Research Associate - Beef Genomics

Competition 1521

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Trust/Research Academic Staff Agreement, this position offers a comprehensive benefits package found on our Benefits Overview page and annual salary range of $87,013 to $119,644. This position has an approximate appointment of 42 months.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus Edmonton.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science

The Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science (AFNS) at the University of Alberta is a unique department, the first of its kind in North America. AFNS integrates many disciplines across Agriculture, Food and Nutrition. AFNS achieves excellence in the discovery and dissemination of knowledge with the goal of improving the health and quality of life. Disciplines range from primary production and biotechnology in plant and animal sciences, via innovative food and agri-food products, to human nutrition and wellness. The Department boasts 65 professors, 40 adjunct professors, over 230 graduate students, and more than 300 research and support staff. AFNS includes 4 divisions: Animal Science, Plant Biosystems, Food Science and Bioresource Technology, and Human Nutrition.

GHG-Genomic Tools (GHG reduction through genomic tools) is a multi-investigator, NSERC Alliance (Sustainable Agriculture) and RDAR set of funded research projects aimed at helping Canada meet its climate goal of net-zero C emissions by 2050 and maintain sustainability. Within GHG-Genomic Tools, the team is focused on development and adoption of genomic tools and practices that improve sustainability and reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in beef cattle. The first pathway is to evaluate fecal near infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) as a proxy for measuring methane production from individual cattle. A successful proxy will allow for the large-scale measurement of methane emissions and development of a sustainability index to select cattle that produce less methane. Feed intake and direct methane emissions will also be measured, which will contribute towards the development of molecular breeding values for genomic methane traits. In the second pathway, the project will focus on increasing the adoption of genomic tools on commercial farms. Currently, less than 20% of commercial beef producers are using genetic selection, so even if a genomic tool to select low methane emitting cattle was created, industry impact would be low. This project will develop a carbon offset protocol specific to technologies in the cow herd that reduce GHG emissions, with a focus on genetic selection, aiming to incentivize sustainable practice adoption. The project will also engage an industry advisory committee to develop beneficial management practices (BMPs) for genetic selection on commercial farms. These BMPs will be piloted on 50 commercial farms for economic performance, with integration of measurements needed to evaluate the carbon protocol and the quantification prototype. Participating producers will also be interviewed to better understand barriers to adoption of genetic selection and different incentivization strategies. This project spans the entire innovation pipeline, from discovery to adoption, to reduce GHG emissions from the beef cattle while supporting a resilient and profitable industry. Team members include natural and social scientists, governmental researchers and decision makers, private producers and industry groups, as well as environmental groups.

Position

The Research Associate will work closely with the CEO of Livestock Gentec (PI) along with the beef [and dairy] industry in Alberta. The incumbent will be responsible for all aspects of developing proposals for project funding and delivering the implementation of successful project proposals with direction of the PI. The RA will be responsible for effectively communicating with the industry in Alberta and individual [beef] producers who will provide samples and data to ensure results meet expectations to enable improved genetic improvement and/or management of Canadian [beef] cattle populations. The incumbent will also represent Livestock Gentec and its CEO in research collaborations involving Canadian and international partners. This will include providing input to grant proposals, attending meetings, writing reports and publications of results.

Duties 

• With approval, and under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, conducts a portion of the research project independently in service to the overall research goals/objectives.
• Designs, tests and evaluates advanced research methodology, protocols and techniques to ensure alignment with research goals/ objectives.
• Oversees data collection and analysis, conducts quality assurance of methodology/experimental approaches used.
• Manages the use of resources within the research project and ensures proper accountability of resources to the Principal Investigator.
• Collaborates with external researchers and research partners to assist with research advancement.
• Assesses, interprets, analyzes and presents reports and publications describing research findings.
• Author/co-author research papers and reports disseminating research findings.
• Prepares and makes presentations of research findings (including for PI).
• Preparation of research grant applications and contract proposals.
• Seeks out and identifies potential sources for future funding.
• Responsible for the collection of samples and data from commercial partners and the processing and analyses of these with service providers.
• Identifies and implements new tools (e.g. phenotyping methods or biomarkers) for use in the genetic improvement and management of cattle. For example, sophisticated equipment (e.g. Greenfeed sniffers for determining the gas composition of breath) to collect trait information (phenotypes) and sophisticated software programs and artificial intelligence approaches are applied to analyse the phenotypic and genomic information generated on blood, faeces and other biological samples collected from the animals.
• Maintains project databases.
• Manages and guides technical staff, students and/or post doctoral fellows working on the project.
• Sits on student supervisory committees as appropriate (with approval of PI and alesgrads)
• May advise on specialized technical procedures or equipment.
• Applies extensive knowledge in their field to lead a distinct portion of a research project under the direction and supervision of the Principal Investigator.
• Designs, tests and evaluates advanced research methodology, protocols and techniques to ensure alignment with research goals/ objectives.
• Applies extensive knowledge in their field to lead a distinct portion of a research project under the direction and supervision of the Principal Investigator.
• Leads the development of genomic tools for the selection of expensive and difficult to measure traits in beef cattle (such as animal health, fertility, feed efficiency, environmental footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainability).
• Develops and implements a number of research studies to identify new tools (e.g. biomarkers) for use in the genetic improvement and management of cattle.
• Conducts the genetic and genomic analyses related to the NSERC Alliance project “Reducing
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Canadian Beef Industry through the Development and Adoption of Genomic Tools”
• Assist with the genomic predictions for the project entitled ”Using genomics to improve the
• profitability and sustainability of Alberta’s beef industry”
• Provide guidance on the genomic/genetic analyses for the project entitled “Sire-based Feeder Profit
• Index for Beef on Dairy production and marketing systems”
• Conduct database construction, data quality control, genetic and genomic analyses and genomic predictions for growth, feed efficiency, carcass quality and fertility traits as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• The candidate is expected to have a PhD degree in animal breeding, animal physiology, genomics, bioinformatics, computer science, or a closely related area.
• Demonstrated strong programming skills and background in developing applied research in livestock genomics under both academic and industrial environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent project management, interpersonal and communication skills
• Extensive knowledge and practical experience in statistical modelling and algorithms using different statistical models and software.
• Proven ability to initiate independent projects and work across disciplines.
• Experience in leading and mentoring staff in a manner that fosters trust, excellence, leadership and learning.
• Experience in supervising graduate students and technicians.