164 College Street, Room 407 Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9 World Wide Web: http://www.ibbme.utoronto.ca For Admission and Program inquiries, please contact: Biomedical Engineering & Collaborative Programs (416) 978-4841 Clinical Engineering Program (416) 978-6102
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WELCOME
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering we would like to extend a warm welcome to you. Whether you are new to the Institute or continuing in your graduate studies here at the University of Toronto we hope that this handbook will be of assistance to you. We would appreciate your comments and suggestions and look forward to helping you with you graduate experience.
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TABLE CONTENTS
1.0 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 6 2.0 GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT THE INSTITUTE .............................................................................. 6 2.1 The Biomedical Engineering Program ................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Program Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 The Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering ........................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Departments in the Collaborative Program ..................................................................................... 8 2.3 The Clinical Biomedical Engineering Program ..................................................................................... 8 2.3.1 Program Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 How do I decide what program is right for me? ................................................................................... 9 3.0 GRADUATE PROGRAMS: ADMISSIONS ......................................................................................... 9 3.1 General Admission Requirements ....................................................................................................... 10 3.2 General Admission Requirements for Candidates Educated Outside of Canada................................. 10 3.3 Application Packages ........................................................................................................................... 11 3.4 Application Deadline ........................................................................................................................... 11 3.5 Selecting a Supervisor M.A.Sc. & PhD ............................................................................................ 11 3.6 Selecting a Supervisor M.H.Sc. ........................................................................................................ 12 3.6.1 Time Frame to Select Your Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................. 12 3.6.2 How to Find A Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................................ 12 3.7 Financial Support M.A.Sc. & Ph.D. ................................................................................................. 13 3.8 Financial Support M.H.Sc. ................................................................................................................ 14 4.0 REGISTRATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ........................................................................ 15 4.1 Late Registration .................................................................................................................................. 15 4.2 Dual Registration ................................................................................................................................. 15 4.3 Deferred Payment of Fees .................................................................................................................... 15 5.0 GRADUATE PROGRAMS: REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 16 5.1 The Biomedical Engineering Program M.A.Sc. ............................................................................... 16 5.1.1 Required Courses .......................................................................................................................... 16 5.1.2 Seminar Requirements .................................................................................................................. 17 5.1.3 Thesis Progress Committee Meeting Requirements ..................................................................... 17
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5.1.3.1 Master Progress Committee ....................................................................................................... 17 5.1.4 Direct Transfer (Bypass) from the BME M.A.Sc. to a Ph.D. ....................................................... 18 5.1.4.1 Bypass Examination Committee ................................................................................................ 18 5.2 The Biomedical Engineering Program Ph.D. .................................................................................... 18 5.2.1 Course Requirements forPh.D. Program....................................................................................... 19 5.2.2 Seminar requirements ................................................................................................................... 19 5.2.3 Committee Requirements .............................................................................................................. 19 5.3 Direct Admission to the Ph.D. Program, Program Requirements........................................................ 19 5.3.1 Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee ................................................................................... 20 5.4 Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering M.A.Sc ............................................................. 20 5.4.1 Committee Requirements M.A.Sc. Collaborative Program ....................................................... 20 5.5 Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. ................................................................ 21 5.5.1 Committee Requirements Ph.D. Collaborative Program ........................................................... 21 5.6 Clinical Biomedical Engineering Program M.H.Sc. ......................................................................... 21 5.6.1 Composition of M.H.Sc. Progress Committee ............................................................................. 21 5.6.2 Responsibilities of M.H.Sc. Progress Committee ....................................................................... 22 5.6.3 Committee Meetings ................................................................................................................... 22 5.6.3.1 Frequency of Committee Meetings ............................................................................................ 22 5.6.4 Course Requirements .................................................................................................................... 24 6.0 ENROLMENT AND COURSE WORK .............................................................................................. 24 6.1 Adding and Dropping Courses ............................................................................................................. 25 6.2 Grading and Evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 25 6.3 Extra Courses Not Required for the Degree ........................................................................................ 25 7.0 THESIS REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................. 25 7.1 Biomedical Engineering Program: M.A.Sc. ........................................................................................ 25 7.2 Biomedical Engineering Program: Ph.D. ............................................................................................. 25 7.2.1 Departmental Examination ........................................................................................................... 26 7.2.2 Final Oral Examination ................................................................................................................. 26 7.3 M.H.Sc. Thesis and Defense ............................................................................................................... 26 7.3.1 Time Frame to Complete Your Thesis .......................................................................................... 26 7.3.2 Membership of the Examining Committee: .................................................................................. 27
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7.3.3 Scheduling Your Oral Examination ............................................................................................ 27 7.3.4 Distribution of Your Thesis .......................................................................................................... 27 7.3.5 M.H.Sc. Defense ........................................................................................................................... 27 7.3.6 Post-Examination Requirements .................................................................................................. 28 8.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................... 28 8.1 Supervision: What you should Expect ................................................................................................. 28 8.2 Safety ................................................................................................................................................... 29 8.3 Ethics.................................................................................................................................................... 29 8.4 Intellectual Property and the Graduate Student ................................................................................... 29 8.5 Transfer to other programs ................................................................................................................... 29 8.6 Change of Address ............................................................................................................................... 29 8.7 Office Space and Keys ......................................................................................................................... 29 8.8 Mailbox ................................................................................................................................................ 29 8.9 Student Cards and E-mail Address ...................................................................................................... 30 8.10 Purchases............................................................................................................................................ 30 8.11 Fax and Photocopy ............................................................................................................................. 30 8.12 Payroll ................................................................................................................................................ 30 8.13 Thesis Reimbursement ....................................................................................................................... 30 8.14 Guidelines on Graduate Student Personal Time Off .......................................................................... 30 8.14 BESA (BioEngineering Student Association) ................................................................................... 31 8.15 The Essential Grad Guide ................................................................................................................. 31 8.16 Important Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 32 Appendix A Committees Information ..................................................................................................... 34 Appendix B PhD Final Oral Exam (FOE) Timeline .............................................................................. 36 Appendix C Thesis Structure ................................................................................................................... 37 Appendix D - University of Toronto Fully Affiliated Teaching Hospitals ............................................. 39 Appendix E Collaborating Departments ................................................................................................ 40 Appendix F Graduate Course Descriptions............................................................................................ 41
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1.0 OVERVIEW
Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to integrate the principles of medicine and biology with those of engineering. It applies the methods of engineering, the physical sciences and mathematics to the solution of problems in the clinical and life sciences, and uses the principles and techniques of the life sciences in engineering. The Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) is an interdisciplinary organization based in the Faculties of Applied Science and Engineering, Dentistry, and Medicine. It was created in January 1999 as a merger of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Centre for Biomaterials, and the tissue engineering research group principally in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. The core and crossappointed faculty members have strong backgrounds in biomedical engineering and one or more of the core disciplines that form the basis of this interdisciplinary field; some are primarily engineers, while others are life scientists or physicians. The Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering principally seeks: (i) to educate undergraduate and graduate students to meet the needs of society and (ii) to conduct a program of basic and applied research. IBBME currently provides the academic and administrative resources for the Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program in Engineering Science, the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, the Graduate Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering, and the Graduate Program in Clinical Biomedical Engineering. In addition to providing Canada with highly qualified personnel and performing research of the highest academic standards, it serves the community by actively participating in the transfer of research results into clinical practice and into products and services of the Canadian health care industry. The Institute maintains a number of institutional collaborations in addition to the ones with cognate departments associated with the Collaborative Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program. These include membership in the Program in Neuroscience, the Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program, the Collaborative Graduate Program in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics and cooperative arrangements with the Imaging Group in the Department of Medical Biophysics.
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Engineering Program is a full time, research-intensive program leading toward the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. 2.1.1 Program Objectives At the Masters level, 1. To develop interdisciplinary skills that reach from biological sciences to modern materials science, systems modeling, computer science and bioprocess design. 2. To prepare graduates for careers in science and the health care 3. To allow graduates to utilize their engineering and life sciences backgrounds to design, develop and implement cutting edge biomedical technologies in industry, academia and clinical medicine. At the Ph.D. level, 1. To integrate the study of biology/medicine with engineering/physical sciences. 2. To transform biological perspectives into an analytical engineering form. 3. To prepare students for a career in teaching, research, or advanced development of the biomedical technology field and contribute to the economic development of Canada. 4. To provide the skills, philosophy and values to enable students to reach the forefront of leadership in biomedical engineering and have a direct impact on health care through the mentorship of world class faculty who shape the cutting edge of research. Registration in the Biomedical Engineering program is directly through IBBME. Collaborative Programs,
IBBME participates in several collaborative programs - Cardiovascular Science (http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/cal200809/programs/cvs.htm) - Neuroscience (http://www.neuroscience.utoronto.ca/Page4.aspx) - Genome Biology and Bioinformatics (http://www.biochemistry.utoronto.ca/cgb/index.php) Students who are in the Biomedical Engineering program in IBBME can also register to participate in these collaborative programs. They should contact the collaborative program coordinators for these specific programs for more details
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2.2.1 Departments in the Collaborative Program The graduate units currently involved in the Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering cross the Faculties of Medicine, Applied Science & Engineering, and Dentistry. The collaborating units are listed below: Biochemistry Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry Chemistry Dentistry Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Medical Biophysics Institute of Medical Science Pharmaceutical Science Physics Physiology Rehabilitation Science Registration in the Collaborative Program is through the collaborating graduate unit and then IBBME. All student admissions, records, financing, course registration and degree requirements are administered through the collaborating graduate unit.
2.3.1 Program Objectives 1. To provide advanced education and training for qualified engineers to enable them to meet the specialized needs for managing the technology in Canada's health care system 2. To ensure that graduates can function effectively in the broad biomedical engineering field. 3. To ensure that graduates have the background and skills to qualify for certification in clinical engineering.
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The Graduate Office then: reviews the application to determine if the minimum standards have been met if the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the Institute, admission will be granted if: a) a supervisor is found and, b) satisfactory completion of the previous degree at an Astanding if the applicant is not successful, the candidate is informed by e-mail If the applicant is very close to the IBBME minimum requirements, the Graduate Studies Committee
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may opt to hold on to the file for a maximum of one year. Should a supervisor be found within this time period, the application may go forward for admission. Admission to the Collaborative Program in Biomedical Engineering involves admission first by the collaborating graduate unit and then by the Institute. The applicant must meet the admission criteria of both units.
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In addition, applicants educated in a country where English is not the official language and who graduated from a university outside North America must provide either: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) paper-based minimum score of 600 + 4.5 on the TWE TOEFL internet-based score with a minimum score of 100 with no score less than 25 on the writing and speaking portions Alternate English Facility Tests acceptable to IBBME include MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and COPE (The Certificate of Proficiency in English). The minimum admission requirement does not guarantee admission into an Institute program due to the competitive nature of our program and limited number of graduate positions.
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members to discuss possible research projects. A mutual agreement between a student and the supervisor must be reached in order for the student to carry out research in the supervisors laboratory. Applicants who fail to find a supervisor will not be offered admission to the program. The selection of a supervisor is extremely important as it defines your area of research and determines the atmosphere that you will be working under for the next several years. You should treat this like you would any job interview. Many faculty members get up to 100 requests for supervision a year. When contacting a potential supervisor, you should identify that you have applied to the Institute, the program you have applied to, and your research interest. Mass e-mails are not appreciated by most faculty. It is usually easiest for the first contact to be by e-mail. If it is appropriate and further discussion is warranted, you should meet with the potential supervisor if at all possible and with the students currently in the laboratory. International students and students who cannot come to the University should discuss the research opportunity by phone if possible.
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There are two ways in which you might select a thesis supervisor: Method 1: Through a thesis proposal circulation by the CE office. From time to time, the CE office receives thesis proposals from potential thesis supervisors. After the proposals are approved by the program director, we will immediately circulate them among the first year students. If you are interested in the proposed project, you should contact the potential supervisor. Method 2: Through a self-directed search. Many of our students are very clear about their research interests and prefer to find their own thesis supervisor. There are two major sources of potential supervisors:
(i) Campus-based faculty: IBBME, the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering or the Faculty of Medicine. (ii) Hospital-based faculty: 10 affiliated teaching hospitals of the University of Toronto (See Appendix 1).
Students should look at the profiles and research interests of potential supervisors on the websites of the specific faculties, departments and hospitals. Normally, primary supervisors must have an affiliation with IBBME. Potential supervisors who do not have an IBBME affiliation but hold a primary appointment in another department at the University of Toronto may supervise a CE student, contingent on securing a cross-appointment to IBBME. Alternatively, in some instances, the primary supervisor may not require an IBBME affiliation, if there is a suitable co-supervisor who is IBBME-appointed.
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The Institute has four OGSST scholarships available for students in the Biomedical Engineering Program. Although NSERC is strictly reserved for Canadian citizens and permanent residents both OGS and OGSST are made available to international students with outstanding academic records. Some of these scholarships may be multi-year awards, in which case, it is the students responsibility to complete all necessary paperwork to allow continuation of his/her award. For students registered in the Biomedical Engineering or the Clinical Biomedical Engineering Programs, applications should be submitted to the IBBME graduate office. Students registered in the Collaborative Program should submit the application to the collaborating graduate unit. Information pertaining to each of the above scholarships can be found in: Web site: Deadline: Web site: Deadline: http://www.nserc.ca Students will be notified usually mid October Must be submitted to the Graduate Office
NSERC
OGS
http://osap.gov.on.ca/eng/not_secure/OGS.htm Students will be notified usually mid October Must be submitted to the Graduate Office April May of each year Students will be notified as it becomes available A maximum of two new awards are made to the incoming class. Only International PhD students are eligible to apply On-going support through this program will be contingent on demonstrated performance in research and eligibility and availability of funds.
