Careers

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position. This is a regular full-time staff position and a non-academic option for Research Associates who have completed their term(s) at PHSA and are transitioning from the academic path to begin conducting scientific research outside the academic research stream.  It is also suitable for individuals who have gained experience at external organizations and who meet the required qualification criteria.  The staff scientist performs the duties of a Research Associate but works with more independence. Role Summary

Working under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, these positions propose experimental hypotheses, design experimental questions and protocols, and plan, coordinate, conduct and report on assigned research projects.  They evaluate research data, revise techniques and develop new methods and approaches to solve scientific problems.

Key Accountabilities

Proposes experimental hypotheses for research and designs experimental questions and protocols in consultation with the Principal Investigator. Applies standard scientific techniques and utilizes technical expertise and experience to plan, coordinate, conduct and report on assigned research projects.  Notifies Principal Investigator of issues related to laboratory protocols and experimental designs and recommends solutions. Prepares Research Ethics Board applications and amendments as required, and ensures compliance with Research Ethics Board guidelines. Develops new laboratory methods and modifies existing procedures to facilitate research projects. Collects, records, analyzes, validates, interprets and organizes experimental and research data and communicates scientific findings to Principal Investigator.  Recommends research direction based on preliminary findings in consultation with the Principal Investigator. Sources funding opportunities and provides input into writing research proposals and developing budget for grant applications. Writes grants to secure funding in support of research projects when permitted by funding agency and supported by the Department Works with department administration to monitor and report on project budget and expenditures to ensure prudent use of financial resources. Conducts regular literature reviews relating to research areas.  Contributes intellectual and scientific input to manuscripts for publications.  Presents research findings at national and/or international conferences. Facilitates constructive and collaborative relationships with both the Principal Investigator and internal and external research partners.

Qualifications

A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Ph.D. in a related scientific field plus five (5) years of recent, relevant post-doctoral research experience.

Role Summary

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position. These are fully qualified working level positions.  Incumbents have directly related laboratory experience and familiarity with specific research programs and methodologies of the hiring laboratory.  They work under supervision and perform experiments by following established laboratory procedures.  They report to the Department Head, Principal Investigator, or designate.

Key Accountabilities

Performs a variety of established technical procedures according to written protocols. Performs experiments by following established laboratory procedures according to written protocols. Records results, including computer data entry. Provides input regarding modification of procedures as requested by the Department Head, Principal Investigator, or designate. Maintains and stores cell lines and primary cultures. Maintains and stores test materials and products. Maintains inventory of laboratory supplies and equipment. May demonstrate work methods or procedures to less experienced assistants as designated.

Qualifications

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to graduation from a recognized Bachelor’s program in an appropriate discipline (e.g. Bachelor of Science); plus two (2) years of recent related experience in a research laboratory.

We are looking for outstanding, motivated graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows to join the Kuchenbauer Lab, who can share our passion for medicine/science and want to make a difference for patients´ lives.

Our research is mainly translational and focuses on immunotherapies such as allogenic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia. We are driven to improve patients’ lives by addressing clinical “every day” challenges with state of the art research including preclinical animal models. Our goal is to translate our research into clinically applicable therapies. Scientific focuses are hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, hematopoietic stem cells physiology and pathophysiology as well as innovative treatment for Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple positions are available, starting as earlier as September 2018. Interested candidates should send a statement of research interest, curriculum vitae and contact details for 3 referees to Dr. Arefeh Rouhi (arouhi@bccrc.ca).

We are looking for outstanding, motivated graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows (full time or part time) who share our passion for medicine/science and want to make a difference for patients´ lives.

Our research is mainly translational and focuses on immunotherapies such as allogenic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia. We are driven to improve patients' lives by addressing clinical “every day” challenges with state of the art research including preclinical animal models. Our goal is to translate our research into clinically applicable therapies. Scientific focuses are hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, hematopoietic stem cells physiology and pathophysiology as well as innovative treatment for Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple positions are available, including research students or technicians.  Interested candidates should send a statement of research interest, curriculum vitae and contact details for 3 referees to Dr. Arefeh Rouhi (arouhi[@]bccrc.ca).

