Career Opportunities

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.

Research Interests: Semantics, Austronesian languages, Cross-linguistic variation and universals, Salish languages, Semantic fieldwork, Tsimshianic languages

Research Interests: Motivations and Emotions, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health and Society, Stress, Suicide

Research Interests: Comparative organismal biology, Evolutionary morphology, Evolutionary protistology, Marine biodiversity, Marine invertebrate zoology, Phylogenetic biology, Species discovery

Research Interests: Indigenous literature, Cinema of Quebec, Francophone Indigenous narrative arts, Environmental Humanities, Archives and cinema studies, Quebec-Indigenous studies, Decolonial and anticolonial theory, Research creation

Potential project areas:

Indigenous literatures of Quebec

Quebec Studies

Cinema studies of Canada

Environmental humanities of Quebec and Canada

Franco-Canadian Cultural Studies

Research Interests: Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms, Genetic Diseases, Calcium signaling, Cardiac arrhythmia, Electrical signaling, Electrophysiology, Epilepsy, Ion channels, Structural Biology

Potential project areas:

1) Muscle excitation-contraction coupling: How does an electrical signal in a muscle cell get transmitted into contraction? We investigate the membrane proteins involved in this process (L-type calcium channels, Ryanodine Receptors), as well as the various proteins that modulate these channels. Projects include solving crystal and cryo-EM structures of these channels in complex with the additional proteins. Functional experiments (e.g. electrophysiology) are used to test the hypotheses originating from these structures. 2) Channelopathies Ion channels are responsible for electrical signals in excitable cells. Mutations in the ion channel genes can lead to severe and often fatal disorders, including cardiac arrhythmias, epilepsy, ataxias, chronic pain and much more. We investigate the primary disease mechanisms by mapping disease mutations on the 3D structures, comparing structures of wild-type and disease mutant proteins, and functional experiments. Together these provide very detailed insights in the disease process. Current projects include congenital cardiac arrhythmias (CPVT, LongQT, Brugada Syndromes) and epilepsy (Dravet Syndrome)

Research Interests: Cystic Fibrosis, Epidemiology, Respiratory System, Proteomics, Immune Mediators: Cytokines and Chemokines, biomarker discovery and development, clinical epidemiology, health care economics, medication adherence

Potential project areas:

Cystic Fibrosis blood biomarker research and development - proteomics and transcriptomics Health outcomes research using the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Registry - clinical epidemiology

Research Interests: Water, Hydrological Cycle and Reservoirs, Drinking Water, Fresh Water, Information, Hydroelectricity, Ice and Snow, Control of water systems, Droughts, Experimental hydrology, Floods, Hydrological Prediction, Hydrology, Information theory, Mountain hydrology, Sensors, Uncertainty, Water resources management

Potential project areas:

Projects regarding new measurement techniques for catchment hydrology
Projects working on uncertainty analysis / quantification for hydrological prediction
Projects on optimal monitoring network layout / optimal expermental design
Projects on applications of information theory in hydrology and water resources