Gastrointestinal Sciences

The Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences offers graduate programs leading to thesis-based Master of Science (MSc) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees with specializations in Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Immunology, Immunopharmacology, Nutrition, Parasitology, Pathology or Epidemiology. A joint MD/MSc and MD/PhD program is also offered under the title “Leaders in Medicine”.

Admission Requirements
In addition to Faculty requirements, the Department requires:
(a) A minimum grade point average of 3.20 on a four-point scale over the last two full years or equivalent;
(b) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (written test) or 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (internet based test).

Application Deadline
Students may be admitted for September, January, or May. Contact the department for general application guidelines. Students applying to the MD/MSc or MD/PhD program must apply individually to each program and complete a supplementary application for the Leaders in Medicine Program.

Advanced Credit
The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission.

Program/Course Requirements
In addition to Faculty requirements, the Department requires:
(a) The completion of a minimum of two half-course equivalents for the Master of Science. For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the completion of a minimum of two half-course equivalents for those entering with an Master's degree in a related subject and a minimum of three half-course equivalents for those entering with a Bachelor of Science or equivalent. Normally, one of these courses is MDSC 637.01. Exceptions, however, can be approved by the coordinator on the recommendation of the supervisor or the graduate education committee;
(b) A supervisory committee;
(c) A written research proposal presented to the supervisory committee within twelve months of initial registration;
(d) A seminar presentation once a year. Exceptions require recommendation by the supervisory committee and approval of the Graduate Coordinator;
(e) For doctoral students, a comprehensive written examination completed no more than one month before the oral candidacy examination;
(f) Regular attendance at the G.I. Sciences seminar program.

Credit for Undergraduate Courses
No credit given

Time Limit
Expected completion time is two years for the Master's program and four years for the doctoral program. Maximum completion time is four years for the Master's program and six years for the doctoral program.
Expected completion time is four to five years for the MD/MSc program and six to seven years for the MD/PhD program. Maximum completion time is six years for the MD/MSc program and eight years for the MD/PhD program.

Supervisory Assignments
The various laboratories in the group assess students, and the laboratory that has a need/interest in the student will offer the student a placement . Master's students in the Leaders in Medicine Program must have a supervisory committee constituted according to the regulations of the graduate program. Both Master's and doctoral students will also be evaluated and advised by a Joint Liaison Committee composed of the Associate Dean (Graduate Science Education), Associate Dean (Undergraduate Medical Education), and the Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine.

Required Examinations
The doctoral written candidacy examination consists of four questions of which the student must answer two within 21 days. The object is to quantify the skills of the student to assimilate and discuss the literature in several areas related to gastrointestinal sciences. The supervisor is a non-voting observer at the doctoral oral candidacy examination.

Research Proposal Requirements
This is usually a document outlining the objectives, rationale, background and methods to be used.

Additional Requirements
Attendance at the Research Integrity Day is mandatory for all graduate students. Refer to program website for details.

Financial Support
Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. Students will receive a minimum stipend of $19,000 per year of program as mandated by the Associate Dean (Graduate Science Education). For more information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of the University of Calgary calendar.
Students applying for scholarships must submit their applications to the Department by February 01.

Faculty Members/Research Interests
The research interests of the Department include:

Studies of gastrointestinal and hepatic function under healthy and disordered conditions. The disorders include: inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial and parasitic infection, cystic fibrosis, gastric ulcers, intestinal anaphylaxis, malnutrition, diabetes and obesity.
The studies of gut function include: fluid, electrolyte and nutrient transport; motility; mucus glycoprotein biochemistry; membrane fluidity.

Integrative physiology is studied in the following area: neural control of gut function; lipid and apolipoprotein metabolism; intestinal adaptation and development; hepatic and intestinal circulation; biliary physiology in gallstone disease, hemodynamics in liver disease.
Studies of host defence in the gut include the mediators of intestinal inflammation, the role of the mast cell and the Kupffer cell. A major focus of the Unit is the pathophysiological response of the intestine to inflammation.

Contact Information
Michelle A. Selman
Tel: (403) 210-9572
Email:gigrad@ucalgary.ca
Website: http://www.ucalgary.ca/gisgp/