The NRC Advantage

Great Minds. One Goal. Canada's Success.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development. We collaborate with over 70 colleges, universities and hospitals annually, work with 800 companies on their projects, and provide advice or funding to over 8000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) each year.

We bring together the brightest minds to deliver tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians and people around the world. And now, we want to partner with you.  Let your expertise and inspirations make an impact by joining the NRC.

At NRC, we know diversity enables excellence in research and innovation. We are committed to a diverse and representative workforce, an open and inclusive work environment, and contributing to a more inclusive Canadian innovation system. 

NRC welcomes all qualified applicants and encourages candidates to self-declare as members of the following designated employment equity groups: women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Please advise of any accommodation measures required to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. They are available to all candidates for further assessment. Related information received will be addressed confidentially.

The Program

The NRC’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program offers PDFs access to unique world-class facilities and the opportunity to work alongside multi-disciplinary teams of expert researchers and technicians on projects of critical importance to Canada. PDFs will carry out research on innovative research projects, with opportunities for career development (publications and/or industry interaction).

PDFs will be offered appointments to the staff of the National Research Council on a term basis and will be offered salaries and benefits currently available to Research Officers. Salaries commensurate with experience are taxable and subject to other deductions. As a guide, the current annual PhD recruiting rate is $74,230. In addition PDFs will be allocated a travel fund to support their work.

Project Title

Mathematical modeling of lipidome causality in dementia development risk and resilience

Your Challenge

Aberrant lipid metabolism is linked genetically to risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease with Dementia (PDD), and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). It is not known how lipid metabolism mechanistically contributes to cognitive decline nor whether onset of dementia can be delayed by intervening in lipid metabolism. We hypothesize that specific disruptions in phospholipid and sphingolipid metabolic networks act synergistically with α-synuclein (α-syn) and amyloid-β (Aβ) to elicit cognitive decline. Machine learning models have been explored to determine diagnostic markers and therapy targets however they were not able to provide understanding of causal relationships with the lipidome. In this project we will be working on the development of mathematical methods for the determination of causal relationships between lipid molecules and disease development for assessment of early disease markers and targets for treatment before significant brain damage is incurred. Project is collaboration between NRC and University of Ottawa.

Education

Ph.D. in applied mathematics, computer science, machine learning, bioinformatics, computational biology, theoretical physical chemistry or physics.  

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

Experience

• Experience in programming with Python, Matlab or R.
• Experience in mathematical modeling, machine learning & inference and causality analysis.
• Experience in metabolomics and lipidomics analysis would be considered an asset.

Language Requirements

English

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Condition of Employment

• Reliability Status

Who is eligible?

• Fellowships will be for two years contingent on satisfactory progress achieved during the first year.
• Candidates should have obtained a PhD (or equivalent) within the past three years (PhD received on or after July 1, 2020) or expect to complete their PhD within 6 months of appointment.
• Fellows will work in a lab under the direct supervision of an NRC researcher.

Application Requirements

In order to be considered for the program please include the following in your application, please note that you will need to attach the required documents as per the list below when submitting your application. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from searches.

• Resume
• Statement of Interest in the project (maximum one page in length)
• PhD Transcript - an electronic copy is sufficient, it does not have to be an official version.
• List of Publications

When submitting your application you can include the required documents in any attachment field such as «Second language evaluation results» or «Other attachments»

In addition, applicants who best meet the requirements of the position will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation at a later stage of the competition process.

Relocation

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

Compensation

The intent of this hiring action is to staff through the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program at the RCO-2/AsRO level, which is an early-career level position with a salary range of $74,230 to $103,093.  

NOTE: Salary determination will be based on a review of the candidate’s expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level.  As a guide, the current annual PhD recruiting rate is $74,230.

NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including comprehensive health and dental plans, pension and insurance plans, vacation and other leave entitlements.

Notes

• Fellowships are open to nationals of all countries, although preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.