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Biochemistry (BIOC)
Location
Location
- McIntyre Medical Building, 9th Floor
- 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler
- Montreal QC H3G 1Y6
- Student Affairs Officer/Adviser, Christine Laberge
- Telephone: 514-398-2423
- Email: christine.laberge [at] mcgill.ca
- Website: www.mcgill.ca/biochemistry
About Biochemistry
About Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the application of molecular-biological, chemical, genetic, biophysical, and computational approaches to study the molecular bases of biological processes. Members and associate members of the Department of Biochemistry pursue research in a variety of biomedically important fields, including the following:
- The molecular bases of cancer; atherosclerosis and heart disease; Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders; cystic fibrosis and infectious diseases; and the development of more effective therapies to treat these diseases;
- Control of cell growth, death, and differentiation;
- The organization and function of complex, dynamic cellular structures like the nuclear genome, cellular membranes, and the cytoskeleton;
- Molecular mechanisms and control of gene expression, at levels ranging from chromosome structure and RNA synthesis (transcription) to protein synthesis, trafficking, and degradation.
Lying at the crossroads of biology, chemistry, and medicine, modern biochemistry seeks to provide an integrated understanding of phenomena like these from the molecular level all the way to the whole-cell and whole-organism level. Research tools used in contemporary biochemistry and molecular biology include high-throughput and genome-wide screening methodologies; biophysical methods to study single molecules in living cells and to determine the structures of molecules in atomic detail; sophisticated microscopic approaches to studying phenomena like protein trafficking and gene expression at the single-cell level; transgenic and genome-editing approaches to elucidating the function of individual genes in living organisms in unprecedented detail; and bioinformatics approaches to analyzing large datasets and to investigating the complex workings of living systems through computational simulations.
The Department of Biochemistry offers three undergraduate programs: Major, Honours, and Liberal. The Major and Honours programs provide a sound background for students who wish to pursue a career in biochemistry or related disciplines, and can lead to postgraduate studies in Medicine, as well as to research and technical careers. The Liberal program is less specialized, allowing a greater number and variety of courses in other fields of interest.
During the first year, each program provides introductory lecture and laboratory courses in biochemistry, as well as basic courses in cell and molecular biology and organic and physical chemistry. In the second and third years, the programs offer an expanded focus in biochemistry through lecture courses, a second laboratory course in biochemistry, and opportunities to carry out research projects in faculty members' laboratories through our BIOC 396, BIOC 462 and BIOC 491 courses. Students can also take a variety of complementary courses in other biological, biomedical, and chemical disciplines in their second and third years.
Undergraduate programs in Biochemistry provide students with a solid conceptual understanding of our expanding knowledge of the molecular bases of biology and medicine, together with practical laboratory training in modern methods of biochemical analysis. This training provides students with a strong and well-rounded background for postgraduate study in a variety of biomedical disciplines, for careers in the health professions; in the biotechnology, biomedical, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries; and for research and technical positions in the government and academic sectors.
Further information is available on the Department of Biochemistry website.
Biochemistry (BIOC) Faculty
Biochemistry (BIOC) Faculty
Chair |
---|
Albert M. Berghuis (Interim) |
Emeritus Professors |
Rhoda Blostein; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.), F.R.S.C. (joint appt. with Medicine) |
Peter E. Braun; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Br. Col.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) |
Robert E. MacKenzie; B.Sc.(Agr.)(McG.), M.N.S., Ph.D.(Cornell) |
Edward A. Meighen; B.Sc.(Alta.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) |
Walter E. Mushynski; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) |
Clifford P. Stanners; B.Sc.(McM.), M.A., Ph.D.(Tor.) |
Maria Zannis-Hadjopoulos; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Professors |
Nicole Beauchemin; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Albert M. Berghuis; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Rijks Univ. Groningen), Ph.D.(Br. Col.) (Canada Research Chair in Structural Biology) (joint appt. with Microbiology and Immunology) |
Philip E. Branton; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.), F.R.S.C. (Gilman Cheney Professor of Biochemistry) (joint appt. with Oncology) |
Imed Gallouzi; Maitrise, D.E.A., Ph.D.(Montpellier) (Canada Research Chair in Cellular Information Systems) |
Kalle Gehring; B.A.(Brown), M.Sc.(Mich.), Ph.D.(Calif., Berk.) (Chercheur National du FRSQ) |
