Dr. Carla Prado, in the Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science (AFNS) at the University of Alberta, invites applications for a PhD student position in the areas of clinical trials, nutrition, breast cancer, and aging. This position is based in-person at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The student will be co-supervised by Dr. Amy Kirkham in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Interested students should complete this form in lieu of emailing Dr. Prado or Kirkham. Only the top candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Timelines:
Preferred start date is September 2025 with a program application deadline of May 15, 2025.
A potential start date of January 2026 may be considered with a program application deadline of July 31, 2025.
Description of Duties:
The successful candidate will contribute to various ongoing studies with a primary focus on two 2-site randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with the Universities of Alberta and Toronto. This position will have a primary focus on the Edmonton site of the ‘TEST’ RCT, examining the effects of time-restricted eating combined with increased protein intake versus nutrition education on cardiovascular risk, physical, and cognitive function among older breast cancer survivors (PI: Kirkham). The secondary focus will include the ‘RESILIENCE’ RCT which is evaluating the effects of a digital health app on body composition and cardiometabolic health among endometrial cancer survivors (PI: Prado).
The candidate will work collaboratively with other team members, including postdocs, graduate students and staff from the Prado and Kirkham labs, to manage research ethics, participant recruitment, screening, and assessment, as well as oversee trial delivery components such as nutrition counselling and education. The candidate will lead the coordination and conduct of assessments in Edmonton for the TEST trial, which includes physical and cognitive function tests, MRI (brain, ectopic fat), blood pressure, vascular ultrasound, blood collection, Garmin smartwatch physical activity and sleep data.
The candidate will also lead and collaborate on the preparation of abstracts, manuscripts, and conference presentations. The PhD student will also provide mentorship and support to junior trainees in the lab ranging from undergraduate to Masters level, as well as to research staff.
Required qualifications:
- A four-year Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology, Human Physiology, Rehabilitation Sciences, Human Nutrition, or a closely related discipline involving quantitative human assessment.
- Master’s (thesis-based) degree in the above areas is preferred, but candidates without a Master’s who have strong research experience will be considered for a potential MSc transfer to PhD
- Grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 out of 4.0 or B+ on a letter-based scale in the last two years (approximately 60 credits) of post-secondary study.
- Current credentials as an Exercise Physiologist or Registered Dietitian constitute a significant asset.
- Exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
- Ability to work independently, while also working well as part of a collaborative team
- Experience with human data collection is required, with a preference for work involving clinical or otherwise vulnerable populations. Strong clinical or work experience in these populations may be considered.
- Assets include experience with imaging, indirect calorimetry, and other technical data collection approaches, as well as blood sample collection in humans.
- Must meet English language proficiency requirements
For more information about the program and admission requirements.