Research Associate Full-time

Research Associate

The Research Associate is responsible for initiating and leading research projects, leading research communications and arrangements, and interacting with the sponsors/collaborators and advising team members as part of the Sinus Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital and the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI). The incumbent will design and lead and liaise with Dr. Andrew Thamboo as the Principal investigator (PI), study sponsors, and collaborators as well as team members regarding project progress and deliverables.

The incumbent will join faculty, students, and staff engaged in innovative, leading edge research, education and community service on university and hospital campuses across BC. Together, we aim to create knowledge and advance learning that will make a vital contribution to the health of individuals and communities, locally, nationally and internationally.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery educates students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and pursues research to make innovative advancements in knowledge and practice to improve health. The Department consists of more than 600 physicians, surgeons, scientists and educators and over 60 administrative, research and technical staff in nine divisions distributed across British Columbia. Specialty training programs are offered in Cardiac Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Thoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery. The Department is also home to the Branch for International Surgical Care.

The Research Associate reports directly to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Andrew Thamboo. The incumbent liaises with Research Technicians and trainees in the Thamboo laboratory and in the Core Facilities at HLI and Sinus Centre at UBC. The Research Associate supports, trains and provides functional direction to Undergraduate, Graduate, and Postgraduate students as well as other staff working in the lab.

Work Performed

• Establish, implement and lead research projects, including designing and performing experiments related to “Unified Airway Hypothesis” and Inflammatory respiratory tract diseases
• Develop and implement clinical research study protocols, including operational plans, timelines, and logistics for studies involving human participants
• Manage and coordinate industry-sponsored and basic science collaborative research projects, ensuring alignment with project priorities and timelines
• Manage the development and improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to support the clinical research workflows
• Design research methodology including questions and approaches for clinical and basic science research projects; critically review the literature on a regular basis
• Direct the organization, inventory, and maintenance of research data and collected clinical samples
• Coordinate new infrastructure purchase, delivery and installation; organize calendaring systems for shared infrastructure
• Analysis and coordinate presentations of complex data in meetings, conferences and publications
• Lead and perform grant application activities, including searching funding opportunities, preparing and submitting the application packages and leading further communications with collaborators and grant agencies
• Manage the team research related purchasing and budget and liaise with funding agencies and HLI/UBC staff to coordinate financial reporting
• Liaise with other academic and industrial collaborators to report on the research project, the milestones, and collection of data
• Liaise with the Research Ethics Board to write applications, obtain approval for multiple projects, and oversee compliance with approved protocols
• Advise technical staff and faculty members on experimental techniques, design and SOPs
• Train undergraduate, Co-Op, and graduate students in performing experiments and provide direction with associated tasks
• Perform PBMC isolation, RNA extraction (Bulk and ScRNA), and genetic analyses on RNA and DNA samples obtained from human airway specimens
• Perform flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting on labelled PBMC or airway cells
• Maintain and monitor infrastructure required for efficient airway studies
• Perform and prioritize other research-related responsibilities, as required by the PI

Working Conditions

The position is based in the Sinus Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital and Dr. Thamboo laboratory within the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI).

Consequence Of Error/Judgment

The incumbent may have access to confidential data. The quality of work performed will determine the success of future projects and funding. Exercising poor judgment and lack of appropriate consultation with research team members and supervisors can adversely affect the viability and validity of research projects or programs, and may compromise the UBC Division's and Department's ability to secure grant-based funding for future research projects.

Supervision Received

The Research Associate reports directly to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Andrew Thamboo through formal weekly Research meetings, weekly lab group meetings, and other communications.

Supervision Given

No formal supervision, however the incumbent will train and act as a resource for faculty, staff, and students on specific techniques, procedures and processes.

Qualifications

• PhD in Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or relevant discipline plus a minimum of 3 years' related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience, is required.
• Up-to-date experience in research performing relevant techniques to “Unified Airway Hypothesis” and airway inflammatory diseases. This includes:
• Molecular & Protein Analysis: ELISA, multiplex cytokine assays, RT-qPCR, gene expression profiling, Bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq, Proteomics, immunoassays, and biomarker discovery
• Cellular & Immunology Techniques: Flow cytometry and immune phenotyping, Primary airway epithelial cell culture, Air–liquid interface (ALI) models, PBMC isolation and immune cell functional assays, Co-culture and ex vivo tissue models
• Advanced / High-Tech Approaches: Single-cell multi-omics (scRNA-seq, CITE-seq), Spatial transcriptomics
• High-dimensional cytometry (CyTOF / spectral flow), High-content imaging and automated microscopy
• Clinical & Translational Techniques: Human biospecimen processing (blood, sputum, BAL, tissue), Biobanking and longitudinal sample analysis, Inflammatory endotyping and biomarker validation, Patient-reported outcomes and clinical correlation
• Experience developing study protocols and coordinating clinical and translational research logistics
• Demonstrated experience contributing to successful competitive grant applications, including proposal development, budget coordination, and submission management
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines along with an outstanding level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to exercise tact, discretion and confidentiality
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality and research integrity
• Ability to anticipate challenges and implement proactive solutions
• Proficiency with standard computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, and data analysis software
• Experience with data interpretation, reporting, and knowledge translation
• Ability to work both independently and in harmony with others within a team environment
• Ability to take initiative, anticipate emerging issues and recommend actions to mitigate problems
• Review manuscripts, final reports, and conference presentations for scientific rigor, clarity, and grammatical accuracy
• Ability to actively listen and probe for information to clarify complex requests
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including additional hours on weekends, evenings and early mornings, as required by the PI due to urgent tasks, time strains, and deadlines
• Effective oral and written communications, with the ability to compose clear and grammatically correct correspondence, business documents, and administrative communications