York is committed to excellence in research and scholarship in all its forms. Informed by a strong commitment to shared values, including the promotion of social justice, diversity, and the public good, we aspire through our research to better understand the human condition and the world around us and to employ the knowledge we gain in the service of society.
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Research within the Graduate Program in Biology is determined by the proposed projects presented by successful aspirants. Our students complete a thesis and/or dissertation, which then becomes published as "Electronic Theses & Dissertations" and sits as a public document within our institutional repository - YorkSpace.
Research Areas
Cell and Molecular Biology
The molecular and cellular biology (MCB) group at York is comprised of researchers utilizing forefront biochemical and molecular techniques to probe the structure and function of various biomolecules and cell biological processes. Topics as diverse as plant and human viruses, cancer, circadian rhythms, structure of signalling molecules and cellular differentiation are studied. The department also supports a growing integration of the MCB researchers with interdisciplinary groups from psychology, mathematics and statistics, kinesiology and chemistry through university wide research centres.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The Ecology and Evolution group at the Department of Biology study a wide range of systems to solve both pure and applied problems in biology. The group has expertise in conservation biology and biodiversity, behavioural ecology and genetics, plant ecology and evolution, limnology and paleolimnology, bee biology, and ecological genomics.
Physiology and Neuroscience
Physiology is a critical science providing insight and answers pertaining to the fundamental function and regulation of cells, tissues, organs and systems of living organisms. With particular strength in animal physiology, faculty members in the Department of Biology lead well funded and very active research programs utilizing a comparative and integrative approach, ranging from studies at the molecular level right through to whole animal physiological homeostasis.
Awards & Recognition
Elizabeth Clare
Elizabeth Clare receives an NSERC Alliance Collaborate 2 Commercialize grant, supported by NatureMetrics, to develop protocols for sampling eDNA from the air so that we can conduct species at risk monitoring of roosting bats.
Sapna Sharma
Sapna Sharma has been appointed a Senior Fellow at Massey College.
Nik Kovinich
Nik Kovinich receives an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant (United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture) (PI: Bastiaan Bargmann, co-PIs: Nik Kovinich, David Haak, Scott Lowman) for the project “Investigation of the Transcriptional Regulation of Cannabinoid Synthesis in Industrial Hemp.
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Biology at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.