BIOL 5710 Graduate Modules 2026/2027

NOTE: The module list will be updated as the descriptions are submitted. The final number of modules could > or < 10.  Please check in regularly for updates.  You will be notified via e-mail when the list is finalized.

No.

Short Title






Instructor

Date














1

 Analyzing acoustic telemetry data






Lennox
 Fall

2

 A practical guide to peer review






Edwards
 Feb

3

 Graphic design for scientists






Schmidt Winter

4

 Writing science







Lunzmann-Cooke
 Winter

5

 Dynamic energy budget theory






Filgueira
 Feb/Mar

6

 The Krebs cycle in life and death






Guderley
 Fall

7

 Global biodiversity change






Carvajal-Quintero
 Fall

8

 The science-policy interface






Worm Fall

9

 The value of long-term field studies






Whitehead Jan

10

 Chemical biomarkers in coral ecology






Budge Fall



























11+ FoA module selection (link to their site) 






see ag website















* Note: (module-specific notes will be posted here).

On-line modules: (as necessary)

(Note: The Biology program does not offer modules over the summer.)

Individual module descriptions



Module No:

1

Title:

Analyzing acoustic telemetry data

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Robert Lennox

Preferred time:

 Friday, 8:30am;  likely Sept;  details to follow

Contact:

 (902) 399-6139  |  lennox@dal.ca

Description:

 In this module students will get instruction on spatial analysis of animal tracking data using acoustic telemetry. Students will learn concepts related to visualisation and common statistical tools and packages using R programming. Students will have access to example data sets and have assignments to work on to demonstrate skills with the class.
 



Module No:

2

Title:

 Becoming reviewer 1: A practical guide to peer review
 

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Jena Edwards

Preferred time:

 Monday and Wednesday mornings, winter semester (Feb) [timing flexible]

Contact:

 (902) 717-0223  |  jena.edwards@dal.ca
 

Description:

      So you’ve just published your first scientific article (woohoo!) and are now being asked to conduct a peer review. Perhaps you don’t feel ready, or aren’t sure whether you have the experience or expertise to take on the task. The truth is, we all reach this stage and face those same questions at some point in our academic careers.
     This course will introduce you to the peer review process, from deciding when to accept an invitation and determining whether a manuscript is a good fit for your expertise, to providing a thoughtful, constructive, and useful review. By reading and evaluating scientific articles together, we will practice the art of reading critically and identifying common pitfalls that should be addressed prior to publication. We will also consider how effectively scientific information is communicated, both in the text and through figures and tables.
     By the end of this course, you will have developed practical skills for getting more out of your reading, streamlining your own publications, and providing constructive feedback to your scientific peers. The ultimate goal is to be a great reviewer, without becoming Reviewer 2.
 


Module No:

3

Title:

 Graphic design for scientists

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Chloé Schmidt

Preferred time:

 Friday mornings, winter semester (tentative)

Contact:

 902 431 0348 |  chloe.schmidt@dal.ca

Description:

 Science visualizations are one of the main ways we communicate ideas and findings to peers, colleagues, stakeholders, and the public. In this module we’ll discuss graphic design concepts as tools for effective communication and build practical skills for creating figures, diagrams, presentation slides, and posters. During the course students will learn how to use Inkscape (an open-source vector graphics software), some basics and tips for making visualizations in R, and be provided with design resources. No prior artistic skills or experience needed!

 

Module No:

4

Title:

 Writing science: How to communicate your science clearly

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Emma Lunzmann-Cooke

Preferred time:

 Winter semester, Tuesday/Thursday mornings [timing flexible]
 

Contact:

 613-282-8423 | emmallcooke@gmail.com

Description:

Do you ever wonder why some papers are easy to read while others feel like a chore? This module is about learning how to improve your scientific writing and make your research easier to read and understand. We will work through examples and exercises to learn how to keep your reader engaged, make your sentences and paragraphs more concise, and edit effectively. Whether you are drafting a manuscript, abstract, or writing any other piece of science communication, learning how to write effectively and communicate clearly is a skill that will benefit you throughout your career.

 

Module No:

5

Title:

 Introduction to Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) Theory

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Ramón Filgueira

Preferred time:

 Feb / Mar: Mornings (Monday-Wednesday

Contact:

 902-414-1218  |  ramon.filgueira@dal.ca
 

Description:

 This module introduces the foundations of Dynamic Energy Budget theory through a review of the introductory chapters of Kooijman’s “Dynamic Energy Budget Theory for Metabolic Organisation”. The module focuses on the core assumptions of DEB and their implications for bioenergetics, from acquisition to allocation of energy to maintenance, under fluctuating environments.


Module No:

6


Title
Life and death in the spinning of the Krebs cycle

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Helga Guderley

Preferred time:

 Fall: Tuesday 13:00-14:50

Contact:

 902-820-2979 | 902-266-8046  | helga@guderley.ca

Description:

One of the most creative thinkers in bioenergetics, Nick Lane, has put together a book examining why the exact role of the Krebs cycle, the perfect system we all memorized that is at the heart of metabolism, remains so elusive more than 80 years after its discovery.  Textbooks teach us that this cycle removes hydrogen from carbon skeletons and that these hydrogens allow mitochondrial metabolism to generate ATP by transporting electrons and protons. But is that the original role of the Krebs cycle? 
 