Other external scholarships may be made available to students through the School of Graduate Studies at http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca. A limited number of Teaching Assistantship positions are also available to students who are officially registered in degree program at the University. Information about the available positions are usually posted approximately one - two months prior to the beginning of each term on the IBBME website. All terms and conditions of employment are set out in the Collective Agreement between the Canadian Union Public Employees (CUPE Local 3902) and the Governing Council of the University of Toronto.
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Besides the departmental scholarship, students also receive a thesis stipend from her/his thesis supervisors, usually starting from the date at which the thesis research project is initiated. The value of the thesis stipend from the supervisor varies depending on the level of the departmental scholarship. Outstanding students will be nominated for external scholarships such as NSERC, OGS and CIHR. Thesis supervisors are not required to top-up external scholarships (exceeding the level of the thesis stipend in a given year) but may do so at their own discretion. Students who are awarded external scholarships must notify their thesis supervisors immediately after they accept the award. Regardless of the method you use to choose a supervisor, you and your supervisor must complete and sign a Thesis Supervisor-Student Agreement Form. This formalizes the supervisors commitment to mentor you and to provide you with a stipend. Such an agreement is not final until it is approved by the CE program director.
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University of Toronto Fellowships, OGS, OGSST, NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, Connaught, Mary Beatty, TAS or RAS with full funding package fees can be deferred at departments. US Loans fees can be deferred at Admissions and Awards All other loans and awards fees can be deferred at SGS
This request should be submitted to IBBME or the appropriate collaborating department graduate office by mid-August in order to meet the deadline
Other students, professors, your supervisor and the graduate coordinator can provide advice on course selection. Selected course descriptions can be found in Appendix B. Students are expected to complete their course requirements within the first year of registration. Example of courses that meet the life sciences requirement for engineers and physical scientists are JPB 1022H Human Physiology as Related to Bioengineering, BME 1453H Cell and Tissue Engineering, and BME 1454H Regenerative Medicine. Example of courses that meet the engineering requirement for life scientists include BME 1453H Cell and Tissue Engineering, and JPB 1055H Bioengineering. In both cases, there are a large number of courses held in other departments that will meet either of the requirements. Check with the Graduate Coordinator if you are unsure. The supervisor AND the IBBME Graduate Co-coordinator must approve the course enrolment forms prior to course registration.
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5.1.2 Seminar Requirements Students are also required to attend a minimum of eight Graduate Student Seminar Series (BME1010Y) and present once every two years while they are registered as graduate students in the Institute 5.1.3 Thesis Progress Committee Meeting Requirements All students who are in the Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) Biomedical Enginering program are required to have at least one committee meeting within 12 months of registration. This meeting will consist of the following: 1. A progress report of not more than 20 pages. 2. A 20-minute oral presentation on the progress to date and future work. 3. Discussion of the thesis project. The initial progress report should include background information regarding previous research carried out in the field, what progress has been made to date with the students research project, any results achieved, and future work to be done. Charts and figures may be included in the report. For every committee meeting held, students must notify the Graduate Office 2 weeks in advance of the meeting. Via email, the student will need to indicate the date of the meeting, the thesis title and a list of committee members. The thesis supervisor and Chair of the committee must be indicated. If required, the Graduate Office may assist in booking a room for committee meetings. 5.1.3.1 Master Progress Committee This committee is comprised of a group of professors who will assist you and your supervisor in progressing through the M.A.Sc. program. The members of this committee are responsible for monitoring your progress on a regular basis and are expected to meet at least once every twelve months unless the committee or student elects to meet sooner. Satisfactory performance rating by the committee is a requirement for continued enrollment and funding in the M.A.Sc. program Your progress committee shall consist of a minimum of three voting members including your supervisor (one supervisor) or four voting members including your supervisors (two supervisors). Co-supervision by more than two supervisors will not be permitted. All voting committee members must be members of the School of Graduate Studies. Students are welcome to include non-voting members in the progress committee but must be aware of the requirement for voting membership for the final examination. Students are cautioned that large committees can become problematic for scheduling of meetings and examinations.
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5.1.4 Direct Transfer (Bypass) from the BME M.A.Sc. to a Ph.D. Students with excellent performance may be permitted to transfer (by-pass) into the Ph.D. program, under the same supervisor, after completing not more than 14 months of a Masters degree program. Approval of transfer will be evaluated on the basis of the students advanced research capabilities, as well as academic standing. M.A.Sc. students in the Biomedical Engineering Program who wish to transfer directly into to the Ph.D. Program and bypass the Master thesis examination are required to take a bypass examination within 14 months of registration in a M.A.Sc. Biomedical Engineering. If the candidate has spent more than 14 months in a M.A.Sc. program they will be expected to complete their thesis at the Master level and apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Students will be considered for bypass if they have a recommendation from their Masters Committee and/or their supervisor and have maintained an A- average at the Masters level. The bypass examination will consist of the following: 1. A report detailing progress to date and providing a preliminary Ph.D. research proposal. This report is to be 30 pages or less. 2. A 20-minute oral defense of the work to date and on the proposed research. Examination of the candidate will be based on both the oral presentation and the written proposal. The candidate will be expected to answer questions relative to the research proposal, background required to undertake the work and potential applications. The evaluation form is available through the graduate office. Students are expected to have completed all the appropriate course requirements by the date of the qualifying examination.
5.1.4.1 Bypass Examination Committee The bypass examination committee shall consist of the future Ph.D. progress committee plus one independent examiner with a minimum of four voting members (one supervisor) or five voting members (two supervisors). All voting committee members must be members of the School of Graduate Studies. The Ph.D. bypass exam will constitute the first Ph.D. progress committee meeting.
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5.2.1 Course Requirements forPh.D. Program Two-half credit courses in addition to those required at the Masters level. Students who transfer without completion of the Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering must complete the course requirements for both degrees (6 courses). Students with a life sciences background must take an engineering course; students with an engineering or physical science background must take a life science course. BME 1011Y Graduate Student Seminar Series. Health & Safety Training Workshop, WHMIS, and Biohazard and Safety. Completion of a research thesis Please see section 4.1 for course details. 5.2.2 Seminar requirements Students are also required to attend a minimum of eight Graduate Student Seminar Series (BME1010Y) and present once every two years while they are registered as graduate students in the Institute 5.2.3 Committee Requirements Ph.D. Progress Committee This committee is comprised of a group of professors who will assist you and your supervisor in your progress through the Ph.D. program. The members of this committee are responsible for monitoring your progress on a regular basis. This committee is expected to meet at least once every twelve months unless there is an issue with progress and then the committee may elect to meet more frequently. Satisfactory performance as assessed by the progress committee is a requirement for continued enrollment and funding in the Ph.D. program. Your progress committee shall consist of a minimum of three voting members including your supervisor (one supervisor) or four voting members including your supervisors (two supervisors). Cosupervision by more than two supervisors is not permitted. All voting committee members must be members of the School of Graduate Studies. Students are welcome to include nonvoting members in the Ph.D. progress committee but must be aware of the requirement for Ph.D. Final Oral Examination. Students are cautioned that large committees can become problematic for the scheduling of meetings and examinations.
