Research Associate

ubc; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 64,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The Dr. Gupta Laboratory in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia is seeking a full-time Research Associate (Computational Biology and Translational Bioinformatics) to support translational research on ocular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Applicant will apply advanced computational approaches to integrate multi-omics and imaging datasets, identify disease mechanisms and biomarkers, and support publications and grant applications while

Qualifications

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Systems Biology, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of three years of relevant postdoctoral or equivalent research experience.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python for computational biology analyses.
• Strong background in statistical analysis, data integration, and scientific data visualization.
• Experience developing reproducible computational workflows and managing large-scale datasets.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage computational biology and translational bioinformatics analyses for multidisciplinary projects.
• Analyze, integrate, and interpret genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, lipidomic, spatial multi-omics, imaging data.
• Identify pathways, disease mechanisms, targets, and biomarkers through integrative analyses.
• Develop reproducible workflows and data visualization tools for interpretation and hypothesis generation.
• Collaborate with lab scientists to integrate analyses with experimental studies and publications.
• Support grant applications and research documentation; mentor trainees in bioinformatics.

Skills

Python

R

Statistical analysis

Data visualization

Machine learning

Education

PhD in Computational Biology or related field

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Academic

Job Category

Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Profile

Research Associate

Job Title

Research Associate

Department

Department of Ophthalmology | Faculty of Medicine | Provost and VP Academic

Compensation Range

$1.00 - $500,000.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

August 20, 2026

Note:

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

August 23, 2028

The expected pay (or pay range) for this position is $6,344/month.

Job Description

The Dr. Gupta Laboratory in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia is seeking a full-time (100% FTE) Research Associate (Computational Biology and Translational Bioinformatics) to support an innovative translational research program investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying ocular and neurodegenerative diseases. The successful candidate will bring expertise in computational biology and bioinformatics to a multidisciplinary research team, applying advanced computational approaches to integrate multi-omics and imaging datasets, identify candidate disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets, and biomarkers, and support studies spanning ocular biology, neuroscience, and translational medicine. Working closely with laboratory scientists, the successful candidate will integrate computational analyses with experimental research and contribute to scientific publications, the preparation of competitive grant applications, and the advancement of the laboratory's research program.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage computational biology and translational bioinformatics analyses supporting multidisciplinary research projects.
• Analyze, integrate, and interpret genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, lipidomic, spatial multi-omics, imaging, and other high-dimensional biological datasets.
• Identify candidate molecular pathways, disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets, and biomarkers through integrative computational analyses.
• Develop reproducible computational workflows and data visualization tools to support biological interpretation and hypothesis generation.
• Integrate computational analyses with molecular, cellular, and immunological studies in collaboration with laboratory scientists.
• Develop and/or adapt machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches for the analysis of spatial and multispectral imaging datasets, including transcriptomic, proteomic, and lipidomic data derived from tissue specimens and cell culture models.
• Prepare figures, reports, manuscripts, and presentations for scientific publications, grant applications, and research meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation of competitive grant applications and research documentation.
• Provide technical expertise, mentorship, and training in computational biology and bioinformatics to trainees and laboratory personnel.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary research teams and external collaborators.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Supervision Received

Works independently under the direction of Dr. Neeru Gupta.

Supervision Given

May provide mentorship and technical guidance to undergraduate and graduate students, research assistants, and other laboratory trainees.

Qualifications:

Successful applicants will have:

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Systems Biology, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline, with a minimum of three years of relevant postdoctoral or equivalent research experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, lipidomic, or other high-dimensional biological datasets, including next-generation sequencing data.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python for computational biology and bioinformatics analyses.
• Strong background in statistical analysis, data integration, and scientific data visualization.
• Experience developing reproducible computational workflows and managing large-scale biological datasets.
• Experience working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary biomedical research environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated contributions to peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Knowledge of molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, or ophthalmic research is considered an asset. Experience with single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, multi-omics integration, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry is considered an asset.