• Role of diet in health and disease, including cancer, diabetes, renal disease, bone diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
• Identification and development of functional foods and nutraceuticals and evaluation of their health benefits
• Effect of nutrients on body defense and immune systems including those involved in cell damage and repair and detoxification of environmental pollutants
• Nutritional biochemistry and nutrient-gene interactions
• Functional and health aspects of nutrients and foods in pediatric and geriatric populations
• Application of the knowledge of functional foods and nutraceuticals in the design of food products for the general population and specific groups of individuals
• Processing of oil seeds and oils to improve storage stability
• Relationship of sensory and chemical flavour properties of foods
• Food security and policy development
• Cultural and social aspects of food choice behaviors.
• Qualitative investigation of nutrition and health with a focus on weight issues and the Aboriginal population.
• Nutrition and health-related issues of older adults residing in personal care homes and in community residences

For the research programs of individual faculty members consult the faculty directory.

Research facilities
The research facilities in Human Nutritional Sciences consist of laboratories for basic as well as applied research. These are well-equipped with modern analytical instrumentation to carry out studies of complex materials. The expanding facilities include the Canada Foundation for Innovation Nutritional Sciences Research Facility and include tools to carry out research at the cellular and molecular levels, such as fluorescent and chemiluminescent imaging, gene amplification, phosphorimaging, high pressure liquid and gas chromatography equipment and cell culture facilities. The George Weston Ltd. Sensory and Food Research Laboratory, with controlled ventilation and lighting and a computerized sensory analysis system, provides a controlled setting for testing of food products. This facility is used to evaluate the effects of food ingredients and nutraceuticals, storage conditions and preservation on food quality and consumer acceptance as well as on the commercial viability of a food or food products.

Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Master of Science program, a student must have an undergraduate degree from the department, with a GPA of at least 3.0, OR must have another undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 (B average), three credits of Physiology, three credits of Biochemistry and six credits in upper level foods or nutrition courses.

Students with a 3-year undergraduate degree enter at the Pre-Master's level, in which a student normally takes at least 18 credit hours of course work that are decided by the Department Head. Pre-Master's students are not eligible for graduate student stipends and do not carry out a research project.

Students applying to either the Inter-departmental Ph D program in Food and Nutritional Sciences or the Interdisciplinary PhD program should hold a thesis-based Master's degree in nutrition or related field. The department may accept evidence of an extensive publication and research background as an alternative to a thesis.

Application Instructions

Financial Support
The three major national research councils, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Canadian Institute of Health Research are the principal research sponsors, with additional support from industry, research agencies and foundations for specific fields of study. For further information on financial support, see the information package for prospective students.

Departmental scholarships and teaching assistantships are available, allocated by competition. Support also may be available from faculty research programs.