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Examination of the candidate will be based on both the oral presentation and written research proposal. The candidate will be expected to answer questions relative to the research proposal, background required to undertake the work and potential applications at a level expected of a candidate who holds a Masters degree. The emphasis of the examination will be on the research proposal, not on undergraduate level background. Students are expected to have completed all the appropriate course requirements by the date of the qualifying examination. A vote will be held to recommend/not recommend that the candidate continue in the Ph.D. program. Failure of the qualifying examination will result in withdrawal of the student from the program. 5.3.1 Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee The Ph.D. qualifying examination committee shall consist of the future Ph.D. progress committee plus one independent examiner with a minimum of four voting members including your supervisor (one supervisor) or five voting members including your supervisors (two supervisors). All voting committee members must be members of the School of Graduate Studies. The Ph.D. qualifying exam will constitute the first Ph.D. progress committee meeting. For details on the Ph.D. progress committee please see section 5.2.3.
*For examples please see section 5.1 ** See section 5.1.2 5.4.1 Committee Requirements M.A.Sc. Collaborative Program All students who are in the Collaborative Program - Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) Biomedical Engineering program are required to have at least one committee meeting within
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12 months of registration. In general, the collaborating departments committee meeting schedule will satisfy this requirement. In the event that the collaborating department does not require an annual progress committee meeting during the course of their Masters program, you will be required to hold an meeting to satisfy the IBBME requirement following the guidelines outlined in Section 5.1.3.1.
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Committee members are selected and invited by you and your supervisor. You are advised to confirm the SGS appointments of potential committee members. Please also refer to section 7 of the SGS calendar for a list of professors who have full SGS appointments. Faculty with associate SGS memberships may also sit on the supervisory committee. However, these individuals are not listed in the SGS calendar. The composition of your committee is subject to approval by the CE program director. You should inform the CE office of the suggested composition of your committee before your first committee meeting. Any change to the composition of a previously approved Committee must have the approval of your supervisor and the program director.
23 Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering 2010-2011 Graduate Studies Handbook ______________________________________________________________________________ (i) Literature review comprehensive, critical appraisal of the relevant literature. The literature review should provide rationale for your research. For example, the literature review may identify a shortfall of previous work, a gap in the literature or an opportunity for improvement or innovation. (ii) Objectives/hypotheses these are succinct statements of your research objectives (what you plan to achieve) and hypotheses (relating to the specific questions you want to answer), in light of your literature review. (iii) Methods this section should include everything you propose to do in sufficient detail for the committee to judge its viability. This section will include different items for each proposal, depending on the nature of your thesis. Below are some suggestions which are not intended to apply to every thesis.
a. For theses involving experimental work, one would usually talk about the study design, the inclusion/exclusion criteria for research participants (if humans are involved), the instrumentation to be used, the experimental protocol/data collection and the anticipated data analysis. b. For theses that are about device design, one might include technical specifications/requirements, the design methodologies, the proposed design (preliminary ideas), and the criteria, analytical methods or tests for evaluating the design. c. For theses that focus on modeling a phenomena, you might include the assumptions of your model, the modeling methodologies, relevant computational tools, the proposed model (preliminary ideas), and the criteria, analytical methods or simulations for evaluating the model. Of course, some of these items are subject to change as your project evolves. However, it is important to at least put down the tentative plan on paper. Your methods should be justified, for example, by the scientific literature or preliminary data.
(iv) Timeline this usually takes the form of a Gantt chart or a table. It should map out all the major milestones from the first committee meeting to the completion of your thesis. You should probably include the internships so that the committee has a sense of how much time youll be able to devote to the project at different periods of the year. (v) Bibliography literature references cited in the body of your proposal
Your supervisor should read over your proposal before it is submitted to the committee. In fact, you should work closely with your supervisor in developing the proposal. Second and any Subsequent Committee Meetings presentation of research progress. In no more than 20 minutes, you should present your research progress and results to-date at this meeting. The committee members will advise you if further
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research work is necessary. If the committee considers your completed research to be sufficient for the MHSc, it will recommend that you proceed to write up the thesis. Otherwise, the committee may decide to set a date for a subsequent meeting.
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7.2.1 Departmental Examination The Ph.D. candidate will undertake up to two examinations in completing the thesis requirement for the Ph.D. in the Biomedical Engineering Program - a Departmental Oral examination and the Senate Examination. In both cases the candidate will be examined on both the oral presentation and the written thesis. The Departmental Oral Defense is a public event. Peers and faculty are invited to attend. The candidate will be examined based on a 20-minute presentation of their work and will be expected to answer questions relative to the research thesis, background and future work. The Departmental examination committee shall consist of the Ph.D. progress committee plus one independent examiner with a minimum of four voting members (one supervisor) or five voting members (two supervisors). All voting committee members must be members of the School of Graduate Studies. The Departmental Oral Defense is however, optional. Students may opt to go straight to the Final Oral Exam with the recommendation of the supervisory committee and authorization from the Director or Associate Director of IBBME. Students must provide a written request to the Graduate Programs Administrator requesting to proceed straight to the Final Oral Exam. 7.2.2 Final Oral Examination The Final Oral Examination is described on the SGS website. Students should anticipate that organizing a Final Oral Exam (FOE) will take at least eight weeks to coordinate and should schedule accordingly. Please see Appendix B for an overview of the FOE timeline.
27 Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering 2010-2011 Graduate Studies Handbook ______________________________________________________________________________ 7.3.2 Membership of the Examining Committee: The examination committee will consist of at least 4 faculty members who bear an SGS appointment. The committee will have the following composition: All members of your supervisory committee One independent examiner (with an SGS appointment) not associated with supervision of the project but knowledgeable in the field A chair drawn from your supervisory committee (this can be anyone from your committee except your immediate supervisor)
7.3.3 Scheduling Your Oral Examination Your examination will not be scheduled until:
(i) You have completed all course and seminar requirements. (ii) Your thesis has been approved by your Supervisory Committee to go forward to an oral exam a) If your thesis has not been approved to go forward as indicated on your second Committee Meeting Evaluation Form, you will be required to submit a Request to Schedule an Oral Exam Form signed by your Supervisory Committee to proceed to a defense. In the event that you cannot get your entire committee together to sign the form, signatures from your thesis supervisor and one other member will suffice.
