Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)

Friday 11th August 2023

The Department of Radiology and the Department of Pediatrics at The University of British Columbia (UBC)
along with its partners, the BC Children’s Research Institute (BCCHR) and the Centre for Heart Lung
Innovation (HLI) invite applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE) faculty position at the rank of Assistant
Professor, tenure track, in the field of functional pulmonary MRI (fpMRI) and data science. This position
will be based at St Paul’s Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital.

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to
provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a
provincial health mandate.

The Department of Radiology and Department of Pediatrics are internationally renowned for their clinical
and translational sciences research. Both Departments have strongly established research programs and
have identified precision health data sciences as a priority area for growth. BCCHR and the HLI are worldclass clinical and translational research centres, and both have developing programs in precision health and
in imaging, with a number of investigators involved in relevant studies.

Over the past decade, UBC and its affiliated hospitals have established cutting-edge infrastructure for
functional pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (fpMRI), thanks to large-scale investments by the
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), St. Paul’s Foundation (SPF) and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation
(BCCHF), totaling more than $8 million. UBC now boasts adult and pediatric fpMRI programs, both with
advanced hyperpolarized 129Xe capabilities, at the HLI and the BCCHR Institute. Having both adult and
pediatric fpMRI programs in the same city is a global first. Early work at these facilities has already
facilitated radiation-free imaging of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), asthma and long COVID syndromes. This technology has provided an opportunity for UBC to be a
world leader in precision health for the millions of Canadians with lung disease, from infancy to old age.

Reporting to the Heads of Department of Radiology and Department of Pediatrics, the successful
candidate is expected to build an independent, externally-funded, and internationally-competitive
translational research program bridging the two academic facilities and in partnership with the two
research institutes. The successful candidate for this position will have a strong technical background in
fpMRI, including hyperpolarized gas imaging methods with a focus on data processing and analytics in
imaging science.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD or MD/PhD with relevant postdoctoral research experience. The
successful candidate will have demonstrated research skills and excellence in the area of fpMRI and data
science. The successful candidate will also be expected to have an established publication record in the
field of fpMRI and documented experience leading the operations of a fpMRI program. The successful
candidate will have demonstrated evidence of ability in teaching and will be expected to participate in the
undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate teaching activities of the unit. They will also show
demonstrated ability in scholarly activity and will be expected to provide service to the University and the
broader academic and professional community.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Competitive start-up infrastructure
development funds may be provided. An application package should include a letter of application which
addresses scholarly, professional and creative work and teaching interests, detailed curriculum vitae,
statement of research activities (up to 4 pages), and names of three references. Please also provide a brief
statement (1-2 pages) of the applicant’s current or planned contributions to advancing equity, diversity,
and inclusion in academic, professional, or community contexts.

The application should be directed to:
Dr. Jonathon Leipsic, Professor and Department Head
c/o Wendy Westman
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine
University of British Columbia
E-mail: [email protected]
Subject line: Assistant Professor position

Review of applications will begin on May 10, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated
start date is July 1, 2023 or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Applications will be accepted until the
position is filled.

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, and is essential to
fostering an outstanding work environment. 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 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 accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes.
Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all
candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are
available on request for applicants who are short-listed. Please contact Wendy Westman via email at
[email protected]

To learn more about UBC’s Center for Workplace Accessibility, visit the website here
https://hr.ubc.ca/CWA.

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.
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.
The UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of thexʷm əθkʷəyə̓ m
(Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations
territory.

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