1. Life Sciences Program Independent Study Information Night
February 2014

2. What is a Research Practicum ?
LIFE SCI 3RP3
Provides students an opportunity to explore potential research projects while volunteering in the laboratory or clinic of a faculty member in Science or Health Sciences
Students will complete 60 hours of practicum work in the laboratory or clinic over one term
Students will be required to complete a research proposal as a final graded deliverable for the course

3. 3RP3 - Prerequisites Credit or registration in SCIENCE 2C00
Registration in Level III or above of Life Sciences
Permission from
Research Supervisor
Director of Life Sciences (or delegate)
Completion of the required application form

4. 3RP3 - Course Restrictions
LIFE SCI 3RP3 is not open to students with credit or registration in the following courses at the University
Department- or program-based applied placement
Independent Study
Research Seminar
Internship
Practicum course
Students may not take LIFE SCI 3RP3 and an Independent Study Course concurrently
LIFE SCI 3RP3 must precede an Independent Study Course but is not a required prerequisite for LIFE SCI 4A03, 4B06, 4C09

5. What is an Independent Study?
LIFE SCI 4A03, 4B06, 4C09
1- or 2-term course with one supervisor
Conduct Independent research or investigation
Formulate a scientific hypothesis
Design and conduct research to support or refute hypothesis
Learn and utilize research techniques
Apply statistics
Present results and analyses in a written thesis
Oral or poster presentation

6. 4A03, 4B06, 4C09 - Prerequisites
Registration in Level IV of Honours Life Sciences
Requires permission of the supervising faculty member and course coordinator
LIFE SCI 4A03
LIFE SCI 4B06 CA of 7.0
LIFE SCI 4C09 CA of 8.5

7. 4A03/4B06/4C09 – Time Commitment
LIFE SCI 4A03: 6-9 hours/week over 1 term
LIFE SCI 4B06: 9-12 hours/week over 2 terms
LIFE SCI 4C09: hours/week over 2 terms

8. How are you evaluated? 4A03
The marking scheme for the one term independent study course is as follows.
Literature Review     20%
Lab/Clinic/Field/Computer 30%
Formal Presentation 20%
Final Research Proposal Report 30%

9. How are you evaluated? 4B06/4C09
The marking scheme for project and thesis courses are as follows.
Research Proposal/Lit Review     %
Mid-year assessment            %
Written final report or thesis %
Lab/Clinic/Field/Computer             %
Final presentation in lab meeting, Ontario
Biology Day or Life Sci Interdisciplinary Research Symposium   20%

10. LS 4A/B/C are optional except for students in Origins specialization Must take ORIGINS 4A09

11. Supervision
These courses require the supervision of a professor from the Faculty of Science or Faculty of Health Sciences.
It is YOUR responsibility to find a supervising faculty member for your project
Further Supervisor search tips are available on the Life Sciences website.

12. Finding a suitable research supervisor in Faculty of Science
Use the following links to Department and Faculty websites to find potential Academic supervisors:
Department
Department Faculty Website
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
Biology
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Geography and Earth Sciences
(including Environmental Sciences)
Kinesiology
Mathematics and Statistics
Med Physics & Applied Rad Sci
Physics & Astronomy (&Biophysics)
Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour

13. Finding a suitable research supervisor in Faculty of Health Science
There are too many departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences to list here:
The following link is a good starting place:
Explore the Departments that interest you and look for potential faculty members to contact for an interview

14. Then what? Contact the professor!
Send an inquiry, introducing yourself, indicating your interest—be specific about what research you would like to do; explain that you are looking for a supervisor for a project or a thesis, and would like an appointment to discuss potential research topics
If you have taken a course with the professor, let him/her know that, and if you have a list of courses or an unofficial transcript, include that as an attachment
You want to impress the professor and sell yourself as being an asset to the research group
Do not simply say “Are you taking on any more students?”
Do this all relatively briefly
Faculties of Social Science (Political science, anthropology, geography), Humanities (Philosophy, Communication), Business.
May be based on hypothesis-driven research at the bench or in the field. It may also be a literature-based analysis of a topic or field guided by an faculty member, but driven by the student.

15. When should you do this?
If you are in Level 2, start looking for a supervisor at the beginning of Level 3 (October and November)
Offer to complete a Life Sci 3RP3 (Life Sciences Research Practicum) with the professor in the spring or summer term or in Level 3 so you can learn more about their research.
Faculties of Social Science (Political science, anthropology, geography), Humanities (Philosophy, Communication), Business.
May be based on hypothesis-driven research at the bench or in the field. It may also be a literature-based analysis of a topic or field guided by an faculty member, but driven by the student.

16. Who will you really be working with?
In many instances, the day-to-day training will be with post-docs or graduate students in the lab
You may not meet with your supervisor more than once or twice a month or once weekly during lab meetings
Sometimes, however, you may work very closely with the professor---it all depends on your circumstances
SO ASK YOUR potential supervisor about this BEFORE you start the project if this is important to you.
Faculties of Social Science (Political science, anthropology, geography), Humanities (Philosophy, Communication), Business.
May be based on hypothesis-driven research at the bench or in the field. It may also be a literature-based analysis of a topic or field guided by an faculty member, but driven by the student.

