Post-Doctoral Position Available in Protein misfolding and chaperones – Prado and Duennwald laboratories, Robarts research institute

A postdoctoral position is available immediately under the supervision of Drs. Marco Prado and Martin Duennwald at the Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario to work on molecular chaperones regulating protein misfolding. The work spans from yeast to mouse models of disease and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to take advantage of the exceptional research core facilities at Western. This CIHR-funded project will provide training for an early-stage investigator on advanced biochemical, genetics, behavioral and imaging methods, by using next-generation transgenic mice, high-throughput touchscreen cognitive testing, fiber photometry and Magnetic Resonance imaging. The candidate will also have excellent opportunities to interact with researchers and core facilities funded by Western’s BrainsCAN, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund recently awarded to Western.

Robarts is one of the premier research institutes in Canada with a vibrant research community and many opportunities for collaborations. The University of Western Ontario (www.uwo.ca) is a major educational and research center in Ontario with over 25,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. Cognitive neuroscience in health and disease is a major research focus at Western. London, also known as the Forest City, is an affordable and lively community close to the Great Lakes and two hours from Toronto. The city offers many options for outdoor and cultural activities.

Qualified applicants should have a PhD degree in Biochemistry, Neuroscience or related disciplines with significant expertise in studying mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases. Prior experience in mouse surgery, fiber photometry, analysis of prion-like transmission of protein misfolding or cellular protein quality control in animal models, documented in peer-reviewed publications will be an asset. We are looking for a highly-motivated individual within 2 years of receiving a PhD. Salary will be paid commensurate with experience.

Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Please send a statement of interest, Curriculum Vitae, and the names of at least two references to:
Dr. Marco A. M. Prado,
Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario
Email: mprado@robarts.ca
Contact information mprado@robarts.ca

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A new experimental therapy for ALS and fronto-temporal dementia

Jean-Pierre Julien’s team recently published an article in the high impact journal, the Journal of Clinical Investigations, about a new experimental therapy for ALS and frontotemporal dementia based on the use of antibodies that target the abnormal accumulation of a protein called TDP-43 in degenerating neurons. The formation of TDP-43 aggregates is associated with ALS development. Continue reading

Spinal cords contribute to complex hand function

Andrew Pruszynski

We often think of our brains as the centre of complex motor function and control, but how ‘smart’ is your spinal cord? Turns out, it is smarter than we think.

Circuits which travel down the length of our spine control things like the pain reflex in humans and some motor-control functions in animals. Now, new research from Western has shown that the spinal cord is also able to process and control more complex functions, like the positioning of your hand in external space. Continue reading

Brain scan series aid concussed rugby players

Ravi Menon
Ravi Menon

Researchers at Western have developed an objective way to monitor female athletes’ concussion injury, by using brain scans to study their brains over time.

By using a technique that combines both structural and functional MRI information, Western University researchers were able to identify three unique signatures – one that shows acute brain changes after an athlete has suffered a concussion, another that can identify persistent brain changes six months after the concussion and a third that shows evidence of concussion history. Continue reading

Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Contribution of Neurocognitive Functioning to Brain Health – University of Ottawa

A major aspect of brain health relates to the negative functional, psychological, and social consequences of brain lesions and dysfunctions. Conversely, behavioural, cognitive, psychological and social interventions can improve outcomes following brain insults. Using a variety of strategies, including animal models, cellular and molecular biology, genomics, electrophysiology, behaviour and neuroimaging, this chair will examine the interactions among the biological bases of functional neural plasticity, cognitive functioning, and brain health. The development of innovative strategies and therapeutic tools is dependent on understanding of the physical and psychological manifestations of brain diseases.

Assigned to the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences, the chair will strengthen efforts that have been made to make uOttawa an international leader in Brain Health and will also benefit from collaborations with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine,  in the uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and the Institute on Mental Health Research at the Royal Mental Health Centre.

Tier 2 CRC Program Description: Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 annually for five years. New Tier 2 Chairs will also receive an annual research stipend of $20,000 during their first term.

