Laboratory Research Technician

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 4

Job Title

Laboratory Research Technician

Department

Pioro Laboratory Support Division of Neurology | Department of Medicine | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$5,220.98 - $6,124.46 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

September 16, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

September 30, 2026

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

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.

Job Summary

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) is home to several integrated research programs, including research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and related disorders (ALSRD). Research is aimed at better understanding the cellular mechanisms and brain circuit changes underlying these disorders, as well as clinical trials to test novel therapies.

The Laboratory Research Technician will support the operations of the Pioro Lab in UBC Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology). This role will support the organizing, coordinating, implementing and performing various functions and duties related to basic-science and/or translational research projects related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related disorders. The lab specializes in preclinical neurodegenerative disorder research, with a heavy focus on disease modeling using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).

The primary roles for this position are to a) manage finances, logistics, and personnel in the lab; b) oversee training of students and staff in the lab; c) perform highly specialized experiments using state-of-the art techniques for modeling of neurodegenerative disorders using hiPSCs.

By translating bench discoveries into promising novel therapies, we aim to identify biomarkers critical for understanding ALSRD disease causation, progression, and response to experimental therapies.

The technician must be independent with respect to: a) hiPSC maintenance; b) differentiation of hiPSCs to neuronal tissue, including neurons, astrocytes, & microglia; c) CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing on hiPSCs. The position requires deep knowledge of hiPSC culture media, supplements, and specific plating conditions required for maintaining highly complex cultures long-term. The technician is expected to keep fully up-to-date on hiPSC methodology, and be capable of training all laboratory personnel, including the PI if necessary, in existing and new methods.

This position is situated in the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) - UBC Vancouver campus. The Centre is comprised of a community of more than 100 investigators with multi
- and cross-disciplinary expertise who span many faculties, departments, and locations, both across UBC and at other academic institutions. A state-of-the-art facility within the beautiful UBC Point Grey campus, the Centre boasts more than 155,000 square feet of space in laboratory and clinical research areas within the main DMCBH building and in the UBC Hospital’s Koerner Pavilion. The Pioro Lab is located on 5/F of the DMCBH, with ready access to microscopy and standard molecular biology equipment as well as cell culture and biobank facilities.

Organizational Status
The Pioro Lab is an integral component of the ALS and Related Disorders (ALSRD) research program at UBC, a key part of

ALS BC PROJECT HOPE
- The technician reports directly to the Laboratory Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Erik Pioro. Research direction and supervision will be provided by PI. The technician will share responsibility with the PI and senior postdoc in overseeing all student research activity in the lab, including safety training, technical laboratory training, and ongoing research activities. Research in the Pioro Lab complements Neuroimaging and Clinical research efforts that also take place at the DMCBH, contributing to the innovative and cutting-edge research on ALS and related disorders that is the mandate of the ALSRD research program.

Work Performed
- Manage and oversee daily operations of the Pioro Lab, including purchasing, inventory, general finances, housekeeping & organizing, shipping & receiving, equipment procurement & maintenance.
- Develops and implements standard operating procedures for lab safety.
- Process experimental animal and post-mortem human tissue for staining and microscopy.
- Assist with processing and/or analysis of human and experimental animal biosamples for investigator-led clinical