499 Projects | Office of the Associate Dean | Life Sciences & Biochemistry

The 499 projects in Anatomy, Cancer, Epidemiology (now Public Health Sciences), Microbiology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Reproductive Development represent the capstone of Subject of Specialization degree program offered by the Life Sciences program.

Life Science Major, General, and Minor students are not eligible to complete a 499 project. If you are a Life Sciences student not in the SSP program and are interested in completing research, you may complete an Independent Project or apply for the Discovery Lab team-based research course.

How To Get Started on a 499

Life Sciences SSP students interested in pursuing a 499 project in their fourth year should contact professors late fall of their third year unless a professor indicates a specific date. Please refer to the following websites for faculty associated with 499 projects (note: sometimes students will go outside of these but they will require approval - email lifesci@queensu.ca.)
Students are expected to provide an unofficial transcript to their potential supervisor, thus confirming their eligibility for a 499 project.
Once an agreement has been made between you and a supervisor, please email lifesci@queensu.ca from your Queen's email (and include your student number) letting us know who your supervisor is (and copying them on the email) and which 499 project you will be completing (ANAT, CANC, EPID, MICR, NSCI, PATH, PHAR, PHGY, or REPD).
Please note that some research grants will be announced later in the winter term, so faculty will not know until later in the term if they will be taking a 499 student. We can add 499 projects into September to a students schedule.

Below you will find more information about each of the 499 research courses that are offered. Please note: the "Previous/Current Supervisors" list for each course is provided to give students an idea of faculty members who have supervised students in that particular topic in the past, but students are not limited to only those faculty members.

ANAT 499 / REPD 499

Coordinator: Dr. Madhuri Koti

This is a research project course dealing with individually supervised study in selected research areas in Anatomy and Cell Biology under the direction of a faculty member of this Department. It is expected that the student will work fairly independently on the research project under the guidance of the supervisor and likely another laboratory member who will provide instruction and feedback throughout the project. The initiative and participation of the student in developing the project will be extremely important. Ability to evaluate key scientific papers, experimental methodology and data analysis is important. Depending on the nature of the research project, students are expected to spend at least 1.5 days (12 hours) per week in the laboratory. The student and supervisor should establish the direction of the research project early in the course. In laboratories where several individuals are working on parts of a large project, the student's role should be clearly delineated at the outset.

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Madhuri Koti

Dr. David Natale

Dr. Chandra Tayade

CANC 499

Coordinator: Dr. Xiaolong Yang

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Christopher R. Mueller

Dr. Lois Mulligan

Dr. Chris Nicol

Dr. Teresa Purzner and Dr. James Purzner

Dr. Neil Renwick

Dr. Myron Szewczuk

Dr. Xiaolong Yang

EPID 499

Coordinator: Dr. Ana Johnson

Prerequisite: EPID 301 (or equivalent of either HLTH 323 or HSCI 270)

Co-requisite: : EPID 401

If you are eligible, please contact potential supervisors directly from the Public Health Sciences web site: primary faculty, cross-appointed and adjunct faculty. Please let the EPID 499 Coordinator know once you have found a supervisor (and who it is).

Previous/Current Supervisors

MICR 499

Coordinator: Dr. Sam Basta

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Christopher Lohans

Dr. Prameet Sheth

NSCI 499

Coordinator: Dr. Sebastien Talbot

A research project into a selected area of neuroscience. The project involves experimental design, data collection, interpretation, and analysis, written reports and oral presentations. This course will enable students to:

acquire the intellectual and technical skills that are characteristic of scientists
experience the excitement of discovery

Visit the Centre for Neuroscience website for a full listing of faculty researchers.

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Elisa Brietzke

Dr. Fernanda De Felice

PATH 499

Coordinator: Dr. Xiaolong Yang

A research project involving the study of human disease processes. The project will be supervised by a Faculty member in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and will provide opportunities for experimental design, data analysis and both written and oral presentation of results.

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Maria Aristizabal

Dr. Kimberley Dunham-Snary

Dr. Yanping Gong

Dr. Yun Huang

Dr. Xiaolong Yang

PHAR 499

Coordinator: Dr. Nikki Philbrook

A research project into a selected area of pharmacology and toxicology. The project involves experimental design, data collection, interpretation, and analysis, written reports and oral presentations. This course will enable students to:

acquire the intellectual and technical skills that are characteristic of scientists
experience the excitement of discovery

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. Donald Maurice

Dr. Louise Winn

Dr. Stephanie Sibley

PHGY 499

Coordinator: Dr. Shetuan Zhang

An investigation in a selected area of physiology. The project involves experimental design, data collection and analysis, submission of written reports, and oral presentations. Students attend seminars/tutorials on related topics.

Previous/Current Supervisors

Dr. David Reed