Graduate Studies in Microbiology and Immunology

General Information: The University of Western Ontario
  The University of Western Ontario is scenically situated on a large rolling 375 acre campus ( Click here to see a map ) which lies on the outskirts of the residential area of London , Ontario (population approximately 330,000). The University, which received its charter in 1878 has grown from a small parochial university to one of Canada 's largest and well-established centres of higher education.
  There are approximately 25,000 students enrolled in the 12 faculties of Western. Of these, 2,700 are studying in the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and over 50 of these graduate students are in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The Department has a strong core of full-time professors, but cross-appointments with other departments and research institutes provide a total of over 56 faculty members. The total number of faculty members in the University is approximately 1,200.
  The University Community Centre serves as a focal point for recreation, commerce and social activity for students, staff, alumni and faculty. This facility is complemented by Alumni Hall, which caters to the cultural pace of both the University campus and the community at large.
Brief History of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  The Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, the forerunner of the present Department, was created in 1939 in the Faculty of Medicine, which remains its formal "home". Up to that time bacteriology had been taught in Medicine by members of the Department of Pathology.
  In 1965 the Department moved from its quarters in Victoria Hospital to the new Faculty of Medicine Building, increased its staff, initiated courses in Science and developed an honors program in the component disciplines. Graduate studies have been an important part of the life of the Department since 1948. From 1949 onwards, a particularly strong research program on the structure of microbes developed.
  Virological studies were initiated in a hospital context in 1960 and in the University in 1965, expanding enormously since 1976 to provide a major component of the research effort. Immunology, although taught, was not a significant area of research in the Department until 1967 when a series of appointments gave rise to the strong group of today. New areas of academic/clinical contact have been developed, especially in immunology, the transplantation services and in neurological science. The development of University Hospital (1972) has led to a great strengthening of expertise in clinical microbiology. The Department also took part in the development of the Faculty of Dentistry (1967) and in the initiation of bioengineering and environmental engineering studies (1968). The Acting Chair of the Department is Dr. B. Singh.
  The current name, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was adopted in 1978 and reflects the broad interests of the faculty and its students. The Department offers programs leading to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in most areas of modern microbiologyand has access to a wide array of core facilities.

General Description of the Graduate Program
  The Graduate Program of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology revolves around two major fields of scientific endeavor:
      i) The molecular and cellular biology of microorganisms, and
      ii) The molecular and cellular biology of the immune system.
These fields involve studies on bacteria, virus, parasites, cancer cells, and immune cells with an emphasis on molecular biology, biochemistry, and pathogenesis.

  The Department is primarily committed to the training of Ph.D. students but also offers programs leading to a M.Sc. degree. Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees are offered through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and thus their calendar should be consulted for general and specific information pertaining to residency requirements, deadlines, thesis requirements, and other pertinent information.   Additional program specific information can be accessed via the navigation links at the top of this page.