Academic
Job Category
Faculty Non Bargaining
Job Title
Research Associate
Department
Karsan Laboratory | Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | Faculty of Medicine (Aly Karsan)
Posting End Date
August 31, 2025
Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
September 30, 2026
The expected salary for this position is $70,000 per annum.
At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Karsan Lab, UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, in the Faculty or Medicine at UBC is seeking a full-time Research Associate to investigate the intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) formation via Endothelial-to-Hematopoietic Transition (EHT).
Dr. Karsan is a clinical hematopathologist and distinguished scientist with expertise in endothelial cell biology, stem cell biology and normal and malignant hematopoiesis. He is internationally recognized for his work in blood cancer research and translational research. The BCCRI is a world class research center serving as a hub for diverse research programs spanning basic, translation and clinical research.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to Dr. Aly Karsan or designate, the incumbent will conduct research on the molecular mechanisms driving the development of the hematopoietic system, particularly the factors driving transdifferentiation of endothelial cells to hematopoietic fate. The Research Associate will be responsible for:
- Designing, performing, analyzing and interpreting experiments related to EHT using in vivo, in vitro and informatics approaches.
- Managing transgenic mice strains, harvesting and analyzing mouse tissues using molecular biology techniques, performing bone marrow transplants and animal care, and writing and maintaining animal use protocols
- Disseminating research data at conferences, preparing and submitting manuscripts and research grants.
- Training and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate trainees.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must hold a PhD and have completed at least 3 years of postdoctoral training in developmental biology, hematology or a related discipline. They must possess expertise in hematopoietic stem cell biology with experience in molecular biology and informatics techniques. To be successful the candidate must have experience in the following areas:
- Researching Endothelial-to-Hematopoietic Transition including using in vivo and in vitro models
- Animal research, including working with transgenic mice, writing animal research ethics protocols, isolation and culture of mouse primary cells from embryonic stages E9.5 - E14.5, preparation and analysis of cytospins and blood smears
- Performing hematopoietic stem cell transplants in mice via intrafemoral or intravenous injection, conditioning recipients via Cesium and X-ray irradiation, and conducting related post-transplant assessments including bone marrow aspirates, collecting peripheral blood and monitoring bioluminescent cells using In Vivo Imaging System (IVIS)
- Molecular biology techniques including immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, intracellular and cell surface flow cytometry (> 10 markers), Western Blot, ELISA, WES, digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
- Designing, performing and analyzing spatial transcriptomics experiments
- Writing manuscripts (at least three first-authored papers required) and Research grants/Fellowship Awards
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The expected salary for this position is $70,000 per annum. The duration of this grant-funded position is 1 year, with possibility of extension. The Faculty of Medicine is committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
An application package should include:
- A letter of application describing past achievements and future research interests;
- A detailed curriculum vitae;
- Copies of up to 3 key publications as well as a 1-page summary of these publications outlining the significance, impact, and your contribution;
- Contact information for three (3) referees
Applications should be submitted online at https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/ubcfacultyjobs.
Review of applications will begin on September 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is October 1, 2025 or upon a date to be mutually agreed.
We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to employment equity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome applications from candidates belonging to historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups: Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and trans and non-binary people.
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are appreciated, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request. If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/workplace-accessibility/centre-workplace-accessibility or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.
With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and its distributed programs, which include four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of First Nations Peoples and communities around the province.
Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.
Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.
The Faculty - comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members - is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.
UBC - One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.
UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.
