Life Sciences Program

Independent Study Information Night

February 2014

LIFE SCI 3RP3

Provides students an opportunity to explore potential research projects while volunteering in the laboratory or clinic of a faculty member in Science or Health Sciences

Students will complete 60 hours of practicum work in the laboratory or clinic over one term

Students will be required to complete a research proposal as a final graded deliverable for the course

What is a Research Practicum ?

Credit or registration in SCIENCE 2C00 Registration in Level III or above of Life

Sciences Permission from

Research Supervisor Director of Life Sciences (or delegate)

Completion of the required application form

3RP3 - Prerequisites

LIFE SCI 3RP3 is not open to students with credit or registration in the following courses at the University Department- or program-based applied placement Independent Study Research Seminar Internship Practicum course

Students may not take LIFE SCI 3RP3 and an Independent Study Course concurrently LIFE SCI 3RP3 must precede an Independent Study

Course but is not a required prerequisite for LIFE SCI 4A03, 4B06, 4C09

3RP3 - Course Restrictions

What is an Independent Study?

LIFE SCI 4A03, 4B06, 4C09 1- or 2-term course with one supervisor Conduct Independent research or investigation

Formulate a scientific hypothesis Design and conduct research to support or refute

hypothesis Learn and utilize research techniques Apply statistics

Present results and analyses in a written thesis Oral or poster presentation

4A03, 4B06, 4C09 - Prerequisites

Registration in Level IV of Honours Life Sciences Requires permission of the supervising faculty

member and course coordinator

LIFE SCI 4A03 LIFE SCI 4B06 CA of 7.0 LIFE SCI 4C09 CA of 8.5

LIFE SCI 4A03: 6-9 hours/week over 1 term LIFE SCI 4B06: 9-12 hours/week over 2 terms LIFE SCI 4C09: 15-18 hours/week over 2 terms

4A03/4B06/4C09 – Time Commitment

How are you evaluated? 4A03

The marking scheme for the one term independent study course is as follows.

Literature Review 20%Lab/Clinic/Field/Computer 30%Formal Presentation 20%Final Research Proposal Report 30%

How are you evaluated? 4B06/4C09

The marking scheme for project and thesis courses are as follows.

Research Proposal/Lit Review 10%Mid-year assessment 15%Written final report or thesis 25%Lab/Clinic/Field/Computer 30%Final presentation in lab meeting, Ontario

Biology Day or Life Sci Interdisciplinary Research Symposium 20%

LS 4A/B/C are optional except for students in Origins specialization

Must take ORIGINS 4A09

• These courses require the supervision of a professor from the Faculty of Science or Faculty of Health Sciences.

• It is YOUR responsibility to find a supervising faculty

member for your project

• Further Supervisor search tips are available on the Life Sciences website.

Supervision

Use the following links to Department and Faculty websites to find potential Academic supervisors:

Finding a suitable research supervisor in Faculty of Science

DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT FACULTY WEBSITE Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/biochem/people_faculty.html

Biology http://www.biology.mcmaster.ca/faculty

Chemistry and Chemical Biology http://www.chemistry.mcmaster.ca/research-home

Geography and Earth Sciences(including Environmental Sciences)

http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/geo/faculty/faculty.html

Kinesiology http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/kinesiology/people/faculty.html

Mathematics and Statistics http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/people/index.php?position_selected=2

Med Physics & Applied Rad Sci http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/medphys/people.html

Physics & Astronomy (&Biophysics) http://www.physics.mcmaster.ca/?menu=18#page=All

Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour

http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/people.html

There are too many departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences to list here:

The following link is a good starting place: http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/main/schools_and_departments.html

Explore the Departments that interest you and look for potential faculty members to contact for an interview

Finding a suitable research supervisor in Faculty of Health

Science

Then what?

• Send an email inquiry, introducing yourself, indicating your interest—be specific about what research you would like to do; explain that you are looking for a supervisor for a project or a thesis, and would like an appointment to discuss potential research topics

• If you have taken a course with the professor, let him/her know that, and if you have a list of courses or an unofficial transcript, include that as an attachment

• You want to impress the professor and sell yourself as being an asset to the research group

• Do not simply say “Are you taking on any more students?”• Do this all relatively briefly

Contact the professor!

When should you do this?

• If you are in Level 2, start looking for a supervisor at the beginning of Level 3 (October and November)

• Offer to complete a Life Sci 3RP3 (Life Sciences Research Practicum) with the professor in the spring or summer term or in Level 3 so you can learn more about their research.

Who will you really be working with?

• In many instances, the day-to-day training will be with post-docs or graduate students in the lab

• You may not meet with your supervisor more than once or twice a month or once weekly during lab meetings

• Sometimes, however, you may work very closely with the professor---it all depends on your circumstances

• SO ASK YOUR potential supervisor about this BEFORE you start the project if this is important to you.

Forum for presenting your results:

Ontario Biology Day

Conference held annually in March and rotates around 12 universities in the province.

Lab Meetings Conferences

Forum for presenting your results:

Life Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Symposium (LS-IRS)

Run by the Life Sciences Program for HLS

2014 Event: April 1Ewart Angus, HSC-1A areaAll welcome to attend oral

and poster presentations of current students.

LIFE SCI 3RP3 30 days prior to the start of the term in which the course takes place

LIFE SCI 4A03 Fall Term 1: July 1 Winter Term 2: November 1Spring/Summer: March 1

LIFE SCI 4B06/4C09 Spring/Summer: March 1Fall/Winter: March 31

Application deadlines:

Note: these deadlines are for submission of forms, but you are strongly encouraged to contact a Faculty member as soon as possible to arrange supervision.

Tooth Development in Sea Urchins.

3 unit project

Department of Biology

Newborn genetic screening.

6 unit project

Biochemical Genetics Program

Examples of Past Projects

Molecular markers of heart disease.

3 unit project

Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine

Cell cycle regulation in flies.

9 unit project

Department of Biology

Examples of Past Projects

Bone density and maternal healthBiochemistry and Health

Sciences

Basic Research (Lab Bench).

-drug discovery

Examples of Past Projects

Nematode phylogenies

These projects give students the opportunity to work independently while still acquiring the skill of coming back together in a group to aggregate and analyze the collected data.

Group projects with Dr. Dej and Dr. Gupta (Biology)

Field opportunity•In partnership with Hamilton Naturalist Club, determine the ecological status of endangered species such as the flowering dogwood and American chestnut in Spooky Hollow

•Conduct long-term monitoring of streams and wetlands in Hamilton region or in the Bruce Peninsula

Field with Dr. Chow-Fraser

More information: www.science.mcmaster.ca/lifesciences/