The Program Assistant will prepare the oral exam paper work for you to pick up prior to your oral exam. You will need to provide him/her with the following information at least 10 days before your defense: Names of all Examination Committee members & appointed Chair Thesis Title Thesis Abstract Time, Date and Location of your Defense The Program Assistant can help you to book a room, a lap top and projector. You need to let him/her know at least two weeks in advance if you require assistance. 7.3.4 Distribution of Your Thesis You must distribute copies of your thesis to members of examination committee not less than ten business days prior to the date of your oral examination. 7.3.5 M.H.Sc. Defense The chair will ask you to leave the room while the committee discusses your thesis. You will be invited back into the room. You will give a 20 minute oral presentation summarizing the work you have done. This will be typically followed by one to two rounds of questions from the committee members. Generally, most questions deal with the background for your project, the design and interpretation of your experiments and the future directions. You are expected to show a high level of proficiency on matters directly related to your thesis topic and a general level of proficiency on relevant topics in clinical engineering. Subsequent to questions from the
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committee, you will be asked to leave the room while the committee deliberates. The oral exam is usually not longer than two hours. At the end of the examination, you will be asked to leave the room. At this point, all members of the Examining Committee will vote. A quorum consists of 4 votes, which must include one member of the examination committee who is not on the students supervisory committee. All 4 voting committee members must bear an appointment of the School of Graduate Studies. The vote takes into consideration the thesis research, the written document, and the defense. A passing vote can include the requirement for minor corrections. The Chair of the Examining Committee will decide, in consultation with the examining committee, who is responsible for approving thesis corrections. If there is more than one negative vote, the thesis requirement is considered unfulfilled. You may request one opportunity to present a revised version of your thesis. The membership of a reconvened examining committee will normally be the same as the original one. 7.3.6 Post-Examination Requirements Upon satisfactory completion of your examination, the program director will forward a MHSc Degree Recommendation Form to the School of Graduate Studies. Before doing this, the program director must have received the MHSc Oral Exam Evaluation Form indicating that you have passed your defense. Also, if any corrections are required, the Member of the Examining Committee who was responsible for approving the thesis correction must confirm in writing to the program director (and copy the program assistant) that the corrections have been made satisfactorily. Finally, you must give one unbound copy of your corrected thesis the School of Graduate Studies along with payment of the required microfilming fee. You must include a Library Authorization Form in your thesis. This form can be downloaded from http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/frm-nl59-2.pdf. IBBME requests that you also give a bound copy of your thesis to IBBME Administrative Office, Room 407, Business Officer for addition to the IBBME Library located in Room 407, Rosebrugh Building. Please note by fall 2009, all students must submit final versions of their thesis electronically. Simple step-by-step instructions on how to prepare, format, convert to PDF, and submit an ETD (Electronic Thesis & Dissertation) to T-Space are available on SGS ETD Web-site at: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/finish/final/etd.htm.
29 Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering 2010-2011 Graduate Studies Handbook ______________________________________________________________________________ 8.2 Safety It is mandatory for all registered students to attend the Health & Safety Training course at the beginning of the program, and take the WHMIS refresher course annually thereafter. You will be prohibited from starting your research until this requirement is completed. You should be aware of your responsibility under the Safety Act which governs safety in the workplace in Ontario. You should also be aware of the Biohazard and Radiation protocols particular to your research. 8.3 Ethics All of the research undertaken in IBBME is covered under several ethical review programs. You must be aware of and have read the Research involving Human Subject booklet (copies are in the Graduate Office) and attend ethics courses as required. 8.4 Intellectual Property and the Graduate Student Students must be aware of the issues around Intellectual Property and their research. Please refer to the Faculty of Medicine www.facmed.utoronto.ca and the SGS www.sgs.utoronto.ca websites for updates and guidelines. 8.5 Transfer to other programs Students who wish to transfer from another department after registration must obtain necessary approvals from his or her supervisor(s) as well as the graduate coordinators from the departments. Transfers will normally not be permitted after one year of registration in a program. If a new research supervisor is being selected, the supervisor must be appointed to the Institute and be a full member of the School of Graduate Studies. A letter of acceptance is also required from the supervisor accepting the student into his/her research lab. 8.6 Change of Address Students are responsible for updating any address and/or telephone changes via the Student Web Services at www.rosi.utoronto.ca. In addition, students should also inform the Graduate Office and the Business Officer in writing. The Business Officer will make the necessary changes in the payroll system. 8.7 Office Space and Keys Office or desk space is usually assigned to students upon registration. Inquiries related to office space allocation should be directed to Sandra Walker, Manager of Operations. IBBME students who require keys for their offices or laboratories should contact IBBME Administrative Office, Room 407 of the Rosebrugh Building. 8.8 Mailbox Students should check the Student mail boxes located outside in Room 407 of the Rosebrugh Building daily for any personal mail.
30 Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering 2010-2011 Graduate Studies Handbook ______________________________________________________________________________ 8.9 Student Cards and E-mail Address To gain full access to the University of Toronto library, registered students are required to obtain a photo-ID card (TCard), which serves as a library card and a student card. The TCard can be obtained from the Robarts Library, Room 2054. The library requires students to show two pieces of identification, a photo-ID, and a document indicating your student number. Information on the TCard and instructions in creating email addresses can be found in www.library.utoronto.ca/services/headstart. Students also have access to a large volume of Biomedical Engineering reference books located in the library of the Institute.
Your University of Toronto email address is the official contact point for all University-related announcements and notices posted by the School of Graduate Studies and your Graduate Unit. Please note that, for security purposes, Faculty and Graduate Offices are prohibited from opening emails that do not come from a University of Toronto account. You are responsible for ensuring that this account is checked regularly.
