Our Graduate Programs
The Biology Department offers the ‘MSc in Bioscience, Technology and Public Policy’ and the ‘PhD in Bioscience and Policy’. These research-intensive programs are designed to provide advanced training in the life sciences while also helping students learn to place life sciences research into the broader context of modern society and learn skills to help maximize the societal benefit and impact of their research.
Students in our graduate programs spend the bulk of their time working with a faculty supervisor on a thesis project across a range of sub-disciplines of bioscience such as genetics and genomics, bioinformatics, cell biology, physiology, behavioural ecology, natural resource management or environmental science. Laboratories of most of our supervisors are housed in the cutting-edge Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex, which gives our students access to the latest technology and facilities.
In addition to hands-on experience as part of their thesis projects, students also undertake coursework which provides additional training in technical aspects of bioscience, policy application of bioscience research, policy development, and communication to scientific and non-scientific audiences. These skills help our graduates make an impact and help prepare them for a wide range of careers.
The bioscience sector in Manitoba is growing rapidly, contributing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue to the provincial economy. Our program meets a growing need for highly trained personnel with skills suited to careers in academia, industry, the non-profit sector, government or as entrepreneurs.
For more information, including how to apply, please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies and consult our program Fact Sheets:
MSc in Bioscience Technology and Public Policy [PDF]
PhD in Bioscience and Policy [PDF]
Potential Supervisors
Students require a faculty supervisor in order to enter the graduate program. Below is a list of potential MSc or PhD supervisors from the Department of Biology for students in our programs. Before applying you should find a supervisor from this list doing research that interests you and then contact them to determine if they have space in their lab and funding to help support you.
Dr. Robert Anderson
Dept. of Biology
Behaviour and ecology of blood-feeding insects, pathogen transmission, vector control
Dr. German Avila-Sakar
Dept. of Biology
Ecology and evolutionary biology of plants, resistance and tolerance to herbivory
Dr. Ryan Bullock
Dept. of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Human-environment interactions, sustainable use of natural resources
Dr. Nora Casson
Dept. of Geography
Environmental influences on water quality, hydrology and biogeochemistry
Dr. Emily Chase
Dept. of Biology
Aquatic viruses, virus-algae interactions, genomics
Dr. Alberto Civetta
Dept. of Biology
Evolutionary genetics/genomics of reproductive traits
Dr. Doug Craig
Dept. of Chemistry
Single molecule enzymology, ultrasensitive methods for analysis of biological molecules
Dr. Danielle Defries
Dept. of Kinesiology and Applied Health
Prevention and management of obesity and type-2 diabetes, nutrition
Dr. Jean-Pierre Desforges
Dept. of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Environmental and wildlife toxicology
Dr. Jens Franck
Dept. of Biology
Molecular evolutionary biology and genetics
Dr. Sara Good
Dept. of Biology
Molecular population genomics, evolutionary genomics
Dr. Caleb Hasler
Dept. of Biology
Fish biology and aquatic conservation
Dr. Paul Holloway
Dept. of Biology
Microbiology
Dr. Srimathrie Indraratne
Dept. of Biology
Environmental toxicology, soil contamination and remediation
Dr. Darshani Kumaragamage
Dept. of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Environmental soil science, human-environmental interactions
Dr. Melanie Martin
Dept. of Physics
Biomedical physics, development of magnetic resonance imaging techniques
Dr. Yannick Molgat-Seon
Dept. of Kinesiology and Applied Health
Exercise and respiratory physiology
Dr. Rafael Otfinowski
Dept. of Biology
Plant-soil interactions, prairie ecosystem conservation
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav
Dept. of Biology
Cancer, cell signaling mechanisms
Dr. Jacques Tardif
Depts. of Biology and Environmental Studies and Sciences
Forest ecology, tree ring analysis
Dr. Richard Westwood
Depts. of Biology and Environmental Studies and Sciences
Environmental impacts on forests, endangered species conservation
Dr. Sanoji Wijenayake
Dept. of Biology
Maternal milk and postnatal regulation of development
Dr. Craig Willis
Dept. of Biology
Wildlife ecophysiology, conservation of endangered bats
Dr. Tabitha Wood
Dept. of Chemistry
Organic synthetic methodology, medicinal chemistry