Postdoctoral Scientist

We are seeking highly motivated scientific professional experienced in molecular virology and immunology. In this position, the successful candidate will play an integral part in Trudeau’s long-standing commitment to develop novel therapies for diseases caused by viral pathogens. You will be supporting several projects focused on development of novel therapeutics and technology platforms targeting the coronavirus -SARS-CoV-2, and tick-borne viruses with the ultimate goal of bringing novel drugs into the clinic. The candidate will join a dynamic, multidisciplinary, cross-functional team focused on studying virus-host interactions and drug discovery. This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career.

Responsibilities: To independently design, implement and report in vitro and in vivo studies. To make independent and innovative intellectual contributions to advance the program. To interact and communicate with other groups as part of a diverse multidisciplinary team. The candidate will be expected to share and present research results in program meetings and to author appropriate documents (reports, standard operation procedures, grants and publications). In addition, there will be opportunities to mentor and supervise junior research technicians.

Preferred Qualifications

To be considered for this position you must have a Ph.D in virology or immunology plus 0-2 years of highly relevant lab experience in RNA virology, vector biology, molecular and cellular biology. The qualified individual will have a strong background in in vitro and in vivo models of disease, virology, and immunology. Strong track-record of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, with at least 2 first author research manuscripts. This is a lab-based, hands-on position and is a great opportunity for the right candidate to grow their expertise and learn many facets of drug development in a fast-paced environment.

Desired skill sets:

• Demonstrate a detailed fundamental knowledge in molecular biology and molecular virology, particularly RNA virology, as they apply to vaccine and drug discovery and development.
• Have practical knowledge in molecular cloning, molecular and biological characterization, virus-host interactions, or viral pathogenesis.
• Experience in developing and designing in vitro high-throughput drug screening platforms.
• Designing and performing in vivo drug efficacy studies.
• Plan, design and execute experiments to support the current drug discovery portfolio.
• Independent, self-starting and supportive of team-based research.
• Have the ability to understand, interpret, and communicate complex scientific data to determine next steps.
• Have the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet timelines while maintaining attention to detail and setting high performance standards.
• Strong technical cell-based assay skills including: primary cell culture, transfections of RNA, DNA and other functional cell based assays (eg. Innate cell biology, reporter assays, virus replicon systems)

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Experience with RNA virus reverse genetic system.
• Experience with gene editing techniques (e.g. CRISPR)
• Work experience in BSL3 lab.
• Experience with 3-D tissue models (ALI cultures) and organoid model is a plus.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery processes, including small/large molecule development is desirable.