We currently have a staff of 40 and will be hiring approximately 15 additional research staff over the next 5 years. Upcoming positions will include Research Faculty, Postdoctoral Fellows, Graduate Students, Project Leaders and Research Assistants.

All job opportunities at the Deeley Research Centre are posted on the BC Cancer Agency′s website  Career Opportunities.

Please check the website for postings and application details. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE THE ASSOCIATED POSTING NUMBER; OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Fellowships

Ambitious, talented students and postdoctoral fellows (Ph.D. and/or M.D.) are encouraged to apply for positions at the DRC. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to take part in the development of a new research program and to pursue their career ambitions in an environment with exceptional support and clinical access.

The Deeley Research Centre is affiliated with the Departments of Biology and Biochemistry/Microbiology at the University of Victoria adn the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Students who wish to pursue a Masters or Ph.D. degree should first apply to the DRC, and successful applicants can then apply to the appropriate department at the University of Victoria of the University of British Columbia. All interested graduate students and postdoctoral fellows should send a C.V. and cover letter describing your research interests to the appropriate faculty member:

Dr. Brad Nelson  
Dr. Peter Watson  
Dr. Julian Lum  
Dr. John Webb  

Description: We are seeking a highly talented and motivated Postdoctoral Fellow who is interested in pursuing research in a translational cancer research and treatment centre.

Project: This is a 3-year grant funded fellowship. In this integral role, the Postdoctoral Fellow will work under the general supervision of the Radiation Immune Research Director and other investigators to study the effects of neo-adjuvant hormone therapy and radiation therapy on tumour-specific immune responses in prostate cancer. The project will involve use of mouse models, as well as a prospective cohort of prostate cancer patients who have participated in clinical and immunological monitoring since 2004. The overarching goal is to understand how treatment-induced antibody and T cells responses influence clinical outcomes in prostate cancer, and how best to enhance these responses therapeutically.

Qualifications: In addition to two years of related experience in experimental animal handling, a Ph.D in a related discipline such as Immunology, Biology, Microbiology, or Biochemistry is required. The successful candidate will have skills and experience in mammalian cell culture, general molecular biology techniques, immunoassays (cytokine, and cytotoxicity assays), flow cytometry, T cell biology and cell signalling pathways. An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will also be considered. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be able to work independently, and demonstrate excellence in conception, development and execution of a research project. Strong skills in scientific writing (grants, manuscripts) and oral presentation are required and the incumbent is expected to successfully attract funding during the fellowship. In addition, the successful candidate must be detail oriented, motivated and desire to work in a translational research environment

For more information about our centre, please visit: http://www.bccrc.ca/drc/
Applications can be submitted via email to: Dr. Julian J. Lum
Deeley Research Centre. BC Cancer Agency-Vancouver Island Centre
2410 Lee Avenue
Victoria, BC, Canada; V8R 6V5 Email:  jjlum@bccancer.bc.ca

Description: The Lum Lab is seeking highly motivated and driven postdoctoral fellows who have an interest in cancer biology, cancer immunology and T cell function. Our laboratory has a interest in the molecular signals that control cellular autophagy and the consequences of this metabolic program on cell survival. In addition, we are seeking to define which cell types have requirements for autophagy in their function and biological activity.

Project: We are interested to know whether T cells use autophagy to support effector function or survival. Several lines of evidence suggest that autophagy plays a key role in T cell activation, proliferation and survival. However, we are pursuing the idea that memory T cell development and long-term persistence of memory cells require autophagy. We are using LCMV infection models to address this question. Ultimately, we hope that this information will shed light on the survival of other resting/quiescent cells such as cancer-initiating cells.

Qualifications: The prospective Postdoctoral Fellow will have a Ph.D in Life Science or related discipline (Biochemistry, Immunology, Molecular Biology) and experience in cell signaling, immunology and cancer. Advanced training in metabolism is highly desirable. All applicants should have a strong academic and publication record in high impact peer review journals.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please contact Dr. Julian Lum   or 250-519-5718.

This position is appropriate for candidates who have recently completed anatomic pathology training and who wish to acquire research training. Evidence of research motivation preferred. Could also be appropriate for a 1 year sabbatical experience. Located at the Deeley Research Center, Vancouver Island Center, BC Cancer Agency with primary supervision from Dr. Peter Watson and would involve the following elements;

1. Research fellowship in molecular breast pathology studying the molecular and clinical features of recurrent breast cancer. Retrospective cohort studies will be conducted using a combination of pathology, biomarker and DNA molecular profiling

2. Additional research exposure and opportunities through related projects;

If you are interested in this position please contact Ann-Marie Braithwaite   or phone 250-519-5732

Undergraduate Opportunities

Opportunities for undergraduate students include co-op, summer studentships and unpaid intern positions. Opportunities will be posted here as they are needed.

This opportunity is available starting May 2010 and may lead to honours or graduate studies placements after completion of the Co-op placement

Are you interested in translational research? Our laboratory works on:

The Deeley Research Centre, located within the BC Cancer Agency′s Vancouver Island Centre, is affiliated with the Departments of Biology and Biochemistry/Microbiology at the University of Victoria and we have an opening for a co-op student this summer (8 or preferably 12 month term).

If you are a highly motivated individual with excellent communication, organization and teamwork skills we encourage you to consider a co-op position in the Lum Lab. These are some of the skills you will have the opportunity to develop:

The major research interest of our laboratory is to understand how adaptive survival programs induced by various metabolic stresses affect the process of cancer. As tumors expansion, limitation in critical nutrients such as oxygen and glucose may prevent further outgrowth. To avert cell death, tumors must activate survival responses to maintain bioenergetics. We are interested in one survival response termed autophagy and to study its role in nutrient deprived neoplastic cells and how autophagy promotes their survival. Another goal is to determine whether host lymphocyte function is regulated by the tumor microenvironment and how augmentation of lymphocyte metabolism might improve tumor responses to immunotherapy.

The observation that autophagy plays a role in antigen presentation of infectious pathogens to enhance T cell function led us to the idea that autophagy may also serve to protect against the development of cancer. Therefore, we will also investigate whether autophagy plays a role in processing native antigens which can be used as immunotherapy targets against tumors. Understanding how autophagy regulates these processes at the molecular level may be key to developing novel treatments for cancer.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please contact Dr. Julian Lum   or 519-5700

Volunteering at the DRC

 volunteer opportunities