PhD position in pancreatic beta cell biology and diabetes Full-time

We are seeking a highly motivated and curious MSc or PhD student to join our diabetes research laboratory, led by Dr. Dan S. Luciani, at University of British Columbia (UBC) / BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) in Vancouver, Canada. The student will be enrolled in the UBC Cell & Developmental Biology (www.cell.ubc.ca [1]).

The overall research goals of our laboratory are to clarify the mechanisms by which insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cells fail and die in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

The PhD research project will focus on the regulation of beta-cell stress responses, including mitochondrial homeostasis, autophagy, senescence and apoptosis. The work will provide opportunities to work with techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, hormone secretion assays, cellular bioenergetics analyses, immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, qPCR, flow cytometry, RNA-Sequencing, as well as unique knockout mouse models.

The research environment: We are part of a dynamic group of diabetes research laboratories at BCCHR (www.bcchr.ca/diabetes [2]), which operates in an ‘open lab’ setting that fosters collaboration, and houses a range of shared facilities for microscopy (confocal, high content and super-resolution), histology, flow cytometry (FACS), analysis of cellular bioenergetics and more. Our trainees also have the benefit of participating in Journal Clubs and seminar series, a range of career development opportunities, as well as local, national and international research conferences.

We are looking for an enthusiastic trainee with a keen interest in cellular physiology and pathophysiology, preferably with prior experience in relevant biology and/or research techniques. Applicants should have strong oral and written communication skills. Preference will be given to candidates who wish to pursue a PhD degree, and those who are likely to be competitive for external scholarship funding.

The intended start is September 2022. A start date of January 2023 is possible if the successful candidate is from outside Canada or the US.

Please register your interest in this graduate training opportunity by sending an email with the subject heading “PhD student application” to Dr. Dan S. Luciani. The application should include

• your CV,
• a copy of university transcripts,
• contact details of 2 or more references, and
• a cover letter describing your research interests and motivation for this specific position.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted to arrange for interviews.

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver [3] campus in British Columbia, Canada.Please refer to reference number RX-56241 during correspondence about this position.To express interest and initiate contact to the principal investigator applicants are encouraged to follow the instructions as provided in the position description. Please note that applicants will have to complete an online application to the University of British Columbia [4] and gain admission as a graduate student to the university. Applicants should review the graduate program profile [5] to learn about admission requirements, application deadlines, program duration, tuition, or to read student and alumni stories. Please visit the researcher profile [6] of the supervisor for this position to learn more about their research.

About UBC

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Doctoral studies at UBC Vancouver
UBC is a public university with a comprehensive program offering – covering all major academic disciplines and degree levels, with both research- and course-based program options. More than 50,000 students attend UBC Vancouver. As a PhD student at UBC Vancouver you’ll be part of a diverse community of over 3,600 doctoral scholars at an institution that recognises and rewards the significant contributions of doctoral research. UBC is at the forefront of responding to and building on the extraordinary changes happening in our societies and our world, through reimagining approaches to research graduate education and exploring flexible methodologies for learners to develop needed expertise. UBC’s Public Scholars Initiative [7] for example is a pioneering program designed to encourage and support doctoral students to reimagine the PhD, contribute to the public good, and with their doctoral work rise to the challenges that increasingly define our times.At UBC, you will be supported with a range of professional development [8] workshops and services, and we’ll partner with you to ensure you have a graduate game plan [9] for academic and professional success.You are encouraged to review the awards and scholarship database [10] to determine funding opportunities for your doctoral degree. UBC Vancouver guarantees a minimum of CAD $22,000 of funding [11] to eligible students for your first four years of PhD study with many programs offering higher funding packages. Funding highly varies by program and will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and awards secured. Most international students benefit from the International Tuition Award [12] and PhD students usually qualify for the President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award [13].

About UBC’s Faculty of Medicine

Every day across British Columbia, trainees and researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are turning skills into jobs, investments into discoveries, and discoveries into solutions that are transforming health for everyone.The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers a diverse array of training opportunities including cutting-edge research experiences in the biosciences, globally recognized population health education, quality health professional training, as well as several certificate and online training options. The Faculty of Medicine is home to more than 1,700 graduate students housed in 23 graduate programs (14 of which offer doctoral research options). Year after year, research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine is supported by investment from funding sources here at home and around the globe, receiving approximately $1.6B in total research funding in the last five years.

About Vancouver

Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada’s third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It’s the perfect backdrop to your academic research.

[1] https://www.cell.ubc.ca[2] https://www.bcchr.ca/diabetes[3] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/campus-community/vancouver-campus[4] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission[5] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/4096[6] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/13834[7] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/psi[8] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/professional-development[9] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/professional-development/graduate-game-plan[10] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/scholarships-awards-funding/award-opportunities[11] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/minimum-funding-policy-phd-students[12] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/international-tuition-award[13] https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/presidents-academic-excellence-initiative-phd-award”

Tagged as: Life Sciences