Physiology & Pathophysiology, Ph.D.
Physiology & Pathophysiology
Head: Dr. Peter Cattini
Grad Chair: Dr. Brent Fedirchuk
Campus Address/General Office: 432 Basic Medical Sciences Building
Telephone: 204-789-3696
Fax: 204-789-3934
Email Address: physiology@umanitoba.ca
Website: umanitoba.ca/medicine/medicine/department-physiology-pathophysiology
Academic Staff: Please refer to the Physiology & Pathophysiology website for current staff listing.
Physiology & Pathophysiology Program Information
The department offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Admission Information
Admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies
Application and Admission Procedures are found in the Academic Guide.
Admission requirements for doctoral students are found in the Doctor of Philosophy General Regulations section of the Guide.
Physiology & Pathophysiology Ph.D. Admission Requirements
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Application Information
Students should complete and submit their online application with supporting documentation by the date indicated on the Physiology & Pathophysiology Ph.D. program of study page.
Degree Requirements
Students who have obtained a Master's degree (including 9 or more credit hours of coursework at the 7000 level) will be required to take a minimum of an additional 9 credit hours to meet the requirements of the Ph.D. For students transferring from the M.Sc. program into the Ph.D., a minimum of 6 credit hours are required to meet the requirements of the Ph.D. beyond the 9 credit hours obtained under the M.Sc. program.
Additional courses that are deemed appropriate by the Student's Advisory Committee may be taken with the approval of the Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology Graduate Program Committee, up to a maximum of 24 credit hours (4 FCE). Note: a 0.5 FCE corresponds to a course that runs for a full term.
Expected Time to Graduate: 4 years
Progression Chart
| Year 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| GRAD 7300 | Research Integrity Tutorial | 0 |
| GRAD 7500 | Academic Integrity Tutorial | 0 |
| Coursework 1 | 9 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Years 2-5 | ||
| GRAD 8000 | Doctoral Thesis | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
- 1
Student & Advisor decide on courses.
Registration Information
Students should familiarize themselves with the Faculty of Graduate Studies ‘GRAD’ courses applicable to their program. If you have questions about which GRAD course(s) to register in, please consult your home department/unit.
Prior to registration, all new and returning students must meet with their advisor to determine their program of study. All course additions and withdrawals (registration revisions) must be approved in the same manner.
Not all courses are offered every year and some courses will be held only with a minimum enrolment.
Regulations
Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.
Supplementary Regulations
Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations.
Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)
Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.
All students must successfully complete:
- GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to the student’s research or within the student’s first year, whichever comes first; and
- GRAD 7500 within the first term of registration;
unless these courses have been completed previously, as per Mandatory Academic Integrity Course and Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course.
Students must also meet additional BFAR requirements that may be specified for their program.
General Regulations
All students must:
- maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
- meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
- meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).
Note: Physiology & Pathophysiology requires a higher minimum course grade. Students are required to maintain a B (3.0) in all course work.
Courses
Tutorial course covering recent contributions in an area of physiology related to a student's research interests.
Seminar and reading course on physiology of particular systems.
Tutorial and reading course on cardiac physiology; emphasis on the energetics of cardiac contraction and its relationship to ultrastructural and biochemical properties of the heart.
Lectures and seminars on physiology of blood vessels including hemodynamics, rheology of blood, and the function and structure of smooth muscle.
Special topics in endocrine and metabolic physiology emphasizing current concepts.
A seminar course on advanced topics in endocrine and metabolic physiology and diseases. The course focuses on developing skills required to present and critique research data on endocrine and metabolic physiology & pathophysiology.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7256 or consent of course coordinator.
Advances in selected areas of physiology, research proposals related to the student's area of interest, procedures for grant writing and refereeing grant proposals, evaluation of citations and impact factors.
Seminars on research presentations by staff and senior students in physiology.
Tutorial course: Function of various organs in the light of current concepts regarding structure and function at the molecular and cellular level.
Lecture, readings, and student-directed discussion course dealing with fundamental biophysical processes and function of major respiratory organ systems (including membrane transport and muscle contraction in respiratory physiology), illustrated with pathophysiological structures and function, and their relationship to disease. The course will also examine current therapeutic approaches and active areas of research interest.