One graduate student position is available at the Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre for the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for detection and radiotherapy of cancer. The graduate student candidate will register through the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program (www.iop.ca), University of British Columbia, and pursue either a MS or PhD degree.

The student candidate will conduct research on the design and synthesis of imaging probes and radiotherapeutic agents targeting biomarkers overexpressed in cancers. Research activities will involve the production and isolation of radioisotopes, peptide and multi-step organic synthesis, and radiolabeling small molecules, peptides and antibodies with imaging or radiotherapeutic isotopes.

Qualified candidates should have a bachelor degree preferably in chemistry with interests in organic or medicinal chemistry. The ability to conduct research in a collaborative environment is required including good oral and written communication skills in English. For more information regarding application for the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program at the University of British Columbia, please check the following website: www.iop.ca

Before applying, interested student candidates should first contact:

Kuo-Shyan Lin, PhD

Senior Scientist, BC Cancer Research Centre

Associate Professor, University of British Columbia

E-mail: klin@bccrc.ca

Ongoing recruitment.

Possible projects: Role of leukemia stem cells in T-ALL, examining the tumor ecosytem in lymphomas, or pathogenetic mechanisms in T-ALL.

Interested applicants may submit letter of interest and CV to aweng@bccrc.ca.

Position: The University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Cancer, part of the Provincial Health Services Authority in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, are seeking a post-doctoral fellow. The research will take place in the laboratories of Dr. Rahmim (Quantitative Tomography; rahmimlab.com)  and Dr. Benard (http://molonc.bccrc.ca/benard-lab), in close collaboration with other clinical research and imaging experts at UBC and BC Cancer Research Center. The efforts will include development and assessment of innovative image enhancement and quantification methods that seek to improve the clinical value of PET images. More specifically, the post-doctoral fellow will apply advanced image processing methods to oncological PET images, and derive and validate effective therapeutic biomarkers in cancer patients.

Requirements: Qualified candidates will have a Ph.D. in medical physics, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field. Prior experience in image processing, machine learning or radiomics methods is a requirement. The candidate should have a strong interest and commitment to research. Creativity with an aim towards independent research as well as good communication skills are also emphasized. The initial appointment is for one year, which may be renewed based on performance.

Application: Interested candidates should send a CV, complete list of past research topics and publications, and the names of three references to Jayne Hunter (JHunter@bccancer.bc.ca). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Job Information

Classification Title: Information Systems & Technology (A)

Business Title: Research Programmer

Department: Pathology

Job Summary

A position with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine of the University of British Columbia is open immediately for a research programmer to work with our interdisciplinary team of researchers and software developers within the Department of Molecular Oncology at BC Cancer, part of the Provincial Health Services Authority. We are seeking a creative, experienced, and dedicated individual to play a key role in the bioinformatics analysis of computational genomic research data.

The research programmer will work with other team members and researchers in the department to conduct computational analysis, ranging from routine runs to novel discovery tasks.  With detailed instructions, you will be finding and applying bioinformatics algorithms to computational genomics problems.  When appropriate, your solutions will be deployed in full production processes, and you will work closely with other programmers to ensure the successful implementation and  deployment of automated workflows and analyses.

You will be on-site in the Department of Molecular Oncology at BC Cancer, working closely with software developers, students and researchers operating at the leading edge of the field of cancer genomics.  Our department has recently made meaningful advances in the understanding of tumour evolution and the software platforms developed in the lab will be used by world-leading scientists at BC Cancer and international collaborators to gain insight into how cancers initiate, develop and acquire resistance to treatment. More information on the department and research we conduct can be found here http://molonc.bccrc.ca/

Organizational Status

We are a small team of software developers and scientists embedded within a larger cancer research department.  You will be working with students and researchers to tackle genomics problems, and collaborating with developers and bioinformaticians on the team to develop high-throughput and automated analysis solutions.  You will be reporting to the bioinformatics team lead or designate.

