Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) in mRNA Molecular Therapeutics

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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 School of Biomedical Engineering at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invites applications for a full-time faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure track).

The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is a partnership between the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, established in 2017. The School is a nucleus for education and training, research, and innovation in biomedical engineering, creating new knowledge, new academic and training programs, and fostering translation and innovation. Its vision is to transform health and healthcare for all, achieved through innovative research and education at the convergence of engineering, medicine and biology. Through collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary approaches and building on UBC’s academic and research excellence, the School of Biomedical Engineering aspires to be a global leader in biomedical engineering research, education and translation. The SBME has two locations on Vancouver’s campus, the Gordon B Shrum building and the Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). For more information about the School of Biomedical Engineering, please visit https://www.bme.ubc.ca/.

Reporting to the Director of the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, the successful candidate will lead an independent research program with potential to achieve international recognition for leadership and research excellence in their field, participate in graduate and undergraduate teaching and mentoring in biomedical engineering and related topics, and provide service within the University and to both the academic and broader community. They will work collaboratively in diverse groups to bring forward strategic initiatives for the SBME and the Faculties. Research areas of particular interest include:
•Next-generation RNA modalities: Expertise in design and delivery of RNA beyond mRNA vaccines (self-amplifying RNA, circular RNA, programmable RNA switches, RNA-editing systems).
•Delivery and targeting: Engineering novel nanoparticles, biomaterials or cell-targeting strategies that overcome existing barriers for RNA therapeutics in diverse tissues/cells (beyond liver and muscle).
•Synthetic/computation biology integration: Use of AI-driven or computational design tools for optimizing RNA stability, structure, translation, immune evasion and/or regulatory functions.
•Biomanufacturing of RNA and delivery systems: Development of scalable and automated manufacturing approaches for RNA modalities and nanoparticles, enabling efficient translation to the clinic.

The successful candidate will hold an Ph.D. or equivalent, have a strong background in bioengineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering and/or related fields, and demonstrated ability in scholarly activity with experience in collaborative and convergent research at the interface of engineering and molecular/cellular biology. The successful candidate will have demonstrated evidence of ability in teaching and scholarly activity with the ability to effectively communicate and interact with empathy and understanding, and is respectful of diverse and divergent perspectives and behaviors. Proposal of an original, innovative research program of high quality and novelty, a collaborative team-based approach to building a successful research program and team, and having potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers are important characteristics of desirable candidates. In addition, 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.

Applicants must hold a Canadian professional engineering (P.Eng.) licence or be eligible to obtain a P.Eng. license or Limited Licence and consequently register for one with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Individuals with quantitative science backgrounds such as Math, Quantitative Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Physics are also encouraged to apply if they are eligible for a Limited Licence with Engineers and Geoscientists BC (see https://www.egbc.ca/Registration/Individual-Registrants/How-to-Apply/Professional-Registration/Professional-Licensee for details on the Limited Licence).

The expected salary for this position is $145,000 to $155,000 CAD per annum. 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.

Candidates who bring diverse perspectives and lived experiences are encouraged to apply as we strive to enhance diversity, inclusiveness, socio-cultural representation, and perspective of the School. An application package should include:
•curriculum vitae
•a statement of teaching interests and accomplishments (up to 2 pages);
•a five-year research program plan (up to 4 pages);
•a brief statement of the applicant’s current or planned contributions to advancing anti-racism, equity,diversity, decolonization, Indigenization and inclusion in academic, professional, or community contexts (1-2 pages).
•and the names and contact information for three referees.

Applications should be submitted online at https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/ubcfacultyjobs (JR#22323).

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Human Resources Manager at [email protected].

Review of applications will begin on November 25th, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1st, 2026 or upon a date to be mutually agreed.

We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to employment equity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome applications from candidates belonging to historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups: Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and trans and non-binary people.

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 Carmen de Hoog via email at [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 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.

The Faculty of Applied Science includes all UBC Engineering activities at both the UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan, as well as the Schools of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Community and Regional Planning and Nursing. The Faculty was one of UBC’s three founding faculties, admitting some of the University’s first students in engineering in 1915. The Faculty includes over 300 full-time faculty members and more than 8,600 students.

The Faculty of Applied Science comprises a unique constellation of disciplines and is committed to creating lasting change by discovering and applying knowledge. Our core purpose is to discover, design, and innovate, provide unwavering top-tier education, and champion a community of responsible professionals devoted to serving a thriving, sustainable and healthy society. Our work and the professional disciplines we represent span the entire human-centred built environment. We represent innovation at all scales from nanoscale electronic devices that power communications to the design of entire cities.

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.

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