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.

The Ottoy & Goubran labs at the Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), University of Toronto, are seeking a motivated postdoctoral fellow to lead a fully-funded, innovative project at the intersection of Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, and neuroinflammation. You will leverage cutting-edge biomarkers and neuroimaging techniques, including 7T MRI, in a dynamic, collegial environment. The main project will focus on employing structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, both at high- and ultra-high-resolution MRI, to study vascular and neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. We will leverage existing large dementia cohorts, as well as a novel cohort to be acquired at SRI. Our labs consist of a diverse, multidisciplinary team of engineers, neuroscientists, and computer scientists. This dynamic and collegial research environment offers opportunities to contribute to the development of pioneering computational and imaging tools that will be used to understand and treat neurological diseases. The candidate will work independently and collaboratively with staff (software developers, research assistants, and technicians), other postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students in both labs. We closely collaborate with a diverse and multidisciplinary team of researchers, including physicists, neurologists, radiologists, psychiatrists, and neurosurgeons. We encourage new approaches and ideas, as well as independent projects that align with current studies that involve immune-vascular contributions to dementia. This position is supported by a CIHR-funded project.

SRI is the research arm of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. It is a world-renowned research institute known for developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic imaging technologies. SRI employs over 300 scientists and clinician-scientists, along with more than 1,300 research staff. Working with scientists are more than 600 highly skilled biomedical and research personnel, as well as over 450 postdoctoral fellows and other trainees. SRI possesses state-of-the-art imaging facilities and computational resources, including one 1.5T (GE) and three 3T (GE, Philips, Siemens) research-dedicated MRI systems, a research MRI-PET system (Siemens), a system for MRI-guided focused ultrasound brain treatments, a fully electronically steered phased array system for MRI-guided focused ultrasound for extracranial treatments, a combined X-ray / MRI suite dedicated to research on image-guided interventions, a research CT scanner, a 7T small-bore MRI system, a vertical 7T NMR system, a GE Spinlab polarizer for 13C MRI research, a wide range of ultrasound machines, and a local HPC system. A new 7T human MRI system has recently been installed (the first in Toronto) and will be used in our projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead study design, data acquisition, and analyses for a novel project on early-stage fluid and imaging biomarkers for cerebral amyloid angiopathy at 3T and 7T MRI. (lay summary here)
• Develop neuroimaging pipelines and computational tools to analyze data from various dementia cohorts, including those from our international collaborators.
• Write scientific manuscripts and fellowship applications. You will develop key skills for academic independence, including grant writing, supervision of students/staff, and presenting at international conferences.
• Present findings at international conferences and workshops.
• Collaborate on various other projects focused on neurodegenerative disorders in the labs.  

Required Qualifications/Special Skills: 

• PhD obtained within the last 5 years or a graduating PhD candidate in computer science, biomedical engineering, biophysics, neuroscience, or a related discipline
• Experience with neuroimaging (MRI and PET)
• Strong understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and/or cerebral small vessel disease pathophysiology
• Proficiency with programming languages (Python/R/MATLAB, Bash) and imaging software (e.g., Freesurfer, FSL, Mrtrix, Fmriprep).
• Strong research record, including multiple first-author papers and presentations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively

This is a fully funded position. Stipend levels are in line with experience and CIHR stipend levels, including health and dental benefits. A 2-year minimum commitment is required.

In accordance with Canadian Employment and Immigration guidelines, applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, this advertisement is directed initially to Canadian citizens and permanent residents; however, everyone is encouraged to apply.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation for disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate this in your cover letter.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is strongly committed to inclusion and diversity within its community and welcomes all applicants, including but not limited to: visible minorities, all religions and ethnicities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Links

• University of Toronto
• Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Dr. Ottoy’s research profile and spotlight
• Dr. Goubran’s website of the Artificial Intelligence and COmputational NeuroSciences (AICONS) lab