Work Performed

Research and implement bioinformatics solution as requested

Perform simple to complex bioinformatics analysis and requests with supervision

As a team member, develop, test and automate bioinformatics solutions

Handle bioinformatics data retrieval, processing and dissemination requests

Assist researchers in computational, statistical and visualization tasks for publication

Consequences of Error

You will be receiving instructions from researchers, students and collaborators and will be responsible for the correctness of your work.  Failure to perform may result in setbacks to research and operational activity.

Supervision Received

You will be supervised by the bioinformatics team lead or designate.

Supervision Given

You will help advise and recommend best course of actions to other members of the lab on subjects pertaining to bioinformatics analysis and your field of expertise.

Education / Work Experience

Essential

BSc in bioinformatics, computer science, or equivalent

Minimum 2 year of additional relevant work/educational experience in genomics

Proven bioinformatics research experience

Experience with data analysis in R and Python

Experience with command-line interfaces and scripting in UNIX operating systems

Experience designing and creating analysis workflows and pipelines

Experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data

Preferred

MSc in bioinformatics, computer science or equivalent

Experience with scientific high performance computing environments

Experience with bioinformatics data management solutions

Exciting postdoctoral training opportunity with the OVCARE Program at the University of British Columbia and the Department of Molecular Oncology at BC Cancer, studying the cellular origins of ovarian and other gynecological cancers through single cell sequencing technologies. The Department of Pathology at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow. The successful applicant will work with Dr. Andrew Roth and Dr. David Huntsman as a part of the multidisciplinary OVCARE team (BC's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, ovcare.ca) and bioinformatics team of the BC Cancer’s Department of Molecular Oncology (http://molonc.bccrc.ca). 

We are studying the early events in ovarian cancer initiation by genetically manipulating organoids derived from normal tissues and transgenic mice. Our interest lies in dissecting the relative contributions of and interactions between cell of origin, mutation and microenvironment on the development of the common cancers of the uterus , ovary and fallopian tube. For this particular project, ARID1A (a member of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex) is knocked out and mutant PIK3CA (a kinase involved in intracellular signaling) is introduced into the cells. Organoids are grown out from cells containing these genetic manipulations and single cell RNAseq, DNAseq and ATACseq will be performed. The successful candidate will integrate these datasets, as well as co-supervise students assigned to analyze other single cell sequencing datasets. We are looking for someone who has strong communication and leadership skills and who will work well in a group setting.

Qualifications

- PhD in Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics or related fields.

- Experience working with large genomic datasets.

- Experience managing data from multiple sources and running bioinformatics pipelines.

- Experience working with single cell RNA-Seq and/or single cell DNA-Seq.

- Strong background in data science, machine learning preferred.

- Programming skills in R and/or Python required.

The position will commence as soon as possible. The initial appointment will be for a one-year term, with potential for annual renewal. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Role Summary 

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Provincial Health Services Authority patient safety is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA, and as such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

These positions supervise designated staff by scheduling and assigning work, and assist in daily animal care operations by leading various health monitoring and colony management programs, trouble-shooting minor issues and performing other administrative tasks. These positions also maintain the daily care of laboratory mice and perform various surgical procedures and laboratory techniques.

Key Accountabilities

• Develops, implements, reviews and updates animal care standard operating procedures for assigned area.
• Leads various animal care programs such as health monitoring and colony management.
• Maintains current knowledge of, and ensures compliance with, animal care regulations.
• Supervises designated staff by scheduling and assigning work, providing orientation and training and monitoring performance.
• Maintains daily care of laboratory mice including maintaining adequate food and water levels and observing mice for general health conditions.
• Performs surgeries and techniques including blood collection, surgical implantations, tumour implantation, injection of solutions, collection of tissues and organs and embryo manipulations, and cryopreservation.
• Performs laboratory techniques such as media preparation, cell culture and hormone preparation, and polymerase chain reaction analysis as required.
• Leads training programs, prepares and gives presentations and orients and trains staff and animal users on proper animal care theory, protocols, techniques and procedures.
• Changes and cleans animal cages, bottles and racks.
• Performs general cleaning of animal facilities including disinfecting equipment, walls, floors, rooms, etc.
• Performs census duties such as counting cages and reporting cage numbers.
• Receives and processes laboratory animal care supplies.

