Course outlines

Course PARA 600 - MSc Thesis Proposal

Regulations:

1. The thesis proposal course comprises a written document outlining the proposed research objectives. The written document must be submitted within 6 months after registration in the graduate program (eg. fall registration, submission date - March 1st ; winter registration, submission date, July 1st )¹.

2. The written document should consist of a maximum of 20 pages (excluding references).

3. The objective of the thesis proposal course is for the student to demonstrate anability to:

• Review and synthesize the literature within the area of study, demonstrating a knowledge and understanding of the subject.
• Outline a clear set of research objectives.
• Outline the research approach and methodology.
• Outline a 6-month timetable for research objectives and proposed experiments.

4. Research proposals involving work with animals, biohazardous material, radioisotopes or studies involving human subjects or those having environmental impact require the approval of the various University committees and will normally have been sought by the supervisor. However, the student must complete and append to the thesis proposal any of the necessary forms. (These forms do not need to be sent to the University Committee if approval for the work has been obtained by the supervisor). The student must be able to demonstrate competence in the techniques related to these areas.

5. The student will attend an oral discussion (with his/her thesis Advisory Committee) of the proposal. Following a short presentation by the student (maximum 15 min) outlining the proposed project, the ensuing discussion will probe all aspects related to the research project. The oral should have a maximum duration of 90 minutes.

6. The examining committee consists of the student's Advisory Committee and will be chaired by the course coordinator. The final graded mark awarded will be based on the written document and the oral presentation and discussion of the document. The assessment of the written and oral portions of the proposal contributes 40% and 60%, respectively, towards the final mark. Final marks are submitted to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office as a letter grade.

7. The course coordinator will preside as chairperson at the oral examination and will act to ensure equity among oral examinations. The Director or the Director's representative may also attend the oral examination.

Course PARA 700 - PhD Thesis Proposal

Regulations:

1. The thesis proposal course comprises a written document outlining the proposed research objectives and an oral examination. The written document must be submitted 6 months after registration in the graduate program (eg. fall registration, submission date - March 1st; winter registration, submission date, July 1st)².

2. The written document should consist of a maximum of 30 pages (excluding references).

3. The objective of the thesis proposal is for the student to demonstrate ability to:

• Review and synthesize the literature within the area of study, demonstrating a knowledge and understanding of the subject.
• Outline a clear set of research objectives.
• Outline the research approach and methodology.
• Outline a 12-month timetable for research objectives and proposed experiments.

4. Research proposals involving work with animals, biohazardous material, radioisotopes or studies involving human subjects or those having environmental impact require the approval of the various University committees and will normally have been sought by the supervisor. However, the student must complete and append to the thesis proposal any of the necessary forms. (These forms do not need to be sent to the University Committee if approval for the work has been obtained by the supervisor). The student must be able to demonstrate competence in the techniques related to these areas.

5. The student will attend an oral examination in defence of the proposal. Following a short presentation by the student (maximum 15 min) outlining the proposed project, there will be an oral examination probing all aspects related to the research project. The oral examination should be normally about 90 min.

6. The examining committee should be comprised of the student's Advisory Committee and one member external to the Advisory Committee and will be chaired by the course coordinator. The choice of the external examiner should be approved by the Director of the Institute of Parasitology. The final graded mark awarded will be based on the written document (40%) and the oral exam (60%). The final mark is submitted to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office as a letter grade.

7. The course coordinator will preside as chairperson at the oral examination and will act to ensure equity among oral examinations. The Director or the Director's representative may also attend the oral examination.

Seminar Course Outline

[ CourseLink('PARA 606'); ], [ CourseLink('PARA 607'); ], [ CourseLink('PARA 710'); ], [ CourseLink('PARA 711'); ]

Course objective:

The objective of the seminar courses is to enable graduate students to effectively present scientific data, as well as to actively participate in research seminars.

Seminar Presentations:

During the period of graduate studies at the Institute, each student is obliged to register for two seminar courses, one Introductory seminar PARA 606 (MSc) or PARA 710 (PhD) and one final seminar PARA 607 (MSc) or PARA 711 (PhD). In addition, when not registered for the seminar course, the student is expected to present a seminar during each year of residency at the Institute. The yearly seminars are not graded and should summarise the student=s research progress over the previous year in no longer than 10 minutes.

