COLLABORATIVE SPECIALIZATION IN DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

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Welcome to the Collaborative Specialization in Developmental Biology!

The Collaborative Program in Developmental Biology at the University of Toronto brings together researchers in eight university graduate departments: Biochemistry, Cell & Systems Biology, Immunology, Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Medical Science, Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, Molecular Genetics and Physiology. The program is open to MSc, MASc, MHSc, and PhD students in the host departments who investigate aspects of development under the supervision of a member of the program.

Please direct inquiries to the Program Director, Ian Scott (ian.scott@sickkids.ca)

Important DATES


October 3rd, 2025: Roberto Mayor seminar

November 5th, 2025: Marianne Bronner seminar

January 28th, 2026: Elizabeth Gavis seminar

February 25th, 2026: Luis Parada seminar

March 25th, 2026: Stefano di Talia seminar

April 24th, 2026: Eric Lai seminar

May 2026: annual Retreat (date tbd)

 
 
 
 

ADMISSION

 
 
 
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 Admission to the Developmental Biology Program

The Collaborative Specialization in Developmental Biology is an interdepartmental MSc MASc, MHSc and PhD program. If you would like to enroll in the Program, you must:

  1. Be registered as a graduate student in one of the program's host departments (see participating departments below)

  2. Be studying under the supervision of one of the Collaborative Program's faculty members

  3. Submit a completed application form for the Collaborative Program

If you meet these requirements, simply download and complete the Collaborative Specialization in Developmental Biology application form and email to Cindy Todoroff <todoroff@lunenfeld.ca>

More details on Collaborative Specialization (CS) programs at U of T.

 
 

COURSES

 
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Students

Students in the program: please remember to indicate your enrolment in the Collaborative Program on your registration form each year . You should also make sure that you are registered in the "Seminars in Developmental Biology" course, JDB1026Y (PhD students) or "Topics in Developmental Biology" course, JDB1024Y (MSc MHSc MASc students)  every year until you have presented twice (one seminar + one poster for PhD students) or one poster (MSc MHSc,MASc students) at the program's annual retreat or  mini symposium and have received a grade.

 Course requirements

PhD students enrolled in the Developmental Biology Program are required to take the following two courses:

  • JDB1025H - Developmental Biology (Next offerings: Winters 2023 and 2024)

  • JDB1026Y - Seminars in Developmental Biology

MSc MASc. MHSc students enrolled in the Developmental Biology Program are required to take the following course:

  • JDB1024Y - Topics in Developmental Biology

 
 

WHO WE ARE

 
 
 
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Faculty

Current Students

PhD

  • Aditi Aggarwal - Li lab - MG

  • Zaleena Akheralie - Huang lab - MG

  • Nour-Zaynab Bazzi - Sawh lab - BCH

  • Phoebe Bhagoutie - Saltzman - CSB

  • Casey Carlisle - Scott lab - MG

  • Chien-Hui Chang - Derry lab - MG

  • Matthew Chang - Protze lab - MG

  • Ran (Tony) Cheng - Derry lab - MG

  • Wendy Choi - Li/Wilson labs - MG

  • Kevin Dockery - Brill lab - MG

  • Alexis Ejeckam - Cox lab - PHYS

  • Sonia Encinas Leal - Juriscova lab - PHYS

  • Vida Erfani - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Esra Erkut - Scott lab - MG

  • Brook Falk - Brill lab - MG

  • Yifei (Evelyn) Fang - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Sebastian Fuentes Otalora - Claycomb lab - MG

  • Aastha Ghandi - Dowling lab - MG

  • Donna Guan - Bruce and Harris labs - CSB

  • Biangtong (Kelly) Han - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Alyssa Ialongo - Rhee lab - CSB

  • Marynelle Icmat - Brill lab - MG

  • Ismail Irshaid - Claycomb lab - MG

  • Sasha Korolov - Fernandez-Gonzalez lab - IBBME

  • Tammy Lee - Saltzman lab - CSB

  • Chengyin (Linda) Li - Saltzman lab - CSB

  • Kailynn MacGillivray - Saltzman lab - CSB

  • Bryn Martin - Ramalho-Santos lab - MG

  • Charlotte Martin - Calarco lab - CSB

  • Tara McDonnell - Tropepe lab - CSB

  • Una McNally - Harris lab - CSB

  • Anastasia Minenkova - Hurd/Li labs - MG

  • Simon Monis - Wilson lab - MG

  • Rowan Naidoo - Harris lab - CSB

  • Jevithen Nehru - Saltzman lab - CSB

  • Haruka Nishimura - Li lab - MG

  • Maryam Pashaei - Juriscova lab - PHYS

  • Clarissa Pasiliao - Hopyan lab - MG

  • Willow Peterson - Fernandez-Gonzalez lab - IBBME

  • Riya Philip - Hurd lab - MG

  • Sharanja Premachandran - Calarco lab - CSB

  • Patrick Pumputis - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Marie Rachel - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Mathias Renaud - Claycomb lab - MG

  • Victoria Saba Echezarreta - Scott lab - MG

  • Damo Shi - Harris lab - CSB

  • Mayu Shimomura - Hurd lab - MG

  • Jeff Stulberg - Tropepe - CSB

  • Nathan Stutt - Scott lab - MG

  • Sara Sugin - Juriscova lab - PHYS

  • Bina Sugumar - Calarco lab - CSB

  • Mona Wang - Zhen lab - MG

  • Zhuyi Wang - Smibert lab - MG

  • Tiang Xiong - Hayes lab - MG

  • Leo Xu - Harris lab - CSB

  • Ran Xu - Ciruna lab - MG

  • Ssu-Yu Yeh - Rhee lab - CSB

  • Catherine Zhang - Brill lab - MG

  • Autumn Zocher - Derry lab - MG

  • Morgan Zych - Cox lab - PHYS

MSc

  • Gary Chatha - Erclik lab - CSB

  • Florence Chu - Brill lab - MG

  • Hope Dewan - Brill lab - MG

  • Shih-Yi Fan - van der Kooy lab - IMS

  • Jooyeong Kwak - Rosenblum lab - PHYS

  • Kate Patton - Cox lab - PHYS

  • Eleanor Rugharil - Claycomb lab - MG

 

 

 
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Past students

A complete list of Program graduates can be found here.

Steering Committee members

  • Ian Scott - Director, Dept. of Molecular Genetics

  • John Calarco - Dept. of Cell & Systems Biology

  • Yun Li - Dept. of Molecular Genetics

  • Arneet Saltzman - Dept. of Cell & Systems Biology

  • Zaleena Akheralie - Student Representative, Dept. of Molecular Genetics

  • Marynelle Icmat - Student Representative, Dept. of Molecular Genetics

  • Charlotte Martin - Student Representative, Dept. of Cell & Systems Biology

  • Una McNally - Student Representative, Dept. of Cell & Systems Biology

PAST NEWSLETTERS

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