Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Drug Safety and Effectiveness

European Commission; Canada; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of British Columbia is seeking a Post-Doctoral Fellow in their Hohl Research Group to conduct critical evaluations of drug safety related to opioid treatments. The role involves leading research studies, data analysis, and mentoring students while contributing to improving clinical practices in emergency medicine. Successful candidates will have a PhD and significant experience in epidemiology or related fields, working within a dynamic team dedicated to innovative health research.

Qualifications

• PhD required with relevant research experience in epidemiology or health informatics.
• Ability to collect and analyze quantitative or mixed methods data.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Designs studies on drug safety and effectiveness of treatments for opioid poisoning.
• Coordinates data collection, analysis, and reports for research and quality improvement.
• Mentors students and contributes to research publications.

Skills

Research coordination

Communication skills

Data analysis

Problem-solving

Teamwork

Education

PhD in a relevant discipline

Tools

R

Stata

SAS

NVivo

Job description

The University of British Columbia (UBC)

Organisation/Company The University of British Columbia (UBC) Research Field Medical sciences » Medicine Pharmacological sciences » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Country Canada Application Deadline 4 Aug 2025 - 22:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number EU-58724 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Job Summary

The Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Hohl Research Group in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine will conduct drug safety and effectiveness evaluation of treatments used for opioid poisoning in emergency departments using data derived from the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network. The incumbent may also have the opportunity to participate in real-world drug safety and surveillance research using new adverse drug event data being generated by a technological intervention designed to improve clinical communication of patients’ adverse drug events.

The successful applicant will join the Canadian Emergency Department Research Network (CEDRN) coordinating centre for a newly launched research network in Emergency Medicine. This network will seek, as one of its first priorities, to harmonize data collection on treatments and harm reduction strategies used in Canadian emergency departments in 9 provinces for patients presenting with opioid-related harms. This new clinical dataset will be among the first to capture in-hospital treatments and services which are not available through Canadian administrative datasets. The incumbent will have the primary responsibility to co-design and lead analyses of these data for research, quality improvement and surveillance purposes. The incumbent will apply appropriate methods to aid in the creation of a learning health system around opioid-related emergency care in BC and nationally.

The successful applicant will also participate in research opportunities through a thriving adverse drug event research group with a long history of work on this topic. The research group has developed a novel software application called ActionADE that supports the documentation and communication of adverse drug events to providers in other health sectors. The app also supports new federal adverse drug reaction reporting requirements. They will lead studies using ActionADE data generated as a by-product of safer clinical care to help develop a new approach for post-market drug safety surveillance.

This is a 1.0 FTE position for a one-year term, subject to renewal.The expected pay range for this position is $75,000 to $90,000 per year.

Reporting Relationships

The Post-Doctoral Fellow, Hohl Research Group reports to Dr. Corinne Hohl, Professor in the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine.

Responsibilities

• Designs studies in drug safety and effectiveness of treatments for opioid poisoning and opioid use disorder using high-quality clinical datasets.
• Aids in the development of other drug safety studies and the development of a drug safety surveillance research program
• Develops protocols for research, surveillance and quality improvement, and completes other protocol-specific documentation as needed.
• Directs, supervises, coordinates data collection, linkage and analysis; including executingresearch, surveillance and quality improvement plans.
• Identifies significant issues, barriers, or challenges that emerge in research, surveillance or quality improvement plan and develops mitigation strategies or resolutions.
• Maintains study documentation, including tracking and monitoring changes (adaptations) to strategies throughout the implementation process.
• Completes data analysis to quantify and compare safety risks and effectiveness between drugs.
• Develops progress reports and updates for stakeholders and partners (as per the communication plan).
• Participates in and provides progress updates at regular program meetings with other researchers and research assistants.
• Develops briefing notes and presentations for stakeholders including Public Health, government, and a health improvement network.
• Contributes to and/or leads abstract, manuscript writing, presentations for submission to selected journals/conferences and grant proposals.
• Acts as a mentor and resource to Masters and PhD students.
• Acts as a resource to various research team members to identify real or potential problems and works to resolve these issues.
• Reviews other study protocols as assigned, and discuss logistics with Research Investigators and the Research Program Manager.
• Other duties as required.
  
  

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant discipline required
• Relevant research experience in epidemiology; pharmacoepidemiology using quantitative or mixed methods; sociology and/or anthropology of medicine; health informatics; applied science, technology and society perspectives.
• Ability and experience in medicine and/or clinical research coordination.
• Experience collecting and analyzing quantitative or mixed methods data.
• Ability to balance multiple commitments, short deadlines and sensitive clinical or research issues.
• Excellent communication skills, including strong writing, research and interpersonal skills.
• Innovative and creative thinking and a logical approach to problem solving are also necessary
• Self-directed, self-motivated and independent work skills
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Preference will be given to applicants with intermediate or advanced computer skills in the following software packages: R, Stata or SAS (quantitative data analysis software), MS Office (particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and NVivo (qualitative data software package).
• Experience with information technology in the health sector is considered an asset.
• Completion of Indigenous cultural safety and/or Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans training is an asset.
• Familiarity with the field of healthcare data analytics, pharmacy or medical practice, healthcare technology, health systems research or other potential research partners is an asset.
• Familiarity and experience with grant funded projects and study protocol requirements including ethical conduct, ethics approval process, standard operating procedures, source documentation and good clinical practice is an asset.

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number EU-58724 during correspondence about this position.

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.

About UBC
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.

Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver
UBC is home to over 900 postdocs spanning all faculties and units across two campuses and a variety of affiliated hospitals, research centres, and sites, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute in one's own way. UBC's Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) is committed to supporting the lives and career aspirations of our Postdocs, with the goal of enriching their experience at UBC and preparing them for the future. In addition to providing support and advocacy for all postdocs, the PDFO is dedicated to providing professional development opportunities that foster the development of soft skills needed in today's professional environments, helping them secure future careers in their chosen fields.

About UBC's Faculty of Medicine
Every day across British Columbia, trainees and researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are turning skills into jobs, investments into discoveries, and discoveries into solutions that are transforming health for everyone.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers a diverse array of training opportunities including cutting-edge research experiences in the biosciences, globally recognized population health education, quality health professional training, as well as several certificate and online training options. The Faculty of Medicine is home to more than 1,700 graduate students housed in 23 graduate programs (14 of which offer doctoral research options). Year after year, research excellence in the Faculty of Medicine is supported by investment from funding sources here at home and around the globe, receiving approximately $1.6B in total research funding in the last five years.

About Vancouver
Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute The University of British Columbia (UBC) Country Canada State/Province British Columbia City Vancouver Postal Code V6T 1Z4 Street 2329 West Mall Geofield