Welcome To CSB
The Department of Cell & Systems Biology (CSB) advances research and teaching in the most dynamic and vital areas of biological research
Meet our Faculty
Explore who’s behind our latest outstanding publications.
Recent Publications
Eph/ephrin signaling controls cell contacts and formation of a structurally asymmetrical tissue boundary in the Xenopus gastrula
Barua D, Winklbauer R
2022, Developmental Biology, 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.07.007
Ancient whale rhodopsin reconstructs dim-light vision over a major evolutionary transition: Implications for ancestral diving behavior
Dungan SZ, Chang BSW
2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2118145119
Transcriptional regulation and chromatin architecture maintenance are decoupled functions at the Sox2 locus.
Taylor T, Sikorska N, Shchuka VM, Chahar S, Ji C, Macpherson NN, Moorthy SD, de Kort MAC, Mullany S, Khader N, Gillespie ZE, Langroudi L, Tobias IC, Lenstra TL, Mitchell JA, Sexton T
2022, Genes & development, 35710138
Latest News
August 2, 2022
Microscopic detectors of viscosity – Plotnikov lab collaboration reveals how cells measure fluid thickness and move faster despite resistance
Researchers at University of Toronto and Johns Hopkins University have identified a specific cellular structure that allows cells to sense fluid…
July 7, 2022
CSB Graduate Wins Award for Best Plant Biology Paper of 2021
The 2021 Ragai Ibrahim Award for best student paper in plant biology was awarded to CSB graduate Dr Purva Karia by the Canadian Society for Plant…
July 5, 2022
Dean Melanie Woodin elected as Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Congratulations to CSB Professor Melanie Woodin on her election as Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN). Prof Woodin has…
Research at CSB
The most dynamic and vital areas of biological research.

Education
Emerge as a leader, critical thinker and professional
Undergraduate
Graduate
Nick Provart
Professor and Chair
At CSB, our Professors create modern, interactive instruction for an engaged student body and our Sessional Lecturers provide a personal approach. Our exceptional students, post-docs and professors are recipients of prestigious honours. We will continue to produce outstanding discoveries that enhance and challenge our understanding of living organisms

What’s Happening at CSB
Sign up for a time slot for a greenhouse tour tomorrow 2-4pm on the fifth floor of ESC! We will also be selling house plants 2:30-4pm at ESC4043. See you tomorrow!
Help #SupportOurScience: sign this petition to call on the Government of Canada to increase the value & number of federal graduate scholarships & post-doctoral fellowships!
We have 130+ signatures & need to reach 500 to prompt a formal gov't response ➡️ https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4098
Hello #SciTwitter! I’m a PhD Candidate at @UofTCellSysBiol studying eye evolution in snakes and lizards. Hoping to connect with more folks exploring the world of #developmentalbiology and #evolution in #reptiles!