Doctoral Student - Wellington Laboratory

2 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

The University of British Columbia (UBC)

Research Field

Neurosciences » Neurology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Canada

Application Deadline

29 Apr 2024 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

3 Sep 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Reference Number

EU-57882

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

No

Offer Description

PhD Student in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Specialization: Clinical Chemistry, Neurology

Project: Analytical Validation of Neurological Blood Biomarkers

Primary Supervision: Dr. Cheryl Wellington

Institution: The University of British Columbia

Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, UBC

Contact: [email protected]

The Wellington LabORATORY

The Wellington Laboratory is a large and diverse group that conducts both clinical and preclinical research in the areas of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. We are seeking a PhD student to join the Wellington Laboratory’s clinical fluid biomarker group. The clinical fluid biomarker group uses state of the art technologies to detect a wide variety of protein biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. These protein biomarkers help to reflect the complicated dynamics of the brain in their roles as research tools and have the potential to be used clinically to assist in screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and to have a role in clinical trial design and interpretation. We work collaboratively with many clinicians at the local, national and international levels, studying various aspects of neurological health and disease, including: neurotrauma, neurodegeneration and healthy aging.

Project Description

Blood-based biomarkers can provide a detailed picture of neurological health and disease using relatively low-cost, accessible, objective, and scalable tools. There has been a rapid expanse of research into candidate neurological blood-based biomarkers that show utility for the diagnosis and prognosis of neurological conditions. However, in order to transition these biomarkers into clinical use, multiple clinical and analytical validation steps must be taken. This project will focus on the validation of blood biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI). It will involve the generation of reference intervals for multiple biomarkers using a large population-based cohort, performing assessments of associations between biomarkers and various demographic and clinical variables, and validating the use of reference intervals in multiple TBI cohorts to determine their diagnostic and prognostic potential. The outcome of this project will be to generate widely applicable cut-offs for blood-based biomarkers to be used in TBI and other neurological conditions, moving these biomarkers closer to clinical implementation.

Key Responsibilities

During their program the student will be expected to take courses through the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department at UBC. The student will be expected to participate in regular lab and small group meetings, and bi-weekly check ins with the supervisor. They will utilize multiple techniques within the context of their project, including but not limited to: processing biospecimens, analyzing blood specimens using immunoassay technology, and advanced statistical analysis. The student will be expected to oversee all stages of the project, including designing and performing complex experiments, conducting all statistical analysis, presenting results at conferences ranging from local to international, and writing publications for project. During their degree, the student may also be expected to supervise undergraduate students.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completed MSc or equivalent training
• 3+ years of research experience in either neurology, clinical laboratory medicine, biostatistics, or another field relevant to proposed project
• Proficiency in statistical analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Experience supervising projects and team members
• Experience with GraphPad Prism, RStudio, and SPSS
• Background knowledge of immunoassay technology and troubleshooting
• Experience working with biological specimens

How to Apply

Submit application package as a single document to: [email protected]

• Curriculum Vitae (including links to 3 most recent publications)
• Academic transcripts
• 1 page cover letter

For Canadian citizens or permanent residents, we must receive applications by June 1st, 2024 to be considered for September 2024 program entry.

For international applicants, we must receive applications by April 1st, 2024 to be considered for September 2024 program entry or July 1st, 2024 for January 2025 program entry.

Funding

An annual Graduate Research Assistant Stipend will be available, however If the candidate does not have CIHR or similar funding they will be expected to be proactive in applying for awards.

Additional Information

Wellington Lab

The University of British Columbia

Graduate Studies

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Program eligibility

Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

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

Please refer to reference number EU-57882 during correspondence about this position.

To express interest and initiate contact to the principal investigator applicants are encouraged to follow the instructions as provided in the position description or to submit an enquiry form on the position posting . Please note that applicants will have to complete an online application to the University of British Columbia and gain admission as a graduate student to the university. Applicants should review the graduate program profile to learn about admission requirements, application deadlines, program duration, tuition, or to read student and alumni stories. Please visit the researcher profile of the supervisor for this position to learn more about their research.

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.

Doctoral studies at UBC Vancouver
UBC is a public university with a comprehensive program offering - covering all major academic disciplines and degree levels, with both research- and course-based program options. More than 50,000 students attend UBC Vancouver. As a PhD student at UBC Vancouver you'll be part of a diverse community of over 3,600 doctoral scholars at an institution that recognises and rewards the significant contributions of doctoral research. UBC is at the forefront of responding to and building on the extraordinary changes happening in our societies and our world, through reimagining approaches to research graduate education and exploring flexible methodologies for learners to develop needed expertise. UBC's Public Scholars Initiative for example is a pioneering program designed to encourage and support doctoral students to reimagine the PhD, contribute to the public good, and with their doctoral work rise to the challenges that increasingly define our times.

At UBC, you will be supported with a range of professional development workshops and services, and we'll partner with you to ensure you have a graduate game plan for academic and professional success.

You are encouraged to review the awards and scholarship database to determine funding opportunities for your doctoral degree. UBC Vancouver guarantees a minimum of CAD $22,000 of funding to eligible students for your first four years of PhD study with many programs offering higher funding packages. Funding highly varies by program and will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and awards secured. Most international students benefit from the International Tuition Award and PhD students usually qualify for the President's Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award .

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://www.grad.ubc.ca/ad/57882
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/4065
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/14497

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

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

State/Province

British Columbia

City

Vancouver

Street

2329 West Mall

Postal Code

V6T 1Z4

STATUS: EXPIRED