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Join the Lab

Research in the Developmental Psychobiology Lab is multidisciplinary and collaborative. Trainees in the lab benefit from the expertise of Dr. Giesbrecht and our collaborators who are directly involved in training and supervising students.

Area: Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics 

Duration: One year; renewable depending on available funding 

Salary: $60,000/year plus Plan C health benefits through Alberta Blue Cross.

The Department of Pediatrics in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to work in the area of the early life gut microbiome and the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). 

Job Description: Our team is recruiting a scholar to become part of an active and innovative research program that is elucidating the links between gut microbiota, mental health, neurodevelopment, and health behaviors (sleep, diet, exercise) in children. The scholar’s work will help to identify novel and actionable intervention targets to optimize neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. 

The source data for the scholar’s work is an ongoing cohort study that recruited pregnant individuals and is prospectively following them and their children. We have collected biological samples and questionnaire data to accurately document participants' physiological and psychological experiences of stress and mental health. Our data set includes repeated gut microbiota (metagenomic shotgun sequencing) and metabolomics from children throughout the first 4 years of life (n=500+). The scholar will have immediate access to this data to address questions about the influence of the gut microbiota on child development outcomes. This training opportunity will position the scholar with unique interdisciplinary research expertise to launch the next phase of their academic career.

Qualifications:

  • Applicants must hold a PhD and have experience working with gut microbiota data
  • PhD must be completed before the start of the appointment and within the past 7 years
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required.
  • Desired qualifications also include experience with (or training in) experimental and longitudinal research design and analysis
  • Applicants are required to have demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment
  • Fellows are expected to engage in full-time research activities and actively engage in the University of Calgary’s professional development program as opportunities are being offered
  • The successful scholar will be strongly encouraged to apply for national/international awards

Application details: 

The postdoctoral scholar will be supervised by Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht, with collaborative opportunities to work with other microbiome researchers. For additional information about the lab and ongoing work please visit www.ucalgary.ca/devpsychlab/. To apply, please contact Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht (ggiesbre@ucalgary.ca) directly. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Our research group is committed to enhancing and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion. Applicants from diverse backgrounds, including age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, are encouraged to apply.

Additional information can be found on the UCalgary 'Careers' page: Job ID 33048  

The Developmental Psychobiology Lab is currently accepting students from Psychology, Community Health Sciences, and the Medical Sciences Graduate Program.

Dr. Giesbrecht is committed to training highly qualified personnel in a positive and supportive research environment. Students work as a part of a research team that inspires trainees to produce high quality research using state-of-the art methods. Graduates will be well prepared for a future career in research. Incoming graduate students are selected according to their undergraduate/graduate grades, interpersonal and communication skills, potential for scholarly work, work ethic, and fit within the Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory.

Guidelines for Graduate Students:

  1. Start Date

    Newly accepted graduate students should plan to be at the University of Calgary at least 1 week prior to the start of classes. This time is required to allow for familiarization with our facilities, our laboratory scheduling and for the completion of all necessary administrative tasks before commencing classes.

  2. Committment

    Graduate studies are a full-time endeavour. Graduate students are in the lab at least 20 hours per week while taking classes and full time during other periods, including summer. Work-life balance is encouraged, as are vacations. Extra effort is often required leading up to deadlines, which may require some evening and weekend work.

  3. Summer Research

    Summer is a great time to be in Calgary, with many opportunities for spectacular outdoor recreation. The summer months are also the most productive periods for research activities in our laboratory. Graduate students should plan to make significant progress on their research during the summer months.

  4. Professional Development

    Graduate students are encouraged to participate in professional development events such as attending and/or presenting their research findings at local, national and/or international conferences.

  5. Productivity

    Although productivity can be measured in many ways, one of the primary indicators of productivity is publishing in peer-reviewed journals. New Master's students will contribute to a publication led by another lab member in the first year and then lead their own publication in the second year. Doctoral students lead multiple projects and mentor more junour students.

  6. Collaboration

    Today's research landscape is interdisciplinary and requires extensive collaboration. Trainees in the lab learn how to conduct collaborative work with other members in and with other labs outside of the University of Calgary.

If you are a psychology, neuroscience or health sciences major interested in doing an honours thesis and conducting research in the Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory, please contact the lab in the Fall semester prior to your application.

Students in the Department of Psychology can obtain course credit for an independent study course (PSYC 504 or 505) under the supervision of Dr. Giesbrecht. Projects may also be done through other departments - please consult your department head to see if you are eligible. A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required for at least one semester prior to applying to the Developmental Psychobiology Lab for independent study.

For students attending the University of Calgary, course credit for PSYC 499 can be obtained through working in the Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory. A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required for at least one semester prior to applying to the Developmental Psychobiology Lab for PSYC 499.

The Developmental Psychobiology Lab regularly accepts volunteers who want to learn about and contribute to research. A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required for at least one semester prior to volunteering.

Volunteers are required to come into our offices at the Owerko Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays between the hours of 9am-4pm and must able to commit to 5 hours per week for at least one semester.

Please complete the form below if you are interested in joining our lab.

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