Career Opportunities

Research Interests: premature infants, neurodevelopment, stress, pain , measurement, technology transfer, sucrose, rehabilitation, pediatrics

Potential project areas:

neonatology, pediatrics, occupational therapy, measurement, rehabilitation

Research Interests: stroke, clinical trials, cerebral venous thrombosis, outcomes, cognition, machine learning

Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Technologies, Cancer Imaging, Computer Assisted Interventions, Image Guided Surgery, Machine Learning, Medical Imaging, Surgical Robotics, Ultrasound Imaging

Potential project areas:

We are actively looking for individuals with strong mathematical, computer science, and engineering background with interest in machine learning applications in biomedical engineering and medical imaging.

Research Interests: Chemosensation, Drosophila, Feeding, Gustation, Neural circuits, Neuronal Systems, Neuroscience, Sensory systems, Taste

Potential project areas:

Most projects centre on the neural circuits underlying taste processing and feeding in the fly brain. Potential projects include looking at circuit mechanisms underlying taste integration, hunger, feeding, taste memories, chemosensory integration, and taste circuit development.

Research Interests: Nutrition, Nutrients, Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms, Breast Feeding and Infant Nutrition, Clinical Chemistry, Maternal and Child Health, Micronutrients, Newborn Screening, Nutritional Biochemistry, Nutritional Biomarker, Periconceptional folic acid supplementation, Pregnancy, Prenatal Supplements, Toddler Nutrition, Vitamins

Potential project areas:

My enthusiasm for research draws from my interest in the biochemistry and physiology of nutrition-related diseases and in targeted and population-based strategies of chronic disease prevention and optimal health promotion. My research focuses on micronutrients and specifically B-vitamins and their kinetics and functions in human metabolism. B-vitamins are required for normal cell growth and neurological function and thus have an impact on human health from the embryo to the older adult. Low folate and/or vitamin B-12 status may yield pregnancy complications, low birth weight, cancer, and cognitive impairment. The overarching theme of my research is micronutrient adequacy. My current research projects focus on maternal-fetal nutrient dependency, periconceptional vitamin adequacy, and the role of maternal and infant nutrition on growth and development. In the UBC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory that I established, my team has set up a wide array of externally validated analytical methods. One of our goals is to identify sensitive nutritional biomarkers for early diagnosis of micronutrient inadequacies. With the use of stable isotope tracer protocols, we are able to investigate metabolic and functional consequences of nutritional inadequacies and micronutrient interactions in various population groups. The studies will help elaborate potential underlying mechanisms responsible for linkages between B-vitamin intake and chronic disease risk and in the evaluation of optimal vitamin intake to maintain biochemical functions. I am interested in supervising graduate students with strong interests in biochemistry, nutrition, and biomarker analysis. Ideal candidates have strong communication skills for interaction with study participants and have experience or high interest in potential projects with a wet lab component. To read more about our current projects, team members, or highlights, please see: www.vitamins.landfood.ubc.ca

CURRENT OPENING: 1 postdoc position, CIHR-funded project to determine vitamin adequacy in reproductive-aged women. The candidate has a background in nutrition, biochemistry, life science, or related fields, preferably with experience in the conduct of clinical trials, participant recruitment and correspondence, and has strong communication skills and is highly organized. The candidate will join a dynamic team of graduate students and clinical research assistants, as well as lab technicians, to undertake this interdisciplinary project. If interested, please send your resume to yvonne.lamers@ubc.ca.

Research Interests: Proteases, Granzymes, Extracellular Matrix, Chronic inflammation, Aging, Disease models, Autoimmune disease, Skin, Vascular biology

Potential project areas:

I am looking for post-doctoral fellows. Trainees will be actively involved in the translational research effort pertaining to understanding the physiological and/or pathophysiological role(s) of the serine protease family, granzymes, in the context of skin or vascular inflammation regeneration, in aging, autoimmune and/or chronic disease. Granzymes are a family of 5 serine proteases in humans. With the exception of GzmA and GzmB, very little is known about the other 3 proteases so there are many opportunities to carve out a niche, drug development, and for publications/patents. The job is highly translational and well suited for trainees seeking greater involvement in all steps in taking basic bench research discoveries through to clinical application and potentially commercialization. Our research program spans from basic biochemistry/molecular biology through to target validation, proof-of-concept in animal and human models with a strong connection to industry. Trainees will be responsible for designing and implementing studies to further elucidate mechanisms of disease through the use of in vitro and in vivo models. Dr. Granville’s laboratory (www.granzymes.com) utilizes a variety of disease models related to aging, autoimmunity, injury, inflammation and impaired healing as they pertain to cardiovascular, pulmonary, skin, musculoskeletal, and neuroinflammatory disorders. We also interact heavily with industry and clinicians. 

