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• Email: ross.mackay [at] mcgill.ca

• Email: grad.hg [at] mcgill.ca

The Department of Human Genetics provides a unified curriculum of study in genetics. Areas of specialization include:

• biochemical genetics
• genetics of development
• animal models of human diseases
• cancer genetics
• molecular pathology
• gene therapy
• genetic dissection of complex traits
• genetics of infectious and inflammatory diseases
• non-mendelian genetics
• bioinformatics
• behavioural genetics
• neurogenetics
• bioethics
• genomics

Many of our faculty hold cross-appointments in various departments (including: biochemistry, biology, cardiology, medicine, microbiology, immunology, neurology, pathology, pediatrics, pharmacology, psychiatry, etc.) within the Faculties of Science and Medicine. This enables numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The Department conducts research on all sites of the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC), the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Life Sciences Complex, the , the Biomedical Ethics Unit, and the .

³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ offers specialized education in bioethics to graduate students in the Faculties of Medicine and Law, the School of Religious Studies, and the Department of Philosophy. The Master's degree Specialization in Bioethics is an interdisciplinary academic program that emphasizes both the conceptual and the practical aspects of bioethics.

**This program is currently not offered.****

Students successfully completing the Bioinformatics option at the M.Sc. level will be fluent in the concepts, language, approaches, and limitations of the field. Bioinformatics research lies at the intersection of biological/medical sciences and mathematics/computer science/engineering. The intention of the Bioinformatics Option is to train students to become researchers in this interdisciplinary field. This includes the development of strategies for experimental design, the construction of tools to analyze datasets, the application of modelling techniques, the creation of tools for manipulating bioinformatics data, the integration of biological databases and the use of algorithms and statistics.

Enrolment in the Bioinformatics option can only be approved after a student has been admitted into the Department. There is an agreement for the option that must be signed by the student, supervisor, and Department, and enrolment in the option is subject to space availability and other constraints that the Department cannot assess at the time of admission. For more information, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.

The M.Sc. in Genetic Counselling program provides the academic foundation and clinical training required for the contemporary practice of genetic counselling. Genetic counsellors are health professionals who provide information and support to families who have members with birth defects or genetic disorders and to families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. Genetic counsellors investigate the problem present in the family, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, and review available options with the family. Some counsellors also work in administrative and academic capacities, and many engage in research activities.

The curriculum includes a variety of required courses in human genetics and other departments, and 40 weeks of supervised clinical training spread over four semesters. Graduates will be eligible to sit for both the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors and the American Board of Genetic Counselling certification examinations. Upon completion of the M.Sc. in Genetic Counselling program, students will demonstrate competence in, or satisfactory knowledge of: principles of human genetics, including cytogenetics, biochemical, molecular, and population genetics; methods of interviewing and counselling, and the dynamics of human behaviour in relation to genetic disease; and social, legal, and ethical issues in genetics. Enrolment will be limited to four students.

The Department of Human Genetics provides a unified curriculum of study in genetics. Areas of specialization include: biochemical genetics, genetics of development, animal models of human diseases, cancer genetics, molecular pathology, gene therapy, genetic dissection of complex traits, genetics of infectious and inflammatory diseases, non-mendelian genetics, bioinformatics, behavioural genetics, neurogenetics, bioethics, and genomics. Many of our faculty hold cross-appointments in various departments (including: biochemistry, biology, cardiology, medicine, microbiology, immunology, neurology, pathology, pediatrics, pharmacology, psychiatry) within the Faculties of Science and Medicine. This enables numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The Department conducts research on all sites of the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC), the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Life Sciences Complex, the , the Biomedical Ethics Unit, and the .

**This program is currently not offered.**

Students successfully completing the Bioinformatics option at the Ph.D. level will be fluent in the concepts, language, approaches, and limitations of the field and have the capability of developing an independent Bioinformatics research program. Bioinformatics research lies at the intersection of biological/medical sciences and mathematics/computer science/engineering. The intention of the Bioinformatics option is to train students to become researchers in this interdisciplinary field. This includes the development of strategies for experimental design, the construction of tools to analyze datasets, the application of modelling techniques, the creation of tools for manipulating bioinformatics data, the integration of biological databases, and the use of algorithms and statistics.

Enrolment in the Bioinformatics option can only be approved after a student has been admitted into the Department. There is an agreement for the option that must be signed by the student, supervisor, and Department, and enrolment in the option is subject to space availability and other constraints that the Department cannot assess at the time of admission. For more information, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.