Our Department of Cell and Systems Biology (CSB) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and I am proud to lead a team of researchers pushing the boundaries of cell biology and systems biology and to support teaching initiatives in North America’s largest Life Sciences undergraduate community.
Our undergraduate Human Biology division under its new Director, Maria Papaconstantinou, continues the excellent teaching practice that was initiated by Professor (now President) Melanie Woodin and developed by Melody Neumann.
In our continuing pursuit of excellence, we welcome two new colleagues, Felix Gunawan and Colette Picard. Professor Gunawan is an innovative researcher in zebrafish cardiac development and Professor Picard is ground-breaking in her statistical analysis of single cell gene expression, focusing on pollen development in plants.
They join an impressive group of colleagues with many prestigious awards including two Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, Daphne Goring and Ulli Tepass. These ground-breaking professors represent respectively the plant research and animal research excellence that continued from the merger of Botany and Zoology that created CSB in 2006. Professor Goring was the inaugural Chair of CSB, succeeded by Professor Tepass, reflecting their passionate commitment to the success of the Department.
I am particularly mindful of the legacy of Professor Yoshio Masui, who sadly passed in 2024. His discovery of the “organizer” that initiates division in animal embryos led to a cascade of discoveries that directly influence research in the Department, including my own research in embryonic stem cell biology. His compassionate support of graduate students and his insightful questions are sorely missed. I look forward to celebrating this legacy with our inaugural Masui Keynote lecture in the fall of 2027.
I have witnessed many graduate students in CSB earn their degrees with honour. It is a proud moment for a professor when a student explains an innovative insight that came from their hard work. Long years of study culminate in these new discoveries and I am always inspired to see how our graduates apply their hard-won skills in the wider world.
Our impressive diversity of research topics means CSB Professors teach the latest innovations and novel insights to U of T Life Sciences undergraduates. These lessons are reinforced by PhD-candidate Teaching Assistants who receive comprehensive training in teaching science.
When I reflect on the benefits of an Arts & Science education at UofT, I am proud that undergraduates with Majors under CSB can also broaden their education with Minors in subjects like English or Sociology. Our graduates often cite these combinations as making them stand out in their careers.
We are building for our future, with construction beginning on our 21st century research labs in the new research tower on King’s College Circle. We have a few years before the move, but our new home situates us in the same complex as our outstanding colleagues in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and we look forward strengthening these links as we plan for our shared facilities.
Follow the links in this post and in our Newsletter for detailed information!
Jennifer Mitchell
Cell & Systems Biology Chair