Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Position Description:

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure-track position, at the rank of Assistant Professor, in the area of Biochemistry.

We are seeking outstanding candidates whose research interests will complement existing strengths in the Department. Candidates should have demonstrated expertise in biochemical approaches, such as enzymology, structural biology, biophysics, or other relevant methods. The successful applicant is expected to establish an innovative and sustainable research program that will integrate with, and expand, the research strengths of the Department, and offer new avenues for collaboration.

Qualifications include a Ph.D., a preferred minimum of three years of relevant postdoctoral experience, a proven record of research excellence evident in high-quality publications and demonstrated potential to establish a competitive independent research program and secure external research funding. The successful candidate will join a dynamic, multidisciplinary, research-intensive department with 40 faculty members who study diverse biological systems at levels from molecules to cells that include Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Neuroscience, and contributes to programs in Biological Science, Biomedical Science, and Plant Science. Faculty within the College of Biological Science are members of the Advanced Analysis Centre, which houses state-of-the-art equipment that include facilities for solution- and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electron and confocal microscopy, and genomics. The candidate would have access to shared biophysical and structural equipment including polarizing fluorimeters, isothermal titration calorimeter, differential scanning calorimeter, a CD spectrometer, dynamic light scattering instrument, and a crystallization robot and plate hotel. Graduate student training activities are focused on M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology, but faculty members also participate in cross-department programs such as Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Neuroscience, Plant Science, and Toxicology.

The successful candidate must also demonstrate the potential to provide effective and innovative teaching in the discipline of biochemistry to a diverse population of undergraduate and graduate students.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9), critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating a modern academic community. Willingness to work collaboratively with faculty and to mentor students from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds is essential. The Department is a collegial, inclusive, and welcoming environment that values diversity and wellness among our members as key ingredients in our collective success. Therefore, the University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

Assessment of applications will begin on December 12, 2022, and will continue until the position is filled. Interested candidates should submit the following materials as a single PDF file: (1) a cover letter indicating area(s) of research focus; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) an overview of proposed research program (max. 1500 words; see below for additional details); (4) a teaching statement (max. 1000 words; see below for additional details); (5) a separate statement describing the strategies you will use to promote inclusion and support a diverse community in your research lab and classrooms (max. 500 words); and (6) contact information of three references.

Applications should be sent by email to:

  Dr. Marc Coppolino
  Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  College of Biological Science
  University of Guelph
  Guelph, ON N1G 2W1

  Email: mcbchair@uoguelph.ca 

The overview of proposed research statement should be a maximum length of two pages. This statement should:

• Detail the candidate’s specific area of expertise, with a description of their contributions to the field. Provide a detailed plan of their future independent research program, and how this program might be leveraged to obtain extramural funding. Indicate how the candidate’s research program will synergize with the Department’s research environment.

The teaching statement should be a maximum length of one page. This statement should:

• Detail how the candidate’s teaching facilitates student learning, with a description of teaching philosophy. Include specific reference to which upper-year biochemistry courses (BIOC*3570, BIOC*4050, BIOC*4520, BIOC*4540 and BIOC*4580) interests the candidate and how they would contribute.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion  is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.