Research Associate in Stem Cell Mammalian Synthetic Biology and Organoid Engineering

Job Category
Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title
Research Associate in Stem Cell Mammalian Synthetic Biology and Organoid Engineering

Department
Shakiba Laboratory | School of Biomedical Engineering | Faculty of Medicine (Nika Shakiba)

Posting End Date
April 2, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date
Mar 31, 2025

The expected salary range for this position is $80,000 to $95,000 per year.

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. 

The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) is a partnership between the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Applied Science , acting as 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. Its vision is to transform health care outcomes through unconstrained exploration of the best possible integrative solutions across engineering, medicine, and biology. Through collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary approach and building on UBC academic and research excellence, the School of Biomedical Engineering aspires to be a global leader in biomedical engineering research, education and translation. For more information about the School of Biomedical Engineering, please visit https://www.sbme.ubc.ca/ .

The Shakiba Lab at SBME (https://shakiba.bme.ubc.ca/ ) is an interdisciplinary team that seeks to understand and control pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) using a combined systems and synthetic biology approach. Research in the lab leverages stem cell models of early embryonic development as well as in vitro differentiation pipelines to understand the molecular and cellular rules that govern multicellular developmental systems and cell fate decision-making. The team applies computational and synthetic biology toolsets to reverse and forward engineer these rules to program cell fate for regenerative medicine.

Organizational Status

This position will play a leadership role in the Shakiba Laboratory, and will report directly to Dr. Nika Shakiba, who is the Principal Investigator of the laboratory.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will play a leadership role in the Shakiba Lab, providing oversight on scientific and training aspects of the lab while leading their own scientific projects.
 

The responsibilities of the position depend on the skills and research interests of the successful applicant. Specific tasks for this position may include:

• Mouse and human PSC culture including maintenance, expansion, and characterization;
• Differentiation of PSCs in directed differentiation, organoid cultures, and structures mimicking embryonic development;
• Genetic engineering of PSCs;
• Next generations sequencing and bioinformatics;
• Designing and performing experiments, analyzing results, and presenting findings;
• Assisting with the designing and implementation of new research projects;
• Managing and running projects;
• Overseeing and leading trainees within projects;
• Analyzing data and presenting the data in reports, publications, and presentations;
• Preparing grants and assist with grant applications and reporting, publication preparation, and with fulfilling regulatory requirements (animal ethics, biosafety etc.);
• Helping to enhance our collaborative research environment;
• Training and mentoring lab personnel;
• Coordinating the maintenance of lab equipment; and
• Contributing to cutting-edge knowledge in the scientific community.

Qualifications

• Candidates with strong background in experimental biology (with an emphasis on developmental and stem cell biology) will be considered.
• Candidates must hold a PhD or MD.
• Preference will be given to candidates who have >2 years of experience in a postdoctoral and Research Associate role.
• Candidates should have a strong research background, as demonstrated by past publications, accomplishments, and references.
• The successful candidate will be a passionate, self-driven, independent thinker with excellent organizational, oral, and written communication, excellent interpersonal skills, and a strong work ethic.

Supervision received

The incumbent will receive supervision directly from Dr. Nika Shakiba.

Supervision given

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

Start date and stipend

The start date is April 01, 2024 but flexible; funding has already been received. The position is full-time for one year with the possibility of extension subject to work performance and funding availability. 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. Please submit your applications directly via Workday.

Review of applications will start on March 6th 2024 and will continue until the position is filled.