Queen's University Bachelor of Health Sciences

The University is closed Monday, August 5th for the Civic Holiday long weekend.

Reminder: course registration closes August 4th @ 11:59pm (ET). During the registration hiatus (August 5-18), the BHSc Office will be operating on reduced capacity to allow our staff to take some well-deserved time off. Responses to emails sent to our office may be delayed during this period.

Open enrolment begins at 12 am (ET) on August 19th.

Are you interested in embarking on an experiential learning course abroad? In the Winter semester, we will be offering the inaugural iteration of a new experiential learning for students interested in Global and Population Health: Cross-Cultural Determinants of Health (3.0 units).

In addition to teaching and assessments throughout the semester, there will be a 10-day experiential learning component, during which we will travel to Tanzania and take part in various learning opportunities there. This year, the travel will occur during the February reading week, but will include a few days before and after that week. There will also be an element of narrative research as a part of this inaugural offering of the course.

Learn more about this opportunity at a virtual info session on August 14th @ 5pm on Zoom: https://queensu.zoom.us/j/7029124320?pwd=aU85MUZFS1o5QXMwQlpzOTJYQVNRQT09

The course will be open to 20 students, and applications will open in August. If you have any questions, please email Dr. Carpenter ([email protected])

Registration for Health Sciences orientation is open! The Queen's Health Sciences Orientation team is working hard to plan a welcoming and fun orientation experience to introduce you to Queen's, the Health Sciences program, and your classmates and we can't wait to see you on campus in September ❤💛💙

Learn more & register here: https://quhealthsciorientation.com/

📣NEW COURSE: BCHM320, Applications of Synthetic Biology, starting in the winter 2025 semester!

Synthetic Biology is a cutting-edge discipline that combines the principles of biology, chemistry, and engineering to design and build new biological systems with novel functions. In BCHM320, you don’t just learn about interesting innovations like the design of fluorescent mice or the production of synthetic meat. We also teach you how to manipulate organisms to function as environmental toxin biosensors, to perform unique tasks such as plastic degradation, and to operate as miniature factories for custom chemical synthesis! In BCHM320 you will also receive training in ethics, project management, and scientific communication.

BCHM 320 was built from the ground up to provide you the opportunity to merge foundational concepts of biology and genetics with the design principles of engineering. In our weekly two-hour learning sessions, you will work alongside instructors to build career advancing skills like research proposal writing, biotechnology innovation and consulting, and knowledge of how to design and execute scientific projects such as generating genetically modified organisms for healthcare or agriculture.

Enrolment for this course is limited to only 80 students, and some prerequisites apply, which can be seen on SOLUS. For more information about this course and enrollment, do not hesitate to contact Dr. John Allingham (Professor, Biochemistry, [email protected]) and Kody Klupt (PhD Candidate, Biochemistry, [email protected]).

Thank you to all of the incoming Health Sciences students who were able to join us on-campus last week at SOAR! We can't wait to welcome you to Queen's this September!

Congratulations to our newest Bachelor of Health Sciences alumni who crossed the stage at last week's convocation ceremony! 🎓🎉 Your hard work and perseverance throughout your studies has not gone unnoticed and we are so proud to celebrate this accomplishment with you as you embark on this new chapter! 💙❤💛

(stay tuned for more photos)

Calling all incoming first-year students! Join us for SOAR, our one day, on-campus summer orientation program for you and your parents and supporters.

Register today to save your seat and get to know your campus, the BHSc program, and your peers! Running July 12th for incoming Health Sciences students.

Register: https://www.queensu.ca/studentexperience/first-year-foundation/soar

June is a time to celebrate National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month across Canada. Learn how Queen's Health Sciences is recognizing these occasions and supporting the Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities at QHS https://bit.ly/3x5437L

Our office will be closed on Monday, May 20th for Victoria Day and will reopen on Tuesday. We hope you have a wonderful long weekend!

Congratulations to Sara Pollanen who is a recipient of the The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) 2024 3M National Student Fellowship!

Sara says: "Through my involvement in various environmental projects and as a steward of sustainability, I have seen first-hand how education can foster a greater awareness and drive impactful actions. As a fellow, I am excited to further these endeavors, understanding that every small action contributes to larger change. "

Read more here: https://bhsc.queensu.ca/news/sara-pollanen-awared-3m-national-student-fellowship

Queen's University Queen's University Health Sciences

Congratulations to Queen's University student Sara Pollanen for becoming a !
https://www.stlhe.ca/award_winners/2024-3m-national-student-fellows/

Félicitations à Sara Pollanen, lauréate du !
https://www.stlhe.ca/award_winners/laureats-du-prix-national-dexcellence-3m-pour-etudiants-2024/?lang=fr

Queen's University 3M

Happy 1st day of Spring/Summer term! We hope that you enjoy the courses you're taking this term, and wish you the best of luck in your studies.

Congratulations on completing the Winter Term! Whether you are taking courses or taking a break from your studies until September, we hope that you have the opportunity to rest and recharge throughout the summer.

The BHSc Office will continue to be open Monday-Friday throughout the summer, and our team is here to support you.

Good luck to all of our students who are writing final exams and finishing off their end-of-term assessments! You've got this!

Last week, Health Sciences students had the opportunity to showcase their research during our Research Poster Day event! This event provides Biochemistry, Health Sciences, and Life Sciences students who are completing upper-year research projects the opportunity to present their research in a professional and real-world environment. With more than 200 students showcasing posters over two days, this event allows faculty and students to see the breadth and depth of research being done within our program.
Congratulations to Samsoor Akberzai (HSCI 593/594/595 category) & Alecco Philippi (HSCI 599 category) on being voted Research Poster Day Peer Award winners!

