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Dr. Brian Coombes
Professor and Chair
Welcome from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, where the integration of education, research, and community partnership comes to life.
We embrace a distinctive approach to learning through our two undergraduate programs in Biochemistry, and Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization (BDC). From the beginning to the end of the programs, we seamlessly weave research and career growth into the curriculum to give students the right set of skills to be successful regardless of their future career path. Our Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization program takes this commitment even further by providing students with experiential learning opportunities in the private sector through a professional internship. These hands-on experiences equip students with lifelong skills and a deep professional network to help jumpstart their careers…
News
How do vaccines work? An expert explains
How do vaccines work? A quick doctor’s visit, a poke in the arm, and — just weeks later — you’ve gained powerful immunity to some of the world’s most deadly diseases. But what’s really going on inside you after you receive a vaccine? And how can something so simple have such a lasting impact on your health? The answer lies in your immune system, says Matthew Miller, director of NexusHealth and […]
McMaster and Hakai Institute awarded $2.3 million to lead ancient DNA study on climate change
A new collaboration between a McMaster professor and a Canadian research institute will explore how changing climates have impacted ecosystems of the past, with the goal of creating predictive models for the future. Hendrik Poinar, a professor of Anthropology and Biochemistry at McMaster, is co-leading the project alongside Tyler Murchie and Eric Peterson from the Hakai Institute – an ecological research centre […]
How bacteria produce antibiotics without harming themselves
Building on a landmark 2025 discovery, McMaster researchers have learned how an antibiotic-producing bacterium protects itself from its own chemicals, offering critical insight into how pathogens evolve to resist antibiotics. The discovery also strengthens the potential for this new antibiotic as a candidate for drug development. Many bacteria make their own antibiotics, designed to kill […]
‘Helper molecule’ discovery offers new hope against drug-resistant fungal infections
Fungal infections kill millions of people each year, and modern medicine is struggling to keep up. But researchers at McMaster University have identified a molecule that may help turn the tide — butyrolactol A, a chemical compound that targets a deadly, disease-causing fungi called Cryptococcus neoformans. Infections caused by Cryptococcus are extremely dangerous. The pathogen, which […]