Lecture, readings, and student-directed discussion course dealing with fundamental biophysical processes and function of major cardiovascular organ systems, illustrated with pathophysiological structures and function, and their relationship to disease. The course will also examine current therapeutic approaches and active areas of research interest.
Lecture, readings, and student-directed discussion course dealing with fundamental biophysical processes and function of major endocrine (including reproductive) organ systems, illustrated with pathophysiological structures and function, and their relationship to disease. The course will also examine current therapeutic approaches and active areas of research interest.
Lecture, readings, and student0directed discussion course dealing with fundamental biophysical processes and function of major neurophysiology organ systems, illustrated with pathophysiological structures and function, and their relationship to disease. The course will also examine current therapeutic approaches and active areas of research interest.
Seminar, readings and lecture course covering original research papers leading to the most significant advances in the neurological sciences. Emphasis is placed on student comprehension of major research directions in the broad field of neurological sciences.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7240 or equivalent and consent of instructor.
This course will provide graduate students with basic understanding of physiology and pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal and renal systems
A lecture and seminar course dealing with the physiology and biophysics of skeletal and cardiac muscle.
Lecture course examining developmental changes in lung/heart/brain, in the context of fetal environment, normal neonatal Physiology, Physiology of prenatal hypoxia in related neonatal disease. Prerequisites PGHY 7252, or consent of instructor.
A lecture and seminar course dealing with the physiology of the airways in the intact animal and with the role of smooth muscle in controlling airway function. The fundamental properties of airway smooth muscle in controlling airway function will be emphasized.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7240 or equivalent and consent of instructor.
A lecture and seminar course on advances in molecular and cellular aspects of endocrinology and other systems. The course is taught by members of the Gene Technology Group and topics will reflect current research interests. These include the roles of hormones/growth factors in cancer, growth and development, and reproduction, and the regulation of hormone gene families. This course is designed for individuals with knowledge in the areas of molecular and/or cell biology.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Lectures on basic principles of electricity and electronics of particular application to electrophysiology.
Lectures on the application of principles of electricity and electronics to electrophysiology.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7310.
A lecture and seminar course dealing with the biophysics, electrophysiology, pharmacology and biochemistry of the smooth muscle in the major organ systems.
A comprehensive lecture and seminar course on the electrical activity of the cardiovascular system. The fundamental electrical properties of cardiac and vascular muscle cell membranes, currents and channels as studied by intracellular microelectrodes, voltage clamp and patch clamp techniques will be stressed.
A comprehensive lecture course on disease in the cardiovascular system. Topics to be covered include methods of analysis of cardiac viability, heart failure, arrhythmias, heart diseases (congenital, valvular, pericardial, cardiomyopathy), hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7240.
This course will introduce the molecular and clinical differences between men and women in regards to heart health. The following content will be covered: cardiovascular risk assessment in women, overview of the different cardiovascular diseases more common in women, approaches to cardiovascular disease management, treatment and prevention, recovery and cardiac rehabilitation for women.
This is a comprehensive seminar-based course dealing with recent advances in cardiovascular research given by local fellows and prominent scientists. Students are expected to participate in the series and present their own research data seminar. This course will enable the trainees to learn how to prepare research seminars, handle question/answer sessions after a seminar and prepare a formal report.
This course introduces the principles of molecular biology and their application to the cardiovascular system in health and disease, with a focus on gene regulation, cardiac development and the use of transgenic models. The course comprises lectures and student self-directed learning assignments.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHGY 7254 or permission of instructor.
A comprehensive lecture course on morphology, biochemical composition and function of the cardiac and smooth muscle cell, with particular emphasis on developmental and injury-related issues. Topics include the description of various cardiac cells and their immediate extracellular environment, intercellular communication, cardiac development, control of cell cycle, hyperplasia and hypertrophy, cardiac growth factors, mechanism of injury and cell death, regeneration, heat shock proteins and cardioprotection.
Advanced course detailing new frontiers in the application of gene therapy and technological protocols currently utilized in treating cardiovascular diseases such as cardiomyopathy, hypertension, congenital birth defects and restenosis.
This course provides current concepts in vascular biology at the molecular level as well as the pathogenesis and treatment of vascular diseases for the purpose of graduate studies. Students may also learn up-to-date techniques in research of vascular cell biology and the diagnosis of vascular diseases through laboratory demonstrations.
