Research Associate

Competition 2393

This position is 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 has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of $59,822 to $82,266. This position has an initial appointment of 1 year.

Location - This role is in-person 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 Surgery

The Department of Surgery has 15 divisions and offers programs in undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies.  The department also includes many other research groups who contribute to cutting edge advancement in areas such as transplantation, joint preservation and regeneration and surgical simulation technology.  Founded in 1922, the department has been a leader in its field, striving to achieve a balance between technology and the human element that defines the art of surgery.  The overarching mission of the department is to restore health through surgical intervention, and to remember that patient dignity and comfort are integral to overall health.  Further information on the department can be found at www.ualberta/ca/surgery.

Position Summary

This position involves complex bioengineering research on human pluripotent stem cells, focusing on pancreatic cell development and differentiation. The role requires independent planning and execution of experiments, adhering to GMP guidelines to ensure high-quality, safe, and functional stem cell-derived islet cell products for manufacturing. The individual will contribute to protocol optimization, quality control, and validation, facilitating the transition from pre-GMP to cGMP manufacturing. They will analyze data, prepare reports, and support grant applications, while also guiding and training junior researchers. This position will contribute to the organization by ensuring reliable manufacturing procedures, generating scholarly publications, and securing funding for continued research.

Duties 

• Perform high level, complex bioengineering research activities under the direction of the Pl/ team lead
• Plan research activities for human pluripotent stem cell reprogramming, pancreatic cell development and differentiation and provide research design standardizations following GMP guidelines
• Work with high degree of independence and follow the research plan developed by the Pl/ team lead
• Supports PD lab manufacturing goals through the protocol optimization, routine quality controls, DOE standardizations and batch-to-batch validation in generating safe and functional SC-islet cell products to ensure reliable manufacturing procedures, QC methods or instrument validation, scholarly publications, and support lab technicians and the team.
• Identify critical factors impacting success or failure of process optimization parameters to ensure rapid technology transfer from pre-GMP facility to cGMP manufacturing
• Show excellent team building capabilities and must be able to guide a team of technicians, graduate/ undergraduate students under the supervision of PI/ team lead
• Develop and perform independent research experiments, troubleshoot experimental protocols, and optimize methods to achieve desired results.
• Should be able to collect, analyze, interpret datasets for routine batch-to-batch QC/QA documentation
• Liaise with CROs, Operations Director (Research), Team Lead and PI for sample submission, ethics, patient recruitments, CFI and research grant application submissions.
• Prepare project reports, write, review and drive approvals for SOPs related to quality control testing, equipment operations, and cell manufacturing.
• Support QA documentation to lab manager and CROs for cGMP manufacturing compliance, operations, in-bound and out-bound sample testing, result approvals and release testing
• Foster communication and participate in the coordination of collaborative research activities between the pre-clinical laboratory (ADI) and collaborators (Collaborators may include national and international laboratories, as well as private and publicly traded companies).
• Identify external grant opportunities and help preparing grants applications or supporting documentation to procure national / international funding
• Prepare documentation to support Statements of Work, Material Transfer Agreements, NonDisclosure Agreements and clinical grants to support the initiatives of the Clinical Islet Transplant Program
• Prepare abstracts, technical reports and research summaries for submission, under the direction of the Pl and collaborators

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD plus 2-year postdoctoral experience in Human Stem Cell and Islet Cell Biology, Physiology, Cell biology or related discipline is required
• Extensive research background in pluripotent stem cell biology, somatic cell reprogramming, pancreatic development, islet biology, physiology, and/or transplantation
• Extensive tissue culture skills (pluripotent stem cell lines or islet cultures) particularly human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)
• Must be knowledgeable in pancreatic cell differentiation/ generation of islet cells in 2D/3D culture system- planar, bioreactor or suspension bags.
• Expert knowledge and hand on experience in following technique is required: multi-parameter flowcytometry, human ESC/iPSC culture, somatic cell reprogramming, pancreatic cell differentiation, cell processing in 3D suspension bioreactor cultures, immunohistochemistry, real-time gene expression – gene array, sc-RNA seq data generation and analysis, and other cellular/ELISA assays
• Hands on-experience in animal surgeries (islet transplantation), dosing, injections, IPGTTs, blood and tissue collection is required
• High level research skills - experimental design, analysis and trouble shooting
• Strong verbal and written science communication skills for effective manuscript writing, abstract writing, presentations, drafting and submitting research funding applications, reviewing and approving GMP SOPs
• Knowledge of GLP and GMP procedures are required

Preferred Qualifications

• Skills in single cell RNA, spatial transcriptomics, gene editing, Crispr/cas9 vector production and gene-edited cell manufacturing will be an asset
• Supervisory and project management experience is an asset