One of Canada's Top 10 Research Hospitals, Sunnybrook Research Institute is developing innovations in care for the more than 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for annually.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is the research enterprise of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Research spans three Toronto-based campuses, eight programs and three scientific platforms. Our main aims are to understand and prevent disease, and to develop treatments that enhance and extend life. Our vision is to invent the future of health care. Each year, we conduct about $100 million in research across 500,000 square feet, including in the world’s first Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics.

Position Summary

The Research Associate will lead the day-to-day execution of a translational medical device program, including focused ultrasound transducer design, system prototyping, bench-top and preclinical testing, data analysis, scientific writing, lab operations, and preparation for clinical studies. The role integrates technical leadership and operational management to coordinate cross-functional activities, maintain program momentum, and drive progress toward clinical translation.  The role is expected to evolve as the research program grows, with opportunities for increasing leadership responsibilities in laboratory management, trainee mentorship, and program development.

Summary of Duties:

• Lead the design, prototyping, optimization, and testing of focused ultrasound transducers and related system components supporting ophthalmic applications.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute bench-top and preclinical testing activities, including study preparation, experimental design, troubleshooting, and data collection.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data to support technical decision-making, system refinement, and study planning.
• Contribute to scientific writing and editing, including manuscripts, protocols, technical reports, presentations, and other research or internal documents.
• Contribute to development of research proposals and grant applications, including drafting technical sections and supporting preliminary data generation
• Drive system optimization and workflow improvement to enhance treatment efficacy, safety, reproducibility, and overall readiness for clinical translation.
• Support material requisition, equipment coordination, inventory planning, and lab space management to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.
• Manage project timelines, track milestones and deliverables, identify bottlenecks, and coordinate priorities across parallel technical and research workstreams.
• Support preparation for clinical studies, including technical documentation, workflow development, experimental planning, and coordination of preclinical and translational deliverables.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, including clinicians, scientists, engineers, collaborators, platform staff, and industry partners, to align technical progress with program needs.
• Mentor and supervise trainees involved in experimental and technical aspects of the program

Qualifications:

• PhD in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, medical biophysics, or a related field, with 3+ years of relevant experience in medical device development, preclinical research, or translational biomedical engineering.
• Demonstrated experience in device prototyping, bench-top testing, and experimental design.
• Strong data analysis, scientific writing, and technical documentation skills.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary projects involving engineering, research, and clinical stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage timelines, competing priorities, and operational details.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting translational or early clinical-stage medical device programs.
• Experience in hospital-based or academic research environments.
• Project management training or certification.
• Familiarity with quality systems, SOP development, and technical documentation practices.
• Experience working across engineering, preclinical, and clinical teams.