12 Life Sciences PhD Degree Programs in Canada

The PhD in Health Sciences is interdisciplinary in nature directly addressing the needs of health science researchers and professionals in BC and beyond. The program format is standard for the doctorate level where the student completes coursework and undertakes research demonstrated with a dissertation of original and innovative research in health sciences; the research is at the forefront of their chosen area.

Traditional elements of this PhD program include the development of a research dissertation in a field of interest in the environmental sciences, the completion and approval of a candidacy examination, and a final oral defence. Unique to this program are three environmentally oriented courses that provide students with expertise in environmental communication strategies: Communication Strategies Current Issues in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Practical Issues Surrounding Environmental Management

This program is one of two doctoral programs offered by the Faculty of Science, the other of which being the PhD in Environmental Sciences. This research-intensive PhD program brings together researchers from the faculty of science at UPEI to tackle the chemistry, physics, and biology of molecules big and small. The program involves graduate-level courses, a dissertation, candidacy examination and final oral defense while developing unique connections to the business aspects of the growing field.

Become a catalyst for change in what is often called “the Age of the Environment.” Pose the critical questions about the issues of our time, and study alongside experts to find the answers. Explore environmental issues that will shape our future: the conservation of biodiversity, the spread of contaminants and infectious diseases, the matters of sustainability and water quality.

The PhD in Population Studies in Health is interdisciplinary and delivered jointly by the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Science. Students in this program are normally supervised by Faculty members in the Health Sciences and Social Science disciplines.

The purpose of the PhD degree program is to educate individuals to become independent, reliable, and competent research scientists. The PhD degree requires the demonstration of independent research and a reasonable mastery of a concentrated field of study. The research should comprise an extensive body of original research in the student’s field, making a true contribution exemplifying the student’s depth of knowledge, creativity, innovation, and proven ability to make significant scientific research contributions.

This four year, funded Ph.D. project will answer this challenge by (1) identifying available heat stress monitoring/mitigation technologies; (2) mapping the heat risk for BC livestock populations under regionalized climate change projections; and (3) utilizing environmental life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessments to determine and compare and sustainability benefits and trade-offs associated with a subset of priority heat stress monitoring/mitigation solutions.

Cultivating and processing animal feed contributes a disproportionate share of the resource and environmental impacts of livestock production. Social license for the livestock sector will also likely be increasingly predicated on its ability to reduce direct competition for arable land and human-edible feed resources. This four year, funded Ph.D. project will answer this challenge by (1) identifying and mapping the availability of alternative feed resources for the poultry industry in Canada, including (for example), single-cell proteins from forest industry residues, insects meals, and food waste-to-feed products; (2) undertaking detailed environmental life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessments of each feed resource pathway, and (3) assessing their potential for contributing to sustainable poultry production based on a combination of environmental, economic, and nutritional objectives and constraints.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to develop predictive models of potential climate change impacts and mitigation/adaption measures in a variety of application contexts. In this four year, funded Ph.D. project, predictive analytic models will be developed to estimate the probable range of morbidity, mortality, productivity, resource/environmental, economic, and animal welfare impacts associated with extreme heat events for each livestock species in British Columbia, Canada, under current climate change projections, and to assess the potential benefits/trade-offs associated with scenarios for heat stress risk monitoring and mitigation technology implementation.

Create big changes while working at a small scale. Study two broad areas of science including cell regulation and the structure and function of biomolecules.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is the highest degree offered by the department of biosystems engineering. Students will work with a faculty advisor, however, they must demonstrate an ability to formulate and complete an original research project and doctoral thesis. A minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework is required.

As a student in the Boreal Ecology Ph.D. Program, you will conduct research in ecology related to northern areas, including, but not limited to the Boreal Shield and the Boreal Forest Biome. Ecology is understood as the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. The program exposes the students to current advances in theory and methodologies in a broad range of disciplines. The students develop critical thinking and analytical and communication skills through individual in-depth study, mentorship with faculty and peers, as well as participation in seminars, conferences, workshops, and the peer-review processes of publication.