Research Interests: Artistic and Literary Analysis Models, Artistic and Literary Theories, Arts and Cultural Traditions, Arts and Technologies, Brazilian Literature and Culture, Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies, Latin American Literatures and Cultures, Modern and Contemporary Literatures and Cultures

Research Interests: Biomechanics, Cranio-Encephalic and Spinal Cord Trauma, Hip fracture, Injury prevention, Mechanical Systems, Neurotrauma, Spinal cord injury, Spine biomechanics, Trauma / Injuries, Traumatic brain injury, Sex Differences in Seat Belt Performance

Research Interests: Creation of computational methods for the analysis of genome sequences (bioinformatics), Study of cis-regulatory elements controlling gene transcription, Applied analyses of genome sequences (genomics), Indigenous genomics

Potential project areas:

Gene Regulation

Amongst the most important challenges of this era of life science research is understanding the regulation of gene expression, a process that allows an incredible diversity of cells to be produced from the same genome sequence. During development and across physiological conditions, a set of proteins, called Transcription Factors (TFs), interact with the genome to control the activity of genes. The roughly ~1500 TFs in the human genome cooperate in different combinations and interact with other regulatory processes. The lab studies gene regulation via multiple lines. First, the lab creates novel algorithms and software to predict interactions between TFs and DNA. Second, the lab collaborates on the analysis of emerging types of data, to identify active regulatory regions (e.g. enhancer or promoter regions in the genome) in specific biological processes, such as the transition from stem cells into differentiated cells. Third, the lab designs compact DNA sequences, based on regulatory regions in the human genome, to direct gene expression from virus-based gene therapy vectors.

Genome Analysis

Genome Sequencing has accelerated health research, particularly disease genetics. The lab has been developing computational methods and tools to allow researchers and clinicians to identify functional consequences of genetic variations within the human genome, both in the protein coding and in the non-coding space. The latter effort is fueled by the gene regulation bioinformatics research in the lab.

Engaging with patients and clinicians both locally through BC Children’s Hospital, and through international collaborations, our genomics analyses enable the diagnosis, and in some cases treatment, of previously undiagnosed cases. As DNA sequencing technology has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of rare genetic disorders, the Wasserman lab has embarked on an endeavour to make the technology available to currently underrepresented populations, namely the indigenous populations of Canada. Learn more about the Silent Genome Project.

Research Interests: Bioactive Molecules, Biocatalysis, Bioinformatics, Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms, Biomass (Energy), Biomaterials, Bioprocess engineering, Bioremediation, Biotechnology, Drug delivery, Drug discovery & development, Medical biotechnology, Metabolic engineering, Structural Tissue Engineering / Biomaterials, Synthetic biology, Technoeconomics, Tissue engineering, Vaccines

Potential project areas:

My research group utilizes metabolic & enzyme engineering to investigate and customize novel biosynthetic enzymes that can convert biomass-derived feedstocks into value-added chemicals. We have published highly acclaimed papers on model-guided enzyme engineering, process development, enzyme discovery using metagenomics and engineering metabolic control schemes that bridge with bioprocess control and improve productivity. Each of these works represents a critical advance in our ability to employ engineered microorganisms as a manufacturing platform. We also extend the principles of metabolic engineering to the design and development of unique bioremediation strategies to rehabilitate the water quality in and around industrial zones and new mining technologies and we are currently collaborating with Suncor and Jetti Resources, respectively, to deploy novel biotechnologies in the field. In addition to green engineering, my research group also pursues medical biotechnology research, and focuses on three stages in the drug discovery life cycle – (1) bioengineering for assay development, (2) biosynthetic engineering for lead generation, and (3) pharmaceutical product development. Our work on bioengineered assays aims to assemble three-dimensional, structured brain organoids from human pluripotent stem cells for use in pre-clinical screening of hits against Alzheimer’s disease. Through this work, we have established a formal collaboration with STEMCELL Technologies. Our work on pharmaceutical product development is advancing a concept that we dub ‘medicine-by-design’, a fast and low-cost methodology to advance a drug molecule from concept to formulated product based on the synergistic application of bioinformatics and data analysis, metabolic engineering and formulation science. We work closely with an industrial partner, InMed Pharmaceuticals, and have successfully advanced two projects to clinical testing. Our work on development of a ‘smart’ contact lens for treating glaucoma is among the most read scientific articles of 2018. Similarly, our work on the development of a printable bandage for healing damaged skin in patients suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex (EBS) is currently under consideration for publication. Both works are the subjects of patent filings. We have recently initiated a new line of research in the group that fuses biology and materials science to develop better materials and transcend current limitations in manufacturing. The synergistic combination of biological systems with abiotic, functional materials that greatly improves the properties of the original host, and the resulting systems can be applied to a wealth of manufacturing, energy and environmental remediation applications. We laid the intellectual foundations of this paradigm in a forum article in Trends in Biotechnology and subsequently published a proof-of-concept study on a biohybrid photovoltaic cell that is the best in its class and could be used in bioorganic optoelectronics. My research group currently collaborates with 7 companies – STEMCELL Technologies, InMed Pharmaceuticals, Jetti Resources, Metabolik Technologies, Sanofi Pasteur, Reliance Industries Limited and Phytonix Corporation.