Research Assistant, Department of Medicine

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6.

Position Overview

The Department of Medicine in the Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Lab Technician.  This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 6 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Reporting to the Principal Investigator.

The successful applicant will join the Pan-Alberta Wastewater surveillance team.  This team involves members from Faculties of Science, Engineering and Medicine and spans the main campus, Health Sciences Campus at the Foothills Medical Centre and Advancing Canadian Water Assets.  We seek a new member to join our large team of scientists monitoring for infectious agents in wastewater to better understand population health.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Technical

• Wastewater processing for the identification of ARO genes and emerging pathogens as well as respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2

• WW assay development and trouble shooting

• Clinical sample collection and characterization of community constituents

• Generate and analyze data suitable for publication

• Figure development and improvement

• Liaising with clinical and research partners

Educational and Research

• Participates in training pertaining to key lab infrastructure

• Provide one-on-one training to individuals in project-related positions including technicians, graduate & undergraduate students and researchers

• Review work of other individuals

• Enhances and expands teaching and research opportunities through the development of novel procedures, equipment, and instruments

• Supports the generation of academic publications and technical reports to summarize research and education activities

• Keeps up with current literature and news related to microbiome theory, study and design

Administrative

• Reporting of results in real-time data sharing dashboards

• Assist in equipment and expendable ordering

• Assists in the maintenance of warranty information

• Assist in the organizing supplies and equipment inventory

• Real-time data reporting to clinical partners

• Provides advice on purchase of capital equipment

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree Required, MSc in Microbiology or Molecular Biology an asset
• Should have theoretical and hands on expertise in molecular and microbial biology with a particular emphasis in:
  • qPCR and RT-qPCR
  • the analysis of polymicrobial communities
  • pathogen identification, characterization and genotyping
  • antibiotic resistance mechanisms
• Experienced in wastewater chemistry and molecular identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance markers
• Experience in adapting and validating assays to characterize the genomics of complex samples
• Should have at two semesters of lab experience be able to demonstrate the ability to execute advanced molecular biology techniques
• Expertise in diagnostic microbiology (and in particular as it pertains to, environmental microbiology and antimicrobial resistant genes)
• Experience in molecular methods such as DNA & RNA extraction and next generation sequence analysis 

Application Deadline:  January 4, 2024

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase 1.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website . For more information visit Careers in the Cumming School of Medicine.

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca .

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High , committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected] ) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected] ).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities , and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.