Web content, written for the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology in 2014.

The classic approach to biomedical research was based on the study of a single gene or protein at a time. However, disease states do not solely impact one protein – they cause a wide range of effects on both the cell and the organism. The advent of “-omics” fields has led to a paradigm shift in biomedical research that allows one to take a holistic view of the complexities of the cell and the disease state. Researchers at the OISB are developing and applying innovative integrative biology approaches to the study of various human diseases. Emerging scientists at the OISB have a unique opportunity to gain valuable multidisciplinary training in a collaborative research environment.

Presently over 100 undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are being trained at the OISB. Our trainees come from across Canada and around the world to gain expertise in this multidisciplinary and collaborative research environment. The principal investigators of the OISB are members of a wide-range of graduate programs and departments and they foster collaboration through a variety of opportunities including:

• The Systems Biology Seminar Series
• OISB retreats and social events
• Affiliated training programs in:
  • CIHR Training Program in Neurodegenerative Lipidomics
  • NSERC-CREATE Training Program in Quantitative Biomedicine
  • Ottawa Institute of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
• International collaborations with:
  • The China-Ontario Bio-Analytical Consortium
  • The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
  • The Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences
  • The Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
• OISB trainee seminars on careers, networking and presentation skills