Postdoctoral Scholar in Microbiome and Child Development

at  The University of Calgary

Description
Area: Microbiome and Child Development
Duration: One year, renewable depending on available funding
Salary: $60,000/year plus Plan C benefits through Alberta Blue Cross
The Department of Pediatrics in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Microbiome and Child Development to work in the area of the early life gut microbiome and the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Our team is recruiting a scholar to become part of an active and innovative research program that is elucidating the links between gut microbiota, mental health, neurodevelopment, and health behaviors (sleep, diet, exercise) in children. The scholar¿s work will help to identify novel and actionable intervention targets to optimize neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents.
The source data for the scholar¿s work is an ongoing cohort study that recruited pregnant individuals and is prospectively following them and their children. We have collected biological samples and questionnaire data to accurately document participants’ physiological and psychological experiences of stress and mental health. Our data set includes repeated gut microbiota (metagenomic shotgun sequencing) and metabolomics from children throughout the first 4 years of life (n=500+). The scholar will have immediate access to this data to address questions about the influence of the gut microbiota on child development outcomes. This training opportunity will position the scholar with unique interdisciplinary research expertise to launch the next phase of their academic career.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants must hold a PhD and have experience working with gut microbiota data
• PhD must be completed before the start of the appointment and within the past 7 year
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required
• Desired qualifications also include experience with (or training in) experimental and longitudinal research design and analysis
• Applicants are required to have demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment
• Scholars are expected to engage in full-time research activities and actively engage in the University of Calgary¿s professional development program as opportunities are being offered
• The successful scholar will be strongly encouraged to apply for national/international awards

Please refer the Job description for details