Postdoctoral Researcher - Breast Cancer Biology

University Health Network

  • Toronto, ON
  • $55,000-65,000 per year
  • Temporary
  • Full-time
  • 16 days ago
Company DescriptionUHN is Canada's #1 hospital and the world's #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.UHN's vision is to build A Healthier World and it's only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.Job DescriptionUnion: Non-Union
Number of Vacancies: 1
Site: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Department: Princess Margaret Research Institute
Reports to: Principal Investigator
Work Model: On-Site
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: $55,000 - $65,000 annually (Commensurate with experience and consistent with UHN compensation policy)
Shifts: Monday - Friday
Status: Temporary Full Time (1 year contract, with option to renew)
Closing Date: Until position filledPosition SummaryThe Nguyen lab is looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher to work on an exciting project in breast cancer. The lab is led by Dr. Long Nguyen, a clinician scientist and breast medical oncologist, and affiliated with both the Department of Medicine, and the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. The lab is located at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in the Research Tower within the MaRS building.Our research program is focused on breast cancer with 3 themes of research activity: (1) cancer stem cells, (2) cell state plasticity, and (3) treatment resistance. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms that regulate cancer stem cell activity in human breast cancer, how these contribute to disease progression, relapse and treatment resistance, with the goal of designing new effective treatment strategies. We work with human cancer cell lines, patient-derived xenograft models and patient-derived organoid models. We apply advanced clonal tracking strategies in conjunction with single cell sequencing platforms to study the link between phenotype, genotype and function at clonal and single cell resolution.The successful applicant will be designing and leading their own research in 2 main directions. First, they will write, establish and lead a translational research protocol to acquire samples from patients with breast cancer for in-depth molecular and functional characterization in the lab. Second, they will establish new molecular tools to prospectively isolate breast cancer stem cells and measure tumorigenic activity with in vitro and in vivo assay systems. Expert molecular and cell biology skills are essential, basic computational skills in R and/or Python are required, and this role may involve mentoring and supervision of graduate students. Collaboration with industry and international academic partners is a possibility depending on the success of the project.The interview process will be conducted on a rolling basis every 2 months until the position is filled. Suitable candidates will be contacted for a 3-step process: (1) one-on-one meeting with Dr. Nguyen, (2) a virtual seminar presentation followed by Q&A with lab members, and (3) an in-person interview consisting of a set of standard interview questions.Duties
  • Design and execute a research project that aligns with the strategic objectives of the lab, with input from the PI
  • Train and supervise students who will have their own research projects
  • Work with scientific collaborators to execute the project
  • With help from computational experts, perform sophisticated analysis of single cell sequencing datasets
  • Write and review manuscripts for publication
  • Write and review standard protocols for the lab
  • Present at seminars and conferences
  • Apply for external funding
Qualifications
  • Recently graduated from a PhD program
  • Publication(s) and manuscript(s) in preparation or completed, to be competitive for funding support
  • Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills, along with a high degree of independence and flexibility to thrive in a rapidly evolving research environment
  • Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills to work well with collaborators
  • Excellent initiative and leadership skills
  • Advanced/expert skills in cell and molecular biology (e.g. tissue culture, molecular cloning, lentiviral transduction, CRISPR)
  • Moderate degree of experience with computational analysis in R and bash for analysis of large datasets from DNA/RNA sequencing, and single cell sequencing
Additional InformationWhy join UHN?In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.
  • Competitive offer packages
  • Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP
) * Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
  • A flexible work environment
  • Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
  • Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)
Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates. Please ensure you check your email regularly.Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

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