1. MIMM Graduate Program Director
Welcome new and current MIMM Graduate Students !
Graduate Program 2020
Sylvie Fournier
MIMM Graduate Program Director

2. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS)
Dean of GPS: Josephine Nalbantoglu
Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Medicine): Lorraine Chalifour. Responsible for helping graduate students, postdocs, and their supervisors resolve problematic situations that cannot be solved by the department. Disciplinary officer for all graduate students.
Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education (Medicine):
Aimee Ryan. Support the development of graduate programs and postdoctoral opportunities and policies.
Provide a full range of student services and resources to support your life, learning, personal and academic achievements.
Explore the wide variety of services and resources that GPS has to offer by visiting their website at

3. MIMM Graduate Program Staff
Antonios Daskalakis/ Student Affairs Coordinator Lyman Duff Building, room 511
Carmen Aimee Paez/ Student Affairs Officer Lyman Duff Building, room 511
Dr. Sylvie Fournier / Graduate Program Director Lyman Duff Building, room 406
Dr. Don Sheppard/ Chair of the Department
Dr. Samantha Gruenheid/Associate Chair of the Department

4. MIMM Graduate Program Committee 2020
Faculty members
Dr. Sylvie Fournier (Chair)
Dr. Samantha Gruenheid Dr. Martin Richer
Dr. Irah King
Dr. Judith Mandl – Associate Member Dr. Chen Liang – Associate Member
Dr. Claire Trottier – Education Specialist
Mr. Antonios Daskalakis– Student Affairs and Graduate Program Coordinator Ms. Carmen Aimee Paez– Student Affairs Officer
Student representative – Mariia Taguer

5. MIMM Website and Graduate Handbooks
Your compass through graduate school !

6. Will be updated in few weeks!
Handbooks 2020
Content
Program Requirements
Course Description
Contact of Course Coordinators
Detailed Recommended Program Timelines
Academic Integrity
Thesis Preparation Submission
Thesis Oral Defence
Departmental Dispute Resolution
Will be updated in few weeks!

7. Forms and Guidelines
Forms and guidelines are available on the department website
IMPORTANT NOTE: USE THE POSTED VERSIONS OF THE FORMS. PREVIOUS VERSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

8. Graduate Programs Requirements

9. MSc Program Requirements
A minimum of 3 terms in residence, submission of a thesis, and 45 credits to be completed as follows:
33 research credits awarded as a block upon acceptance of the MSc thesis:
MIMM 697
Master's Research 1
11 credits
MIMM 698
Master's Research 2
MIMM 699
Master's Research 3
12 credits obtained by completing the following graduate courses:
MIMM 611
Graduate Seminar 1
3 credits
MIMM 612 (Section 1)
Graduate Seminar 2
XXXX
Reading and Conference 1
Reading and Conference 2

10. PhD Program Requirements
A minimum of six terms in residence and submission/defence of a thesis.
Completion of the following graduate courses:
MIMM 611
MIMM 612 (Section 2) MIMM 713
Graduate Seminar 1 Graduate Seminar 2 Graduate Seminar 3
MIMM 701
XXXX XXXX XXXX
Comprehensive Examination
Reading and Conference 1 Reading and Conference 2 Reading and Conference 3

11. Additional Program Requirements (I)
Attendance to the Orientation Session during the first term of residence.
Attendance is determined by a sign-in sheet. Please sign before leaving.
Attendance to a two-part Ethics Workshop (NEUR Responsible Research Conduct) during the first term in residence. Must register on Minerva (NEUR 705).
Submission of an annual Advisory Committee Report on due time. See handbook for details.
Attendance to the public Graduate Student Seminars during each term of residence. You are allowed to miss one seminar day per term. Attendance is determined by a sign-in sheet. Seminar schedule is available on the departmental website.

12. Additional Program Requirements (II)
Attendance to 10 scientific seminars per term until the end of residency.
Attendance and participation at the Annual Graduate Student Research Day
Mandatory to attend every year. Attendance confirmed by registration and sign-in sheet.
Participation is also required:
MSc students: one oral or poster presentation during residency.
PhD students: one oral and one poster presentation during residency.
Complete a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with your supervisor(s).

