The Ottoy & Goubran labs at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, are seeking a motivated Research Assistant to work on a range of computational-focused projects at the intersection of Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, and brain connectivity. Our interdisciplinary teams lead the computational and neuroimaging analyses for several cutting-edge imaging studies and clinical trials at Sunnybrook focused on Alzheimer’s disease. You will be involved with a broad range of tasks, including the computational analysis of our recently funded CIHR project (focused on developing new imaging biomarkers and studying the intersection between immune-vascular dysfunction and pathology in Alzheimer’s disease). Other tasks will include processing/statistical analysis of medical images (MRI and PET), optimizing computational pipelines, building an imaging database, maintaining repositories, leveraging cutting-edge techniques to analyze biomarkers (including 7T MRI), and contributing to publications. We collaborate with a diverse and multidisciplinary team of researchers, including computer scientists, physicists, neurologists, radiologists, and psychologists, within a dynamic and collegial environment.

Main responsibilities:

1. Management and analysis of human neuroimaging data, including structural, functional, and diffusion MRI, and PET. You will organize and maintain neuroimaging datasets of multiple cohorts (following standards like BIDS).
2. Developing and optimizing neuroimaging pipelines (using Python and Bash) and computational tools (Python and R) to analyze data and generate figures from various dementia cohorts, including those from our international collaborators.
3. Contributing to research projects, international collaborations, grant writing, and publishing papers.
4. Presenting at conferences and workshops.   

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree in computer science, biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, computational neuroscience, medical biophysics, or a related computational discipline (M.Sc. preferred).
• Computer programming experience, with demonstrated skills in Python. 
• Knowledge of Linux, including shell scripting (Bash).
• Working knowledge of neuroimaging software and toolkits (e.g., Freesurfer, FSL, ITK, MRtrix, fMRIPrep) - if no knowledge in this domain, please explain your interest in the cover letter.
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Strong academic performance (will request transcripts).

Assets:

• Experience with High-Performance Computing (Slurm), Apptainer, Docker, virtual environments.
•  Experience with systems architecture, software packaging, version control systems (e.g., Git) for computational pipeline design.
•  Prior research experience (course-based allowed).
• Experience with biostatistics/statistical analysis in Python/R or equivalent software.

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. Salary levels are in line with experience (46,000-60,000 CAD annually), including health and dental benefits.

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 lab website, AICONS lab
• Temerty Faculty of Medicine
• Black Centre for Brain Resilience & Recovery

To apply for this position, please follow the link:

Send a (1) cover letter (max. 1/2 page), (2) Curriculum Vitae/Resume. Three references, (un-)official transcript, and example code may be requested if selected for interview.

Deadline for application: Until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.