Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
The expected salary for this position ranges from $60,000 to $70,000 per annum based on expertise.
At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Drs. David Huntsman and Yemin Wang in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine are seeking a full-time (1.0 FTE) Postdoctoral Research Fellow in pediatric sarcoma biology and therapeutics.
The successful candidate will report directly to Drs. Wang and Huntsman, the Principal Investigators on this collaborative project. Primarily located at the Jack Bell Research Centre within the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, they will work in a strongly collaborative and collegial fashion with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional project team members to meet research goals and objectives. The incumbent will be part of a dynamic team of scientists within the British Columbia provincial Gynecologic Cancer Initiative and the Terry Fox Research Institute Children and Young Adult Sarcoma research team, where they will work with basic scientists, pathologists, analysts and clinicians to advance precision treatment for gynecologic and rare cancers.
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC is a hybrid, academically intensive Department within the UBC Faculty of Medicine whose activities span a broad spectrum of teaching, research, and academic service, often performed in the milieu of clinical practice, and are ultimately devoted to improving the care, treatment, and well-being of patients. The Department offers academic degrees at the bachelor’s (Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc)) and graduate (MSc, PhD) levels with the graduate program, one of the largest in the Faculty of Medicine, which has been recognized by UBC for its quality. The Department plays a major role in the MD undergraduate program and offers an accredited residency-training program. Faculty members participate across a spectrum of research from basic investigative to translational to clinical applied research and are recognized locally, nationally and internationally for their excellence.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Dr. David Huntsman and Dr. Yemin Wang, the incumbent will be responsible for leading a project studying the etiology of rare and untreatable tumour types associated with DICER1-related tumor predisposition (DRTP) using the unique genetically engineered mouse models we have developed (https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-3620 and https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.30.624592).
More specifically, the incumbent will
Design and carry out experiments to understand the biology of DRTP-associated sarcoma development and/or develop biologically-informed treatment strategies
Manage the project and coordinate the collaborative efforts with other teams
Supervise graduate and undergraduate students
Present data at individual and lab meetings, team meetings
Present data at departmental and institutional trainee research days and external academic conferences
Write manuscripts for publishing at reputational journals
Apply for external fellowships
Assist in grant applications and funding reports
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate would be expected to have a solid background of cancer biology, molecular biology, functional genomics, or a related discipline. Experience in miRNA research, functional genetic screens, and/or genetic engineered mouse models would be an asset. The successful candidate must exhibit excellent communication, organization and leadership skills; a demonstrated potential for excellence in research creativity and productivity; and capability to develop and adapt new approaches.
Successful applicants will have:
PhD in cancer biology, molecular biology, cancer genetics, functional genomics, biomedical sciences or related area
Strong publication record
Fluent in written and spoken English and demonstrated excellence in scientific writing
Demonstrated exceptional communication and analytic skills
Experience in miRNA research, functional genetic screens, and/or genetic engineered mouse models would be an asset.
The expected salary for this position ranges from $60,000 to $70,000 per annum based on expertise. The Faculty of Medicine is committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate.
The successful candidate will have access to state-of-the-art technologies and resources as the Jack Bell Research Centre within the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute is home to the latest molecular and advanced pathology technologies, next-generation sequencing, ‘omics platforms, flow cytometry, imaging, compute infrastructure and the animal resource centre.
Vancouver repeatedly ranks among the most livable places in the world and combines excellence in research with high quality of life. Excellent opportunities for personal and professional development will be provided.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
An application package should include:
A letter of application outlining the applicant’s research experience;
A detailed curriculum vitae;
Contact information for 3 referees
Applications should be submitted to:
Yemin Wang
Senior Scientist
Subject: Post Doctoral Fellow
Email: yewang@bccrc.ca
Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Yemin Wang at yewang@bccrc.ca.
Review of applications will begin on January 15, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is as soon as possible or upon a date to be mutually agreed.
We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to employment equity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome applications from candidates belonging to historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups: Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and trans and non-binary people.
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are appreciated, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request.]If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/workplace-accessibility/centre-workplace-accessibility or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.
With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and its distributed programs, which include four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of First Nations Peoples and communities around the province.
Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.
Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.
The Faculty - comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members - is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.
UBC - One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.
UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.