Description
Area: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Duration: One year with possibility of extension
Start Date: July 2025
Salary: $50,000-$55,000 per annum plus benefits
The Department of Psychiatry in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Scientist in Pharmacogenetic Science in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Working conditions involve working 35 hours per week with flexibility for the occasional evening or weekend. Travel within Calgary may sometimes be required for in-person research activities.
Job Description:
A post-doctoral scientist position is available as part of a child and youth mental health program under the supervision of Drs. Kara Murias, Paul Arnold and Chad Bousman at The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary. The successful candidate¿s expertise in pharmacogenetics will contribute to a study exploring the impact of pharmacogenetics on treatment response to sertraline in neurodivergent youth. This study aims to identify genetic variations that influence drug metabolism, efficacy, and side effects, ultimately advancing precision psychiatry. The postdoctoral researcher will focus on genetic data analysis and interpretation, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to generate insights that could inform personalized treatment strategies.
The successful candidate will also be embedded within a large interdisciplinary team at the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education (Cumming School of Medicine), and will work in collaboration with clinicians and scientists across the University of Calgary. The co-investigators are leaders in child and youth mental health research and are committed to supporting an enriching learning opportunity for a post-doctoral scientist. There are also many other career development opportunities, including the mentoring and supervision of students and trainees in the field.
Key Responsibilities
- Analyze genetic data to test known and identify novel pharmacogenetic variants associated with sertraline response
- Apply bioinformatics and statistical genetics techniques to identify genetic predictors of treatment outcomes
- Integrate genetic data with clinical and behavioral response data to assess pharmacogenetic impact
- Collaborate with clinicians, geneticists, and computational biologists to contextualize findings
- Prepare and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences
Qualifications:
Essential Qualifications & Experience
- PhD in Pharmacogenetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Pharmacology, or a related field
- Experience in genotyping, next-generation sequencing (NGS), or pharmacogenomic data analysis
- Strong understanding of CYP450 enzymes, serotonin pathway genes, and psychiatric pharmacogenetics
- Proficiency in tools and resources (e.g., R, PLINK, PharmVar) used for genetic data processing and analysis
- A track record of peer-reviewed publications in pharmacogenetics, genomics, or psychiatric research
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research setting
- Strong communication and scientific writing skills
Desirable Skills
- Experience integrating genetic data with clinical or behavioral datasets
- Knowledge of machine learning applications in genomics
- Familiarity with statistical methods for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and polygenic scores
- Experience working with families and children affected by mental health and/or neurodevelopmental concerns
What We Offer
- A dynamic and collaborative research environment with access to cutting-edge pharmacogenetics and bioinformatics resources
- Opportunities to collaborate with leading experts in precision psychiatry, child health, and pharmacogenomics
- Support for professional development and career advancement
Application Details:
Individuals interested in this opportunity should submit in pdf format the following via email to Dr. Kara Murias at krmarten@ucalgary.ca
- Letter of interest
- Curriculum vitae
- Any relevant publications
- Names and contact information of three references
The position is located in Calgary, Alberta. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We thank all applicants¿ interests, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted for more information and invited to interview.
The terms and conditions of employment are covered under the UCalgary and PDAC Collective Agreement. To find out more about postdoctoral scholar program at the University of Calgary visit our Postdocs website.
To learn more about postdoctoral scholar opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Postdoc Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
About Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders' in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
