Position Description
Area: Prion diseases – Chronic Wasting Disease
Duration: 2 Years with the possibility of extension
Start Date: As soon as Possible
Salary: depending on experience
The Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in prion disease research for a project funded by Alberta Innovates and the National Institutes of Health Research (NIH).
Job Description:
Highly motivated and creative postdoctoral fellow needed to join our team at the Calgary Prion Research Unit.
Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles causing infectious and fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of wild and farmed cervids that is spreading in Canada and the US. The successful candidate will study transmission of CWD to non-cervid species and genetic resistance using mouse and cell culture models of prion disease, as well as in vitro amplification methods for prions. For reference see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=gilch+s+prion&sort=date.
The candidate has the opportunity and is expected to apply for postdoctoral fellowships depending on eligibility. We offer a vibrant research environment and strong ties to national and international collaborators as well as the opportunity to attend relevant conferences to present results. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has a very active postdoctoral fellow community, and our membership with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute provides excellent opportunities for career development (see https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/education/realise).
Qualifications:
- PhD in infectious disease (virology or prions), neuroscience, biochemistry or related field within up to 2.5 years after degree completion
- experience with cell culture and willingness to work with or experience with mouse models
- a track record in their field of research
- excellent English language and time management skills
- ability work independently and as part of a team
- experience with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and/or immunohistochemistry is an asset
Please review the Postdoc Eligibility Guidelines for more information prior to applying for this position.
Application details:
Please send by July 31, 2022:
- cover letter stating motivation and interest in the topic
- CV including a list of publications with links
- a list with names and contact information of three references
to sgilch@ucalgary.ca, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Prion Disease Research. For more information, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=gilch+s and visit our lab website www.ucalgary.ca/gilchlab
Review of the applicants will begin immediately. We thank all applicants’ interests, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted for more information and invited to interview. Review of applications will continue until the positions are filled.
Additional Information
To learn more about postdoctoral scholar opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Postdoc Careers website. For more information about the Cumming School of Medicine visit Careers in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
To succeed as one of Canada’s top universities, where new ideas are created, tested and applied through first-class teaching and research, the University of Calgary needs more of the best minds in our classrooms and labs. We’re increasing our scholarly capacity by investing in people who want to change the world, bringing the best and brightest to Calgary to form a global intellectual hub and achieve advances that matter to everyone. For more information visit research.ucalgary.ca/postdocs.
About Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is one of the world’s cleanest cities and has been named one of the world’s most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their professional success while they are here.