Biomedical Sciences Proposal

  • Status: Proposal progressing through university governance
  • Last updated: Oct. 1, 2026

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has completed its Biomedical Sciences Review, an extensive assessment of biomedical sciences research, education and service within the Faculty.

The review included internal and external consultation, including working groups, surveys, focus groups, town halls and an external review. The findings and feedback gathered through this process informed a proposal to bring the Faculty's five biomedical sciences departments together in a single Department of Biomedical Sciences.

By moving beyond departmental silos, this proposal creates an agile, collaborative ecosystem that elevates our world-leading research, enhances interdisciplinary teaching, and builds a resilient foundation for long-term excellence

The proposal is now proceeding through the University's established governance process. Engagement with the biomedical sciences community will continue as governance and implementation planning progresses.

The proposal at a glance

The proposed Department of Biomedical Sciences would bring together:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  • Pharmacology
  • Physiology

The five disciplines would retain their academic identities within the proposed department.

The proposed structure would consolidate academic authority, budget allocation and recruitment strategy at the department level, while creating a more coordinated approach to administrative and technical support across the department. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs will remain unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Why we are moving forward

The proposal is shaped by three factors identified through the review and subsequent planning:

  • Faculty capacity: Projected changes in faculty capacity create a need to consider how the Faculty can sustain and grow biomedical sciences expertise.
  • Student demand: Growing undergraduate demand creates opportunities to expand teaching capacity, explore emerging disciplines and develop new educational opportunities.
  • Research: Biomedical research is increasingly interdisciplinary, collaborative and technology-intensive, creating opportunities to strengthen collaboration and research capacity.

The proposal is intended to build on the significant teaching and research contributions of the existing biomedical sciences departments. With undergraduate enrollment growing significantly across the Faculty, this proposal positions biomedical sciences to respond proactively to student demand, expand educational pathways, and reinvest in shared research excellence.

Governance and next steps

The proposal is proceeding through the University's governance process, including consideration by General Faculties Council and the Board of Governors.

The current governance timeline is:

October 5, 2026
General Faculties Council — discussion
October 9, 2026
Board Learning, Research and Student Experience Committee — discussion
November 16, 2026
General Faculties Council — recommendation to the Board of Governors
November 27, 2026
Board Learning, Research and Student Experience Committee — recommendation to the Board of Governors
December 11, 2026
Board of Governors — decision

If approved, implementation would be staged over approximately two years rather than occurring all at once.

The current approach includes:

Governance and design (Oct.–Dec. 2026)
Define the leadership structure, establish working groups and map administrative support transitions.
Transition and pilot (Jan.–Dec. 2027)
Launch discipline communities of practice, pilot new governance processes and hold open forums on resource allocation.
Operational launch (Jan.–Dec. 2028)
Initiate full departmental operations, implement new adjunct pathways and establish baseline measures to assess how the model is working.
Optimization (beginning 2029)
Review and adjust structures based on early experience and data, and continue to develop educational programs.

Engagement with faculty and staff will continue throughout this process as operational details are developed and refined.

Continued engagement

Engagement will continue as the proposal progresses through governance and, if approved, into implementation planning.

Some elements of the proposed department remain under development, including leadership and governance structures, administrative support models, resource allocation principles and other operational details. These will be developed through the implementation process and by working groups, with further engagement with the community.

Have a question?

See the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information about the proposal, what would change, what would remain the same and how implementation would proceed.

Resources

Questions or feedback: Please reach out to Nicole Wilson, Lead, Strategic Initiatives, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry