Ottawa-Carleton Joint Program

Established in 1984, the Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology (OCIB) combines the research strengths of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. The Institute offers graduate programs leading to the master’s (MSc) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in Biology.

Research facilities are shared between the two campuses. Students have access to the professors, courses and facilities at both universities; however, they must register at the “home university” of the thesis supervisor.

Members of the Institute are engaged in three main research fields: cell and molecular biology; ecology, behaviour and systematics; and, physiology and biochemistry. Additional information is posted in the departmental website.

Most of the courses in these programs are offered in English. Research activities can be conducted either in English, French or both, depending on the language used by the professor and the members of his or her research group.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, students have a right to produce their work, their thesis, and to answer examination questions in French or in English.

The program operates within the general framework of the regulations and procedures for Joint Graduate Programs and the general regulations of the graduate faculty at each of the two universities. The general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) of the University of Ottawa are posted on the FGPS website.

The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses. A complete list of the faculty and staff members associated with the program can be found at http://www.biology.uottawa.ca/students/current_grad.html

AKIMENKO, Marie-Andree, Cross-appointment
Genetic control of fin development and regeneration in zebrafish

ARIS-BROSOU, Stéphane, Cross-appointment
Computational molecular evolution; population genetics

ARNASON, John, Full Professor
Plant secondary chemicals; plant-insect interaction

BLAIS, Jules, Associate Professor
Environmental toxicology

BLOUIN-DEMERS, Gabriel, Associate Professor
Ecology; behaviour; and physiology

BONEN, Linda, Full Professor
The structure, expression and evolution of mitochondrial genes in plants; events that are essential for respiratory function

BOUCHARD, Patrice, Adjunct Professor

CHAN, Laurie, Full Professor

CHAPLEAU, François, Full Professor
Systematics and ecology of fishes

CHAREST, Christiane, Associate Professor
Plant eco-physiology

CORRADI, Nicolas, Assistant Professor
Evolutionary genomics of ecologically relevant and medically important fungi

CURRIE, David, Full Professor
Big picture ecology; the patterns of ecosystem structure and function

DARVEAU, Charles-Antoine
Metabolic rate diversity and evolution; physiological and biochemical evolution; phenotypic plasticity in insect flight; acclimation and evolution

DROUIN, Guy, Full Professor
Evolution of multi gene families; concerted evolution of 5S ribosomal RNA genes; characteristics and effects of gene conversion between multi gene family members

EKKER, Marc, Cross-appointment
Function and regulation of vertebrate Dlx genes; fate of duplicate genes in evolution; transgenic zebrafish as tools in screens for new mutations and in functional genomics

FINDLAY, C. Scott, Associate Professor
Conservation biology, ecosystem management, ecological risk assessment, evolution of resistance, cancer, weight of evidence, scientific uncertainty, traditional knowledge

GILLESPIE, Lynn J., Adjunct Professor
Aquatic plant biodiversity and long term monitoring, taxonomy and phylogeny of the Euphorbiaceae (a primarily tropical flowering plant family, which includes the economically important plants, rubber tree, cassava and poincettia), molecular systematics of arctic flowering plants; including hybridization and introgression

GILMOUR, Kathleen, Associate Professor
Integration of behaviour and physiology in rainbow trout, Ionoregulatory challenges and stress in rainbow trout; gas exchange and acid-base balance in fish

JOHNSON, Douglas, Associate Professor
Identification of molecular markers in barely; wheat and other grains; and to investigate seed coat development in soybeans

JONZ, Michael
Morphology; neurophysiology; and development of sensory systems in vertebrates

KASSEN, Rees
The evolution of the niche and the fate of diversity with particular attention paid to the importance of environmental heterogeneity as a general explanation for diversity patterns, the origins of diversity and the genetics of adaptive radiation, the evolution of diversity through social interactions among species

KENNEDY, Sean W., Adjunct Professor
Environmental toxicology

KERR, Jeremy, Associate Professor
The influence of human activities on spatial patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem function

LEWIS, John
Systems and computational neurobiology; sensory physiology

MOON, Thomas, Full Professor
Comparative physiology; biochemistry

MORIN, Antoine, Full Professor
Ecology and control of black flies; size spectra of stream assemblages; impacts of human activities on running water ecosystems; primary and secondary productivity of running waters, heavy metal contamination of invertebrate communities of the St Lawrence River; near Cornwall; empirical and predictive models in running water ecology; role of meiofauna in the nitrogen cycle in marine mesocosms, sesign and optimization of sampling programs

OUELLETTE, Therese, Adjunct Professor
Plant molecular pathology; plant molecular biology

PERRY, Steve, Full Professor
Respiratory and cardiovascular physiology

PICK, Frances, Full Professor
Behavior, ecology and systematics, algae, algal toxins, lakes, metals, rivers, water pollution, wetlands

POULAIN, Alexandre, Assistant Professor
The fate of contaminants in temperate and polar ecosystems in order to better predict their mobility and toxicity

RIDAL, Jeffrey, Adjunct Professor

RODRIGUE, Nicolas, Adjunct Professor

ROLLAND-LAGAN, Anne-Gaëlle, Assistant Professor
The main goal of developmental biology is to understand how different cell types arise, in an orderly spatial arrangement, during development, and in a consistent way each generation

RUNDLE, Howard, Assistant Professor
Evolutionary ecology and quantitative genetics

SARGENT, Risa, Assistant Professor
The evolutionary ecology of flowering plants and their pollinators.

