Research Associate

Human Health Therapeutics
Ottawa - Ontario

RA

This is a 2 year term position from the date of reporting.
Assignments and secondments may be considered according to NRC's policies.

Background

Working with clients and partners, the National Research Council Canada provides strategic research, innovation support, scientific and technical services to develop and deploy solutions to meet Canada's current and future industrial and societal needs. Guided by our core values of impact, accountability, leadership, integrity and collaboration, NRC is a dynamic and vibrant organization that, in its ongoing evolution, is seeking a Research Associate in electrophysiology and ion channels biophysics.

Your challenge

The Human Health Therapeutics (HHT) Portfolio has a mandate to support economic development through innovation in health care, including innovative therapies for chronic diseases and the aging population. The portfolio has a strong track record of industry collaborations, and is a major contributor to the prosperity of Canada’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Portfolio’s primary sector of activity is the biopharmaceutical industry. HHT targets SMEs in Canada developing therapeutics, biologics or vaccines, to address unmet needs in human health (e.g. in cancer, infections and neurological diseases).

As part of the Physiology Team the project candidate will aim to:

• Develop in vitro models to test mode of action of raised single domain antibodies (sdAbs) on different ion channels for candidate prioritization. This requires knowledge of the biophysical properties of ion channels and of the patch clamp technique; 
• Collaborate with an antibody engineering team to develop strategy for sdAbs bio-panning; 
• Collaborate with PK/PD team to evaluate prioritized sdAbs in cellular and animal disease models.
   

Screening criteria

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Education

As part of the RA Program you must have received your PhD in Physiology, Biophysics, Neuroscience, or Biology within the last 5 years or you expect to receive the degree within the next 6 months.

Experience

Significant experience in the area of electrophysiology;

Significant experience using patch-clamp techniques in brain tissue sections and/or neuronal cell cultures;

Experience working in multidisciplinary scientific teams.
 

Condition of employment

• Reliability Status
• The working conditions are those found in a typical biological or microbiological laboratory.

Language requirements

English

Assessment criteria

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Technical competencies:

Ability to initiate, conduct and bring to a conclusion original high-quality research in neurobiology ;

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing ;

Ability to work well within a team environment and to foster and promote problem solving using multidisciplinary approaches ;

Ability to collaborate and initiate new projects within teams and industrial laboratories.

Behavioural competencies:

Creative thinking (Level 2)

Networking (Level 1)

Teamwork (Level 2)

Initiative (Level 2)

For this position, NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile(s):  | Research

View all competency profiles.

Desirable

Experience:

Experience in the assessment of efficacy and mechanism of action of novel drug candidates may be considered an asset;

Experience in designing and implementing pharmacological assessments for industrial clients may be considered an asset;

Experience using confocal microscopy and ion-sensitive fluorescence imaging  may be considered an asset;

Experience in the area of ion channel pharmacology and biophysics may be considered an asset;

Technical Competency:

Knowledge in molecular biology and immunology may be considered an asset.

Relocation

Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with NRC's directives.

Salary range

The Research Associate Program is unique to the NRC. It falls under the RO/RCO classification system which uses a person-based classification system instead of the more common duties-based classification system. Candidates are remunerated based on their expertise, skill, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience. In addition to the salary, employees in the RA Group are entitled to a Terminable Allowance of $8,000 per year.

Closing date

Posted until filled