Postdoctoral Researcher, Spinal Mechanisms of Motor Control - Neural Activity

University Health Network; Toronto; On-site; CAD 66,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP pension plan

Transit access

Flexible work environment

Professional development

Job summary

University Health Network in Toronto seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow to investigate how spinal cord cell types shape population activity and sensorimotor function. The Levine lab employs in vivo high-density electrophysiology, closed-loop optogenetics, and computational analyses in awake mice, with opportunities to co-design and lead projects.

The role involves experimental design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and potential co-mentorship with external collaborators.

Qualifications

• PhD in a neuroscience or related field and recent publication record.
• Experience with in vivo electrophysiology and quantitative data analysis.
• Proficiency in rodent surgery and neural circuit methods.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead research projects in collaboration with lab members and collaborators.
• Design experiments, perform data collection and analysis.
• Mentor students and contribute to lab intellectual life.
• Prepare grant applications and present findings at conferences.
• Publish original research and reviews.

Skills

High-density electrophysiology

Computational neuroscience

Neural circuit tracing & analysis

Mouse surgery

Sensorimotor behavior analysis

Education

PhD earned within last 5 years

Job description

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

www.uhn.ca

Job Description

Union: Non-Union
Number of vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: New
Site: Krembil Research Institute
Department: Krembil Brain Institute
Reports to: Principal Investigator
Salary Range: $65,882 - $82,352 per annum
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Shifts: Monday to Friday
Status: Temporary Full-time (1 year contract with possibility of extension)
Closing Date: September 24, 2026

Position Summary

In the Levine lab, we focus on the spinal cord as the final point of neural control over body movement. The spinal cord contains the motoneurons that drive our muscles, the immediate premotor neurons that are the primary regulators of motoneuron activity, and the broader, as-yet-undefined networks of spinal neurons that transform sensory and descending cues into purposeful behavior. We have built extensive atlases of spinal cord cell types and we now want to understand how they act cooperatively to orchestrate movement. We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to investigate whether, and how, cell types shape population activity and mediate specific elements of sensorimotor function. This work will bring together several powerful approaches recently developed and adapted in our lab including in vivo high density electrical recordings from the spinal cords of awake behaving mice, closed-loop optogenetics, spinal cell-type specific manipulation, quantitative behavioral tracking, and computational analysis of neural activity and behavior data (which could involve co-mentorship with an outside collaborator). There is significant opportunity to co-design and lead projects.

Duties

• Development of all stages of research project(s) in collaboration with Dr. Levine, members of the laboratory, and outside collaborators
• Experimental design, wet-lab procedures, and data analysis
• Advise and mentor of students and serve as an active member of laboratory intellectual life
• Write and contribute to grant applications
• Present research through original research publications, reviews, and talks at scientific conferences

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD) must be obtained within the previous 5 years from a recognized institution
• A strong publication record (including pre-prints)
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: high density electrophysiology, computational neuroscience, neural circuit tracing and analysis, mouse surgery, and quantitative assessment of sensorimotor behavior

Additional Information

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

Why join UHN?

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates. Please ensure you check your email regularly. At University Health Network (UHN), artificial intelligence technologies may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, and selection of candidates for this position.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.