Applications are accepted via this web form (see below) and will not be accepted via email. Only applicants who are invited for interviews will be notified.
Expected start date: flexible
Area of Research: Exercise, diet and cardiometabolic disease (including cancer)
Description of duties: Dr. Amy Kirkham, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) and co-lead of the ‘Cardiometabolic, Oncology, Diet and Exercise in Women’ (CODE-W) research centre at the University of Toronto, invites applications for a 1-year (renewable) postdoctoral fellowship in the area of lifestyle interventions and cardiometabolic disease. The successful candidate will be involved in various ongoing studies involving women with or at risk for breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, depending on experience and interest.
Study types include randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational, and epidemiological. CODE-W is a fully equipped state-of-the-art laboratory where assessment approaches include cardiac, peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular ultrasound, arterial tonometry, MRI scans of ectopic fat (viscera, liver, and intramuscular), the heart and brain, DEXA scan/Bodpod/bioelectrical impedance assessment of body composition, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, venipuncture, continuous glucose monitoring, accelerometer or physical activity trackers, and dietary record assessments. CODE-W also has a state-of-the-art wet lab for analysis of blood biomarkers and skeletal muscle biopsy with oversight from co-lead Dr. Jenna Gillen.
All projects in the lab follow a strong “team science” approach involving various trainees (undergraduate to postdoctoral), study staff (research coordinator, assistants, and associates) and both clinical (especially oncology and cardiology) and academic collaborators. Opportunities to lead publications and to assist with grant writing will be provided and encouraged.
Opportunities exist for candidates with registered dietitian or exercise physiology credentials to develop and administer nutrition or exercise interventions, respectively for clinical (cancer) or at risk (metabolic dysfunction) populations.
Salary: $50,000-$60,000 commensurate with qualifications. Application for external funding is required (with support provided) and upon success, top-up funding would be considered.
Required qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Exercise physiology, Human physiology, Rehabilitation Sciences, or a closely related discipline involving Human Nutrition and/or Physiology.
- Current credentials as an Exercise Physiologist or Registered Dietitian are a major asset
- Demonstrated experience with writing and publishing scientific manuscripts.
- Experience with imaging, indirect calorimetry, other technical data collection approaches or blood sample collection in humans are required (at least one required, but the more experience the better)
- Strong track record of scholarly research productivity and ability to independently perform patient recruitment, research data collection and analysis
- Intermediate skill in understanding and application of statistics
- Expertise in Python (preferred) and/or R is preferred; however candidates who are interested and highly motivated to learn computer programming will be considered.
- Exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
- Ability to work independently, while also working well as part of a collaborative team
- Experience providing mentorship, direction, and support to junior researchers/trainees