Vincent Giguère; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Laval) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Philippe Gros; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Montr.), Ph.D.(McG.), F.R.S.C. (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) |
Roderick McInnes; B.Sc., M.D.(Dal.), Ph.D.(McG.) (Canada Research Chair in Neurogenetics) (joint appt. with Human Genetics) |
William Muller; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (Canada Research Chair in Molecular Oncology) (joint appt. with Medicine) |
Alain Nepveu; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Montr.), Ph.D.(Sher.) (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Morag Park; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Glasgow), F.R.S.C. (Diane & Sal Guerrera Chair in Cancer Genetics) (Director, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Center ) (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) (joint appt. with Oncology and Medicine) |
Arnim Pause; B.Sc., M.Sc.(U. Konstanz, Germ.), Ph.D.(McG.) |
Jerry Pelletier; B.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) (joint appt. with Oncology) |
Gordon C. Shore; B.Sc.(Guelph), Ph.D.(McG.) |
Joseph Shuster; B.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Calif.), M.D.(Alta.) (joint appt. with Medicine) |
John R. Silvius; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Alta.) |
Nahum Sonenberg; M.Sc., Ph.D.(Weizmann Inst.), F.R.S.C., F.R.S. (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) |
David Y. Thomas; B.Sc.(Brist.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Univ. Coll., Lond.), F.R.S.C. (Canada Research Chair in Molecular Genetics) (joint appt. with Human Genetics) |
Michel L. Tremblay; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Sher.), Ph.D.(McM.), F.R.S.C. (James 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Professor) (Jeanne & Jean-Louis Levesque Chair in Cancer Research) |
Associate Professors |
Maxime Bouchard; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Laval) (Canada Research Chair in Kidney Disease) |
Josée Dostie; B.Sc.(Sher.), Ph.D.(McG.) (CIHR New Investigators Award; Chercheur Boursier du FRSQ) |
Thomas Duchaine; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.) (Chercheur Boursier du FRSQ) |
Bhushan Nagar; B.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.) (Canada Research Chair in the Structural Biology of Signal Transduction) |
Julie St-Pierre; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Laval), Ph.D.(Camb.) (Chercheur Boursier du FRSQ) |
Jose Teodoro; B.Sc.(W. Ont.), Ph.D.(McG.) (CIHR New Investigators Award) |
Jason C. Young; B.Sc.(Tor.), Ph.D.(McM.) (Canada Research Chair in Molecular Chaperones) |
Assistant Professors |
Uri David Akavia; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tel Aviv) |
Sidong Huang; B.A.(Boston), Ph.D.(Calif.) (CIHR New Investigators Award; Canadian Research Chair in Functional Genomics) |
Martin Schmeing; B.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Yale) (Canada Research Chair in Macromolecular Machines) |
Ian Watson; Ph.D.(Tor.) (joint appt. with the Goodman Cancer Research Centre) |
Associate Members |
Gary Brouhard (Biology) |
Edward A. Fon (Neurology and Neurosurgery) |
Jacques Genest (Medicine) |
Michael Hallett (Bioinformatics) |
Robert Scott Kiss (Medicine) |
Gergely Lukacs (Physiology) |
Vassilios Papadopoulos (Medicine) |
Janusz Rak (Pediatrics) |
Stéphane Richard (Medicine/Oncology) |
Reza Salavati (Parasitology) |
Maya Saleh (Medicine) |
Erwin Schurr (Ct. for Study of Host Resistance, MGH) |
Peter Siegel (Medicine) |
Ivan Topisirovic (Medicine/Oncology) |
Youla Tsantrizos (Chemistry) |
Bernard Turcotte (Medicine) |
Josie Ursini-Siegel (Medicine/Oncology) |
Simon Wing (Medicine) |
Xiang-Jiao Yang (Medicine) |
Adjunct Professors |
Philip Awadalla (Montr.) |
Mirek Cygler (Biochemistry, Sask.) |
Jacques Drouin (IRCM) |
Anny Fortin (Dafra Pharma) |
Matthias Götte (Alta.) |
Enrico Purisima (NRC/BRI) |
René Roy (UQAM) |
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biochemistry (47 credits)
For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biochemistry (47 credits).
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Biochemistry (64 credits)
Students may transfer into the Major program at any time, provided they have met all course requirements.
For more information, see Major Biochemistry (64 credits).
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Biochemistry (73 credits)
Admission to the Honours program will not be granted until U2. Students who wish to enter the Honours program in U2 should follow the U1 Major program. Those who satisfactorily complete the U1 Major program with a GPA of at least 3.20 and a mark of B- or better in every required course are eligible for admission to the Honours program. ...
For more information, see Honours Biochemistry (73 credits).
Biochemistry (BIOC) Related Programs
Biochemistry (BIOC) Related Programs
Interdepartmental Honours in Immunology
Interdepartmental Honours in Immunology
For more information, see Immunology. This program is offered by the Departments of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Physiology.
Students interested in the program should contact:
- Dr. C. Piccirillo
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Telephone: 514-934-1934, ext. 76143
- Email: ciro.piccirillo [at] mcgill.ca
OR
- Dr. Monroe Cohen
- Physiology
- Telephone: 514-398-4342
- Email: monroe.cohen [at] mcgill.ca