The role of in vivo brain imaging (e.g., CT, MRI, PET, SPECT) have been rapidly increasing in the multiple disciplines that investigate the human brain in both clinical and nonclinical domains. The basic concepts, mechanisms and analytical techniques will be introduced for different imaging methods. Students will gain knowledge about what can be done and what cannot be done with each modality.
Lecture, seminar, tutorial and/or demonstration course devoted to basic structure and molecular functions of the different parts of the cell, beginning with the nucleus and concluding with the cell membrane. Topics include basic genetic inheritance principles, chromosomes and gene regulation, protein synthesis and sorting, mitochondrial functions and genetics, biochemical and electrical properties of cell membrane functions.
Lecture, seminar, tutorial and/or demonstration course devoted to the coordination and integration of cellular functions in complex multicellular organisms. Topics include functional interactions between extracellular matrix, cytoskeletons and membranes, cell and extracellular matrix interactions, cell-to-cell communication including signal transduction mechanisms, concepts in the regulation of cell growth and cell death and pluripotent stem cells, and their relevance to normal organ/body development and malignancy.
"Stem CellBiology" focuses on current knowledge of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. We will discuss different conceptual aspects of stem cell properties and potency with a solid coverage of fundamental concepts including stem cell niches and microenvironment. We will further highlight the importance of stem cells in relation to human diseases including cancer (cancer stem cells), spinal cord injury, stem cell modeling of neurological disorders, and transplantation. Finally, this course will have an informative session on important ethical issues surrounding embryonic stem cells. This course is suitable for a broad range of graduate students with relevant research interests in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: A basic course in Biology or consent of the instructor(s).
This course will introduce normal and cancer stem cell concepts, with an emphasis on the hierarchical of tumours and the diverse roles of tissue microenvironment in sculpting tumour cell phenotypes. Also, targeting of putative cancer stem cells will be discussed in the context of developing novel treatment strategies.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: Undergraduate course in cell biology or consent of instructor(s).
An interdepartmental multidisciplinary course providing a comprehensive overview of cellular, molecular, developmental and systems neuroscience, as well as the neurobiology of disease. Emphasis will be placed on the application of the fundamental principles of neuroscience to contemporary lab research. ANAT 7270 will provide instruction in neuroanatomy and structure-function in the nervous system.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
This course will discuss current concepts in Neural Stem Cells from basic neurobiology (development, fate specification and maintenance) to their potential clinical applications in treating a broad range of neurological disorders through cell transplantation as well as gene and drug delivery. Neural stem cells play critical roles in the nervous system and the course is developed to build the necessary knowledge for graduate students and residents within all disciplines in neurosciences.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: By instructor approval only.
Stem cell therapy opens up new avenues and has the potential to provide permanent solutions to many irreversible disorders in the body. This course will discuss different aspects of stem cell mediated repair and challenges involved in taking stem cells to the clinical applications. This course will further discuss the use of biomaterials based approaches to enhance homing and engraftment of transplanted stem cells in different organs. The course will also provide an overview of current status of stem based clinical trials, regulatory requirements in clinical practice, and ethical issues that arise.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: by instructor approval only.
This course has been designed to provide doctoral students with an overview of evidence-based principles of learning and teaching, and to enable them to incorporate these principles into the scientific teaching theory, within the context of Bioscience education. The course also prepares the students, as future faculty, to think about learning and teaching as a scholarly endeavor.
This lecture-based course covers the fundamentals of cellular/molecular neurobiology of the nervous system. It will normally be offered on a two year cycle, and students interested in registering should contact the Course Director.
This lecture-based course covers the fundamentals of development and plasticity of the nervous system. It will normally be offered on a two year cycle, and students interested in registering should contact the Course Director.
This lecture-based course covers the fundamentals of systems based neuroscience. It will normally be offered on a two year cycle, and students interested in registering should contact the Course Director.
This lecture-based course covers the fundamental neurobiology of diseases of the nervous system. It will normally be offered on a two year cycle, and students interested in registering should contact the Course Director.
Biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids focused on those areas relevant to structure and function of the human body and disease processes. All students are expected to hace completed an introductory biochemistry course. The course will consist of lectures, tutorials, and assigned studies.
