Medical Biophysics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)



Meet Androu Abdalmalak, PhD candidate in Medical Biophysics

“Everyone in Medical Biophysics program, from students, to scientists, and administrative staff, are always willing to help and ensure the student’s success. It’s a very enriching and nurturing environment that allows me to learn and grow.”

Supervisors: Keith St. Lawrence and Adrian Owen

Why did you come to Western for your graduate degree?
Western has some of the best imaging facilities in the country, which provides students with an opportunity to work with cutting edge technology. There are many opportunities to collaborate with researchers from various departments, with different backgrounds, which allows for more diverse research discussions.

Where is “home” for you?
I was born in Egypt, and raised in the United Arab Emirates. I moved to Canada in 2009 for school. I now consider Canada my home.

Describe your research.
My research focuses on developing portable, inexpensive optical systems to assess brain function at the bedside. I am currently working on developing a brain computer interface (BCI) to provide a way for patients who lack the verbal and physical ability to respond to questions to communicate with the outside world.

Where’s your favourite place on campus?
The Grad Club! It’s a great place to meet graduate students and share ideas, which provides me with a different prospective on challenges I may be facing in my research.

What’s the best advice you could give to someone considering applying to your graduate program?
Try to find out research topics that interest you, and choose a project that will augment your future goals. Contact professors, and members of their lab, to learn more about a project that sparks your interest.

Program Websites


Program Contact

Elizabeth Oliveira (askmbp@schulich.uwo.ca)
Graduate Recruitment Coordinator

Department of Medical Biophysics

Western University
Medical Sciences Rm 407
London, Ontario N6A 5C1

t. 519-661-2111 ext. 88030
f. 519-661-2123

The Department of Medical Biophysics works very closely with other university departments, research institutes, and hospitals in the City of London to offer unique graduate training opportunities in diverse fields including: cardiovascular disease, microcirculation, hemodynamics, biomechanics, and cancer. Biomedical imaging (CT, MRI, MRS, ultrasound, SPECT, PET-CT, PET-MRI, optical, photoacoustic) is a vigorous research area at the cellular, small-animal, pre-clinical, and clinical scale in our department. Our research program therefore gives students a chance to work with state-of-the-art equipment, often combining computational and experimental techniques.

The work of all our students, considered collectively, represents substantial accomplishments in a wide spectrum of physical, biological, and clinical science. Following graduation, you will find a rewarding career in the health care sector, biomedical industry, and academia; others pursue further training in professional schools such as medicine, dentistry, or business.


The Own Your Future doctoral professional development program creates career-ready graduates with the Power Skills necessary to excel in their studies and achieve their future goals. Assess your own strengths and opportunities for growth and focus on what you want to get out of your time here at Western. To learn more, visit www.uwo.ca/ownyourfuture.

Program Length

  • 12 Terms

Program Design

  • Full-time study
  • Thesis-based

Funding Information

Applicants are encouraged to apply for the following scholarships (if eligible):

Admission Requirements

  • A Master’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution, with preference given to those in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) discipline.
  • Students with an admission average of >85%) who do not have a master’s degree will be considered for direct-entry placement into the program if space permits.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language:

  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). iBT (internet-Based Test): The minimum acceptable score is 86, with no individual score below 20. PdT (Paper-delivered Test): The minimum acceptable total score is 65, with no individual score below 20. Please note that some programs require a higher minimum and/or band score. [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984].
  • The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council. The minimum acceptable score is 6.5 out of 9. The IELTS is offered in 6 test centres in the US and 3 in Canada.
  • The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) of the University of Michigan. Students must have at least 80 on each of the sections and an overall score of at least 85. Arrangements to write MELAB may be made online. Please note: The MELAB is no longer being offered by Michigan Language Assessment. However, Western University will continue to accept MELAB test reports that are newer than two years old as sufficient proof of English language proficiency.
  • The Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL Assessment). The minimum acceptable score is 60. The CAEL Assessment is offered in several countries throughout the world as well as Canada.
  • Western English Language Centre. The requirement is successful completion of the High-Advanced level.
  • CultureWorks. The requirement is successful completion of Level 7.
  • Fanshawe College’s ESL Program. The requirement is graduation from Level 5, Advanced Academic Preparation, with a minimum 80% in all components.

Application Deadline

  • June 1 – Fall Term
  • November 1 – Winter Term
  • March 1 - Summer Term