17. Forum for presenting your results:
Ontario Biology Day
Conference held annually in March and rotates around 12 universities in the province.
Lab Meetings
Conferences
Faculties of Social Science (Political science, anthropology, geography), Humanities (Philosophy, Communication), Business.
May be based on hypothesis-driven research at the bench or in the field. It may also be a literature-based analysis of a topic or field guided by an faculty member, but driven by the student.

18. Forum for presenting your results:
Life Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Symposium (LS-IRS)
Run by the Life Sciences Program for HLS
2014 Event: April 1
Ewart Angus, HSC-1A area
All welcome to attend oral and poster presentations of current students.
Faculties of Social Science (Political science, anthropology, geography), Humanities (Philosophy, Communication), Business.
May be based on hypothesis-driven research at the bench or in the field. It may also be a literature-based analysis of a topic or field guided by an faculty member, but driven by the student.

19. Application deadlines:
LIFE SCI 3RP3 30 days prior to the start of the
term in which the course takes
place
LIFE SCI 4A03 Fall Term 1: July 1
Winter Term 2: November 1
Spring/Summer: March 1
LIFE SCI 4B06/4C09 Spring/Summer: March 1
Fall/Winter: March 31
Note: these deadlines are for submission of forms, but you are strongly encouraged to contact a Faculty member as soon as possible to arrange supervision.

20. Examples of Past Projects
Tooth Development in Sea Urchins.
3 unit project
Department of Biology
Mehtab Grewal - interested in Dentistry, completed 6 unit project with Dr.Jonathon Stone in the Department of Biology of tooth development in sea urchins.
Literature review of the microarchitecture and patterns of growth of sea urchin teeth.
的 have always been interested in dentistry, but had never considered research as a career. Completing a fourth year thesis has opened my eyes to a new and exciting world. What I loved about the experience was being able to choose my own topic, work at my own pace and find a supervisor who would best suit my interests. I highly recommend completing a thesis to all undergraduate students!� - Mehtab Grewal, Life Sciences student, ‘09
One of the best parts of my job is the continual learning - until speaking with Mehtab about her project this past year, I did not realize that sea urchins have teeth.
Anusha Undwatta - interested in genetic counselling completed a 6 unit literature based project on the efficacy of a newborn genetic screen for a recessively inherited disorder - biochemical disorder called 3-MCC
(Murray Potter -Pathology & Molecular Medicine)
Newborn genetic screening.
6 unit project
Biochemical Genetics Program

21. Examples of Past Projects
Molecular markers of heart disease.
3 unit project
Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine
Goushalaa Stephen Hill , Pathology & Molecular Medicine -
�One of the leading causes of death among Canadians over the age of 65 is cardiovascular disease. This calls for a need in better screening and diagnostic protocols that are cost effective and would help assist health service providers with planning, evaluating and maintaining a complex disease. I had the opportunity to look into various cardiac biomarkers and research the crucial roles they have in diagnosis, risk assessment, and the direction they provide towards the appropriate therapy. This project gave me a unique opportunity to do an in-depth study on a topic I have always been interested in. - Goushalaa Sittampalam. Life Sciences student ‘09
Cell cycle regulation in flies.
9 unit project
Department of Biology

22. Examples of Past Projects
Bone density and maternal health Biochemistry and Health Sciences
Basic Research (Lab Bench).
-drug discovery

23. Group projects with Dr. Dej and Dr. Gupta (Biology)
Nematode phylogenies
These projects give students the opportunity to work independently while still acquiring the skill of coming back together in a group to aggregate and analyze the collected data.
Projects that span multiple life sciences disciplines. I am extremely excited about the development of these group projects that would change frequently and would stem from current research at McMaster. These projects give students the opportunity to work independently while still acquiring the skill of coming back together in a group to aggregate and analyze the collected data.
the science behind spiderman
science education in elementary school
research in public awareness of science
public policy - BPA - environmental policy, biochemistry, development,ecology, (2008 Canadian government banned the use of BPA in plastic baby bottles)

24. Field opportunity Field with Dr. Chow-Fraser
In partnership with Hamilton Naturalist Club, determine the ecological status of endangered species such as the flowering dogwood and American chestnut in Spooky Hollow
Conduct long-term monitoring of streams and wetlands in Hamilton region or in the Bruce Peninsula
Projects that span multiple life sciences disciplines. I am extremely excited about the development of these group projects that would change frequently and would stem from current research at McMaster. These projects give students the opportunity to work independently while still acquiring the skill of coming back together in a group to aggregate and analyze the collected data.
the science behind spiderman
science education in elementary school
research in public awareness of science
public policy - BPA - environmental policy, biochemistry, development,ecology, (2008 Canadian government banned the use of BPA in plastic baby bottles)

25. More information: www.science.mcmaster.ca/lifesciences/