University of Alberta

RIG

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The Department of Biological Sciences is one of the largest and most diverse on campus in terms of the research interests of its academic staff. This diversity has resulted in numerous collaborations among Principal Investigators as they discover common themes and approaches within their research programs. The Department currently has over 70 professors, 22 adjunct professors and 22 active professors emeritus, along with a graduate student population of nearly 300 and 75 departmental support staff and over 130 ongoing trust funded staff.

The Department comprises six Research Interest Groups (RIGs); Ecology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Physiology, Development & Cell Biology and Systematics & Evolution. 

This size and breadth of research interests has allowed the Department to build world-class facilities that would be difficult to maintain by a smaller unit. The Department has extensive facilities for field research including the Meanook and the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. It has extensive collections in plants (Vascular Plant Herbarium), bryophytes (Cryptogamic Herbarium), vertebrates both current (Zoology Museum) and extinct (Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology) and insects (Strickland Museum) and provides excellent facilities, complete with support staff, in the FACS facility, Drosophila Unit, Limnology lab, Molecular Biology Service Unit, Biological Sciences Microscopy Unit, Low-Level Mercury Analytical Laboratory, Geographic Information Systems, Digital Teaching Resources Laboratory, and the Fermentation and Protein Production Unit, as well as a comprehensive facility (the Biotron) that supplies and maintains growth chambers for plants, animals, and microbes. The Department also has an extensive aquatic facility for freshwater and marine organisms under the auspices of Biological Sciences Animal Services.

At the Executive level, the Associate Chair for Research administers the facilities and their personnel along with an administrative secretary who deals with grant and contract applications.

Contact our Research Chair:
David Coltman
Associate Chair, Research
CW405B BSB
(780) 492-5172
Contact our Librarian:
Christina Hwang
Biological Sciences Librarian
Cameron Science & Technology Library
(780) 492-6653
christina.hwang@ualberta.ca

Library Links
http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/biosci
http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/biosciresearchers

Research Interst Groups (RIGs):
Ecology
Microbiology Biotechnology
Molecular Biology Genetics
Physiology Cell Biology
Plant Biology
Systematics Evolution

Canada Research Chairs:

Philip Currie, Canada Research Chair in Dinosaur Paleobiology, Tier 1, October 2005-September 2012
David Hik, Canada Research Chair in Northern Ecology, Tier 2, July 2007-June 2012
Sally Leys, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Tier 2, October 2007-September 2012
Andrew Waskiewicz, Canada Research Chair in Genetics of Vertebrate Development, Tier 2, October 2008-September 2013

Industrial Research Chairs:

Stanley Boutin, NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management
Mark Boyce, Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife

Scholars:

Yan Boucher, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Scholar, July 2010-June 2013
Mario Feldman, AHFMR Scholar, June 2007-May 2014
Kirst King-Jones, AHFMR Scholar, June 2007-May 2014
Tracy Raivio, AHFMR Senior Scholar, June 2007-May 2015
Christine Szymanski, Alberta Ingenuity Scholar 2008-2013

iCore Chair:

Gane Wong, iCORE Chair in Biosystems Informatics

Industrial Research Chairs:

http://www.science.ualberta.ca/Research/ResearchChairs/IndustrialResearchChairs.aspx

iCORE Chairs

https://science.sitecore.ualberta.ca/Research/ResearchChairs/iCOREChairs.aspx

Canada Research Chairs

http://www.science.ualberta.ca/Research/ResearchChairs/CanadaResearchChairs.aspx

Last Modified: 2011-10-24