8.10 Purchases Students making a purchase should consult with their supervisors ensuring that proper approvals are granted prior to purchasing. 8.11 Fax and Photocopy Fax and photocopying machines are located in the main office, Room 407 of the Rosebrugh Building. Students using the photocopying machine must enter a Log In identification assigned by IBBME Administrative Office in Room 407. 8.12 Payroll Students registered in the Biomedical Engineering Program or the Clinical Engineering Program should direct all payroll inquiries to the IBBME Administrative Office; Collaborative students should contact their home departments business officer for information. 8.13 Thesis Reimbursement The Institute will reimburse all students, BME and Collaborative, for their copy of their thesis that they provide to the Library. The maximum thesis reimbursement is $69.00. Appropriate receipts must be submitted to the IBBME Administrative Office, Room 407 for processing along with the bound thesis (thesis must be submitted in order to receive reimbursement. The Graduate Office is currently reviewing the policy regarding submission of bound versus electronic copies of the thesis. 8.14 Guidelines on Graduate Student Personal Time Off It is recognized that many graduate students conduct their research almost exclusively within a laboratory setting, where they may or may not have control over their hours and the flow of the research program. Students are not employees and therefore have no rights to employee benefits, including paid vacation entitlement. However, it is recognized that in order for a graduate student to reach their full potential and achieve academic excellence and maintain a healthy work life balance, they benefit from some personal time off or vacation. There are SGS policies and procedures in place
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for students who require a leave of absence for parental, personal or medical reasons. However, there are no University or SGS policies regarding graduate student personal time off / vacation. The following guidelines for faculty and graduate students provide a framework for reasonable expectations. As a general rule, students might reasonably expect up to three weeks (15 working days) per year in personal time off, plus statutory holidays, under the following conditions: Time off provisions should be negotiated, in a clear and transparent manner, between the supervisor and the graduate student. Time off should not compromise the research program and/or the students graduate studies. Students must ensure that laboratory work, experimentation and other time-sensitive activities are either completed, or arrangements made for others to continue ongoing work. Consideration should be given to when the building or lab is closed (i.e. winter holidays) when taking time off. Time sensitive deadlines (i.e. award applications, abstract submissions) must be taken into consideration. Time off cannot be carried forward from year to year. Time off should be requested as far in advance as possible. The student and supervisor should be able to maintain contact as appropriate if the student is away for an extended period. Given that students receive remuneration as a stipend, not salary, the stipend continues, unaffected by this personal time off. Attendance at social activities within the academic community (departmental picnic etc.) or scientific meetings do not fall under the category of personal time off. Sick leaves or absences for health reasons must be documented and do not fall under category of personal time off.
8.14 BESA (BioEngineering Student Association) BESA represents and promotes the student community at the Institute. They organize many of the interesting social events for our students, and are quite busy listening to students expressing their views, ideas, or concerns related to any matters. BESA executive members are usually elected at the Institutes Graduate Student Orientation session. Further information about BESA can be found at http://besa.ibme.utoronto.ca/ 8.15 The Essential Grad Guide The Essential Grad Guide is the booklet for new students, which contains information about registration and services offered by SGS and UofT. The electronic copy of the booklet is posted on the SGS website: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/start/info.htm
In July, the Essential Grad Guide was mailed to all new graduate students who are beginning their program in September 2010. The mailing included the Essential Grad Guide, a letter from the Graduate Students Union and flyer advertising the SGS Orientation for new students. The booklet will NOT be mailed to continuing students. Please direct your continuing students to review the booklet on the SGS website.
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Stacey Glenney, Operations Assistant, Room RS407, (416) 978-7459; operations.ibbme@utoronto.ca Receiving for packages/couriers Equipment inventory Institute Signage Key distribution Telecommunications
Finance Officer (TBA) Room RS407, (416) 946-7310; payments.ibbme@utoronto.ca Financial Mastercard files Grant Account Reconciliation Payroll Faculty/Student/Admin Teaching Assistantships
Human Resources Assistant (TBA); Room RS407, (416) 946-7310; hr.ibbme@utoronto.ca Personnel and Human Resources
Rob Milchard, Communications Officer; Room MB317, (416) 946-8125; rob.milchard@utoronto.ca Communications &Website management Susan Reeves Administrative Assistant to the Director; Room RS407, (416) 946-8258; director.ibbme@utoronto.ca
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Scheduling Committee Meetings: You will need about a month to organize a committee meeting. It is your responsibility to arrange your meetings. The necessary steps are listed below. Find a day and time that is suitable for your supervisor and committee members. Book a seminar room. You may choose to use IBBME library located in Room 407, Rosebrugh Building. This can be done either with the Graduate Office or the CE Office, whichever is appropriate. This must be done at least two weeks in advance. You may request to book a room only if all the committee members have confirmed their availability to attend. Contact the Graduate Office or CE Office, whichever is appropriate, at least 10 days before your scheduled meeting to ensure all your paperwork will be ready for your meeting date. o For CE students: you will need to fill out the first two sections of the MHSc Thesis Supervisory Committee Evaluation From and submit it to the CE office. The Graduate Assistant will put together a final package of necessary forms for your meeting which must be picked up by you from the clinical engineering program office prior to your scheduled meeting. Finally, send a confirmatory email to your supervisor and committee members.
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Timeline Minimum of once every 12 months for Masters and PhD Within the first 12 14 months of the Masters program
Committee Composition 3 Members: Supervisor + 2 SGS Appointed Members 4 Members: Supervisor + 2 Regular Members of the Supervisor Committee + 1 External Member 4 Members: Supervisor + 2 Regular Members of the Supervisor Committee + 1 External Member 4 Members: Supervisor + 2 Regular Members of the Supervisor Committee + 1 External Member 4 Members: Supervisor + 2 Regular Members of the Supervisor Committee + 1 External Member 5 Members: Supervisor + 2 Regular Members of the Supervisor Committee + 1 Internal Member (the External Member from the Departmental Defense) + External Member (usually the External Appraiser)
Masters Defense
Should be held within 3-4 years of the PhD program (direct admit) or 5 years for those who bypassed to the PhD from the Masters Following a PhD Departmental Defense
Note: Should a student have a Supervisor and a Co-Supervisor, the minimum number of committee members will increase by one. Should any clarification be needed, please contact the IBBME Graduate Office
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Thesis Structure A thesis generally contains the following components. Chapter titles and content may vary depending on the nature of the thesis.
Title Page: The title should precisely describe what the thesis is about. The most important key words that you think describe your research should appear in the title. Abstract: This is usually one page in length, presenting the research problem, the main results, conclusion and how your thesis advances the field. Acknowledgements: You may acknowledge funding agencies, supervisors, committee members, lab mates and anyone else you feel who was instrumental to the completion of your thesis. Table of contents: List of chapters and sections. A list of figures: A list of figures should be provided with specific page numbers. A list of tables: A list of tables should be provided with specific page numbers. A list of abbreviations: A list of all abbreviations used in the thesis and their explanations should be provided. A list of equations: A list of equations as necessary with specific page numbers. A list of Foundations and funding sources: A list of all foundations that have contributed to the achievement of the final thesis. Introduction: Usually this chapter includes the following: The area of research Practical and theoretical value of the topic Your research problem and why this was worthwhile studying The objective of the thesis: how far you had hoped to advance knowledge in the field Research method in brief Roadmap of the thesis - A paragraph about each chapter. What is the main contribution of the chapter? How do they relate to each other?
