Postdoctoral Research Fellow, United Therapeutics

10 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

The University of British Columbia (UBC)

Research Field

Engineering » Biomedical engineering

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Canada

Application Deadline

9 Feb 2024 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

26 Feb 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Reference Number

EU-57784

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The expected pay for the position is $5,000/month.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Position Summary
The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC, Canada invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position to work on a team-based project spanning pluripotent stem cells, lung differentiation, and genomics in the de Boer (https://deboer.bme.ubc.ca/ ), Shakiba (https://shakiba.bme.ubc.ca/ ), Yachie (https://yachie-lab.org/ ), Zandstra (https://www.stemcellbioengineering.ca/ ), and Lynn (https://www.lynnlab.com/ ) labs.

The project is in collaboration with United Therapeutics and seeks to enable the robust, large-scale production of lung cells from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The project involves the use of single-cell RNA-seq, DNA barcoding, reprogramming, and lung cell differentiation.

The Faculties of Medicine and Applied Science have partnered to create the SBME, a new flagship entity at UBC, and a top strategic priority for the University and both Faculties. The SBME is a nucleus for education and training, research, and innovation in biomedical engineering, creating new knowledge, new academic and training programs, and fostering translation and innovation. UBC SBME distinguishes itself by deep training in biology, and engineering science and design, enabling SBME researchers to address the most pressing biomedical challenges of the day. Our SBME faculty conduct research that advances our fundamental understanding of human biology, and yields technologies and therapies that advance our health and wellbeing.

Organizational Status
Individual will report to one or more of Drs. Nika Shakiba, Dr. Carl de Boer, Dr. Nozomu Yachie, Dr. Francis Lynn, or Dr. Peter Zandstra, depending on the position, but will work collaboratively with teams across these labs regardless.

Responsibilities
Successful candidates will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with the members of the laboratories involved in this project, integrating cutting-edge stem cell, bioinformatics and synthetic biology techniques.

The responsibilities of this position, to be determined by the Supervisor, are flexible and depend on the skills and research interests of the successful applicant. Specific tasks may include:

• Human pluripotent stem cell culture including maintenance, expansion, and characterization
• Derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells through reprogramming of PBMCs
• Lung cell differentiation and culture
• Genetic engineering of mammalian cells
• Next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis
• Machine learning/AI
• Single-cell RNA-seq, perturb-seq, and/or other transcriptomic analysis
• Analyzing data and presenting the data in reports, publications, and presentations at local and international conferences
• Helping to enhance our collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Contributing to cutting-edge knowledge in the scientific community
• Designing and performing experiments, analyzing results, and presenting findings
• Preparing and assisting with grant applications, publications and with fulfilling regulatory requirements (animal ethics, biosafety etc.)
• Training and mentoring lab personnel

Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a PhD or MD
• Candidates should have a strong research background, as demonstrated by past publications, accomplishments, and references
• Candidates with strong background in either computational or experimental biology (or both) will be considered
• The successful candidate will be a passionate, self-driven, independent thinker with excellent organizational, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills, and a strong work ethic
• Preference will be given to experimental candidates who have skills in any of the following areas: stem cell culture, lentiviral delivery, lung cell differentiation and culture, iPSC derivation, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, single-cell RNA-seq
• Preference will be given to computational candidates who have skills in any of the following topics: bioinformatics, statistics, machine learning, deep learning, single cell omics, transcriptomics, and programming in R, Python, and Bash

Supervision received
The incumbent will receive supervision directly from one or more of Drs. Shakiba, de Boer, Yachie, Lynn, and Zandstra, depending on their exact role, but will have the opportunity to work closely with all laboratories involved in this project.

Supervision given
The incumbent may be required to supervise trainees involved in the research program.

Start date and stipend
The start date is as soon as possible but flexible; funding has already been received. The position is full-time for one year with the possibility of extension subject to work performance. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

How to Apply
Candidates should provide a CV, names and contact information of 3 references, and a cover letter describing past achievements and future research interests. Note that there are several similar positions available and candidates should apply to any that interest them. Please submit your applications directly via Workday from this link.

For any inquiries regarding this position, please contact Dr. Nika Shakiba ([email protected] ), Dr. Nozomu Yachie ([email protected] ), and Dr. Carl de Boer ([email protected] ).

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number EU-57784 during correspondence about this position.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

About UBC
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver
UBC is home to over 900 postdocs spanning all faculties and units across two campuses and a variety of affiliated hospitals, research centres, and sites, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute in one's own way. UBC's Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) is committed to supporting the lives and career aspirations of our Postdocs, with the goal of enriching their experience at UBC and preparing them for the future. In addition to providing support and advocacy for all postdocs, the PDFO is dedicated to providing professional development opportunities that foster the development of soft skills needed in today's professional environments, helping them secure future careers in their chosen fields.

About UBC's Faculty of Medicine
Every day across British Columbia, trainees and researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are turning skills into jobs, investments into discoveries, and discoveries into solutions that are transforming health for everyone.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers a diverse array of training opportunities including cutting-edge research experiences in the biosciences, globally recognized population health education, quality health professional training, as well as several certificate and online training options. The Faculty of Medicine is home to more than 1,700 graduate students housed in 23 graduate programs (14 of which offer doctoral research options). Year after year, research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine is supported by investment from funding sources here at home and around the globe, receiving approximately $1.6B in total research funding in the last five years.

About Vancouver
Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.

Requirements

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/job/Postdoctoral-Resear…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

The University of British Columbia (UBC)

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

City

Vancouver

Postal Code

V6T 1Z4

Street

2329 West Mall

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcfacultyjobs/job/Postdoctoral-Resear…

Contact

State/Province

British Columbia

City

Vancouver

Street

2329 West Mall

Postal Code

V6T 1Z4

STATUS: EXPIRED