Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Academic

Job Category
Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Department
Cullis Laboratory Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty of Medicine (Pieter Cullis (Retired – Active))

Posting End Date
November 14, 2022

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

Job Summary:

The Cullis Laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at UBC is currently seeking one highly motivated, full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDF) with a Ph.D in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Pharmacology, or a related field. Reporting to the PI, Dr. Pieter Cullis, the successful candidate will conduct research in the area of infection/sepsis drug development using LNP-based delivery of mRNA and/or siRNA. Both a strong scientific background and excellent communication skills are required as the candidate will be part of a cross-faculty multi-disciplinary team. He or she will also run collaborations with other academic groups, develop new intellectual property and support grant applications and patent applications. The start date for this position is flexible.

One over-arching goal of the PDF position is to discover and build the science for a new sepsis drug. Sepsis is severe infection leading to vital organ dysfunction and kills more people than heart attacks. Several promising leads from one of our UBC laboratories suggest strong candidate targets for sepsis

For more than fifty years, the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology has played an active and important role at UBC and in the greater scientific community. The Department is home to approximately 90 research laboratories from fifteen Departments organized into nine research clusters, fostering a strong foundation for innovation and collaborations. All members of the Department maintain active, well-funded research programs that encompass many areas of modern biochemistry, and molecular and structural biology. The Department hosts an active Graduate program with more than 90 students and offers over fifteen undergraduate courses and laboratory courses for honours, major and minor Undergraduate programs.

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology is mainly located in the Life Science Institute (LSI) in Vancouver, BC. A number of research faculty, however, are dispersed at different locations, such as, Michael Smith Labs and BCCHR, and the teaching stream are based in the Biological Sciences Building at the Point Grey Campus.  The Biological Sciences Building is a hub for Science Undergraduate teaching and students, housing a number of Departments such as the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Botany, Cellular & Physiological Sciences, and Zoology.  All members of the Departments maintain their lab teaching activities at this new site.

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Formulation of lipid nanoparticles and optimization of lipid nanoparticles for in vitro and in vivo systems.
• Assay development and physicochemical characterization of lipid nanoparticles LNPs using biophysical and analytical techniques.
• In vitro and in vivo testing of lipid nanoparticles.
• Training junior laboratory members & students.
• Preparing manuscripts for publication and support grant proposals.
• Attending meetings and seminars.
• Initiating and directing collaborations with other laboratories.

Education/Work Experience:

• Ph.D in Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Biophysics, or related.
• The candidate should have a solid scientific and technical background with excellent written/oral communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Preference will be given to candidates with a proven track record with a minimum of 2-3 first author publications in reputable journals.
• Experience with lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations would be considered a major asset. Excellent writing and presentation skills are required.