
Sun, Hong-Shuo - MSc, DrMed, DPhil
Sweezey, Neil - BSc, MD, MD
Thomas, Scott - BSc, MSc, PhD
Tripathy, Shreejoy - BSc, PhD
Tweed, Douglas - MD, PhD, PhD
Tymianski, Michael - BA, MD, PhD
Wang, Lu-Yang - PhD (Vice Chair, Academic - Graduate)
Wheeler, Anne - BSc, PhD
Wheeler, Michael - BSc, PhD
Wilson, Gregory - MSc, MD
Wittnich, Carin - MSc, DVM
Zhang, Haibo - MSc, PhD
Zhen, Mei - PhD
Zhuo, Min - MS, PhD

Members Emeriti

Adamson, Susan - BSc, MSc, MD, PhD
Atwood, Harold - BA, MA, PhD, DSc, FRSC
Bocking, Alan - MD
Casper, Robert - MD
Challis, John - BSc, PhD, DSc, FRSC
Charlton, Milton - BSc, MSc, PhD
Dostrovsky, Jonathan - BSc, MSc, PhD
Kwan, Hon - BASc, MSc, PhD
Mount, Howard - BSc, PhD
Norwich, Kenneth - MSc, PhD
Pennefather, Peter - BSc, PhD
Schlichter, Lyanne - BSc, MSc, PhD
Sole, Michael - BSc, MD
Stanley, Elise - PhD
Wojtowicz, J. Martin - BSc, PhD

Associate Members

Balki, Mrinalini - MBBS
Chauhan, Vijay - MD
Friedberg, Mark - MD
Goligher, Ewan - DrMed, PhD
Ivakine, Evgueni (Zhenya) - MSc, MSc, PhD
Lankarany, Milad - PhD
Mazer, Cyril David - MD
McKinnon, Nicole - MS, MD, PhD
McVey, Mark - BSc, MSc, MD
Miliotis, Helen - BSc, PhD (Director, MHSc in Medical Physiology)
Morrison, Janna Leigh - BSc, MSc, PhD
Nagy, Andras - PhD
Ni, Heyu - MSc, MD, PhD
O'Brien, Catherine - BSc, MSc, DrMed, PhD
Pierro, Agostino - MD
Ramsey, Amy - PhD
Shynlova, Oksana - MSc, PhD
Steinberg, Benjamin - MD, PhD
Taxidis, Jiannis - MSc, PhD
Vanderlaan, Rachel - BS, MD, PhD, FRSC
Yuen, Darren - BSc, MD, PhD

Physiology: Medical Physiology MHSc

Master of Health Science

Program Description

A near-infinite amount of data is generated by clinicians at the bedside, researchers at the bench, and emergent health technologies every single day. But who can interpret that data and render it relevant for use?

The MHSc in Medical Physiology is a 12-month professional master’s program specially designed to address this rapidly emerging need. Featuring core courses and electives led by the Department of Physiology’s world-class faculty, the program also includes significant professional development training and culminates with a practicum in an industry, hospital, or government setting.

The program blends advanced topic-specific physiology courses of the students' choosing with:

  • a mentored current literature review, where graduates acquire the critical analysis skills to identify new knowledge relevant to specific problems in human health;

  • a big data and health course, where students gain the skills to analyze and interpret data sets relevant to human health;

  • a commercialization and collaboration course, where students will acquire skills to understand how to commercialize new discoveries and how to work in a team science environment; and

  • a practicum opportunity, where students will experience how physiological knowledge is applied to real-life scenarios in their area of interest.

This unique combination of coursework and hands-on experience ensures that graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills sought by today’s competitive health-related workforce.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Physiology's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Admission is based on demonstrated exceptional scholarly achievement based on the following criteria:

    • a one-page statement summarizing how this program will contribute to the advancement of the applicant's professional goals

    • a curriculum vitae (CV)

    • two letters of reference.

  • Applicants must have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average of at least A– in the last two years of study. Students must have completed at least third year-level physiology or equivalent courses and demonstrate an interest in physiology.

  • Selected applicants will be interviewed prior to final acceptance into the program.

  • Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    • Other English proficiency tests are acceptable. Please consult the Physiology website for departmental standards.

Program Requirements

All students are required to:

  • Take 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses:

    • 1.0 FCE: PSL4000Y Seminars and Graduate Professional Development (Credit/No Credit)

    • 1.0 FCE: PSL4010Y Mentored Literature Review Project in Physiology

    • 1.0 FCE: PSL4020Y Medical Physiology Practicum (Credit/No Credit)

    • 0.5 FCE: PSL4030H Clinical Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE: PSL4040H Big Data and Health

    • 0.5 FCE: PSL4050H Collaboration and Commercialization in Physiology

    • 1.5 elective FCEs.

Students will be matched with a mentor and practicum placement in consultation with the relevant course director and MHSc program director.