Candidates should, at a minimum, be assistant or associate professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. Nominating institutions may nominate a professor or a researcher who is more than 10 years from their highest degree at the time of nomination and has experienced legitimate career interruptions (see acceptable justifications). In such cases, institutions must submit to the Secretariat a formal justification (using the Tier 2 Justification Screening Form), explaining why the nominee is still considered to be an emerging scholar. The University recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and that these leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.

Preferential Hiring: The University of Ottawa strongly supports a workplace environment that removes disparities experienced by the designated groups in Canada:  women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities, as defined in the Employment Equity Act. This competition is a preferential hiring, which gives priority to one or more of the designated groups. Candidates from these groups who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must fill the self-identification form: https://research.uottawa.ca/sites/research.uottawa.ca/files/edi_questionnaire_ovpr_for_prizes_en_24-oct-2018-converted_fillable.pdf.

Required Qualifications: A PhD in Psychology, superior research achievements in the CRC’s identified area(s) and proof of interdisciplinary collaborations, a solid record with respect to teaching and training of students at the graduate level, the ability to obtain external research funds, excellent communication skills in either English or French. An active knowledge of the other official language would be an asset. 

Rank and salary: Regular tenure-track academic appointment in the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences. This position is governed by a collective agreement between the University of Ottawa and  the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa.

Application Package:

  • A cover letter;
  • An up-to-date curriculum vitae (please include career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your record of research. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
  • A research plan (2 to 3 pages);
  • A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages); and
  • The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference.

 

Deadline: February 25th 2019

 

The selection process will begin in February and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please send the application package to the following address or by email to:

 

Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research

University of Ottawa

550 Cumberland St., room 246

Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA

rcca-coord@uOttawa.ca

 

If you are invited to continue the selection process, please notify us of any particular adaptive measures you might require by contacting the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Faculty Affairs at 613-562-5958. The Canada Research Chairs Program imposes no restrictions on nominees with regard to nationality or country of residence.  Procedures to allow non-Canadian chairholders to work in Canada have been established by Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The University of Ottawa is justly proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism.  Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and their spouses in their second official language.  At the time of tenure, professors are expected to be able to function in a bilingual setting.  In certain cases, professors must have the ability to teach in both official languages to be granted tenure.

Posted online: 11/01/2019

Download this advertisement as a PDF document:

CRC Advertisement-NeuroCognitiveFunctioning-Final_EN

Hormone could slow Alzheimer’s progression

Fernanda De Felice
Fernanda De Felice

Queen’s University researcher discovers potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Queen’s University researcher Fernanda De Felice (Psychiatry), along with co-authors from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, have identified an exercise-linked hormone that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. This research was recently published in the high-profile publication, Nature Medicine. Continue reading

Gut hormone increases response to food

Alain Dagher
Dr. Alain Dagher

Ghrelin promotes conditioning to food-related odours

The holiday season is a hard one for anyone watching their weight. The sights and smells of food are hard to resist. One factor in this hunger response is a hormone found in the stomach that makes us more vulnerable to tasty food smells, encouraging overeating and obesity. New research on the hormone ghrelin was published on Dec. 4, 2018, led by Dr. Alain Dagher’s lab at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University. Continue reading

Cell Biologist – University of Victoria

Faculty of Science, Department of Biology

University of Victoria

Faculty Position – Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cell Biology

The Department of Biology seeks applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Cell Biology. The successful applicant will be nominated by the University of Victoria for a Tier 2 CRC and, upon approval of the Chair by the CRC Secretariat, will be offered a tenure-track appointment at the appropriate rank. We are a diverse department that fosters a collegial and collaborative environment. Candidates who share this vision and can build tangible links to our department’s strengths in developmental biology, cellular neuroscience and/or evolutionary biology/genetics are especially encouraged to apply.

The successful nominee will have a PhD and/or postdoctoral training in cell biology. They will have demonstrated potential to develop an externally funded, independent and original research program that focuses on mechanisms of cell function. Candidates whose research has a component relating to human health are preferred.

