Assistant Professor, tenure-track Full-time

Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track

The Department of Medicine and the School of Biomedical Engineering at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invites applications for a Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader in Global Health Engineering and Equitable Health Technologies, addressing the Impact+ strategic priority area of Health, including Biotechnology. The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track faculty position and the home department will be the Department of Medicine.

The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting internationally based Early Career Researchers to Canada. Emerging Leaders will receive research funding and institutional supports to advance transformative research in Canada's strategic priority areas, build partnerships across sectors and borders, and translate their research into applications and impacts that benefit Canadians and the world. Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders are six-year positions valued at $100,000 annually, renewable once for an additional six years, intended for exceptional emerging scholars who have the potential to lead in their fields. Applicants must be early-career researchers and be eligible to hold a full-time, tenure-stream appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor at UBC.

Under the Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program, nominees must be working and residing outside Canada when the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada award is formally accepted (July 1st 2026). Applicants may apply regardless of their current location; however, candidates selected for nomination must meet this eligibility requirement on the award acceptance date in order to proceed. Expatriate Canadians wishing to relocate to Canada are welcome to apply.

The UBC Department of Medicine provides excellence in research, teaching and clinical services related to the nature, cause, prevention, and treatment of adult diseases. As the largest department in the Faculty of Medicine, comprised of eighteen Divisions, and over twelve hundred faculty and staff located throughout the Province of British Columbia, the Department of Medicine is committed to ensuring the success of learners and faculty, and to contributing to the health of the Province of British Columbia.

The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) is a partnership between the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, established in 2017. The School is a nucleus for education and training, research, and innovation in biomedical engineering, creating new knowledge, new academic and training programs, and fostering translation and innovation. Its vision is to transform health and healthcare for all, achieved through innovative research and education at the convergence of engineering, medicine and biology. Through collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary approaches and building on UBC's academic and research excellence, the School of Biomedical Engineering aspires to be a global leader in biomedical engineering research, education and translation.

Key Expectations of the Position

Reporting jointly to the Head of the UBC Department of Medicine and the Director of the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, the successful candidate will establish and lead a research program in Global Health Engineering and Equitable Health Technologies. Consistent with the broad goals of global health, namely improving health and achieving health equity for all populations, the position seeks individuals who apply engineering, technology, and innovation to address important health challenges and reduce inequities in health outcomes and access to care in Canada and globally.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Lead a research program focused on the development, translation, implementation, and evaluation of innovative technologies that improve health outcomes and advance health equity across diverse populations, healthcare systems, and resource settings.
• Advance research at the intersection of engineering, health sciences, clinical medicine, public health, and health systems.
• Develop technologies and solutions that address unmet needs in disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, rehabilitation, and healthcare delivery.
• Pursue research in areas such as medical devices, diagnostics, biosensors, wearables, therapeutics, biotechnology-enabled innovations, digital health, artificial intelligence, data science, and other engineering and technology-based approaches that improve health and advance health equity.
• Develop and evaluate technologies in partnership with healthcare providers, communities, patients, health authorities, public health organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure solutions are effective, scalable, and responsive to real-world needs.
• Leverage the Conconi Family Biodevice Foundry and other UBC research infrastructure to accelerate technology development, prototyping, validation, and deployment.
• Contribute to teaching activities within the Department of Medicine and the School of Biomedical Engineering, including undergraduate and graduate biomedical engineering education and interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Department of Medicine's Data Science and Health (DASH) Research Excellence Cluster.
• Mentor and train undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate learners.
• Contribute service to the Department of Medicine, the School of Biomedical Engineering, the Faculties of Medicine and Applied Science, the University, and the broader academic and professional communities.
• Collaborate across disciplines to advance strategic priorities in research, education, innovation, and translation.

Minimum and Preferred Qualifications of Candidates

Candidates must hold an MD and/or PhD, as part of the UBC requirement, and be eligible for appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor at UBC. Candidates must hold, or be eligible to obtain, registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) or Limited Licensee with Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC). Applicants from engineering disciplines, as well as quantitatively intensive fields such as mathematics, computer science, quantitative neuroscience, physics, and related disciplines, are encouraged to apply, provided they are eligible for registration with EGBC. Information regarding Limited License eligibility is available at: https://www.egbc.ca/Registration/Individual-Registrants/How-to-Apply/Professional-Registration/ProfessionalLicensee.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Evidence of excellence, or strong potential for excellence, in research, teaching, mentorship, and scholarly activity.

• An established or emerging research program in Global Health Engineering, Equitable Health Technologies, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field.

• Expertise in the development, translation, evaluation, or implementation of innovative healthcare technologies, such as diagnostics, biosensors, medical devices, therapeutics, vaccines, digital health platforms, or AI-enabled solutions.

• A commitment to advancing equitable access to healthcare through technologies that address unmet clinical and public health needs in diverse populations and resource settings.

• The ability to build effective partnerships with healthcare organizations, health authorities, Indigenous communities, patient partners, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and industry collaborators.

• Experience or strong potential to conduct interdisciplinary and community-engaged research that translates discoveries into meaningful health impact.

• A commitment to creating inclusive research, training, and learning environments and to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

• Leadership, communication, and collaborative skills necessary to establish and grow a nationally and internationally recognized research program that delivers meaningful health, social, and economic benefits while contributing to Canada's leadership in health innovation and biotechnology.

The following would be considered assets:

• Experience in technology translation, implementation science, commercialization, intellectual property development, licensing, venture creation, or industry partnerships.

• Experience working with rural, remote, Indigenous, or other underserved communities.

• Experience leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, or digital technologies to advance health research, healthcare delivery, or health outcomes.

In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate a willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own, and a commitment to enhancing their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The expected salary for this position is between $140,000 and 160,000 per annum. The Faculties of Medicine and Applied Science are committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate. At UBC, in addition to a generous benefit package and highly valued pension plan, faculty members also have access to a comprehensive range of leaves, services, resources and career development opportunities. For more information, please visit: https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc.

An application package should include:

• 1. A cover letter (1 page)
• 2. The main application, containing the following sections:
• a. Most significant contributions statement (1 page)
• b. Research program proposal (5 pages, excluding references)
• c. Teaching and mentorship statement (1 page)
• d. Equity, diversity, and inclusion statement of the applicant's current or planned contributions to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic, professional, or community contexts (1 page)
• 3. A full curriculum vitae (no page limit)
• 4. The names and contact information for three referees
• 5. In alignment with UBC's commitment to creating an equitable and diverse environment that fosters academic excellence, candidates are encouraged to complete a self-identification survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_