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Statement of the problem and hypothesis: An explicit description of the analyzed problem and hypothesis Related literature: A survey of the literature (theories, concepts and previous work) on the areas that are most relevant to your research question. This chapter should critically appraise the previous research area that you wanted to develop further or challenge. Research method or design: This chapter details the research method by which you investigated the problem under study. This is essentially an updated version of the Methods outlined in your thesis proposal and should basically provide a detailed description of how you actually carried out your research. Results: This chapter presents the data collected or the outcome of experiments or simulations. Discussion: This chapter interprets and discusses the research findings, their relevance to the field, their relationship to published literature or their clinical implications (if any). Conclusion: This closing chapter provides a recap of the problem, the main findings and the discussion including the comparison with the literature presented. It is also recommended that you include an enumerated list of your perceived contributions to the field. You may also suggest future research directions. References: The references should be properly formatted according to a standard reference style (e.g., APA) and includes books, journal articles, monographs, dissertations and other publications. Please consult the SGS Guidelines for Preparation of Theses at http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/finish/final/thesisPrep.htm for the appropriate formatting of your thesis. Both Word and LaTeX thesis templates are also available from the SGS website and the Clinical Engineering group on Blackboard. You should not have your thesis bound before the oral examination, as the oral examination committee may suggest changes.
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V.
BME 1405H Clinical Engineering Instrumentation I The final grade for this course will be based on reports, and a final examination. Enrollment: minimum 8, maximum 12. A course consisting of lectures, seminars, and hospital tours. Each section of the course will be introduced by reading assignments and lectures, and may include tours, which illustrate various aspects of health care organization, and medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Instrumentation and the role of the Biomedical Engineer in Medicine will be emphasized. Topics dealt with will include: Medical Approach to the Patient; Procedures in Biochemistry, Hematology, Radiology, and Nuclear Medicine; Cardiology; Acute Medical Care: Radiation Therapeutics; and Artificial Organs. BME 1436H Clinical Engineering-Surgery A course providing familiarization with the basic principles of and technology associated with modern surgery. The patho-physiology of common surgical disorders: diagnosis and treatment; trauma: causes and treatment; surgical infections; operating room: surgical instruments, sterile technique; recovery room and intensive care unit; anesthesia; surgical team and their responsibilities; legal and ethical considerations. Includes site visits to clinical facilities and assigned project reports.
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BME 1439H Clinical and Biological Instrumentation Detailed review of patient-oriented technology in the clinical environment -- specifically, the diagnostic or therapeutic significance, function, engineering principles, hazards, calibration, costeffectiveness, and new developments. Prerequisites: Undergraduate control systems course, Fortran or equivalent programming experience, elementary knowledge of information theory and computing systems, some knowledge of Physiology and Anatomy. BME 1450H Bioengineering Science: Required course for all IBBME students The aim of this course is to ensure that all graduate students of the Institute have a background in the basic topics that are important in biomedical engineering. The interaction of basic physical and chemical principles with the underlying biological processes will be emphasized. The basic physical and chemical principles will include nonlinear phenomena, transport phenomena, polymer chemistry, protein chemistry, robot mechanics, solid mechanics, rate processes, acoustics, and imaging. Key biological processes will include cellular transduction, cellular pathology, inflammation, immunology, tissue repair, neoplasia, genetics, and neuroscience. BME1452H Signal Processing Signal processing is used throughout bioengineering both to estimate the state of life processes and to detect changes in these processes. This course introduces the modeling of signals and noise. The basics of detection and estimation theory are studied. There is a strong emphasis on classical techniques such as filtering, averaging, correlation and spectral estimation. Examples are drawn from a wide range of bioengineering problems. BME1453H Cell and Tissue Engineering This course presents an overview of current approaches being used to control and manipulate mammalian cells for therapeutic purposes. An emphasis on how using engineering tools can be used to integrate and enhance what is known about mammalian cell behavior. Specific topics include: receptor/lig and interactions, cell adhesion, cell migration, signal transduction, cell growth and differentiation, and developmental processes. Examples and problems from gene therapy, cellular therapy, tissue engineering, and bioprocess design are used to illustrate fundamental bioengineering principals. BME 1454H Regenerative Medicine This course integrates relevant aspects of physiology, pathology, developmental biology, disease treatment, tissue engineering, and biomedical devices. The first part of the course will stress basic principles in each of these disciplines. The second portion of the course will integrate these disciplines in the context of specific organ systems. For example, the physiology of the cardiovascular system, the development of the system, cardiovascular disease, the relationship between developmental defects and adult disease, current disease treatment, cardiovascular devices, and the current progress in cardiovascular tissue engineering will be presented. The teaching material will be gathered from various textbooks and scientific journals. Whenever possible, experts in the relevant field will teach guest lectures. This integrative approach will be reflected by a problem-based learning approach to testing and a written report.
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BME 1456H Changing Health Care Technologies, People, and Places This course will address: the historical trajectory of technological applications to health care; the nature of new applications and their effects on care recipients, care providers, communication flows and settings; and the ethical, legal, psychological, clinical, social and economic consequences of where and how health care technologies are used. BME 1457H Biomedical Nanotechnology In this course, the integration of nanotechnology with biomedical research will be discussed. The course is broken up into four sections: (1) properties of materials in the nanometer-scale and their integration with biological systems, (2) fundamental mechanisms of nanostructure assembly for the build-up of biomedical devices, (3) tools and systems for the analysis and characterization of nanoscale materials, and (4) current biomedical applications of nanomaterials. BME 1458H Pattern Discovery Methods for Biomedical Engineering This course covers a number of fundamental and advanced topics in pattern discovery methods for empirical biomedical data. The objective of the course is to provide the student with practical tools and methods for pattern analysis and interpretation. Course content will include multivariate visualizations, dimensionality reduction, robust estimation, functional data analyses and fractal pattern discovery. Examples will be drawn from various areas of biomedical engineering. Students will have the opportunity to apply selected methods of the course to a problem in their own areas of research. BME 1459H Protein Engineering Protein engineering has advanced significantly with the emergence of new chemical and genetic approaches. These approaches have allowed the modification and recombination of existing proteins to produce novel enzymes with industrial applications and furthermore, they have revealed the mechanisms of protein function. In this course, we will describe the fundamental concepts of engineering proteins with biological applications. A background in molecular biology is recommended. BME 1460H Quantitative fluorescence microscopy: theory and application to live cell imaging Fluorescence microscopy and associated biophysical methods are integral to many areas of biological research including biomedical engineering, cell biology, and molecular biology. This course covers the theory, mechanics, and application of fluorescent microscopy. Students will gain expertise in basic and advanced quantitative fluorescence microscopy in the context of working with living samples. The course topics include sample preparation (immunofluorescence-, dye-, and fluorescent proteinlabeling), multidimensional imaging, confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy and other advanced imaging techniques. The course will also cover the associated biophysical methods used to probe live cell dynamics such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), Frster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). By centering on applications to living samples, students with gain the theoretical background and practical knowledge to design and implement live cell imaging experiments. Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of cell biology
