Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Cell Biology and Physiology

Academic

Job Category

Faculty Bargaining

Job Title

Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Cell Biology and Physiology

Department

Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences | Faculty of Medicine | Provost and VP Academic (Edwin D Moore)

Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

The expected salary for this position is $150,000 - $170,000 per annum commensurate with experience.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The Departments of Cellular and Physiological Sciences and The Department of Mathematics at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invite applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Cell Biology and Physiology.

Tier 2 Chairs are five-year positions, renewable once, intended for exceptional emerging scholars who have the potential to lead in their fields. Applicants must hold or be eligible to hold a full-time, tenure-stream appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor at UBC. Normally, applicants for Tier 2 Chairs should be no more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree at the time of Chair nomination. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Effective March 1, 2020, research interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are recognized and may be counted as an eligible delay.  

The Canada Research Chair Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan guides the University’s efforts to sustain the participation of people with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized people, women, and people from minoritized gender identity groups, and thus pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights code, UBC is currently restricted in the recruitment, selection, and nomination of CRCs to members of these groups.

Position Overview

We seek an emerging research leader for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair position in Mathematical and Computational Modelling in Cell Biology and Physiology. The successful candidate will be eligible to hold a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, tenure, in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences (Faculty of Medicine) and the Department of Mathematics (Faculty of Science) at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Research Focus and Expertise

The Chair will develop an internationally competitive research program in mathematical and computational modelling at the cell and/or tissue scale, motivated by, and focused on, emerging data and experimental challenges. This may include biochemical, biomechanical and biophysical modelling, image analysis and its applications to understanding biological mechanisms, and/or the development of computational methods to support biological research. The successful candidate may run their own wet lab or work primarily as a computational/theoretical scientist.

The successful candidate will enhance UBC’s growing research community in computational mathematics applied to cell biology and physiology. We seek an applicant who has a track record or is keen to develop cross-disciplinary collaborations with experimentalists and modelers in both departments, and bring modern data-driven computational modelling approaches to study cutting-edge cell biology and/or physiology.

Responsibilities 

The Tier 2 Chair is expected to:  

• Develop an internationally recognized research program in mathematical and computational modelling in cell biology, biomechanics and/or physiology.  

• Provide mentorship to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in mathematical modelling of biological systems. 

• Attract and manage external research funding to develop and support an innovative research program. 

• Collaborate across disciplines in areas such as biological modeling, image analysis, data-driven modelling, high-performance scientific computing, and development of mathematical/computational methods and tools.

• Teach and supervise undergraduate and graduate students.  

• Engage in academic service and outreach.

Required Qualifications 

Candidates must have: 

• A PhD in Mathematics, Physics, Biological Engineering, or a closely related field, as part of the UBC requirement.  

• A developing record of research excellence in data-driven mathematical and computational modelling at the cell and/or tissue scale.   

• A strong commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring at both the graduate and undergraduate levels; experience is preferred but not required. 

• The successful candidate will demonstrate a willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own, and a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

• Experience in engaging with broad scientific communities and interdisciplinary collaborations.  

Application Procedure 

Applicants should submit the following materials via the MathJobs online portal(link here):  

• Cover letter outlining interest in the position.  

• Curriculum vitae including a full list of publications.  

• Research statement describing current work and future research plans directed at collaborating across disciplines (3-5 pages). 

• Teaching and mentorship statement detailing teaching philosophy and student supervision experience (if applicable) (1 page). 

• Diversity statement describing your lived background experience (if comfortable), and your past experience and future plans regarding working with a diverse student body, and contributing to a culture of equity and inclusion (1 page). 

• References – names and contact information of three referees for the Assistant Professor rank and four arm’s length referees for the Associate Professor rank.

The Faculty of Medicine is committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries, commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate. At UBC, in addition to a generous benefit package and highly valued pension plan, faculty members also have access to a comprehensive range of leaves, services, resources and career development opportunities. For more information, please visit: https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc.

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Human Resources Manager at Zaira dot Khan at UBC doc ca.

Application Deadline: September 15, 2025. The successful applicant will be required to prepare a CRC package by the UBC internal deadline of August 21, 2026, for the CRC deadline of October 20, 2026. The earliest anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2026, or upon a later date to be mutually agreed upon. This offer of employment is contingent upon successful application and receipt of the applicable CRC award.

The Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences 

The Department(www.cellphys.ubc.ca) is internationally recognized for using diverse approaches and model systems to investigate fundamental cellular and physiological mechanisms underlying human health and disease. The Department has particular strengths in cardiovascular physiology, cell biology, cancer, development, diabetes, endocrinology, neuroscience and stem cell biology, with translational research projects in therapeutics and their delivery. The Department is located in the modern, highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment of the Life Sciences Institute (www.lsi.ubc.ca)  

The Department of Mathematics  

The Department (www.math.ubc.ca) is recognized as one of the largest and strongest in Canada, with research strengths across many fields of pure and applied mathematics. The Mathematics Department has close connections with many other units in the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Medicine, and others on campus, through its extensive teaching and research activities. UBC hosts the headquarters of the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences (pims.math.ca) which supports mathematical research activities locally and across Western Canada.  

In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.

Nominations are subject to review by the CRC Secretariat, and appointment as a CRC is conditional upon their approval. Consult the Canada Research Chairs website http://www.chairs.gc.ca for full program information, including further details on eligibility.

In accordance with UBC’s CRC Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Action Plan, and pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights code, the selection will be restricted to members of the following designated groups: people with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized people, women, and people from minoritized gender identity groups.  Applicants to CRC positions are asked to complete this equity survey [https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WJHol7SfPxRMu9] as part of the application, and candidates from these groups must self-identify as belonging to one or more of the designated equity groups to be considered for the position. Because the search is limited to those self-identifying as members of designated equity groups, candidates must also provide their name to be considered.

Personal information is collected under the authority of sections 26(a) and 26(c) of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information you provide will only be used to determine whether you qualify for participation in this hiring process. Data will be collected by the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office and only the names of those who identify as people with disabilities, Indigenous people, racialized people, women, and people from minoritized gender identity groups be shared with the search committee.

 

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are appreciated, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request. Please contact Zaira dot Khan at ubc dot ca. If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/workplace-accessibility/centre-workplace-accessibility or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.To learn more about how the University is working to create a more inclusive working and learning environment, please see the UBC Inclusion Action Plan’s goals related to recruitment and retention at: https://equity.ubc.ca/stear-framework-and-roadmap-for-change/

With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and its distributed programs, which include four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of First Nations Peoples and communities around the province.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty - comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 600 full-time academic and over 12,000 clinical faculty members - is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

UBC - One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.