Research Projects in Human Biology

HMB496Y1/HMB499Y1: Research Projects in Human Biology

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HMB496Y1 and HMB499Y1 are year-long courses that allow upper-year Human Biology students to earn academic credit while conducting independent research under the supervision of a U of T faculty member.

These courses offer a chance to dive deeper into scientific inquiry, develop hands-on research skills, and contribute to original work in a lab, clinic, or other research setting.

 

 

Inside HMB496:

Rachel Chong, a 2025 HMB496 research student, is exploring how Lifestyle Medicine can support hypertension reduction and stroke prevention.

Her project has brought her into the vibrant community at the Jay & Sari Sonshine Centre, where she works under the supervision of Dr. Aleksandra Pikula.

This photo captures a Reading Week gathering with the Stroke Team at Toronto Western Hospital, highlighting the collaborative environment that shapes her research experience.

 

Student Testimonial:

"HMB496 was a turning point in my undergraduate experience. I had the opportunity to work in a computational cognitive neuroscience lab, where I explored how attention, learning and memory interact in the human brain.

I was fortunate to be mentored closely by my PI and PhD candidate, both of whom were incredibly supportive and invested in my learning.

Along the way, I learned how to use Bash to analyze fMRI data, and gained hands-on experience with neuroimaging tools, something I never imagined doing when I first started undergrad.

Being part of a real research environment helped me see how the concepts I learned in class come to life. this experience sparked a lasting curiosity about the brain that I'm excited to continue exploring in my academic journey." - Michelle Zhao, previous HMB496 student.

Student Testimonial: 

"HMB496 gave me a proper, supportive introduction to research in Life Sciences.

I entered my placement apprehensive to learning new coding software, but I'm proud to have learned it in a scientific context with real experimental goals. The course gave me firsthand insight into what graduate research life is like, from working closely with mentors and following lab protocols to collaborating in a focused, thesis-style environment.

I also took the initiative to connect with senior lab members and explore additional opportunities like clinical shadowing. Along the way, I gained valuable technical skills and a better understanding of my strengths and interests.

While I realized that in silico lab work may not be my long-term focus, the experience reaffirmed my passion for collaborating with a team with goals that prioritize patients. HMB496 was an important step in shaping my future path, helping me grow as a learner and as a future member of the healthcare industry." - Kierra Mathias, previous HMB496 student.

 

Do you have photos from your time in HMB496/499 that you'd like featured? Email Dr. Zubyk at haley.zubyk@utoronto.ca with your photo and a brief description.

 

What Are These Courses?

HMB496Y1 and HMB499Y1 are advanced research courses where students carry out a year-long project under the guidance of a U of T faculty supervisor.

Students play an active role in the research process, from designing experiments to analyzing data and presenting findings. These projects can take many forms, including wet lab work, computational analysis, or human data-based research.

The goal is to give students the opportunity to apply their scientific knowledge in a real research setting while developing strong technical, analytical, and communication skills.

 

What's the Difference Between the Two Courses?

The main difference between HMB496Y1 and HMB499Y1comes down to experience.

Students completing a research project course for the first time are enrolled in HMB496Y1. Those who choose to take on a second, seperate research project in a future year will be enrolled in HMB499Y1. 

However, students are not permitted to complete both courses in the same lab, ensuring each experience offers exposure to a new research environment.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a research project course, students must meet program-specific prerequisites and receive permission from the Human Biology Program upon application approval.

For 3rd-year students (HMB496Y1):

For 4th-year students (HMB499Y1):

Important: Students are not permitted to complete a second research project course (HMB499Y1) in the same lab as their first.

 

Who is a Supervisor?

A supervisor is a U of T faculty member who mentors you through your HMB496Y1 or HMB499Y1 research project. They guide your scientific work, provide feedback, and are responsible for evaluating your progress and final deliverables.

Eligible supervisors can be from any U of T department or faculty in a relevant discipline, including Arts & Science, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Kinesiology, OISE, Dalla Lana, and more. Faculty at U of T affiliated hospitals like SickKids, Mount Sinai, UHN, Sunnybrook, and CAMH are also eligible, as are Teaching Stream faculty. 

It is up to you to find your own supervisor, typically by sending out cold emails. *insert click the link to cold email help guide*?  

Start by thinking about your research interests, then explore faculty profiles on U of T graduate department websites. Read about their current and past projects, and if something interests you, reach out with a brief email.

 

How do I Apply to These Courses?

Ensure you have read all of the information on the course including relevant prerequisites, course expectation, etc, to make sure that you are on the right track for applying.

This information can be found linked under 'Helpful Resources'.

Once you’ve found a supervisor, the next step is to complete the HMB496Y1 application form. After you submit it, your supervisor will be asked to confirm their participation and approve any prerequisite waivers if needed.

From there, the application is reviewed by the Human Biology Program faculty. If your application is approved, you’ll be automatically enrolled in the course by the department, no ACORN action needed. A link to the application portal can be found here. 

 

Project Guidelines & Course Expectations

A research project course presents an opportunity for students to learn and demonstrate competence in scientific research skills. Supervisors have a special responsibility to ensure both academic standards and fair treatment of the student, by conforming to the University of Toronto regulations such as the grading practices policy and by having realistic and appropriate expectations for student performance. 

Expectations 

The project should allow for the student to play an active role in project design, experimentation, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results and conclusions both orally and in writing; and have a good chance of producing results before the course ends. The project preferably should be novel or a novel part of a bigger project, and cannot be a repetition of existing results. Projects can vary and wet lab based, computer based, literature based, human data/survey based projects are all suitable. For the latter, collection and analysis of data/literature is preferable, not simply literature review. Students cannot be paid for course credit work. Research can be remote or in person. 

