Academic
Job Category
Faculty Non Bargaining
Job Title
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Knowledge Synthesis
Department
Therapeutics Initiative | Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics | Faculty of Medicine (Colin Dormuth)
Posting End Date
September 1, 2025
Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
August 31, 2026
The expected pay range for this position is $65,000/year to $70,000/year.
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.
The Therapeutics Initiative, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Knowledge Synthesis to conduct research related to safely deprescribing medications and reducing low-value laboratory testing in hospitals.
The research will take place under the guidance of Drs. Anshula Ambasta and Wade Thompson, Assistant Professors, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics. This position will also work closely with other faculty members, project managers, trainees, and staff. Drs. Ambasta and Thompson are members of the UBC Therapeutics Initiative (https://www.ti.ubc.ca/), which provides expert independent evidence on healthcare interventions. Dr. Thompson also co-leads https://deprescribing.org.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The postdoctoral fellow will conduct research in the areas of knowledge synthesis (systematic reviews, guidelines) and quantitative evaluation. One key focus of this position will be leading a series of evidence synthesis projects to inform the development of clinical guidelines for safely deprescribing medications. Another focus will be conducting quantitative analysis of large health datasets related to reducing low-value laboratory testing in hospitals.
Reporting to Drs. Ambasta and Thompson, the incumbent will be responsible for:
- Leading systematic reviews and systematic review updates
- Leading knowledge synthesis efforts, in particular developing and updating evidence-based guidelines
- Coordinating stakeholder engagement activities (e.g., with healthcare providers, patients/public)
- Preparing regular data reports from a large clinical dataset
- Using statistical analysis packages (e.g., SAS, R, SQL) to analyze large healthcare administrative datasets
- Participating in quantitative study design and interpretation of results
- Writing research abstracts, summary reports, and scientific articles, and submitting articles to peer-reviewed journals
- Presenting study results to the scientific community at national and international conferences
- Clearly communicating with investigators and other team members to ensure timely completion of the project
- Identifying and pursuing secondary research projects and research funding
- Collaborating with other research teams
QUALIFICATIONS
Successful applicants will have:
- A doctorate degree in a relevant discipline (i.e., Statistics, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Public Health or a related field)
- A strong research publication record
- Experience in knowledge synthesis and quantitative evaluation
- Demonstrated skills/training in systematic reviews and knowledge synthesis
- Demonstrated skills/training in quantitative research (analysis, data management, and programming)
- Experience with stakeholder engagement and patient/public involvement in research
- Experience with clinical guideline development would be an asset
- Excellent communication skills, including strong writing, research, and interpersonal skills
- High-level conceptual, analytical, and critical appraisal skills
- Demonstrated initiative and ability to work both independently and collaboratively with members of a research team
- 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 range for this position is $65,000 to $70,000 per year, plus benefits. The Faculty of Medicine is committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate. This is a funded postdoctoral position, although we welcome applications from fellows who have secured funding prior to applying.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
An application package should include:
- A letter of application outlining the applicant’s research interests and experience
- A detailed curriculum vitae
- 1-2 writing samples (publications or thesis chapter)
- Contact information for 3 referees
Applications should be submitted online at https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/ubcfacultyjobs (JR21380).
Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Dana Stanley at dana.stanley@ubc.ca.
Review of the applications will start from August 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. The start date will be negotiated with the successful candidate and will be for an initial appointment of 1 year with the possibility of renewal based on performance.
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.