In this book, Nick Lane explains how the Krebs cycle and its role in energy metabolism was discovered, he shows how this cycle, spinning in reverse created the chemical building blocks of life and allowed the emergence of life.  He shows how in multicellular animals, spinning the Krebs cycle in reverse is related to aging, cancer and death.  The liner notes describe the book’s contents as follows:  “What brings the earth to life and our own lives to an end?  Transformer unites the story of our planet with the story of our cells – what makes us the way we are and how it connects us to the origin of life.” 
 
This module will analyze Lane’s book, Transformer, with discussions guided by myself and module members of the different chapters of the book.  The book is available from Amazon in paperback for $25.  I propose 3-4 meetings, on Tuesday afternoons in late October and November, but am open to alternative afternoons. . 


 

Module No:

7

Title:

 The Nuances of Global Biodiversity Change

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Juan Carvajal-Quintero

Preferred time:

 Monday mornings, fall term

Contact:

 902-431-0500  |  juan.carvajal@dal.ca

Description:

 Biodiversity change is a defining phenomenon of the Anthropocene, an era in which human activities are profoundly reshaping the biosphere. Discussions of biodiversity change have traditionally focused on human-driven species declines and extinctions. However, biodiversity encompasses much more than species richness and population abundances, and human pressures can alter multiple facets of biodiversity, including functional, genetic, phylogenetic, and interaction diversity. In this module, we will read and discuss key papers on biodiversity change in the Anthropocene, exploring the many nuances of biodiversity change across different facets and environmental contexts.

 

Module No:

8

Title:

 Making your science matter: how early-career scientists can contribute to management and policy

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Boris Worm

Preferred time:

 TUE, THU afternoon

Contact:

 902-210-8330  |  bworm@dal.ca

Description:

 This module is designed for graduate students who are curious about designing projects with direct management or policy relevance in the environmental and health sciences and engaging with affected stakeholders. Many papers claim that their results have important implications for management and policy, but how can we follow up on this promise and make sure that our science is used in an effective and responsible way? Through a series of guest lectures, hands-on activities, workshops and student-led discussions we will learn from each other and from scientists who have successfully navigated the science-policy interface. We will cover both the research set-up by focusing on how to thoughtfully conceptualize research questions with existing real-world policies or emerging geo-political agendas, as well as the analysis, which may combine aspects of both quantitative and qualitative data. We envision 6-8 sessions of 90 minutes each, depending on people’s schedules and capacity. 

 

Module No:

9

Title:

 The value of long-term studies in ecology, evolution and behaviour

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Hal Whitehead

Preferred time:

 January

Contact:

 (902) 414-6140   |  hwhitehe@dal.ca

Description:

 Long-term field studies have given us remarkable insight into ecology, evolution and behaviour. Examples include the Experimental Lakes Area studies, the Grants’ studies of Galapagos finch evolution, and the Gombe Stream study of chimpanzees.

We will look what long-term studies have achieved and which results could only have been achieved with a long-term study.
The challenges of long-term studies include. environmental change, logistics, finances, consistency, and personal.

The class will begin with a general summary of long-term studies, and a description of one such study, by HW.  Then each student will describe a different long-term study: how it operated, its successes, its failures, and how it overcame the challenges inherent in all long-term studies, and particular to the study in question.

Students will be marked based on their presentation as well as a short report on the study that they presented, and very brief assessment of all the studies presented.

 

Module No:

 10

Title:

 Chemical biomarkers in coral ecology

Instructor(s):

 Dr. Suzanne Budge

Preferred time:

 Fall term (late Fall)

Contact:

 (902) 494-6010  |  budges@dal.ca

Description:

 We will review the use of lipids, and bulk and compound-specific isotopes in coral ecology, using recent literature as examples. We will provide basic theory relevant to the approaches, including lipid metabolism and coral physiology. Students will develop sufficient understanding to assess the quality of applications in current literature. Their grade will be based on their review with presentation and written critique of a relevant paper in the field.


Module No:

11

Title:

 Module 11

Instructor(s):

 TBD

Preferred time:

 TBD

Contact:

 Dr. XXX: (902) xxx-xxx  |  xxx.xxxxx@dal.ca


Description:

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Module No:

12

Title:

 Module 12  

Instructor(s):

 TBD

Preferred time:

 TBD

Contact:

 name.name@Dal.Ca  |  902 xxx xxxx (office)

Description:

 TBD



Module No:

11+

Title:

 Faculty of Agriculture module selection (link to their site)

Instructor(s):

 Faculty of Agriculture

Preferred time:

 link to their site

Contact:

 link to their site

Description:

 Modules offered through the Faculty of Agriculture (formerly NSAC) do count towards BIOL5705/5706.