Nominate a QHS faculty member for the Health Sciences Education Award, which recognizes excellence in a range of teaching methods. The deadline is April 9. For nomination form & submission details: https://bit.ly/43IuhsB

Our office will be closed Friday, March 29th and will re-open Monday morning. We hope you a lovely long weekend!

Meet with current Health Sciences students, tour our Anatomy Learning Centre and labs, explore the Queen's campus, and learn more about the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at our March Break Open House this Saturday!

🔵 Bachelor of Health Sciences info session @ 1:30pm
🟡 Health-Related Programs at Queen's Info Session @ 11:00am (Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Biochemistry)
🔴 Tours of the School of Medicine labs from 9:15am-3:00pm (last tour leaves at 2:30pm)
👑 Bachelor of Health Sciences Meet & Greet from 9am-3pm: chat with current students, faculty, and staff

More info about March Break Open House can be found here: https://www.queensu.ca/admission/events/queens-open-house

Explore the Queen's campus and learn more about the Bachelor of Health Sciences at our March Break Open House on Saturday March 9th! We look forward to meeting you.

🔵 Bachelor of Health Sciences info session @ 1:30pm
🟡 Health-Related Programs at Queen's Info Session @ 11:00am (Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Biochemistry)
🔴 Tours of the School of Medicine labs from 9:15am-3:00pm (last tour leaves at 2:30pm)
👑 Bachelor of Health Sciences Meet & Greet from 9am-3pm: chat with current students, faculty, and staff

More info about March Break Open House can be found here: https://www.queensu.ca/admission/events/queens-open-house

Nominations are open for the 2024 BHSc Awards! These awards are an opportunity to highlight and honour significant achievement amongst our students. Nominations are being accepted until March 28th for the following:
❤Bachelor of Health Sciences Award for Leadership
💛Bachelor of Health Sciences Community Stewardship Award
💙Award for Excellence in Health Sciences Research

Learn more about these awards, the eligibility criteria, and submit your nominations through the link in our bio.
(Pictures are some of our 2023 award winners)

Next week is the Winter Term Reading Week, with no classes or assessments taking place. We hope that you have an enjoyable week and that you are able to take some time to rest and reset!

The BHSc Office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 19th for the Family Day holiday, but will be open throughout the rest of the Reading Week to support you.

The celebrations for Black Histories and Futures Month kicked off with the Opening Address to the Community on Wednesday and the launch of the schedule of events throughout the month.
The next four weeks will offer opportunities for the Queen’s and Kingston communities to reflect, acknowledge, and celebrate the contributions – both past and present – made by Black communities in Canada and beyond.
https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/celebrate-black-histories-and-futures-month

Applications to do an international exchange in the 2024-25 academic year are due on January 15th! BHSc students can apply to complete an exchange in:
✈️New Zealand - University of Otago
✈️Australia - University of Western Australia
✈️Singapore - Nanyang Technological Institute
✈️Spain - University of Navarra
✈️Japan - Waseda University

Learn more about exchange and apply here: https://bhsc.queensu.ca/current-students/study-abroad

Happy first day of winter classes! Whether you're starting your first courses with us or are a returning student, we're wishing you all good luck during the new term.

Dr. Prameet Sheth is obsessed with things that are very small—so small you can’t see them or fathom their number. As a microbiologist, he studies bacteria and his lab’s research is focused on infectious diseases. Prepare for a gut check in his eye-opening 5à7 . Starting with the lowdown on our body’s bacteria and the crisis created by antibiotic overuse, Dr. Sheth explores how his discovery of a protein has the potential to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYytZLFEizs&list=PLbVZkH5-hmmEGedb_smEs1H2NzFBZbQu5&index=3

Congratulations on finishing the Fall 2023 term! We hope that you have a restful winter break, and look forward to seeing you in January.

Reminder: our office will be closed on December 22nd until the new year, and will reopen on January 2nd, 2024. Our emails will not be monitored during this time, and any emails received will be responded to once we re-open.

Queen’s undergraduate students are taking their research out of this world! 🛰️ 65 students recently collaborated across disciplines on experiments for a flight-certified mini-laboratory. Out of 14 proposals, three were sent to the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), and one will be selected to be part of a real space mission on the International Space Station. Stay tuned for the SSEP Mission 18 announcement on December 15th.

Read the full story to learn more about the top experiment proposals. https://bit.ly/470SNoJ

Good luck on your final exams and assessments over the next few weeks!

In Winter 2023, Veda Sharpe, Erin Ford, Emma Griffin, and Simon Zacharias Bezanson entered the Undergraduate Science Case Competition (USCC) hosted by UOttawa, with their proposal on Vitamin K supplementation for prevention of teratogenic neurological calcification in fetuses with Congenital Zika Syndrome. After the final round in mid-March (a live presentation to a panel of judges), this BHSc student team achieved the First Place standing out of a variety of university teams from across Canada. Their proposal has been published in the URNCST journal.

“For me, problem-based learning methods used in the BHSc program ultimately permitted the evolution of a mid-afternoon idea into our passion project. Since the program is founded on application, critical thought, and collaboration, our academic backgrounds effectively poured the concrete for our research process, thus our success in this competition. Beyond the branches of academics, the ability to research and compete with my best friends might have been the most fruitful part.” – Emma

Read more: https://bhsc.queensu.ca/bhsc-team-wins-undergraduate-science-case-competition

As part of the course MICR 290 Antibiotic Resistance Lab this term, students were given bacterial strains in different colours and then "drew" the bacteria on an agar plate to create this incredible agar art.

Artists in order (final image listed clockwise, beginning with top left):
Mishaal A
Sara D
Media M
Myah S
Ronin O
Juliet K
Dylan R
Brook M
Zain A
Chloe L
Fianna M
Rachel A