Assistant Professor Data Science (Tenure Track)

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 Department of Psychiatry at The University of British Columbia, in partnership with Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, invite applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE) faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure track). The ideal candidate will be a data scientist with expertise in developing and applying data science and advanced analytics to advance understanding of brain and psychiatric disorders.

As part of one of the world’s leading universities, the UBC Department of Psychiatry supports outstanding research and engages local, national and global communities. We create an exceptional learning environment, advance mental health research and promote sustainable care for mental illness and addictions. The UBC Department of Psychiatry consists of more than 950 Department members, including academic and clinical faculty, trainees, students and staff with broad expertise in basic neuroscience to translational and clinical research. The Department’s medical education programs are some of the most widely distributed within the Faculty of Medicine consisting of faculty appointees and trainees located within each of British Columbia’s Health Authorities.

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) brings together experts in the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, and rehabilitation in a hub for training, research, and clinical care. As the heart of the UBC neuroscience community and one of the most comprehensive brain care and research centres in Canada, the DMCBH has transformed UBC into an international leader in neuroscience research since opening in February 2014. The building co-localizes basic science and clinical research teams in psychiatric disorders of mood, psychoses, and addictions, as well as neurological conditions such as dementia, movement disorders, and Multiple Sclerosis, to enhance translational collaborations. The philosophy of the facility is to work with all facets of brain health because knowledge gained from treating and investigating one brain disorder will advance our understanding of others. The facility brings research closer to patients, providing British Columbians with better access to the best possible treatments.

Reporting to the Head of the Department of Psychiatry, the successful candidate will be expected to lead an independent research program with potential to achieve international recognition in their field in the next five to ten years. Of interest is research that will leverage the expertise in the Department and the DMCBH in fundamental science (e.g. animal models of disease) and translational science (e.g. clinical studies) and use a big data analytical approach to develop a shared, data-driven understanding of psychiatric disorders. The successful candidate will be expected to capitalize on established capabilities in big data and computational modeling to develop innovative approaches and technologies, such as deep learning, with an aim to improve understanding of pathogenesis, aid in the discovery of biomarkers, and facilitate early diagnosis and the personalized treatment of these conditions. The successful candidate will also be expected to participate in teaching activities at the graduate and postgraduate level in the Department, including in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Masters Program in Translational Psychiatry as well as provide mentorship and training to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate learners.

The incumbent will also be expected to provide service to the University and the broader academic and professional community. They will work collaboratively in diverse groups to bring forward strategic initiatives for the Department and the Faculty. 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.

At the rank of Assistant Professor, the successful candidate will have demonstrated evidence of ability in teaching, evidence of ability in scholarly activity. The successful candidate will have demonstrated the ability to develop a high quality, original and innovative research program, and the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future researchers. They will hold a Ph.D., M.D. or M.D./Ph.D., with a strong background in neuroscience, mental health disorders, computer science and/or related fields, and with a track record of success in collaborative and convergent research at the interface of these disciplines. Successful applicants will have demonstrated the ability to build and maintain high-quality and productive relationships, and their commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Research bridging preclinical and clinical domains is preferred as it would strengthen and expand the translational capacity of the Department and the DMCBH.

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.

The expected starting salary for this position is $145,000 – $155,000 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 Department/School. An application package should include:
• a letter of interest outlining the applicant’s research, teaching and scholarly activities;
• a detailed curriculum vitae (CV);
• a statement of teaching interests and accomplishments (up to 2 pages);
• a five-year research program plan (up to 4 pages);
• a statement describing your experience working with and supporting a diverse student body and your contributions to creating/advancing a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion on campus or within your discipline (up to 1 page); and
• names of three references

The package should be directed to:
Dr. Lakshmi Yatham, Professor and Department Head
Department of Psychiatry
The University of British Columbia
c/o Margaret Koshi, Director of Administration
Email: margaret.koshi@ubc.ca
Subject Line: Assistant Professor – Data Science

Additional information can be obtained by visiting psychiatry.ubc.ca or by email at psychiatry.headasst@ubc.ca

Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is February 1, 2025 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 Margaret Koshi via email at
margaret.koshi@ubc.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.

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.

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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