Candidates will be evaluated against criteria set by the CRC program (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx#s7). In accordance with regulations for the CRC program, Tier 2 CRC nominees must be within 10 years of receiving their highest degree when they are nominated to the Chair (expected nomination by April 2019). However, 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 CRC assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please contact the Institutional Programs Office at the University of Victoria for more information (cfi@uvic.ca). Please consult the CRC website (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx) for full program information.

Candidates should submit a single PDF document that includes a cover letter outlining how the candidate meets the requirements of the position, a CV, and a 2-page description of their proposed research program (including how it complements current departmental strengths). Candidates must provide a 2-page statement on teaching experience and teaching philosophy, including how they have and will support diversity and inclusiveness in teaching and research. Candidates must also include the names and contact information for three referees.

All application documents should be complied into one pdf file and emailed to: Chantal Laliberté (biology@uvic.ca) with the subject heading “Cell Biology position”. For questions regarding the position please contact Dr. Barbara Hawkins, Chair of the Department of Biology via email (biochair@uvic.ca) or phone (250-721-7091).

Application deadline: The committee will begin reviewing applications on Feb 8, 2019, however, applications submitted after this date will still be considered until the position is filled.

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. We actively encourage applications from members of groups experiencing barriers to equity. Read our full equity statement here: www.uvic.ca/equitystatement.

The University of Victoria acknowledges the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and encourages applicants to explain in their application the impact that career interruptions may have had on their record of research achievement.

Faculty and Librarians at the University of Victoria are governed by the provisions of the Collective Agreement. Members are represented by the University of Victoria Faculty Association.

Persons with disabilities, who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process, may contact Francesca Pintucci, Faculty Relations Consultant in the Office of the VP Academic and Provost at (250) 472-5491 or frconsultant@uvic.ca. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence.

Contact information

Biology@uvic.ca — documents
bobchow@uvic.ca — questions

Posting end date:  2019/05/31

View a PDF version of this advertisement: CRCt2uvic

2018 Advocacy archives

CAN participation in the advocacy reception at SfN18

Jaideep Bains at the SfN advocacy reception
Jaideep Bains at the SfN advocacy reception

CAN President Jaideep Bains was invited to present CAN Advocacy efforts at the advocacy reception at SfN18 in San Diego, California.

CAN advocacy officer Julie Poupart presented a poster on Neuroscience advocacy strategies in Canada. View the poster here:


Opportunities to participate in #yourbudget2019 consultations of the the FINA committee of the House of Commons.

The permanent committee on Finances of the House of Commons of Canada have announced dates of the in-person consultations in advance of Budget 2019.

These are great opportunities to highlight the importance of increased funding for health research in Canada, and supporting the next generation of scientists.

The first is in Ottawa, Sept 26th at 6:45. Details here.

Other dates include

  • 1 October: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
  • 2 October: Saint John, New Brunswick
  • 3 October: Québec City, Quebec
  • 4 October: Oshawa, Ontario
  • 5 October: Toronto, Ontario
  • 15 October: Whitehorse, Yukon
  • 16 October: Victoria, British Columbia
  • 17 October: Edmonton, Alberta
  • 18 October: Winnipeg, Manitoba.

http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/FINA/news-release/10008777

Exact locations and hours are posted on the FINA committee website a few days in advance.

http://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/FINA


2018-08-03: Read CAN-ACN’s submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance for the consultations in advance of budget 2019, calling for increased investment in the three main granting councils of Canada and in the next generation of Canadian scientists.

https://can-acn.org/documents/2018/CAN-FINA-submission-final-20180803.pdf


SfN feature on CAN advocacy

Read an article in SfN’s Neuroscience Quarterly on CAN’s advocacy efforts: http://www.sfn.org/news-and-calendar/neuroscience-quarterly/summer-2018/can


Science Policy Session at CAN2018 in Vancouver
https://can-acn.org/science-policy-session


Response to budget 2018

Read our response to budget 2018 here:

https://can-acn.org/budget2018

Read our letter to Ministers Duncan, Morneau and Trudeau here:

https://can-acn.org/documents/2018/CAN-budget2018-thankyou-final.pdf

Read our thank you letter to our members:

Thank you to CAN members and colleagues