SAVITCH, Leonid, Adjunct Professor

SEIFERT, Keith, Adjunct Professor
Fungal taxonomy; molecular diagnostics of fungi

STARR, Julian
Systematics is the science that names; classifies and determines the evolutionary relationships of living things; the breath of systematic problems from the identification and circumscription of species to the biogeography; evolution

TRUDEAU, Vance, Full Professor
Physiology and toxicology of reproduction

WALSH, Patrick, Full Professor
Variety of stressors (confinement, air-exposure, hypoxia, elevated ammonia, etc.) on the molecular physiology of fish

WEBER, Jean-Michel, Full Professor
Metabolic physiology

WHITE, Paul, Adjunct Professor
Genotoxicity

XIA, Xuhua, Associate Professor
Molecular evolution and bioinformatics

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Be the holder of a bachelor’s degree with a specialization, or a major in Biology (or equivalent) with a minimum average of 70% (B).
• Demonstrate a good academic performance in previous studies as shown by official transcripts, research reports, abstracts or any other documents demonstrating research skills.
• Provide at least two confidential letters of recommendation from professors who have known the applicant and are familiar with the student work.
• Provide a statement of purpose indicating the career goals and the interests in the proposed research area.
• Identify at least one professor who is willing and available to act as thesis supervisor.

NOTE: The choice of supervisor will determine the primary campus location of the student. It will also determine which university awards the degree.

Collaborative Programs

The Department of Biology is a participating unit in the collaborative programs in Bioinformatics, in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology and in Environmental Sustainability. Students should indicate in their initial application for admission that they wish to be accepted into one of the collaborative programs. For further details, see the description of the programs posted on the FGPS website.

MSc in Biology

• Six credits of graduate courses at the 5000 level or above in biology or in related disciplines approved by the Department of Biology.
• Enrollment in the seminar course BIO5900, which involves the presentation of a seminar and regular attendance at the departmental seminars.
• Thesis (BIO7999).
• The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail six credits, or the thesis proposal, or the comprehensive exam, or whose research progress report is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw from the program.

Collaborative Program in Bioinformatics

• 3 compulsory credits in bioinformatics (BNF5106 / BIO5106).
• Enrollment in the seminar course in bioinformatics (BNF6100), which involves a written report, the presentation of a seminar, and regular attendance at departmental seminars.
• Presentation and defence of a research thesis on a topic in bioinformatics based on original research carried out under the supervision of a faculty member participating in the bioinformatics collaborative program.
• The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail 6 credits, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw from the program.

Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability (with Thesis)

• Satisfactory completion of the Environmental Sustainability seminar (EVD5100 or EVD5500, 3 credits).
• Presentation and defence of a thesis on a topic in environmental sustainability based on research carried out under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the student`s primary program and/or of the collaborative program. The Collaborative Program Committee determines whether or not the topic of the thesis is appropriate for the designation “Specialization in Environmental Sustainability.” At least one of the thesis examiners must be a member of the Environmental Sustainability collaborative program.
• The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail 6 credits, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw from the program.

Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability (with Research Paper)

• Satisfactory completion of the Environmental Sustainability seminar course (EVD5100 or EVD5500, 3 credits).
• Satisfactory completion of one course (3 credits) selected from a list of optional courses for the Collaborative Program in Environmental Sustainability.
• Satisfactory completion of the research paper, which must be on a topic in the area of environmental sustainability, carried out under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the student`s primary program and/or of the collaborative program. The Collaborative Program Committee determines whether or not the topic of the research paper is appropriate for the designation “Specialization in Environmental Sustainability.” The research paper is evaluated by two professors, one of whom is selected by the primary program, and the other by the Collaborative Program Director, on the advice of the Collaborative Program Committee.
• The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail 6 credits, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw from the program.

Collaborative Program in Chemical Environmental Toxicology

• 3 compulsory credits of an introductory course in chemical and environmental toxicology (CHM8156 ou BIO9104).
• Enrollment in the seminar course in toxicology (TOX9105), which involves the presentation of a seminar, and regular attendance at the seminars presented by the Department.
• Presentation and defense of a thesis in toxicology based on an original research carried out under the supervision of a faculty member participating in the chemical and environmental toxicology collaborative program.
• The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 credits), the thesis proposal, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory must withdraw from the program.

Transfer from Master’s to PhD Program

Duration of Program

Residence

Thesis Advisory Committee

Academic Unit Coordinates