Program Length

3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S)

Time Limit

3 years full-time

Physiology: Physiology MSc

Master of Science

Program Description

The MSc program provides advanced training in physiology, with an emphasis on gaining experience in conducting research using modern experimental methods under the direct supervision of a member of the department’s graduate faculty. Students will complete coursework, attend and give presentations of scientific work, submit a written thesis based on original research, and defend the thesis at an oral examination. It is not required that the thesis work be published or represent a finished research project, but it must show the student’s mastery of specific techniques, their application to a specific problem, and a scholarly understanding of the research subject. Through this program, students will broaden and deepen their knowledge of physiology and its current scientific literature. They will learn and practise scientific skills of critical thinking, devising research questions, and communicating scientific ideas orally and in writing.

Students may begin in Fall, Winter, or Summer.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Physiology's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Admission is based on academic record, an essay summarizing background strengths and scientific aims, a curriculum vitae (CV), and at least two confidential letters of reference.

  • Applicants must have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average of at least A– in the last two years of study and with courses such as biology, biochemistry, calculus, organic and physical chemistry, general physics, and physiology.

  • Physical-science-stream students from undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, engineering, and other sciences are encouraged to apply to the MSc program.

  • Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    • Other English proficiency tests are acceptable. Please consult the Physiology website for departmental standards.

Program Requirements

All students are required to:

  • Take 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses, with the following guidelines:

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL1000H0 MSc Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all graduate students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in physiology graduate-only courses

    • 0.5 FCE with a choice of (i) a physiology graduate-only course or physiology joint graduate-undergraduate course (preferable option) or (ii) a course taken in another department (rare choice).

  • Select courses in consultation with the supervisor and/or advisory committee. See the Physiology website for details.

  • Complete and defend a research thesis acceptable to the graduate department.

  • Do one of the following within 12 to 18 months in the MSc program:

    • Write and defend an MSc thesis and graduate.

    • Write and defend a thesis and go on to the PhD program.

    • Transfer from the MSc into the PhD program. Transfer is encouraged for students who have made substantial progress in their research and have demonstrated the desire and potential to meet the requirements of a rigorous research training program. Such students will have fulfilled all course requirements for the MSc with at least an A– average and have demonstrated potential for publication of their work. There must be a clearly identified program for future research that continues, or is consistent with, work already underway. Too large a project for the MSc is not a reason for transfer to the PhD.

Program Length

6 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F/W/S)

Time Limit

3 years full-time

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.

Physiology: Physiology PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD degree is an advanced research degree. Upon its completion, graduates are expected to function as independent research scientists. Students will complete coursework, attend and give multiple presentations of scientific work, and demonstrate the ability to carry out research of publishable quality as evidenced by a written thesis based on original research and an oral defence of the work. Through this program, students will broaden and deepen their knowledge of physiology and its current scientific literature. They will develop and practise scientific skills of critical thinking, devising research questions, understanding experimental design, techniques, and analysis, and communicating scientific ideas orally and in writing.

Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of three routes: 1) following completion of an appropriate MSc degree; 2) transfer from the University of Toronto MSc program in Physiology; or 3) direct entry after completing a bachelor’s degree.

Students may begin or transfer in Fall, Winter, or Summer.

PhD Program (Following Completion of an MSc)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Physiology's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Admission is based on academic record, a statement summarizing background strengths and scientific aims, a curriculum vitae (CV), and at least two confidential letters of reference.

  • Students may be admitted into the PhD program after completion of an appropriate MSc degree program with an average of at least A– from a recognized university. Students with excellent research experience are encouraged to apply.

  • Applicants should have taken courses such as biology, biochemistry, calculus, organic and physical chemistry, general physics, and physiology.

  • Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    • Other English proficiency tests are acceptable. Please consult the Physiology website for departmental standards.

Program Requirements

  • Students must take 2.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses in which an average standing of at least A– is maintained, with the following guidelines:

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL2000H0 PhD Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all graduate students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in physiology graduate-only courses

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL1066H0 Research Grant Proposal (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all PhD students in physiology

    • 1.0 FCE with a choice of (i) a physiology graduate-only course or physiology joint graduate-undergraduate course (preferable option) or (ii) a course taken in another department (rare choice).

  • Up to 1.0 FCE can be claimed from the student's MSc program completed in another department or university, subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Committee.

  • Courses are selected in consultation with the supervisor and/or advisory committee. See the Physiology website for details.

  • The recommended completion time for the doctoral program is approximately four years, by which time the candidate will write and defend a research thesis, first before a departmental committee and subsequently before a committee approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

Program Length

4 years

Time Limit

6 years

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.

 

PhD Program (Transfer)

Transfer Requirements

  • Students may be admitted via transfer from the University of Toronto MSc program in Physiology. Transfer from the MSc into the PhD program is encouraged for students who have made substantial progress in their research and have demonstrated the desire and potential to meet the requirements of a rigorous research training program. Such students will have fulfilled all course requirements for the MSc with at least an A– average and have demonstrated potential for publication of their work. Students with excellent research experience are encouraged to apply. There must be a clearly identified program for future research that continues, or is consistent with, work already underway. Too large a project for the MSc is not a reason for transfer to the PhD.

