About
STAGE is formal and comprehensive program in Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, the first of its kind in Canada.
The program offers training and career development opportunities designed to cross-train individuals at the interface of genetics and population health sciences in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics—two disciplines currently facing a shortage of qualified individuals in Canada and elsewhere. The overall goal is to improve the prevention and management of complex diseases by increasing capacity in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics research.
The program has academic requirements, but it is not a degree-granting program. Trainees who successfully complete all components of the program will receive a certificate of completion. Trainees funded through STAGE will receive the distinction of “STAGE Fellows in Genetic Epidemiology Research.”
STAGE launched at the University of Toronto in 2010 with a six-year, $1.7 million CIHR training grant, STAGE has since grown into an internationally recognized platform for training in genomic data science. After CIHR funding concluded in 2019, STAGE continued to operate thanks to the commitment of its highly collaborative mentorship team and CANSSI Ontario support.
STAGE is set in a uniquely rich training environment that is highly conducive to interdisciplinary research.
- Three well-established graduate programs at the University of Toronto:
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Statistics
- Leading national organizations and research institutes.
- Toronto’s close-knit network of genetic epidemiologists and statistical geneticists and their national and international partners.
Successful applicants will receive an enriched training experience, including the following opportunities:
- A research allowance of up to $5,000.
- Travel awards to a maximum of $2,000 per trainee, per fiscal year.
- Mentoring by a team of internationally-renowned experts.
- Networking at the local, national and international levels.
- A curriculum incorporating core, integrative and cross-disciplinary courses, and leadership training.
STAGE trainees will have the opportunity to expand upon their core discipline by acquiring specialized cross-disciplinary training in related disciplines of genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics research through a series of formal, informal and interactive learning opportunities.
At a Glance
- Mentorship by a team of three faculty members, ideally more than two and one from each of the program’s three core disciplines: genetic and molecular epidemiology, statistical genetics, and genomics and biomedical genetics.
- A curriculum incorporating core, integrative and cross-disciplinary courses and leadership training.
- Trainee participation at cross-training seminars and scientific meetings.
Outcomes
These new “geneticists” will have the ability to resolve complex issues in the design and analysis of population health studies addressing high-impact hypotheses by acquiring the experience necessary to:
- design and conduct studies that can identify and characterize genetic determinants for complex diseases,
- measure the public health impact of having identified these genetic determinants, and
- integrate the use of genetic determinants into studies of the molecular basis of complex diseases.
Program graduates will be thoroughly prepared to:
- lead and/or contribute to the research of complex diseases, and
- pursue positions in academic or research institutions in the public or private sectors worldwide.
The program leadership structure includes the Program Directors and Steering Committee.
Our mentoring team includes leading researchers from the universities of Toronto, Guelph, McMaster, Waterloo, and Western.
Explore the accomplished researchers who support our trainees here.
See here for examples of the Program's Research Themes.
Partners