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BME 1480H Experimental Design and Multivariate Analysis In Bioengineering In this course, students will learn to apply statistical approaches to efficiently design and analyse bioengineering experiments. The course first briefly reviews some fundamental statistical concepts related to the design and analysis of experiments (statistical distributions, the central limit theorem, linear functions of random variables and error propagation, ANOVA, multiple regression). The main topics covered include: screening designs, full factorial designs, blocking and replication, response surface methods, custom designs, sequential design strategies, non-normal responses and transformations. The students will learn to apply these statistical approaches to solve practical problems in bioengineering, in particular to examine and control the interactions of living systems with molecular and physical factors. They will also be expected to become proficient in the use of statistical software to design experiments and analyse them. Finally, the students will be expected to gain enough knowledge about experimental design strategies to be able to critically analyze the current scientific literature. BME 4444Y Practice in Clinical Engineering The final evaluation of the performance of the student will be conducted by an Evaluation Committee based on a formal Intern evaluation, the Summary report of the student's experiences for each internship period, and an oral presentation of the Summary report. Clinical Engineering Practice is the management of modern health care technology. This course provides practical experience in the practice of clinical engineering. Topics to be covered include in-service education, departmental management, equipment acquisition, equipment control, equipment design, facility planning, information systems, regulatory affairs, safety program, system analysis and technology assessment/evaluation. DEN 1070H Advances in Dental Materials Science This course presents a comprehensive review of the developments occurring in dental biomaterials research, under three main themes: 1. Materials Processing and Technologies, 2. Material/Biological Interfaces and 3. Clinical Applications and Associated Biomaterial Issues. There will be no formal reports or exams in this course, however the research ability of the graduate students will be assessed throughout the term based on three criteria: 1) ability to identify clinical and/or scientific problems, 2) to propose a viable plan to study the problems and 3) to be able to defend their plan. DEN 1081H Bone Interfacing Implants This course discusses the concept of the bone/implant interface by combining the multi disciplinary approach necessary to understand both the material & biological aspects of the interface. All materials currently used in bone implants are treated from a surface science perspective together with the activities of both major types of bone cells; osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The cell biological aspects of the interface are covered within the context of explaining the tissue arrangements found at bone implant surfaces. JCB 1349H Molecular Assemblies: Structure/Function/Properties This course will focus on the mechanisms associated with the assembly of molecular and biomolecular
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systems, including colloids, small molecule organic crystals, and protein complexes. The goal of the course is to foster an understanding of the subtle interactions that influence the process of assembly, which has wide ranging implications in fields ranging from materials science to structural biology. Examples will be drawn from the current literature encompassing studies of self-assembly in solution, at surfaces, and into the solid state. Supplementary reading and a term project targeting some aspect of molecular assembly will be assigned. JEB 1365H Ultrasound: Theory and Applications in Biology and Medicine Following a brief historical review, wave propagation from simple structures is examined with the help of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction equations. The Rayleigh integral is obtained and applied for determining both the transient and steady-state radiation characteristics from a variety of sources. The theory of ultrasound scattering is developed and applied for understanding scattering by soft tissue, including blood. This is followed by the design and characterization of transmitting and receiving transducers. Included, is a consideration of materials, models and methods for experimental evaluation of performance. The design and properties of B-mode imaging arrays are described along with their practical application. Doppler ultrasound for flow assessment and flow imaging, spectral analysis of Doppler signals and related methods are also described. Those attending the course will be provided with a book in CDR form that is currently being prepared for publication. JEB 1433H Medical Imaging Linear analysis of imaging systems. Basic physical principles of Ultrasound, X-ray and Magnetic Resonance Imaging with a laboratory assignment on each modality. (Same as BME 595F, PHY 445H). Students interested in taking this course should contact the professor at mike.joy@utoronto.ca JEB 1444H Neural Engineering General perspective of neural engineering and neurobiology; biological neural networks; parametric neural models using rate processes; nonparametric neural models, using the Volterra-Wiener approach; artificial neural networks as nonparametric neural models. JEB 1447H Sensory Communications Physical acoustics, acoustic measurements, electroacoustic transducers, and physiological acoustics. Speech processing, speech recognition algorithms, and signal processing by the auditory system. Engineering aspects of acoustic design. Electrical models of acoustic systems. Noise, noise-induced hearing loss, and noise control. Introduction to vision and other modalities. Musical and psychoacoustics. JEB 1451H Cellular Bioelectricity This course deals with generation and transmission of bioelectricity in excitable cells. Topics covered include: (i) Ionic transport mechanisms in cellular membranes. (ii) Propagation of electricity in neurons. (iii) Extracellular fields. (iv) Cellular oscillators. (v) Biological neural networks. (vi) Artificial neural networks. The lectures for this course are given jointly with those for the undergraduate course ECE445F. They are supplemented by individual research projects relating to the subject matter of the course.
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JPB 1022H Human Physiology as Related to Bioengineering This course, or the equivalent, must normally be taken by all graduate students with a physical science background in the first year of their graduate studies. Basic concepts of Human Physiology taught from a bioengineering viewpoint. This is a course that is specifically designed for graduate students with a physical sciences background. JPB 1055H Bioengineering for Life Scientists This course incorporates lectures and laboratories from other courses, which may be supplemented by reading, lab assignments, and special lectures. Approval by the course Coordinator is required. This course consists of course(s) in core engineering subjects, and enrichment arranged with course Coordinator. Graduate students wishing to register for this course should see Professor Dolan as soon as possible after September 1. The enrichment may be a project, report, or major laboratory exercise. Prerequisites: Mathematics at second-year undergraduate level (calculus complex variables, transforms); some background in physics. JTC1331F Biomaterials Science An introduction to the various sciences underlying the use of materials in medicine (i.e. biomaterials) with particular emphasis on the interface between biological media and synthetic tissues. Instructors come from a variety of Graduate Departments and Institutes including Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Metallurgy and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Dentistry and Pathology. Additional lectures may be provided by individuals from other Universities (e.g. McMaster University). Topics to be covered include: surface physics and analysis, principles of protein adsorption and cell growth on materials, structure and function of key tissues (bone, blood, etc.), principles of tissue responses to biomaterial implantation (toxicity, foreign body reaction). Prerequisite: physical science/engineering background with some knowledge of materials science of biomaterials. PSL 1431H Mathematics for Physiology A selection of topics in mathematics and computer science that are applicable in physiology. The content of the course changes from year to year. The student will be expected to learn the elements of computer programming, with a view to the design and analysis of experiments, and the theoretical analysis of measured data. The remainder of the lectures will deal largely with the solution of ordinary differential equations, with emphasis on those equations that are encountered most commonly in the biological sciences. Elementary numerical solution of differential equations. Introduction to the Laplace transform and the use of linear systems theory in physiology. The elements of curve fitting. Prerequisites: Second year calculus is mandatory. Some background in biology/physiology is desirable. Problem sets require some biological knowledge. PSL 1432H Theoretical Physiology An introduction to the computational principles of learning. Topics include simulating sensorimotor systems, computational powers of neural networks, error-driven learning, correlation-based learning algorithms, backpropagation, recurrent networks, and adaptive control. The course will consist of 12 2hour lectures.