13. Letter of understanding
Each graduate student and his/her supervisor(s) must sign a letter of understanding (LOU). This is a new Graduate and Post-doctoral (GPS) regulation.
Goal:
Promote a dialogue between the student and the supervisor(s) to define their mutual expectations and avoid misunderstandings.
Promote awareness to University, GPS and MIMM Graduate Program regulations and policies that govern students and supervisors.
The letter must be dated and signed by all parties (supervisor, co-supervisor and supervisee) within 1 month of the student arrival in the laboratory (for new graduate students) and by the end of April 2020 for students already in the graduate program.
Must be revisited every 12 months or as needed, as the supervisory relationship changes as the student progresses towards the degree
Must be forwarded to the Student Affairs Coordinator, as it must be approved and signed by the Graduate Program Director.

14. Scientific seminars (Current Topics seminars)
Attend 10 scientific seminars each term until the end of residency
4 seminars from the departmental Infection & Immunity Seminar Series (schedule available on the MIMM website). Attendance confirmed by a sign-in sheet.
6 seminars from other McGill University locations or affiliated centers (Glen, LDI, IRCM). Only life sciences-related seminars presented by principal investigators are allowed. Confirm attendance by obtaining the signature of the professor hosting the seminar (either on the Current Topics Seminar Attendance Form or seminar’s poster) and submit the signed document to the Student Affairs Coordinator.
Attendance to an Orientation Session and to the Career Day can each count for attendance to a scientific seminar.

15. Graduate Courses Overview

16. MIMM 611 - Graduate Seminar 1
Coordinator: Prof. S. Fournier
Research proposal seminar
Must be presented during the first term in residence
Not public; presented during the first MSc Advisory Committee meeting
The oral presentation of your research proposal should last 20 minutes max
A written summary of the research proposal should be submitted to the members of the MSc Advisory Committee one week prior to the seminar. See details in the MSc Program Handbook
Forward your written summary to the Student Affairs Coordinator
Evaluated on a Pass or Fail basis by the Advisory Committee

17. Graduate Seminar 2 for MSc students
MIMM Section 1
Graduate Seminar 2 for MSc students
Coordinator: Prof. J. Archambault
Research seminar
Presented during the last term in residence
Held publically as part of the Graduate Student Seminar Series
You should contact the Student Affairs Coordinator ahead of time to schedule your seminar
Submit an abstract to the Student Affairs Coordinator one week prior to the seminar
Evaluated by a grading panel
Note: This seminar may be used as a transfer (“switch”) seminar for MSc students wishing to proceed directly to the PhD program

18. Graduate Seminar 2 for PhD students
MIMM Section 2
Graduate Seminar 2 for PhD students
Coordinator: Prof. S. Fournier
Research progress seminar
Presented during the 2nd year in residence
Not held publicly; presented during the 2nd PhD Advisory Committee meeting
Submit a written summary of the research to the members of the PhD Advisory Committee one week prior to the seminar
Forward your written summary to the Student Affairs Coordinator
Evaluated on a Pass or Fail basis by the PhD Advisory Committee

19. MIMM 713 - Graduate Seminar 3 for PhD students
Coordinator: Prof. J. Archambault
Comprehensive summary of the results of the research project
Presented during the final year in residence
Held publically as part of the Graduate Student Seminar Series
Submit an abstract to the Student Affairs Coordinator one week prior to the seminar
Evaluated by a grading panel

20. MSc and PhD Reading and Conference Courses
Any life sciences-related, 500-level or above course held at McGill University. If the R&C course is not listed in the handbook, you need to obtain prior approval of the Graduate Program Director, by submitting a written justification, the course outline and your supervisor’s approval to the Student Affairs Coordinator
Infection and Immunity Journal Club (MIMM 616, Fall term).
Coordinator: Prof. S. Fournier
Immunopathogenesis of Human Diseases (MIMM 607, Winter Term). Course appears as “Biochemical Pathology” on Minerva. Addresses the critical role of immune- regulatory mechanisms for maintaining the balance between immune-protective and immune-driven pathology as well as potential consequences on systemic pathology. Coordinator: Prof. M. Divangahi
The Human Microbiome (MIMM 617; not available in Winter 2020). How the human microbiome establishes itself, is maintained, and can alter human health. Students will also be exposed to the state-of-the-art approaches to the study of the human microbiome. Coordinator: Dr. C. Maurice
It is recommended to take a Statistics course as one of the R&C courses. Options include BINF 531, EXMD 634, BIOL 598, & EPIB 507.