Parasitology Seminar ([ CourseLink('PARA 606'); ]) or Parasitology PhD Seminar I ([ CourseLink('PARA 710'); ]): This first seminar, given in the second term of residence and prior to thesis proposal submission, is a review of scientific literature in the topic area of the thesis research. It is a 20-minute presentation followed by a question period of about 10 minutes. Note: Advanced students who have previous research experience may choose to base the first seminar on results of their earlier research work. Should anyone require more than 20 minutes to present his/her seminar, the seminar co-ordinator must be informed a week prior to the presentation date.

Parasitology Research Seminar ([ CourseLink('PARA 607'); ]) or Parasitology PhD Seminar II ([ CourseLink('PARA 711'); ]): Students should register for this course in the last term and are required to present the seminar in their final term prior to thesis submission. The student must report on the findings of their thesis research in a 40-minute presentation followed by a question period of about 15 minutes.

Evaluation:

The grade for each seminar is based on the scientific content and the technical effectiveness of the presentation. Seminar evaluation forms are completed by all who attend the seminar. The final grade for the seminar is determined by the staff member responsible for the seminars taking into consideration the evaluation form grades, comments, participation during the question period and attendance. The seminar grade and comments on the seminar presentation are communicated in writing to each student.

Each seminar presentation will be graded separately. However, because participation in the seminars is also regarded as important, additional marks may be allotted to students who are demonstrably effective in the role of chairperson, who knowledgeably takes part in seminar discussion periods, and who consistently make useful comments on the evaluation forms. In this way, students who show themselves to be active participants may measurably improve their grades.

Attendance at Institute seminars throughout the graduate program is compulsory.

Seminars are presented every Friday at 11.30 am during term time. Please be prompt. It is distracting for the speaker and audience if people arrive late for the start of the seminar

Course Outline - PARA 635

Title:

Cell Biology and Infection

Instructor:

Dr Roger Prichard

Course Description:

This course deals with the cell and molecular biology of the interaction between infectious agents and their hosts. Emphasis will be placed on infection, pathogen survival, modulation of host defense mechanisms and development of drug resistance. Topics will include experimental approaches that address signal transduction pathways, regulation of eukaryotic transcription, growth, differentiation, immuno-modulation, genetic selection and pathogen virulence factors. A major emphasis will be on parasitic infections and on selected bacterial and viral models..

Approach:

Critical analysis of current research papers with individual and group discussions.

Class time:

One three-hour session per week for 13 weeks.

Where:

The Institute of Parasitology conference room.

Assessment:

Presentation of research papers (critiques) and group discussion of selected topics (60%), final examination (40%).

Prerequisite:

A background in cell and molecular biology.

Course Outline - PARA 655

Title:

Host-Parasite Interactions

Instructor:

Dr. Jim Smith

Course Description:

Parasites are biological particles, single celled or multicellular organisms, that infect another organism, the host. When that infection can cause pathology, we are interested in preventing the infection or treating it. The course is designed to look at major parasitic diseases of humans and domesticated animals and to look holistically at the prevention of disease.

An understanding of parasite biology and their interactions with host populations will lay the foundation for exploring current approaches to management and control of parasitic diseases and the unique problems these diseases present.

Topics to be covered:

• Transmission, Vectors, Aggregation, Density Dependence
• Natural Immunity, Acquired Immunity, Age Dependent Immunity, Immune Pathology,Immune Depression, Vaccination Theory
• Public Health, Environmental Management, The Reality of Developing Countries
• Chemoprophylaxis, Chemotherapy, Toxicology, Drug Resistance, Drug Delivery
• Malaria, Leishmaniasis and Trypanosomiasis,
• Gastrointestinal Protozoa,
• Filariasis (Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Canine Heart Worm),
• Human Gastrointestinal Helminths,
• Gastrointestinal Helminths of Animals,
• Schistosomiasis,
• Tissue Helminths and Zoonoses

Evaluation:

Students will be assessed on participation in class discussion or assigned debates (40%), one term paper (60%) (approximately 4,000 words).

Courses - PARA 687, PARA 688, PARA 689

Title:

Thesis Research I, II, III (MSc only)

The Thesis Research courses apply only to students registered for a Master's degree. These three courses give credit for the research carried out during three terms of residence and are a significant portion of the total number of credits required for the Master's degree.

¹Failure to hand in the written proposal by the submission date will be taken into consideration by the examining committee when awarding the final mark.

²Failure to hand in the written proposal by the submission date will be taken into consideration by the examining committee when awarding the final mark.