Research Associate

**Department** Faculty of Law - Health Law Institute

**Posted date** August 6, 2025

**Closing date** August 27, 2025

**Position Type**

**Description**:
**_This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA)._**

In accordance with the Trust/Research Academic Staff Agreement, this position has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of $59,822 to $82,266. This position has an initial appointment of one year plus one day from the date of hire.

**Working at the University of Alberta**
- The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community._

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. **Learn more**.**

**Working for the** Faculty of Law**

The Faculty of Law’s Health Law Institute (HLI) is an internationally recognized centre for evidence based health law and science policy research. Over the past 3 decades, Professor Timothy Caulfield, the Institute’s Research Director, has led the development of its highly interdisciplinary research portfolio which explores the ethical, legal and health policy issues associated with a range of topics including, for example, stem cell research, genomics, the commercialization of research, vaccination, organ and tissue transplantation policy, complementary and alternative medicine, and the proliferation of health mis and disinformation. Such work is supported by a variety of provincial and federal granting bodies, and a central goal of the HLI is broad knowledge translation. In addition to the utilization of traditional academic avenues, the Institute also relies on the use of unique publication engagement strategies to disseminate its work.

**Position**

The University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute (HLI) is seeking a Research Associate to lead media analysis projects under the Institute’s interdisciplinary research portfolio. Projects currently funded explore a range of health and science policy issues and are funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Stem Cell Network (SCN), the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), and the Canadian Biomedical Research Fund. Special emphasis will be placed on how science is communicated to the public via legacy and new media and the issues that arise from the proliferation of mis-and-disinformation.

**Duties**
- Work closely with the Research Director (Principal Investigator) and broader team planning research activities and project design of funded research projects.
- Set research activity objectives in consultation with the Research Director.
- Develop/design research methods and data collection protocols most appropriate for grant identified research goals.
- Perform online and social media data collection and advanced analysis of research results.
- Lead and/or assist in the writing and submission of research papers for peer reviewed journals.
- Present research results at conferences, symposia, project meetings, and public events.
- Oversee, mentor and support the work of research assistants.
- Have experience creating and disseminating engaging content (e.g. blog posts, social media updates) and working with both legacy and new media providing interviews and/or commentaries to inform scientific communities and engage the public.
- Work with large interdisciplinary teams, collaborating on the development of research activities and events (e.g. workshops, webinars).
- Provide progress updates to the Research Director and broader team on a regular reporting basis.

**Minimum Qualifications**
- Hold a graduate degree in science communication, journalism, health communication, public health, media studies, or related fields.
- Possess qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research skills.
- Experience with developing comprehensive media coding frameworks is required.
- Knowledge of data anonymization methods.
- Experience writing and publishing manuscripts, including navigating peer-reviewed journal manuscript tracking platforms.
- Knowledge of health topics including cancer, vaccines, stem cells (regenerative medicine), alternative medicine preferred.
- Knowledge of and experience with various communication channels, including digital and social media.
- Experience in content creation, working with the media and public engagement.
- Have excellent interperso