Max Rady College of Medicine

Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics

Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry within all living organisms. Through innovative research and scholarship, we are working to understand, prevent and treat disease, including genetic disorders. Our department is home to biochemistry, molecular biological, medical genetics, computational biology and cancer biology expertise, practiced in an intellectually enriching research and teaching environment.

Researcher working with a test tube.

What we offer

We are proud to offer several educational programs in biochemistry and medical genetics, at multiple levels of expertise.

Undergraduate courses in genetics

Our undergraduate courses include opportunities to learn about genetics and cell biology. The genetics project course allows students to gain practical experience in genetics-related wet or dry bench research.

Our story

Watch a brief video to learn more about our department and what we offer.

Department research

We are committed to advancing our understanding of biochemistry and medical genetics and improving patient outcomes through our advanced research.

Research projects within the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics are wide-ranging and cover a number of topics. Our department is currently studying environmental impacts during development, new therapies for cancer or rare genetic disorders, as well as computer-based approaches to develop new diagnostic tools and understand our risk for drug-related adverse effects.

Current research projects

Research projects within the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics are wide-ranging and cover a number of topics.

Our department is currently examining advances in cancer research, computational biology, epigenetics, regenerative medicine and more.

Cancer research

Our department is currently studying challenging problems in discovery such as the molecular origins of cancer, the role of signal transduction pathways in regulating cell proliferation, cell death, gene expression and platelet function.

Discovery of biomarkers, mechanisms of cell death, and the biochemical action of chemotherapeutics is also a focus. Many faculty members are affiliated with the Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology (RIOH).

Computational biology

Members of our department are studying the use of computational methods to deal with large, complex data sets generated by high-throughput DNA, RNA and protein sequencing methods. This research involves the development, implementation and use of new algorithms, databases and high-performance computing to solve problems related to human health.

The following topics are the current focus for this group:

  • large-scale machine learning for genome and transcriptome analysis
  • biomedical proteomics and pharmacogenomics
  • precision medicine
Graphic of DNA.
Cancer survivor with open shirt.
Student working on a laptop.

Researcher profiles

Learn more about the groundbreaking research being conducted by faculty members in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics.

Student working with a test-tube.

Undergraduate Research Awards

Each year, the University of Manitoba provides a multitude of unique learning opportunities through the undergraduate research awards. This program allows undergraduate students to interact with the best minds and research leaders in their fields. This experience opens them up to new possibilities for a research career in either government, academic or industry sectors.

Community and partners

University of Sierra Leone

Department faculty, Dr. Francis Amara and Dr. Etienne Leygue, visited Sierra Leone in 2019 to train future leaders in STEM. During their visit, they established teaching and research partnerships with the University of Sierra Leone’s Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences and have since been appointed as adjunct professors.

Scholarship of Education Group

The Scholarship of Education Group is an exchange forum for international bioscience educators to share their educational research findings to guide curricular development and teaching decisions.

Human Rett Syndrome Brain Bio-Repository Laboratory

Dr. Mojgan Rastegar established a new Human Rett Syndrome Brain Bio-Repository Laboratory in the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM). Establishment of the lab was supported by private donations from Rett Syndrome parents and the Ontario Rett Syndrome Association (ORSA). Rett Syndrome parents from British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba, as well as ORSA President, Kevin Morton, were among the attendees at the grand opening of this new laboratory in September 2019.

Educating Young Manitobans

Our department worked with event coordinator Kristine Macalinao to host the “Let’s Talk Science-GeneTalks High School Symposium” on May 14, 2019. Introducing more than 50 high school students to bioinformatics and microscopy and their applications in cancer research studies.

A man painting boxes in front of the STEM Centre in Sierra Leone.

Faculty and staff

Our team

Our faculty and staff are committed to supporting learners, colleagues and the community. Contact us to learn more about our department and what we have to offer:

Find an advisor for your graduate studies

You must have an advisor willing to accept you as a student to pursue graduate studies in our department.

If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree under the mentorship of a faculty researcher not listed, you are welcome to contact that faculty member directly to inquire about potential graduate positions.

Advisors accepting graduate students

Faculty advisor Keywords
Versha Banerji  
Robert Beattie cortical development, developmental biology, genetics, gliogenesis, lineage tracing, molecular biology, mosaic analysis with double markers, neural stem cells
Julie Chen bioinformatics, omics data sciences, machine learning, microbial omics, computational molecular biology
James Davie breast cancer, chromatin biology, chromatin modifying enzymes, colorectal cancer, DNA methylation, epigenetics, histone modifications, nuclear matrix proteins
Brad Doble cancer, developmental disorders,epigenetics, epigenomics, genetic diseases,  micropatterning, proteomics, stem cells, transcriptomics, transcription, WNT signaling
Britt Drögemöller genomics, bioinformatics, pharmacogenomics, precision medicine, pediatric and maternal populations
Meaghan Jones bioinformatics, birth cohorts, data analysis, DNA methylation, DOHAD, epigenetics, mouse models
Paul Marcogliese disease models, drosophila, functional genomics, genetics, molecular biology, movement disorders, neurobiology, neurodegeneration, neurodevelopment, Parkinson’s disease, rare disease
Kirk McManus chromosome instability, colorectal cancer, drug target discovery, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, organoid/spheroid models, patient samples, quantitative imaging microscopy, siRNA, shRNA, CRISPR/Cas9, synthetic lethality
Yale Michaels genome engineering, synthetic biology, pluripotent stem cells, immunotherapy, CAR-T
Mojgan Rastegar DNA methylation, epigenetics, gene regulation,  transcriptional control,  stem cells, Rett Syndrome, MeCP2 isoforms,  neurodevelopmental disorders, stem cell differentiation
Jeffrey Wigle homeodomain transcription factors, angiogenesis, myofibroblasts, lymphangiogenesis

 

 


 

Advisors accepting postdoctoral fellows

Faculty advisor Keywords
Versha Banerji  
Robert Beattie cortical development, developmental biology, genetics, gliogenesis, lineage tracing, molecular biology, mosaic analysis with double markers, neural stem cells
James Davie breast cancer, chromatin biology, chromatin modifying enzymes, colorectal cancer, DNA methylation, epigenetics, histone modifications, nuclear matrix proteins
Britt Drögemöller genomics, bioinformatics, pharmacogenomics, precision medicine, pediatric and maternal populations
Meaghan Jones bioinformatics, birth cohorts, data analysis, DNA methylation, DOHAD, epigenetics, mouse models
Paul Marcogliese disease models, drosophila, functional genomics, genetics, molecular biology, movement disorders, neurobiology, neurodegeneration, neurodevelopment, Parkinson’s disease, rare disease
Kirk McManus chromosome instability, colorectal cancer, drug target discovery, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, organoid/spheroid models, patient samples, quantitative imaging microscopy, siRNA, shRNA, CRISPR/Cas9, synthetic lethality
Yale Michaels genome engineering, synthetic biology, pluripotent stem cells, immunotherapy, CAR-T
Mojgan Rastegar DNA methylation, epigenetics, gene regulation,  transcriptional control,  stem cells, Rett Syndrome, MeCP2 isoforms,  neurodevelopmental disorders, stem cell differentiation
Laurel Thorlacius Clinical Biochemistry Post-Doctoral Residency Program
Jeffrey Wigle homeodomain transcription factors, angiogenesis, myofibroblasts, lymphangiogenesis

 

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Contact us

Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
Room 336 Basic Medical Sciences Building
745 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

bmgadmin@umanitoba.ca