1. Students are expected to be at the bench, or its equivalent, for ~8 hours per week in both the fall and winter session or 16 hours per week in the summer session. While time may vary week to week, students are expected to be actively working on their projects throughout the academic year, which includes additional time outside of the lab, working on literature research, analysis, writing assignments, meetings, talks etc. Students are expected to attend HMB workshops, comply with the course evaluation scheme, and be proactive with their time management. Students are expected to adhere to the University’s Code on Academic Matters, and to all safety regulations and protocols. 

2. Faculty Supervisors (any UofT faculty member may serve as supervisor, they need not be SGS appointed*) are expected to play an active role in the training and evaluation of the student, and to encourage the student to interact with other researchers in the lab and join activities such as lab meetings. Supervisors are expected to provide laboratory space (if necessary), materials, and direction to their own student. Supervisors are responsible for all matters of safety and training for the student and the project. Supervisors are also responsible for obtaining Research Ethics Board (REB, human) and Animal Use Protocol approval, prior to the start of the course (if required). Supervisors are expected to mark their own student’s written assignments, and final presentation, in a timely manner, to comply with course grade deadlines. Supervisors are asked to be aware of the University’s Code on Academic Matters, and if you suspect your student of plagiarizing and/or unethical conduct, to contact Human Biology. 

Graduate or Post-doctorate trainees may act as indirect supervisors for the students – to have undergraduates support research and help them gain valuable training/mentorship skills. They may also serve as evaluators for assignments on behalf of the faculty supervisor though grades must be approved and submitted by the faculty member.

 

Evaluation Overview (Detailed instructions for each evaluation will be posted on the course web site) 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Research Project Courses

 

For course credit:

 

*Though these research courses are great experience, they will not count toward human biology program requirements. Instead, it would be an elective and count towards the 20 credits required for your degree. 

Paid Research:

Work Study positions. Apply on CLNx.

 

 

Check out the article How to get a research position as a U of T undergrad, by “Science Sam” Sammantha Yammine, an alumni from the neuroscience program.  

 

The Temerty Faculty of Medicine also has a guide on how to find Undergraduate Reseach Opportunities. 

Check CLNx and the HMB newsletter for various opportunities that are available. You can also search for external opportunities through UHN, community groups and job boards.

 

 

If you are planning on starting an HMB496Y project in the summer (May), then we recommend students start emailing prospective supervisors in January.

 

If you are planning on starting in the fall (September), then you should start emailing prospective supervisors in January. It can take a while to find a supervisor and requires considerable effort on behalf of the student.

Keep your email short and introduce yourself. Say that you are interested in doing an HMB496Y1 research project and comment on why you are interested in their research and want to work with them. Close your email by asking for a meeting. Students should attach their CV (no more than 2 pages), though academic history is optional.

Book an appointment early on for advising and strategies on how to contact supervisors.

 

 

Possibly. The application form includes a waiver form. Should you secure a supervisor, they must be aware that you are missing prerequisites, and you should use the space in the waiver to explain why the requisites you do not meet should be waived. Not all requested waiver exceptions will be granted, but no exceptions will be considered without the waiver.

 

Prerequisites for 3rd year students (*prerequisites for third year students are quite strict):

Prerequisites for 4th year students:

 

Once you have found a supervisor, you will need to fill out the HMB496Y1 application form. Once received, your supervisor will receive a copy to confirm their participation as your supervisor and review any prerequisite waivers. The application form will then be reviewed by HMB faculty. If the application is approved, you will be enrolled in the course by the department. The timeline for this is usually 1-2 weeks. If your application is not approved, or we need to clarify anything, you will be notified by email.

Yes, we send a confirmation of enrollment letter to each student once they are enrolled, and you can ask the office to send a letter for TB testing or immunization if this is required.

We have a policy of not allowing students to do a second research project course (HMB499Y1) in the same lab. The reasons for this are to ensure students get the best experiences for their time and to minimize risk of academic misconduct.

Doing a second project in a different lab will open new opportunities, new networks of contacts and potential references, fresh skill sets, a different knowledge base and could lead to possible graduate opportunities.

There is a significant risk of academic misconduct when pursuing a second research project course in the same lab with a similar general research topic. All work in the course must be original and cannot be plagiarized from your own previous work. You may be at risk of academic misconduct if your assignments (Progress Reports, Final Report, Presentations) are too similar to previous work for which you already received academic credit.

If you still intend to pursue HMB499Y1 in the same lab, please fill in the justification of the second project part of the application form. In this section you will need to explain how the new project will be significantly different from your first project, how other parts of the experience will be different (different supervisors etc.), AND how you plan to minimize risk of academic misconduct for the assignments (ie. not plagiarizing from your own previous work).

Yes! As long as the prerequisites are met and students have secured a supervisor, students from other divisions are welcome to apply for HMB496Y1.

This is not recommended. The amount of time spent on your project is demanding of your time, plus you need the best grades you can achieve in your final years.

No, research project courses are quite intensive and require students to invest a lot of their time and energy into one course. Because of the level of commitment required, students are not permitted to enrol into two research project courses concurrently. It is also not allowed to do an ROP and HMB496Y1 research project course over the same term.

A student who participates in an undergraduate research opportunity in the Life Sciences, regardless of the nature of the opportunity (be it course-based or stipend based), will have many opportunities to learn about or directly experience:

Source: Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) in Life Sciences, GSLE, University of Toronto, 2013