Research Associate – Western University

Hours per Week: 37.5

Salary Grade: R2

Please note, this is a wholly grant funded position.

With an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses.

About Us

Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is a leading Canadian centre of outstanding education and research shaping health care for the next generation and is the largest and most complex faculty on campus. The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology has a long-standing tradition of distinction in research and teaching. The success of Anatomy and Cell biology is predicated on its people, dedicated Faculty, Staff and Trainees who support our mission: excellence in research and scholarship in anatomy, cell biology, neuroscience and education.

The mission of Dr. Khokhar’s research is to disentangle the complex relationship between substance use and serious mental illness. The lab uses a variety of cutting-edge behavioural, neuroimaging and circuit manipulation tools to answer translationally relevant questions related to this chicken-or-egg question with the ultimate goal of improving treatment options for these patients.

The Research Associate will apply their expertise and knowledge to a research project under the direction of a Principal Investigator and will carry out and oversee original and independent research to assist the PI in achieving their research outcomes regarding the interactions between substance use and serious mental illness, with an eye toward treatment of these disorders using a variety of behavioural and circuit-interrogation methods. The position will play a lead role in training staff, graduate students, undergraduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and in resolving issues that arise in the research environment. The Research Associate will support and operationalize new and innovative research opportunities as requested, participate in the development of research and project plans, and design, build and run experiments. The role will plan, implement, and coordinate aspects of data collection, perform data analysis, evaluate and interpret experiment al results, develop models or correlations, and prepare reports and other written material for presentations and/or submissions to various stakeholders as required.

• Education:
• Master’s Degree in Neuroscience or Pharmacology
• PhD Degree in Neuroscience or Pharmacology is preferred.

• 3 years of experience in a related academic research environment with behavioural paradigms including withdrawal, conditioned place preference, self-administration/free-access intake, fear conditioning, prepulse inhibition, and latent inhibition
• Experience with LC/MS or HPLC methods
• Experience coding with behavioural control software (such as Med Associates), using behavioural assessment software (such as Noldus Ethovision), and with statistical analysis software packages (such as SPSS or R)
• Experience with in vivo electrophysiology would be an asset

• Familiarity with regulations and guidelines governing research ethics in an academic environment and with best practices for reviewing and writing grant proposals
• In depth knowledge with methods for research design, implementation, and analysis with ability in methodology, procedures, equipment and standards to produce required research data
• Proficiency in summarizing research findings, reviewing, appraising and interpreting published literature
• Familiarity with techniques for updating, managing and extracting data from a research database
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one’s own unit
• Communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users, with an ability to complete detailed analytics and reports
• Ability to work in a manner that mo dels best practices in confidentiality standards
• Ability to provide solutions and ideas for improvement by using imaginative approaches where constructive thinking and innovation are required
• Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy
• Ability to work within a flexible schedule to accommodate the research group’s events and activities
• Results-oriented with the ability to motivate and coach students to meet high performance standards, while working effectively as a member of the leadership team
• Ability to investigate defined issues, solicit input, and suggest remedies and alternative approaches that meet the needs of the situation
• Proven ability and natural inclination to develop relationships by interacting with people in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner
• Advanced skills in software and applications used to produce and analyze research outcomes< br />- Demonstrated ability to research/investigate issues and resolve problems

Please note, successful applicants may be required to produce a current police information record check(s) from a police service prior to commencing employment.

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.

Interested applicants are asked to visit https://recruit.uwo.ca for further information and to apply online referencing job #32815 by midnight on October 31st, 2023.

Posting end date: 2023/10/31

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