21. Important Note
If you are registered for MIMM 611, 612, 713 or 701, but are unable to fulfill the course requirement(s) during that semester, you are strongly advised to drop the course, within the course change (drop/add) period. For example, if you are unable:
to meet with your MSc Advisory Committee (MIMM 611)
to present your scientific seminar (MIMM 612 or MIMM 713)
to have your comprehensive examination (MIMM 701)
If you miss the course change deadline, you must withdraw from the course and pay the associated fees.
Failure to withdraw will result in a grade of “J” (incomplete/failure), which counts as “0” in GPA calculations, unless circumstances have been discussed ahead of time with the course coordinator.
In all cases, you should register for the course in the following semester.

22. Advisory Committee

23. Advisory Committees (I)
Each graduate student in the MIMM department has an Advisory Committee consisting of his/her supervisor(s) and two other faculty members.
The mandate of the Advisory Committee is to provide guidance and evaluation on research proposal/progress, on oral and written communication skills, and to follow up on program timeline.
One of the faculty members must be a member or associated member of the department. The other faculty member can be an academic member in a tenure- track position in another department or university. Be wise in the selection of your members.
Make sure to obtain approval of your selection of committee members by submitting a MSc/PhD Advisory Committee Nomination Form to the Student Affairs Coordinator.
Students are required to meet with their Advisory Committee at least once a year and complete an Advisory Committee Report (see Handbook for details) that should be forwarded to the Student Affairs Coordinator.

24. Advisory Committees (II)
Students are responsible for scheduling their yearly Advisory Committee meetings.
The first advisory committee meeting should be held during the first term in residence.
For each meeting, you must present orally and in writing your research proposal/ progress.
The written summary of your research proposal/progress should be sent to the members of the committee at least one week before your meeting. The written summary should include an abstract of 250 words or less, be typed double-spaced using a 12-point Times font and not exceeding 8 pages (including the abstract, figures, figure legends and references). Forward the written summary to the Student Affairs Coordinator.
The oral presentation should last at least 20 minutes and is followed by a question period.

25. Advisory Committees (III)
At each meeting, you, your supervisor and your committee members must complete and sign a MSc/PhD Advisory Committee Report and you must forward this report to the Student Affairs Coordinator.
The objective of having an Advisory Committee meeting and the presentation of the first seminar (MIMM 611) during the first term of residence is to promote rapid immersion of the student into a defined research project and on time graduation or transfer to the MIMM PhD program.
Be reassured that absence of preliminary data or exhaustive knowledge of the research field cannot be grounds for a Fail grade.

26. PhD Advisory Committee
Candidates entering the PhD program through transfer from the MIMM MSc program
Students who transferred to the PhD program continue to follow the same Advisory Committee meeting schedule they had as a MSc student unless special circumstances affecting the timing of the Advisory Committee meetings have been discussed ahead of time with the Graduate Program Director.
For example, if a student had their last MSc Advisory Committee Meeting in Winter were promoted to the PhD program in Fall, their first PhD Advisory Committee meeting is not due until the Winter semester of their first year as a PhD student.

27. Advisory Committees
Annual research progress tracking is mandatory until completion of your degree.
Your Advisory Committee is a unique resource. You are not alone !
Do not hesitate to seek help or guidance from your committee members.
It is highly recommended to provide the ‘Advisory Committee Guidelines for Members’ to each member of your committee prior to the each meeting.

28. Other Milestones Towards Your Degree

29. Transfer to PhD Program
MSc students who want to transfer to the PhD program must present a scientific seminar between the third and fourth term of their MSc program and register for MIMM 612 (section 1) for the term in which they will be presenting their seminar.
Refer to the Handbook for the procedure to follow.

