Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics – Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Digital Health

The University of British Columbia

The Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine, at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invite applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Digital Health.

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.

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.

The Department of Pediatrics, located at BC Children’s Hospital, has training programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and pursues research to make innovative advancements in knowledge and practice to improve health. The Department consists of physicians, scientists, allied health professionals and administrative staff trained in pediatric and allied child health disciplines. Department members include full-time, part-time and community-based pediatricians throughout the province. The Department’s mandate is to provide leadership and excellence in patient care, education, research and child advocacy.

The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics (APT) consists of more than 500 physicians, scientists and teaching faculty who provide undergraduate and graduate programs in pharmacology and therapeutics, postgraduate residency programs and fellowships in anesthesiology. The Department hosts 3 residency programs in anesthesiology and pain medicine and provides provincially-distributed training.

The BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, located at BC Children’s Hospital, is the largest research institute of its kind in Western Canada, where more than 300 Investigators form a dynamic and highly collaborative research community that aims to improve the health of children and their families. The successful candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with a large and diverse community of basic scientists and clinicians.

Reporting to the Heads of both the Departments of Pediatrics and of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, the incumbent will be expected to develop and maintain a strong, innovative and internationally-recognized research program focused on the development and evaluation of digital solutions that target diagnostics or therapeutics in point-of-care areas such as pain, complex care, and personalized clinical decision-making. This incumbent will have the potential to be a leader in their research field. As Chairholder, the individual will be expected to effectively supervise graduate students, collaborate with other faculty members, obtain external research funding, and teach in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics for undergraduate and graduate students. Clinician-Scientist will support clinical duties as a Pediatrician, Pediatric Subspecialist, or Pediatric Anesthesiologist, as appropriate. The potential of an applicant’s research program to complement and extend the existing research and teaching strengths of the department will be an important factor in selection. The successful applicant will also hold a concurrent appointment as an Investigator within the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD, MD/PhD or MD with specialty certifications in Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, or a related area. Clinician Scientists must hold a medical license, or the ability to hold a medical license in Canada to practice as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist or Pediatrician. If appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, the successful candidate will have demonstrated evidence of ability in teaching and will be expected to participate in the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate teaching activities of the unit. The incumbent will also show demonstrated ability in scholarly activity and will be expected to provide service to the University and the broader academic and professional community. If appointed at the rank of Associate Professor, Tenure, the successful candidate must demonstrate evidence of successful teaching and ability to direct graduate students, evidence of sustained and productive scholarly activity, and must be willing to participate in the affairs of the Department and the University. The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and interact with empathy, understanding and, respect of diverse and divergent perspectives and behaviours.

This position is located within a health-care facility. Therefore, this position requires successful verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by the provincial health mandate.

The successful candidate will contribute to fostering an environment that promotes inclusivity and embodies values of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration, and equity. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice are essential to academic excellence, as well as to fostering an inclusive community for voices that have been historically underrepresented or discouraged. 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 Department/School.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please submit your application online at: https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/ubcfacultyjobs. An application package should include:

1. A cover letter (1 page)
2. The main application, containing the following sections:
   1. Most significant contributions statement (1 page)
   2. Research program proposal (5 pages, excluding references)
   3. Teaching and mentorship statement (1 page)
   4. Equity, diversity, and inclusion statement of the applicant’s current or planned contributions to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic, professional, or community contexts (1 page)
3. A full curriculum vitae (no page limit)
4. The names of three references for Assistant Professor and four arm’s length references for Associate Professor.

Please direct applications to:

Co-Chairs: Dr. Steven Miller, Head Department of Pediatrics and
Dr. Peter Choi, Interim Head Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics
c/o Carolyne Bliss
Email: Carolyne.bliss@bcchr.ca

Subject Line: CRC Tier 2 in digital health

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact Human Resources Manager, Harjit Gill, at hgill2@cw.bc.ca.

Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2023, and continue until the position is filled, with the goal to enter the Spring 2024 national competition. The anticipated start date for this position is October 1, 2024, or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., maternity leave, 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
[https://research.ubc.ca/federal-research-chair-programs/canada-research-chairs/ubcs-commitment-equity-diversity-and], 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), 26(c) and 26(e) 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 restricted process, and to advance accessibility, equity, and fair adjudication in this process. Data will be collected by the Equity & Inclusion Office and shared confidentially with the search committee. All responses will be stored in a secure database.

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, and is essential to fostering an outstanding work environment. 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 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 accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request for applicants who are short-listed. Please contact please contact Harjit Gill, Senior Manager Human Resources, Department of Pediatrics, at hgill2@cw.bc.ca.

To learn more about UBC’s Center for Workplace Accessibility, visit the website here https://hr.ubc.ca/CWA.

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

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 11,000 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 9,000 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 UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of thexʷm əθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.

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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