Biological Psychiatry University of Saskatchewan

Overview

This M.Sc. program in Biological Psychiatry from University of Saskatchewan is a thesis-based program that trains personnel in tools to understand the biological basis of human brain health and psychiatric disease. By the end of the program, graduates will have a deep theoretical and practical knowledge about the tools used in their thesis program and will be able to independently use and troubleshoot these tools.

M.Sc. students will participate in critical appraisal, knowledge generation, research synthesis, and knowledge transfer. M.Sc. graduates are expected to be able to use the tools they were taught independently, explain the basis of how the tools work, and troubleshoot issues that arise. In addition, M.Sc. graduates will be expected to show a competent understanding of their field of research, demonstrating their path towards being a knowledge leader, as well as be able to explain their research to a non-expert audience. M.Sc. graduates are expected to also demonstrate exemplary writing skills. The research conducting in this program are expected to contribute to the health and well-being of individuals, families or communities.

Students will be able to:

• Explain the biological and clinical foundations of psychiatric disorders, including standard care practices.
• Understand how genes, molecules, and cellular pathways affect brain function and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan, including mood and personality disorders, aggression, and dementias.
• Apply research techniques used in foundational and clinical research, such as 128-channel quantitative electroencephalograms (EEGs), psychosomatic evaluation tests, multi-electrode arrays (MEAs), genetic sequencing, molecular assays, and human stem cell models.
• Become skilled researchers and clinician scientists