Education & Training

Education Priorities

The Institute has articulated three fundamental education priorities:

Building the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers

Our work understanding all aspects of the cancer problem involves a commitment to train individuals across the cancer continuum and at all career stages, ranging from undergraduates just beginning their first research experience, to our many innovative and industrious MSc and PhD level graduate students, to Oncology Fellows pursuing the cutting edge of medicine, to Post Doctoral Scholars aspiring towards academic independence.

Fostering a Positive and Inclusive Training Experience

We recognize that producing an effective training environment requires meeting the needs of a diverse set of people who are at many different levels of experience and skill, and who come from many different academic, cultural, lifestyle and personal backgrounds. Where ever possible, we strive to promote inclusiveness in our training programs.

Promoting the Visibility of Trainees from Across Cancer-Oriented Disciplines

The cancer problem requires a large number of scientific and technical disciplines to come together and understand one another, which is a complex task. We provide all of our trainees, regardless of whether they are specialists in biology, psychology, physics, medicine, informatics or community health, opportunities to present their work, be recognized for it, and to interact with one another in a meaningful manner.

The University of Calgary’s Cancer Research Institute is pleased to offer a variety of programs to strengthen the educational experience of our trainees.

MDGE Cancer Courses

MDGE Cancer Courses

Courses needed to satisfy degree requirements: MSc - 6 units &
PhD - 9 units

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Annual Research Symposium

2022

Annual Research Symposium

The yearly research symposium offers the opportunity to trainees to present their ongoing research to all members of Calgary’s cancer community, for feedback and collaboration.

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Summer Student Research Day

Student Event

Summer Student Research Day

The Summer Student Research Day provides an opportunity for our summer students to present their research projects.

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CTA

Student Organization

Charbonneau Trainee Association

An organization of postdoctoral and graduate students with an aim to improve the overall experience for all trainees in the Charbonneau labs and beyond.

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Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies

We offer outstanding graduate training leading to PhD and MSc degrees. Our students are generally registered within the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, either within the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate program or the Medical Sciences (Cancer Biology) graduate program. The PhD program generally takes 5 years to complete and an MSc 2-3 years.

For more information about graduate science education (GSE), including the degree requirements for entry, scholarship opportunities, at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, please visit:

Graduate Science Education website

Post-doctoral Training

Post-doctoral Training

Post-doctoral fellows play an essential role in our research programs, and are mentored towards their future career goals by our senior scientists. In Canada, scientists are considered “trainee post-docs” for the first five years after being awarded their doctorate; during this time, they are eligible for a variety of lucrative national and provincial salary awards. Applicants interested in applying to our post-doctoral training program should be within 5 years of obtaining their PhD. 

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