Qualifications

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to graduation from a recognized program in Animal Health or Veterinary Technology, or a Bachelor’s program in an appropriate discipline (e.g. Animal Science); plus five (5) years of recent related experience in a research laboratory, including two (2) years in a supervisory capacity.

To apply: Please send cover letter and resume to careersmolonc@bccrc.ca – Please put “Research Assistant Tech 2_full name” in the subject line.

The position is in a mass spectrometry-based proteomics group in the Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer. The candidate will work as part of a team performing cutting-edge translational research using a broad range of proteomics techniques. The Research Assistant 2 – Proteomics works under supervision and performs experiments by following established laboratory procedures.

Job Code: RA2 07-04-2019

Key Accountabilities 

• Prepare samples for proteomic analysis
• Operating facility instrumentation including off-line HPLC fractionation systems, mass spectrometers, and speed vacs
• Perform initial data analysis
• Assist in the development of cutting edge protocols for clinical proteomics
• Maintain logs of samples analyzed and instrument use
• Liaise with collaborators to coordinate sample submission and communicating results
• Collaborate with client lab personnel
• Maintain a details lab notebook

Qualifications 

• A laboratory technician degree in chemical and biotechnical science with direct work experience in proteomics. 
• Theoretical knowledge and practical experience with tandem mass spectrometry
• Experience with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry instrumentation including Orbitraps
• Experience with clinical sample preparation for proteomics and nucleic acid analysis
• Experience with processing cells and tissues for global and targeted proteomics
• Practical experience with analytical reversed phase chromatography (HPLC and nanoLC), specifically for peptide separation
• Two (2) years recent related experience in a research laboratory

In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, this advertisement is first directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents but international candidates are invited to apply. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. English is the official language used at PHSA.

To Apply

Please send your resume with cover letter to bcgscjobs@bcgsc.ca.

We request that you specify the position you are applying for by identifying the Job Code only (e.g. "RA2 07-04-2019") in the subject line of your emailed application.

Breast Pathology Fellowship
Providence Health Care, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

One Year Term (with potential extension)

This unique fellowship is comprised of both clinical and research components in equal parts and provides an opportunity to gain research experience as a fellow. Fellows will divide their time between BC Cancer Agency, Mount Saint Joseph and St. Paul’s Hospitals and rotate through the clinical pathology laboratory and the research laboratory at BC Cancer. Fellows work closely with the breast multidisciplinary team, actively participating in rounds and providing service and consultation to clinicians in matter relating to breast diseases. It is expected that the fellow participates in collaborative research, with an option to conduct individual research, all under the guidance of a faculty member and/or pathologist]. This includes research proposals, submitting abstracts to scientific meetings and preparing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Candidates with the following qualifications/experience are preferred:

• Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
• MSc or PhD.
• Research experience, especially molecular biology.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

To apply for this rewarding career development opportunity, please forward (1) a letter of application outlining your areas of interest, (2) a copy of your current CV, and (3) names and contact information of three references, to:

PHSA Talent Acquisition
careers@phsa.ca

A postdoctoral fellowship position is available in the Aparicio lab based at the BC Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver, Canada, collaborating on an exciting project mapping clonal dynamics in human cancers with new single cell methods. 

The Aparicio lab is developing new single cell genome and transcriptome methods for tracking clonal trajectories at single cell level in patients and patient-derived xenografts. The post holder will have the opportunity to interact as part of the international CRUK Grand Challenge IMAXT project, bringing new measurement methods and computational techniques to the 3D reconstruction of tumour and mapping drug sensitivity and drug combinations using sgRNA/CRISPR methods in vivo. The program works closely with the Shah lab computational biology program on the development of new models for single cell data and cancer evolution. Some experience with bioinformatics approaches to biological data and familiarity with handling of genomics data will be an advantage.

How to Apply: Please send the following documents to careersmolonc@bccrc.ca and put “Single Cell Genomics, Aparicio Lab – PDF Position” and your family name in the subject line.