This course will examine how human evolutionary history and sociogenetic processes have shaped contemporary patterns of genetic variation, how we can use these patterns to understand the histories and relationships of contemporary human populations, and appropriate methods to assay and interpret these genetic variation patterns.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: Incoming students must have passed the graduate Medical Genetics (IMED 7170) course or its undergraduate equivalent, Introduction to Human Genetics (BGEN 3020), or equivalent course prior to taking this course.
This course will examine the latest genetic evidence on the origins and evolution of anatomically modern humans and their peopling of the world, the coevolution of genes and culture, and the emergence and dispersal of genetic risk factors for Mendelian and complex diseases and traits that afflict contemporary human populations.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: Incoming students must have passed the Foundations in Human Population and Evolutionary Genetics (IMED 7130) or an equivalent course prior to taking this course.
Designed to introduce graduate students to the field of human genetics. Both basic science and clinical issues will be discussed in this course.
For students who wish to understand advances made in medicine/biology through molecular and developmental approaches. Topics for discussion will be selected from the recent literature in consultation with participating students. The course will consist of lectures and discussions as well as written and oral presentation of papers by the students.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
This interdisciplinary courses deals with the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying immunologically mediated human diseases.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisites: IMMU 7070 plus cognate courses in human biology or by consent of instructors.
Biology of cancer including genetics, biochemistry, diagnostics and therapeutics with a focus on fundamental, translational and clinical application.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: All students are expected to have completed an introductory biochemistry, cell biology or genetics course and will require consent of instructor.
Emphasis on current understanding about the dynamic mechanisms that instruct when and where genomic DNA is turned on or off. We will discuss the epigenetic mechanisms that control differentiation of specialized cell types during development. Additionally, this course will highlight recent advancements on the impact of epigenetics in neurodevelopmental diseases with regards to the etiology, progression, diagnosis and treatment. In this respect, application of stem cell biologyin regenerative medicine, genome-wide genetic-epigentic strategies and gene therapy approaches will be discussed.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: A basic course in biology, or consent of instructor.
(Formerly: PATH 7020) This course introduces the student to the basic principles of disease processes, with use of case models to illustrate mechanisms. An assigned review, in conjunction with an essay and power point presentation will form part of the course. There are no course prerequisites.
This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge on nucleic acids structure and function. It will highlight how DNA and RNA contribute to the mechanisms and underlying normal development as well as pathologies including cancer and genetic diseases. To be fully beneficial for the student, it is highly recommended that this course be taken together with IMED 7244.
This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge on nucleic acids manipulation. It will highlight how DNA and PNA can be modified and used in Biomedical Research. To be fully beneficial for the student, it is highly recommended that this course be taken together with IMED 7242.
“Medical Computational Biology” provides the basic knowledge necessary for students to pursue research in the use of computational methods in biomedical research. The course will focus on concepts necessary for applying computation to genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics experimental data and their application to topics relevant to human health. This course is suitable for a broad range of students with interest in large scale biomedical research.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisites: a basic course in biology and mathematics or the consent of the instructor(s).
Emphasizes current principles of organ system development and its application to transgenic approaches to gene function in the context of a whole, developing organism.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisites: IMED 7090 or consent of instructor.
Theory and practice of modern microscopy, optics, molecular imaging, and analyses used in health research. Participants will gain in depth knowledge through seminars by local and external experts in the field and by hands-on laboratory work in preparing samples for imaging and analyses. Images will be acquired using equipment at the Genomic Centre for Cancer Research and Diagnosis at the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology. Students will also participate in interactive tutorials and journal club.
Seminar course in which students will learn about innovative methods and advanced analyses of molecular imaging in biomedical research including 2-dimentional and 3-dimensional fluorescent in situ hybridization, live-cell imaging, spectral imaging, and multi-colour imaging. Students will participate in hands-on laboratory exercises, interactive tutorials and journal club.
Seminar course in which students will learn about functional genomics and approaches to whole genome analyses using array technologies. Course content will be delivered by local and external experts in the field. Students will participate in hands-on laboratory exercises with micro-array platforms and computer-based data analyses, interactive tutorials and journal club.
A course theoretical and practical instruction in scientific investigation, including research ethics, research design, data evaluation and presentation, as well as critical reviewing and preparation of applications for research funding.