Study Life Sciences

Life Sciences: a pathway to the new SFU School of Medicine and many other rewarding careers

From the tiniest cells to the largest ecosystems, living organisms are fascinating and incredibly complex. SFU’s life sciences programs offer a wide range of classes exploring the natural world, human physiology and biotechnology, in state-of-the-art facilities with highly reputable professors and researchers.

Through hands-on and experiential learning you will develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary science or other career paths like healthcare, ecology, immunology, genetics, neuroscience, kinesiology, bioinformatics and research and laboratory work.

Life sciences programs enable learning that is foundational to other programs such as those that will be offered by the new SFU School of Medicine or other medical schools.

Find your program

Explore the spectrum of topics and programs on the life sciences continuum. As an SFU Science student, you’ll graduate with a deep understanding of living systems and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the ever-evolving world of life sciences.

After your first year you have the option to integrate paid co-op work terms and undergraduate research opportunities into your degree. These are opportunities to gain experience working with established professionals, build your resume and explore your options for your future career or studies.

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND ANATOMY

Studying the structure, function and regulation of the human body, from the molecular to the behavioural level, allows for understanding what happens when a body is healthy and how it changes in response to exercise, injury, disease, the environment or ageing. Specialized programs in this stream include kinesiology and behavioural neuroscience.

Topics include:

Human anatomy and physiology, electrophysiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, neurophysiology of disease, human energy metabolism

CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Understanding the structure and function of cells and the interaction of biomolecules at the molecular level can provide crucial insights for biotechnology, genetics and medicine, unlocking improvements in human health and in treating human disease.

Topics include:

Animal physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, developmental biology, biochemistry, genetics, infection and immunity, structural biology

GENOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS

Genomics involves generating, analyzing, and managing data from DNA, protein sequences, and genomes using computational tools and knowledge of chemistry, physics, and engineering. In addition to being important to biomedical and health research development, it is also valuable to the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and forestry industries, as understanding genomes helps with the prediction, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

Topics include:

Bioinformatics, genomics, molecular biology, molecular genetics

ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION 

All living systems, from molecules to ecosystems, show traces of their evolutionary history. Ecology helps us understand how organisms interact with each other to form the systems that support all life on Earth, the ways these systems are changing, and how we can enable them to thrive.

Topics include: Ecology, evolution, conservation biology, plant biology