30. Comprehensive Examination MIMM 701
Coordinator: Prof. B. Cousineau
PhD candidates entering the program with a MSc degree must take a comprehensive exam within 2 years of their initial registration as a graduate student in the Department.
PhD candidates who have internally transferred to the PhD program must take a comprehensive examination within 3 years of their initial registration as a graduate student in the Department.
Students must register for MIMM 701 in the semester in which they plan to have the comprehensive exam.
Consult PhD Program Handbook for details on Exam Organization, Components, Details and Grading.

31. Thesis Preparation and Submission
Regulations concerning the preparation and submission of MSc and PhD theses are outlined in detail on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website:
A summary of the regulations is provided in the Handbooks
An information session specifically on thesis preparation and submission will be given each year.

32. PhD Oral Defence Committee
Procedure for setting up a doctoral oral defence committee is detailed on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website and in the PhD Program Handbook.

33. Expectations and Values

34. Compliance to Program Requirements
You are expected to comply to all program requirements.
Exceptions can be granted under exceptional circumstances, but need to be discussed with, and approved by the Graduate Program Director.
Students not complying with program requirements will not be eligible to departmental awards.
Example: student not submitting Advisory Committee Reports to the Graduate Program Coordinator in due time (unless special circumstances have been discussed ahead of time with the Graduate Program Director).

35. Academic Integrity (I)
McGill University values academic integrity. All students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures. For more information, see
It is strongly recommended to consult the The FairPlay online resource guide at that explains what constitutes an offence and that is designed to help students avoid cheating, plagiarism and other activities that can lead to censure, failure or expulsion from the University.

36. Academic Integrity (II)
Examples:
Signing in for a classmate unable to attend a course is considered a violation of the University Integrity Code.
Signing in and not attending the seminar is considered a violation of the University Integrity Code.
“copy and paste” a reference text while changing few of the original words is considered a violation of the University Integrity Code.
Any dishonest academic behavior observed will be reported to the disciplinary officer of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Students suspected of dishonest academic behavior will not be eligible to departmental awards and fellowships.

37. Timeline for MSc Program

38. MSc Recommended Program Timeline
For students entering the program in Summer or Fall YEAR 1
Winter Term
Attend Orientation session Attend Ethics workshop Sign a letter of understanding
Select Advisory Committee members and submit a Nomination Form
Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars
Submit Advisory Committee Report by the end of the term Register and attend the Annual Graduate Student Research Day Register for:
MIMM 697 MIMM 611 NEUR 705
Master's Research 1 Graduate Seminar Responsible Research Conduct
Fall Term
Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars
Register for:
MIMM 698 XXXX
Master's Research 2 Reading and Conference 1*

39. MSc Recommended Program Timeline
For students entering the program in Summer or Fall YEAR 2
Winter Term
Revisit the letter of understanding Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars
Submit Advisory Committee Report by the end of the term
Possibility to organize transfer to the PhD program
Register and attend the Annual Graduate Student Research Day Thesis submission allowed at the end of the term§
Register for:
MIMM 699
MIMM 612 Section 001
XXXX
Master's Research 3
Graduate Seminar 2# (if last term in residence)
Reading and Conference 2*
Fall Term
Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars
Last term to organize transfer to the PhD program
Register for:
MIMM 612 Section 001
Graduate Seminar #2 (if last term in residence)

40. MSc Recommended Program Timeline
For students entering the program in Summer or Fall
YEAR 3
Winter Term
Revisit the letter of understanding Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars
Submit Advisory Committee Report by the end of the term
Register for and attend the Annual Graduate Student Research Day Thesis submission
Register for:
IF APPLICABLE
MIMM 612 Section 001 Graduate Seminar 2# (if last term in residence)
Fall Term
Attend public Graduate Student Seminars Attend 10 Current Topics Seminars Thesis submission
Register for:
IMPORTANT: MSc candidates must complete their degree within 3 years of initial registration. PhD candidates must complete their degree by the end of PhD7 (note that if you were admitted after a MSc degree or if you have transferred from the MSc MIMM program you are a PhD2)

41. Time limitation (I)
Candidates for master's degrees must complete the degree within three years of initial registration.
Candidates for doctoral degrees must complete the degree by the end of PhD7. Note that if you were admitted after a MSc degree or if you have transferred from the MSc MIMM program you start your program as a PhD2.

