Postdoctoral Fellow - Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Competition 641

This position has an initial appointment of 1 year with a possibility of renewal and offers a benefits package found at Postdoctoral Fellows Benefits.

Location - Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton. This role is in-person.

Working for 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 First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department/Faculty 

The mission of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology is to provide an enriched environment for research, education and training in the field of infection and immunity that links molecular mechanisms to disease, treatment and prevention.

Position Summary

A full-time postdoctoral fellowship position is available in the Elhenawy lab at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. We are interested in exploring the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli strains associated with inflammatory bowel diseases. This includes studying the metabolism of these bacteria in the host environment. Moreover, we are investigating how these strains use type IV secretion system to form biofilms in the gut. We apply cutting-edge tools such as transposon insertion-sequencing, RNA-sequencing, and microscopy to characterize the role of these bacteria in driving inflammation.

The projects to be undertaken are supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada foundation.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in biochemistry or microbiology within 2 years of graduation
• Experience in molecular biology with a particular focus on bacterial genetics 
• A strong publication record in high impact journals

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience in protein purifications, and structural biology
• Familiarity with R and Python, and common bioinformatics pipelines pertinent to bacterial genomics

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.