Program Requirements

  • Students must take 2.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses in which an average standing of at least A- is maintained, with the following guidelines:

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL2000H0 PhD Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all graduate students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL1066H0 Research Grant Proposal (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all PhD students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in physiology graduate-only courses

    • 1.0 FCE with a choice of (i) a physiology graduate-only course or physiology joint graduate-undergraduate course (preferable option) or (ii) a course taken in another department (rare choice).

    • Students who transfer from the MSc program in Physiology may claim up to 1.0 FCE from the MSc program in Physiology.

  • Courses are selected in consultation with the supervisor and/or advisory committee. See the Physiology website for details on course requirements.

  • The recommended completion time for the doctoral program is approximately five years from the start of the MSc, by which time the candidate will write and defend a research thesis, first before a departmental committee and subsequently before a committee approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

Program Length

5 years

Time Limit

7 years

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Physiology's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Admission is based on academic record, a statement summarizing background strengths and scientific aims, a curriculum vitae (CV), and at least two confidential letters of reference.

  • For exceptional students with an A– standing in appropriate courses taken during the two preceding undergraduate years, direct entry into the doctoral program is possible. However, this will require specific approval by the Graduate Studies Committee. Students with excellent research experience are encouraged to apply.

  • Applicants should have taken courses such as biology, biochemistry, calculus, organic and physical chemistry, general physics, and physiology.

  • Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    • Other English proficiency tests are acceptable. Please consult the Physiology website for departmental standards.

Program Requirements

  • Students must take 2.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses in which an average standing of at least A– is maintained, with the following guidelines:

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL2000H0 PhD Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all graduate students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in physiology graduate-only courses

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL1066H0 Research Grant Proposal (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all PhD students in physiology

    • 1.0 FCE with a choice of (i) a physiology graduate-only course or physiology joint graduate-undergraduate course (preferable option) or (ii) a course taken in another department (rare choice).

  • Courses are selected in consultation with the supervisor and/or advisory committee. See the Physiology website for details.

  • The recommended completion time for the doctoral program is five years, by which time the candidate will write and defend a research thesis, first before a departmental committee and subsequently before a committee approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

Program Length

5 years

Time Limit

7 years

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.

Physiology: Medical Physiology MHSc; Physiology MSc, PhD Courses

Not all courses are offered each year. Check the departmental website for course availability and course requirements.

Course Code Course Title
JCV1060H
Developmental Cardiovascular Physiology
JCV3060H
Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular Sciences — Molecular Biology and Heart Signal Transduction
JCV3061H
Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular Sciences — Hormones
JCV3062H
Advanced Research in Cardiovascular Sciences — Heart Function
JCV3063H
Advanced Research in Cardiovascular Sciences — Vascular
JCV3064H
Advanced Research in Cardiovascular Sciences — Microvascular Medicine
JCV3065H
Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular Sciences — Systems Biology
JPB1071H Advanced Topics: Computational Neuroscience
JYG1555H
Advanced Topics: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
PSL1000H0
MSc Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit)
PSL1014H
Advanced Topics: the Gastrointestinal Epithelium
PSL1024H
Advanced Topics: Neuroendocrinology
PSL1026H
Advanced Topics: Experimental Cell Physiology
PSL1034H
Advanced Topics: Metabolic Disorders
PSL1036H
Advanced Topics: Respiration
PSL1040H
Advanced Topics: Systems Biology in Physiology
PSL1047H
Advanced Topics: Somatosensory and Pain Neuroscience
PSL1050H
Advanced Topics: The Hippocampus from Cell to Behaviour
PSL1053H
Advanced Topics: Critical Assessment of Ion Channel Function
PSL1066H0
Research Grant Proposal (Credit/No Credit)
PSL1067H
Advanced Topics: Advances and Techniques in Developmental Physiology
PSL1068H
Advanced Topics: Molecular Basis of Behaviour
PSL1070H
Advanced Topics: Hormone Action
PSL1072H
Advanced Topics in the Neural Basis for Sensation
PSL1075H
Biology in Time
PSL1080H+
Advanced Topics: Investigative Developmental Physiology
PSL1086H
Comparative Systems Approach to Diving Physiology
PSL2000H0
PhD Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit)
PSL4000Y
Seminars and Graduate Professional Development (Credit/No Credit)
PSL4010Y
Mentored Literature Review Project in Physiology
PSL4020Y
Medical Physiology Practicum (Credit/No Credit)
PSL4030H
Clinical Physiology
PSL4040H
Big Data and Health
PSL4050H
Collaboration and Commercialization in Physiology

+ Extended course. For academic reasons, coursework is extended into session following academic session in which course is offered.

0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

Joint Graduate/Undergraduate

Course Code Course Title
JNR1444Y
Fundamentals of Neuroscience: Cellular and Molecular
JNS1000Y
Fundamentals of Neuroscience: Systems and Behaviour
PSL1421H
Pregnancy and Birth: From Implantation to Newborn Life
PSL1425H
Integrative Metabolism and Its Endocrine Regulation
PSL1432H
Theoretical Physiology
PSL1441H
Systems Level Neuroplasticity
PSL1445H
Mechanistic Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
PSL1446H
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Neural Disorders
PSL1452H
Fundamentals of Ion Channel Function
PSL1462H
Molecular Aspects of Cardiovascular Function