42. Time limitation
The object of these regulations is to encourage candidates to complete their theses and qualify for their degree without undue delay.
Students who do not complete their degree requirements within the time limits stated above will be withdrawn from the University and will lose their student status and access to McGill facilities and support. International students on study permits will also be required to leave Canada.
Students can apply for readmission by completing and submitting the Request for Readmission webform only when they are ready to submit their thesis and will be charged fees for the term of readmission and any future terms of registration up to and including their term of graduation.

43. Time limitation notification
An will be sent to you by Enrolment Services, about six months (July, 2022(MSc); 2025(PhD)) before the deadline for your thesis submission.
“Our records indicate that you are in the final year of your graduate thesis program. As a result, we would like to alert you to the following:
You will reach Time Limitation at the end of Fall 2022(MSc), Fall 2025 (PhD).
To comply with the enforcement of Time Limitation Policy, you must submit your thesis no later than December 15, 2022(25), otherwise your registration for the Winter 2023(26) term will be cancelled at the end of December 2022(25).
If you did not register for the Winter 2023(26) term, your status has now been inactivated for that term and you will not be able to register or continue in your program until you submit your thesis to the Thesis Office.
If you submit your thesis no later than December 15, 2022(25), your registration status for Winter 2023(26) will be changed to Thesis Evaluation status.
If you miss the December 15 deadline, you may apply to be readmitted only when you are ready to submit your thesis.
You must submit a Request for Readmission at the time you submit your thesis.

44. Make the Most of It

45. Stay Informed Read your McGill emails Never ignore emails from:
(Antonios) (GPD)
Departmental web site:
GPS web site:

46. Stay Informed
Graduate students are expected to inform themselves of University, GPS and MIMM Graduate Program guidelines, regulations and policies that govern graduate students and supervisors.
General University policies and regulations
University regulations on graduate student supervision supervision_2016.pdf
Guidelines and policies defined by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
2019/university_regulations_and_resources/graduate/gps_gi_guidelines_poli cies
MIMM Graduate Program policies and guidelines as defined for MSc students:
MSc students transferring to the PhD program:
_w19.pdf PhD students:

47. Mentorship Program
You can contact any member of the Graduate Program Committee at anytime throughout the course of your graduate studies to discuss personal, administrative or academic issues (committee members are listed on departmental website).

48. Departmental Dispute Resolution
Procedure for Graduate Students
Procedures to assist in the resolution of conflicts between graduate students and their supervisors (or supervisory committees).
Always attempt to resolve conflicts within the department before seeking outside assistance.
If you find yourself in a conflict with your supervisor or supervisory committee, you should follow these steps, in this order:
Informal discussions with your supervisor
Discussion with the Student Affairs Officer/Coordinator
Discussion with the Graduate Program Director
Discussion with the Department Chair/Associate Chair
Informal meeting with the Associate Dean (GPS)
Deal with problems early ...

49. Meet people Become involved Seek help
Tried and True Advice
Avoid
Isolation
Meet people Become involved Seek help
Widen your horizons Explore the city

50. Take advantage of McGill

51. Graduate Student Association MIGSA
Microbiology and Immunology
Graduate Student Association
MIGSA

52. Felix LaRoche- Johnston Exec Admin
MIGSA Executive Council
Felix LaRoche- Johnston Exec Admin
Ryan Pardy President
Masha Taguer VP Academic
Elaine Thomson VP Social
Roman Istomin VP Finance
Kayla Paulini VP Internal
Adam Hassan VP External
Anshul Sinha Seminar Rep
Connie Shen & Chad Poloni Events Coordinators

53. MIGSA Activities and events

54. Current Events
Today: Pub Night at 4pm at Thomson House (3650 McTavish)
Intramural Volleyball team:
– Anshul at if you are interested
Escape room – late January
Cottage weekend – late February
More info to follow!

55. Join our Facebook page!
MIGSA.McGill/

56. Have a rich graduate study experience in the McGill MIMM Department !
DEPARTMENT OF
MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
Have a rich graduate study experience in the
McGill MIMM Department !