Our group is an international team with a wide range of experience, but we are unified by our deep interest in plant cell biology. We value respect, trust, independence, teamwork, and curiosity. If you are interested in growing your scientific experience by joining the McFarLab, check the tabs below for more information depending on your career stage:
Join the McFarLab to get involved in scientific research and learn whether graduate studies might be for you!
Undergraduate students at the University of Toronto can join the lab in a number of different ways, which may include paid positions or options for course credit. Undergraduate students at other institutes may be eligible to apply for NSERC-USRA or ASPB-SURF summer research projects in the lab (see details below). International students may be eligible for CSB-URA, ASPB-SURF, and Mitacs Globalink. In each case, please contact Heather with:
- your cv
- unofficial copies of your transcripts
- a short (~500 words) expression of interest to tell us about your research experience, scientific interests, and career goals.
- contact information for two references
Volunteering – We welcome inquiries from students interested in volunteering as an introduction lab work. Contact Heather well in advance; the lab usually reviews applications two and a half months in advance (mid-February for summer positions, mid-June for fall-winter positions).
ROP 299Y & 399Y – These are for-credit, unpaid, hypothesis-driven research projects in the lab for 2nd and 3rd year U of T students. Research Opportunity Program students in second and third year apply through the ROP website (check for projects in the McFarlane Lab under “Cell and Systems Biology”). Applications for summer course credit are due in early March, applications for Fall/Winter course credit are due in late July. First step: check the ROP website for further details, application instructions, and available projects.
CSB497, CSB498, & CSB499 – These are for-credit, unpaid, hypothesis-driven research projects in the lab for 4th year U of T students. First step: students planning their 4th year courses should check course details online and contact Heather well in advance if they are eligible. The lab usually accepts applications two and a half months in advance (mid-February for summer positions, mid-June for fall-winter positions).
NSERC-USRA, CSB-URA, and UTEA – These are highly competitive university and national scholarships enabling full-time, paid, hypothesis-driven research during the summer term. Applications are due to the Department of Cell and Systems Biology in late January each year. All three programs use a similar application, but have slightly different conditions for eligibility. Students currently enrolled in 3rd year are particularly encouraged to apply. Canadian students at other institutes may be eligible to undertake an NSERC-USRA project at U of T. First step: determine your eligibility using the award comparison table, then contact Heather in mid-January for support writing the application.
ASPB-SURF – These awards are highly competitive support from the American Society of Plant Biologists enabling full-time, paid, hypothesis-driven research during the summer term, including travel to a scientific conference. Applications are due to ASPB in March of each year. First step: determine your eligibility, then contact Heather in mid-January for support writing the application.
Mitacs Globalink – These awards are highly competitive support from Mitacs and various national partners for undergraduate students enrolled at partner universities in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and Ukraine to visit Canada for a 12-week research project. First step: determine your eligibility and check the project database during the application process to see whether the McFarLab is hosting any Mitacs students this year.
Other undergraduate research scholarships are published on the CSB website as they arise.
Work-study – Eligible U of T students can earn money working in the lab part-time, usually 9-12 hours per week. First step: check the Career Learning Network website for further details, application instructions, and open positions; the lab typically advertises one summer work-study position (applications due mid-April) and at least one fall-winter work-study position (applications due in late-August).
Co-op – We welcome inquires from students requiring work placement experience for their degree programs at other institutions
Earn your MSc or PhD in the McFarLab!
The Department of Cell and Systems Biology at U of T offers both MSc and PhD programs. Students will join a community of almost 200 graduate students and 11 plant cell & molecular biology research groups at Canada’s top university (ranked #18 worldwide). World-class facilities in the department include the Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function (CAGEF), the Bio-Analytic Resource (BAR), the CSB Imaging Facility, and outstanding plant growth facilities. Graduate students are also encouraged to pursue personal and professional development through the Graduate Professional Skills program. Excellent support is available for students to undertake a short-term research project aboard and to attend scientific conferences, as appropriate.
Graduate students in the McFarlane lab will take a leadership role on an original research project with the expectation that they will make substantial and original contributions to science through publications, presentations, and an original thesis. Heather will work with each graduate student to develop a research project, to craft an individual development plan (IDP), and to provide training in plant cell biology, molecular biology, live cell imaging, electron microscopy, biochemistry, plant genetics, data analysis, scientific writing, presentation skills, and more, depending on the details of the project and each students’ IDP. To get an idea of the biological questions that we ask and the techniques we use, check the research page.
Applications to MSc and PhD programs in Cell and Systems Biology are typically accepted between mid-November and early-February each year to initiate graduate studies the following September or January. General information and details about applying to the program can be found here. Off-cycle applications are not accepted at this time, so please plan ahead.
First step: Prospective students who exceed the minimum requirements for entry to the program should contact Heather directly in advance of their application with:
- your cv
- unofficial copies of your transcripts
- a short (~500 words) expression of interest to tell us about your research experience, scientific interests, and career goals.
- contact information for at least two academic references
Graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply for all scholarships for which they are eligible. Please check your eligibility in detail, then contact Heather for support writing specific scholarship applications.
Take the next step in your career in the McFarLab!
Post-Doctoral Fellows: Currently, we do not have any open, fully-funded postdoctoral positions. However we are always looking for talented, curious, and motivated candidates who will be competitive for external fellowships. Please check your eligibility for the fellowships listed below and search for other fellowship opportunities (depending on your nationality and where and when you earned your PhD), then contact Heather well in advance of the deadlines with:
- your cv
- a short expression of interest to tell us about your research experience, scientific interests, and career goals
- contact information for at least two academic references
- a list of fellowships for which you are eligible to apply
Postdoctoral Fellowships: please note that most fellowships require application 6-18 months in advance.
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
- NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (for Canadian citizens & permanent residents)
- U of T Faculty of Arts and Science Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships
- Human Frontiers in Science Fellowships
- EMBO Long-Term Fellowships (for EU citizens)
- L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Fellowships (for women)
- Other national funding bodies often offer fellowships for outgoing scientists (e.g. NSF for Americans, DFG for Germans, JSPS for Japanese, SNF for Swiss, CSC for Chinese), so please research these based on your citizenship, residency status, and location of PhD.
Visiting Fellows: Scientists interested in undertaking a research project or sabbatical in the lab should contact Heather directly with a statement of interest. Undergraduate and graduate students interested in visiting the lab for a research experience should ask their supervisor to contract Heather.