Medicine and Health Sciences – Victor Philip Dahdaleh Chair in Genomic Medicine – McGill University

TT RL# L001690

Position description:

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) of McGill University is seeking to recruit an internationally recognised scientist with a track record in innovation and research leadership as a member of the newly created Victor Philip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine at McGill University. The successful candidate will be appointed in the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University. A tenure-track position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor will be available for the selected candidate. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.  The Institute and Chair are supported in part by generous donations from the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation.

The Chairholder will create a new multidisciplinary research team within the Institute contributing to the Institute’s goal of integrating large-scale biology, quantitative methodologies and computation to address grand challenges in immunology, inflammation, host-pathogen interactions and other areas of biology and medicine with the overarching vision of improving human health and reducing disease burden across the lifespan. The Chairholder will foster a collaborative environment with other members of the Institute to harness the unprecedented opportunities afforded by recent advances in genetics, genomics, information? technologies, and data sciences to create breakthroughs in our understanding of the molecular basis of disease, thus facilitating improved risk stratification, targeted prevention, and effective therapies to improve human health.

The Chairholder and team will be housed within the Institute’s laboratories, located within the medical research complex on McGill’s main campus, and will benefit from strong collaborative links with other McGill researchers within the Department of Human Genetics, and across the School of Biomedical Sciences on campus and at McGill-affiliated hospitals. The Chairholder will benefit from world-class research facilities for genomics computation, high-quality phenotyping, intra-vital imaging, metabolomics, genome editing, animal facilities including containment level 3 laboratories, and access to specialised infrastructure for experimental therapeutics and clinical trials at the McGill-affiliated hospitals. The Institute receives core funding in its role as a national facility for genomics, epigenomics and computational methods, and for its facilities for the study of infectious and inflammatory diseases housed in part at the McGill Research Centre for Complex Traits. It also hosts the Centre for Genomics and Policy, which addresses policy issues arising from genomics and other areas of biomedical research. The Chairholder will benefit from close interactions with a major new program, “DNA to RNA” (https://dossiers.mcgill.ca/d2r/), led by McGill and funded by the Canadian government, to make Canada a world leader in the development of genomics-guided RNA-based therapies.

Qualifications and education requirements:

Applicants for the Chair should possess a PhD, MD, or equivalent, and have scientific expertise and experience in human genetics, genomics, quantitative analysis, immunology and/or systems approaches in medicine, as demonstrated by a strong publication record in internationally recognised scientific journals, success in obtaining funding from public and private sources, and leadership roles in large, interdisciplinary projects. Experience working within or collaborating with pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries will be an asset given that an important goal of the Institute is to translate research results into improved health.

The successful applicant will have the demonstrated capacity to create, inspire and coordinate inclusive teams in which members are from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. The Chairholder will have the skills to promote a shared vision that will engage and motivate collaborators and stakeholders in support of the program, including international partnerships. A demonstrated ability to work well with internal and external partners and potential stakeholders, such as funding agencies, charities, patient advocacy groups, private companies and the public, will be an important criterion for this position. The Chairholder will contribute to innovative training in genomic medicine at McGill. Candidates will be expected to possess the skills needed to recruit, teach, and mentor a diverse group of researchers and trainees.

Job Status: Full-time
Posting Period: 60 days
TT RL# L001690

The following supporting documents are required:

• Cover letter describing your research and teaching vision, and curriculum vitae;
• Names and contact information of three referees.

Interested candidates should submit their application on or before September 15, 2023, via: https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/McGill_Careers/Associate-or-Full-Professor–Victor-Philip-Dahdaleh-Chair-in-Genomic-Medicine

 Use a personal email address when creating an account in Workday to submit your application. Do not use @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca email accounts to apply.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in English, thereby requiring strong English communication skills, both verbally and in writing.

L’Université McGill est une institution de langue anglaise dans laquelle la majorité des activités d’enseignement et de recherche s’effectuent en langue anglaise, rendant essentielle l’utilisation de l’anglais pour la communication orale et écrite.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.