Biochemistry

Within a diverse and inclusive cluster of faculty and students, the Department of Biochemistry is a leader in its field.

Dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and leaders, our students are supported by world-renowned faculty who make significant research contributions in key areas - from signal transduction and regulation, to molecular medicine, to gene expression and development, and everything in between.

Our students tackle some of the most pressing and fundamental questions in biochemistry - from decoding the complexities of genome biology to pioneering breakthroughs in biomolecular structure, drug discovery, and infectious disease. With access to world-class facilities, state-of-the-art instruments, and cross-disciplinary mentorship, our trainees are at the forefront of discovery and innovation.

Our rotation system is a key feature of our training that allows newly admitted students to experience 3 different labs before deciding on a "best fit" thesis lab. This allows students to explore the breadth and depth of the research conducted and find the ideal learning environment to succeed.

Our Programs

Master of Science (MSc)

Students in this program complete:

Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 1
Scientific Skills for Biochemists
Three lab rotations
Elective
Thesis and oral defense

Students successfully finish this program in 2 years.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Students in this program complete:

Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 2
Scientific Skills for Biochemists*
Three lab rotations
Electives
Qualifying Document & Exam
Thesis and oral defense

Typically, students successfully complete this program in 6 years.

*If not yet completed

Alumni Profile

April Pawluck, PhD

I completed my doctoral studies in Biochemistry and then continued my research into the mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems, as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Berkeley.

I worked as a journal editor for four years and reviewed hundreds of submitted manuscripts across the biological sciences, mediating the peer review process and making decisions about which papers to publish.

Now, I use my perspective as a journal editor to help scientists write better grants and papers at the Arc Institute. In my spare time, I do freelance scientific editing with a group of former journal editors at Life Science Editors and I lead workshops on scientific writing and publishing.

Potential Career Paths

In 2022, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) tracked the career outcomes of 5,128 PhD students who graduated from the University of Toronto between 2016 to 2021. The data below is from 87 biochemistry PhD graduates.

Positions

Some examples of the positions our biochemistry graduates held included:

Postdoctoral fellowships
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical jobs
Hospital-based jobs

Employers

Some examples of employers for whom our biochemistry graduates worked included:

The University of Toronto
The Hospital for Sick Children

The chart below shows a percentage breakdown of the various sectors in which our biochemistry PhD graduates worked at the time the survey occurred.

Main Employment Sectors of Biochemistry PhD Graduates

Chart data

Post-Secondary Education	Private Sector	Public Sector	Charitable Sector	Individual Sector	Info Not Public/Other
42.5	41.4	2.3	1.1	1.1	11.5

By the Numbers

160

Number of current MSc & PhD students

50%

Percentage of MSc students who transfer to the PhD program

7

Average class size