Research Asst/Tech 4

Staff - Non UnionJob CategoryNon Union Technicians and Research AssistantsJob ProfileNon Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 4Job TitleResearch Asst/Tech 4DepartmentPrisman Research Laboratory Otolaryngology | Department of Surgery | Faculty of MedicineCompensation Range$5, $6,124.46 CAD MonthlyPosting End DateJanuary 21, 2026

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

Job End Date

January 13, 2027

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 Research Coordinator provides technical support for research and development for the PI, Dr. Eitan Prisman. The incumbent oversees the technical operations of the Prisman lab and provides research expertise to the PI and  collaborators.

Organizational Status

The UBC Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery educates students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and pursues research to make innovative advancements in knowledge and practice to improve health. The Department consists of more than 400 physicians, surgeons, scientists and educators and over 70 administrative, research and technical staff in nine divisions distributed across British Columbia. Specialty training programs are offered in Cardiac Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Thoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery. The Department is also home to the Branch for Global Surgical Care (BGSC).

The Research Coordinator reports to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Eitan Prisman.  The incumbent works with  students in the Prisman lab, and also with engineering collaborators and students. The incumbent liaises with Department of Surgery staff and will interact with healthcare professionals, both internal and external.

Work Performed

-Create research questions based on review of existing literature and identification of knowledge gaps,

-Design computer model simulations to answer research questions, collect data, perform statistical analysis, and analyze results,

-Create research proposals for further development and experimentation based on the results of experiments,

-Assist with manuscript preparation and coordinate submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals,

-Prepare presentations for local, national, and international conferences in the field of otolaryngology and biomedical engineering,

-Keep up to date with the latest development in virtual surgical planning and other related fields through literature review, attendance of conferences, etc,

-Oversee the technical operations of the laboratory, specifically with respect to surgical cutting guides development and delivery as well as provide progress updates of other research projects,

-Prepare ethics applications to UBC Research Ethics Board and consult on applications to other provincial ethics board (ex: Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board) and grant applications to local, provincial, and national funding partners such as VCHRI, MSFHR, and CIHR,

-Liaise with other technical experts in the field of virtual surgical planning and provide consultation on the virtual surgical planning experience at the Prisman laboratory,

-Assist with the development of techniques in virtual surgical planning that is in the process of being adopted as the standard of care across Canada through a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT),

-Provide analysis of research projects in collaboration with other centres, including draft protocols, assist in data analysis for RCT, and draft final manuscript,

-Responsible for the maintenance and continual development of the in-house virtual surgical planning platform used to plan head and neck surgical reconstruction, which involves overseeing the progress of software development of students in the laboratory,

-Determine operational feasibility of in-house virtual surgical planning platform development and improvement by evaluating analysis, problem definition, requirements, solution development, and proposed solutions,

-Follow software development process, consult with platform users and other researchers, and evaluate the information needs to develop software solutions with the research team,

Assist the PI with selection of other lab members,

-Provide training and support to students in the lab, as well as collaborators including but not limited to: demonstrate equipment/software usage and maintenance (3D printers, virtual planning platform, etc.), onboard new members, and provide guidance on specific tasks within area of expertise,

-Contribute to a respectful, inclusive working environment,

-Perform other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The incumbent must be willing to pay attention to details, be aware of pitfalls and willing to repeat tasks if necessary. The incumbent will improve upon existing protocols and provide input into the direction of the laboratory.

Errors in judgment may result in insufficient progress of research projects, adversely affecting funding for studies and the scope of other members' learning experiences. Inappropriate handling of interactions and communications could create embarrassment for the Prisman Lab, the Division of Otolaryngology, and Department of Surgery in dealings with faculty, students, University, affiliated hospitals, patients, business affiliates, and the public.

Supervision Received

The incumbent reports directly to Dr. Eitan Prisman. The incumbent will work under general supervision, however, the incumbent will have latitude for exercising independent initiative and judgment in the performance of specialized duties and responsibilities.

Informal reports will be made regularly to the Principal Investigator.

Supervision Given
None, however, the incumbent will provide functional direction to co-op students, work learn students, medical students, and other research collaborators.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

-Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum of four years of related experience are required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

-Ability to work with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail and effective organizational skills. 

-Ability to contribute to a respectful, cooperative and supportive work environment.

-Effective oral and written communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. 

-Ability to exercise tact, discretion and confidentiality.

-Ability to work both independently and in harmony with others within a team environment. 

-Ability to multi-task and prioritize work to meet deadlines.

-Programming experience in Java, Python through course work or personal project is required.

-Computer modeling experience Blender, Solidworks, other computer aided design/modeling tools required.

-Experience with medical imaging segmentation and analysis 3D Slicer or similar tools required.

 -Experience with ethics protocol, grant, manuscript writing and submission required.

-Ability to work a flexible schedule and occasionally, additional hours on weekends, evenings and early mornings, as necessary.     

-Research experience in surgical technology is an asset.

-Experience with machine learning techniques through course work or personal project is a significant asset.

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