Assistant/Associate Professor & Tier 2 Canada Research Chair In Biomedical Data Science And Personalized Medicine

Dalhousie University’s Faculties of Medicine and Computer Science invite applications for a tenure stream position as Assistant or Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Biomedical Data Science and Personalized Medicine.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record of innovative research related to integrated analysis of clinical, histological, and/or genomics data. Candidates should have experience in the use of techniques in machine learning, statistics, algorithm engineering, and advanced data visualization. Applicants with experience in patient risk assessment and personalized therapy are particularly encouraged to apply. Evidence of effective participation and leadership roles in interdisciplinary research teams, teaching, and trainee supervision will be an asset. Candidates must have the potential to develop a collaborative research program that is complementary to ongoing research activities within Dalhousie University, and to engage with local, national and international research networks as elaborated on below.

Applicants with a PhD or equivalent with an exceptional emerging research program in biomedical data science with application in personalized medicine will be considered for this CRC position. This CRC position is specially designated for those individuals that identify as persons with visible or non-visible physical, mental or other disabilities including neurodivergence (e.g. autism spectrum disorder).

The CRC program was established by the Canadian Federal Government with the purpose of attracting outstanding researchers to the Canadian university system. Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidates must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination). Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please contact the Office of Research Services and see the CRC website (www.chairs.gc.ca) for more information on eligibility.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant and productive community of clinicians, basic and social scientists, computer science researchers in data analytics and other disciplines, and research trainees with interests in pathobiology of various diseases including cancer and rare genetic diseases, infection and immunology.

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to interface with and participate in on-going studies led by Atlantic Path and the national Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPATH) cohort studies, as well as burgeoning and established research projects lead by the ACC, a node in the TFRI Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre’s Network and the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute.

The successful candidate will also join the Big Data Analytics, AI & Machine Learning research cluster in Computer Science and the Institute for Big Data Analytics at Dalhousie University, which includes researchers with excellence in AI theory and applications including medical imaging, health data analytics, and genomics. Genomics is also a recognized area of research strength within the Faculty of Medicine and supported by a Genomics Core Facility and extensive expertise in molecular diagnostics, genomics, and DNA sequencing at the affiliated hospitals of Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, and among faculty in the Genomics in Medicine Initiative and the Institute for Comparative Genomics at Dalhousie University.

Excellent research facilities and a generous start up support package are available.

Dalhousie University is located in the friendly, energetic, ocean-side city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The city and surrounding area host a wide range of cultural activities and opportunities. Excellent schools, sports facilities and outdoor activities are also available locally.

Application review will begin on March 1, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. A complete application must include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a 2-page research statement, and a 1-page description of trainee supervisory experience and teaching philosophy. You will also be prompted to complete a self-identification questionnaire as part of the online application process. All applications are to be made through the following link: https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/11654.

Dalhousie recognizes that career paths can be diverse and that career interruptions may occur. Applicants are encouraged to include in the cover letter, an explanation of the impact that any career interruptions may have had on their record of research achievement.

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. In keeping with the principles of employment equity and the CRC program’s equity targets, this position is designated to candidates who self-identify as a person with a disability. The Accessible Canada Act defines disability as “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

All such qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Dalhousie recognizes that candidates may self-identify in more than one equity-deserving group, and in this spirit, encourages applications from candidates who also identify Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, women, and persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community.

If we contact you for an interview and you are a person with a disability who requires technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and any way in which we can be of assistance by emailing ml.sampson@dal.ca. Dalhousie University recognizes its obligation to accommodate candidates in order to ensure full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed online at: www.dal.ca/policies.