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcript
• Work Sample

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – SWI/SNF Chromatic Remodeling Complexes and Cancer Progression

BC’s Gynecological Cancer Research Program (OVCARE)
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Exciting postdoctoral training opportunity studying targeted therapies for ovarian and other gynecological cancers with the OVCARE Program at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer.

The Department of Pathology at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow. The successful applicant will work with the multidisciplinary OVCARE team (BC’s Gynecological Cancer Research Program) directed by Dr. David Huntsman. This position will be translational and interdisciplinary in nature aimed at deciphering the role of cancer-associated mutations, especially those related to the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, in tumourigenesis and their potential as druggable targets.

Applicants should have a PhD or MD/PhD with a strong background and publication record in a relevant field (e.g. genetics, cellular and molecular biology). The position will rely heavily on in vitro and in vivo models of cancer so demonstrated expertise in this area is required. In addition, either experience in bioinformatics would be an asset. The position will commence as soon as possible. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. The initial appointment will be for a one-year term, with potential for annual renewal. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Qualified candidates should send (by email) a statement of research interest, curriculum vitae and contact details for 3 referees to:

Yemin Wang, PhD
BC’s Gynecological Cancer Research Program
University of British Columbia and BC Cancer

675 West 10^th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3
Email: yewang@bccrc.ca

A graduate student position is available for students interested in pursuing MSc or Phd studies in Bioinformatics at the University of British Columbia. The project is aimed at characterizing the function of every mammalian gene through thorough analysis of every known and predicted gene in the mouse genome via “Big Data” analysis. To address this critical gap in biomedical research, the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium was created to generate a null mutation for every gene in the mouse genome, to collect phenotypic data for each mutation, and to disseminate the data to the broader scientific community. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry (FCM), is one of the 30 core phenotyping assays of this global effort. However, the full quantitative potential of the IMPC FCM effort can only be realized with mechanisms to effectively share, analyze and interpret the data.

The selected candidate will develop and use state-of-the-art computational methodologies for supervised and unsupervised clustering and classification to systematically analyze tens of thousands of high-dimensional samples to help understand the function of each gene. The candidate will also be supported to attend bioinformatics workshops and conferences to advance and disseminate their research.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or equivalent with strong experience in handling high-throughput data sets as well as statistics and programming skills (we love R here). The individual will have strong verbal and written skills and the ability to work efficiently in a team environment.
In addition to the outstanding research opportunities available in this setting, students also enjoy the many cultural and sporting amenities provided in Vancouver.

Please contact Dr. Brinkman directly at rbrinkman@bccrc.ca and provide the following information:

– Short cover letter explaining your interest in the lab
– Resume
– Scanned copy of transcript or listing of course grades
– Names and contact information for two individuals who will be willing to provide letters of reference
 

2 positions available May 2020 – Dec 2020 (8 months)

Co-op position 1 - Our lab has developed in house a synthetic model of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by lentiviral transduction of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells from human umbilical cord blood. One co-op student will be working on investigating how various conditions contribute to this leukemic transformation. In this position, you will learn aseptic technique for culturing human primary cells, how to produce lentivirus and transduce cells, flow cytometry techniques and analysis, mouse necropsies and cell cryopreservation. We would prefer someone with wet lab experience and is organized and detail-oriented.

Co-op position 2 - Investigating the tumour ecosystem in human non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Using state-of-the-art single cell analysis (mass cytometry (CyTOF), single cell RNA sequencing and high-parameter flow cytometry), this project will investigate the heterogeneity of tumour cells and their surrounding non-malignant immune and stromal cells. This work is of direct clinical relevance in providing detailed phenotypic characterizations that are required in order to define biomarkers for lymphoma classification and prognosis. In this position, you will have opportunities to learn: 1) handling and processing clinical samples, including tissue digestion and culture of human primary cells; 2) maintaining and operating the CyTOF and multi-parameter flow cytometry; 3) Multi-dimensional data analysis. We prefer applicants who are detail-oriented and have a strong interest in bioinformatics/programming as such skills will allow for more involvement in data analysis. 

Applicants may apply via their school's co-op program.