Research Associate

Academic

Job Category

Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title

Research Associate

Department

MacVicar Laboratory | Department of Psychiatry | Faculty of Medicine (Brian MacVicar)

Posting End Date

November 5, 2025

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

Job End Date

November 9, 2026

The expected pay for this position is $70,000 per annum.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

An application package should include:

• a cover letter stating research interests
• a detailed curriculum vitae
• contact information for three professional references

Applications should be submitted online at

(JR22399).

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Leah Ranada at

.

Review of applications will begin on November 6, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is November 10, 2025 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. Please contact Leah Ranada, Assistant HR Manager via email at

. ]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

or contact the Centre at

.

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.

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.

The UBC Department of Psychiatry seeking a full time Research Associate. The successful candidate will be working with a research team at Dr. Brian MacVicar's laboratory at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. This is an exciting opportunity to directly contribute to the translation of pioneering therapeutics toward effective treatments for neurodegeneration and dementia. The MacVicar lab believes in a multidisciplinary approach to neuroscience, from foundational studies in disease pathogenesis to translational application of novel therapeutic modalities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to Dr. MacVicar, the incumbent will assume a leadership role in our research program, focusing on the preclinical development and rigorous in vivo testing of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, utilizing advanced genomic and molecular techniques. They will be responsible for:

• strategic design, execution, and oversight of complex projects involving advanced rodent models of neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer's, Frontotemporal Dementia)
• serving as the in-house expert for precision delivery techniques (e.g., LNP-mRNA) via intracranial stereotactic surgery
• independent leadership of molecular characterization using cutting-edge approaches such LNP-mRNA-induced protein delivery
• supervision and mentorship of junior lab members (Postdocs, technicians, and students).

QUALIFICATIONS

Successful applicants will have:

• PhD or MD (or similar terminal degree) in Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, or a closely related field
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant postdoctoral or equivalent research experience demonstrating independent research project leadership
• Experience with stereotaxic surgical procedures in rodents for CNS injections (e.g., ASO, LNP, or virus delivery).
• Experience independently managing and utilizing in vivo models of neurological disease, particularly models of Alzheimer's, Frontotemporal Dementia, or Parkinson's disease.
• Experience in preclinical neuropharmacology, and advanced -omics analysis.
• Proficiency in the advanced molecular analysis of human and rodent brain tissue, including immunohistochemistry and processing for sample analysis.
• Strong technical skill and demonstrated project leadership using advanced molecular profiling techniques.
• A proven track record in supervising, training, and mentoring junior researchers and technical staff.
• Strong ability to project-manage complex, multi-faceted experiments, perform rigorous statistical analysis, and ensure research milestones are met.
• Strong communication skills, with a history of contributing substantially to grant applications and peer-reviewed publications.
• 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
• A proven track record in supervising, training, and mentoring junior researchers and technical staff.
• Strong ability to project-manage complex, multi-faceted experiments, perform rigorous statistical analysis, and ensure research milestones are met.
• Strong communication skills, with a history of contributing substantially to grant applications and peer-reviewed publications.
• 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.