Curriculum

Students follow the program requirements of their home Departments, but there are extra curricular requirements that form part of the CIHR Strategic Training Program. These courses have been designed to help students with their transdisciplinary projects by giving them the most pertinent information in the most condensed format. Departments may agree to waive some existing course requirements in favour of these transdisciplinary courses.

Interactive transdisciplinary group projects with problem-based learning components
Transdisciplinary problem-based learning is geared to provide trainees with the terminology used in other disciplines and to expose them to approaches and thinking in these fields. Students work in small transdisciplinary groups and participate in group presentations.

Directed Readings in Vascular Biology
This is led by Dr. Grace Parraga and is a compilation of the latest research papers, reviews, and foundation knowledge in vascular biology. The readings are timed to provide students with background knowledge for each of the bi-weekly seminars.

Online Courses
There are two foundation knowledge courses available in an online format. The first is a mandatory, credit-bearing course in Research Ethics and Biostatistics, and the second is a resource for students who require instruction in the different imaging techniques used in cardiovascular, cerebrovasculature, and the peripheral vascular system. The course introduces the relevant physics, biomedical engineering, and biophysics used in vascular imaging.

The online courses have been designed in WebCT, a specialized program that provides a web-based course delivery and management system, offering course content delivery, testing, chat, bulletin board, student tracking and grading management.

Research Ethics and Biostatistics for Physicists, Engineers, Biologists, and Mathematicians
(click the link to see the Course Module Page)
(Course Instructor: Jacqueline C. Williams)

	Review of International Codes of Ethical Conduct and Good Clinical Practice
	Research Ethics Boards - Human and Animal
	Research Integrity and Collegiality
	Basic Biostatistics - Fundamental Concepts
	Basic Biostatistics - Use of Common Statistics
	Conducting Clinical Trials

Vascular Imaging Techniques
(Course Instructors: Jacqueline C. Williams and Terry Peters)

	How X-ray, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound are used in vascular imaging
	Resolution limitations in X-ray, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound
	Micro imaging concepts in X-ray, CT, MRI, PET and ultrasound for use in small animals
	Contrast agents used in vascular imaging
	Spectroscopic imaging using MRI, x-ray and optical scanning techniques
	Hemodynamics of the Vascular System