Research Associate - Molecular Plant Breeding and Genetics

This position has an initial appointment of 2 years.

Location - This role is in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus and South Campus, Edmonton. Work also takes place at Alberta Agriculture CDC North, Edmonton.

The Brassica and Pulse Genetics Program (BPGP) supports a broad portfolio of basic and applied plant science research. The program typically employs 1–2 technicians, 3–7 graduate students, and 2–5 summer/undergraduate students. In this role, the Research Associate (RA) will serve as the primary driver of research projects aimed at identifying germplasm resistant to major canola and pulse diseases.

Setting research program objectives:

• Research: The RA will leverage their expertise in host disease resistance genetics and marker development to advance future research in the BPGP.
• Mentorship: The RA will mentor students in experimental design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation and writing, contributing to graduate student training in plant pathology, genetics, genetic mapping, and marker analysis.
• Management: The RA will oversee the day-to-day activities of technical staff and summer and undergraduate students, ensuring effective management of research activities, data collection, and data analysis.
• Administrative Responsibilities: The RA will contribute to the group's administration, assisting with budget planning, reagent and equipment purchases, and the allocation of facilities and research space.
• Industry Collaboration: The RA will lead all marker testing requests from industry partners to develop canola germplasm resistant to diseases such as clubroot, blackleg, verticillium, and sclerotinia.
• Program Initiation: The RA will coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to identify research opportunities and help develop new research objectives and projects.
• Grant Writing: Activities will include developing and writing competitive research proposals and serving as a team member alongside the Principal Investigator.

Research

• Designs individual experiments, data collection protocols, and standards under the Principal Investigator's supervision.
• Determines the most appropriate methodology to meet identified research goals for cruciferous and pulse crops, incorporating advanced molecular breeding techniques such as mapping, doubled haploid (DH) population development, and marker-assisted selection (MAS) with background selection, and driving their patenting and technology transfer for commercial applications.
• Manages specialized disease resistance screening, with particular emphasis on clubroot, blackleg, Verticillium wilt, and Sclerotinia in cruciferous and root rot in pulse crops, alongside secondary metabolite and phenotypic screening.
• Conducts genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression profiling of target gene families (resistance and metabolic pathway genes) in cruciferous and pulse crops using bioinformatics tools and genomic databases.
• Establishes and coordinates collaborative research frameworks with industry stakeholders and government agencies to advance crop health solutions and secure translational funding.

Supervisory/Mentoring

• Guides and mentors technical staff, PhD students, and MSc students in the BPGP on experimental design and data analysis.
• Providing comprehensive mentorship and technical guidance to lab technical staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows on experimental design and execution.
• Advising team members on specialized technical procedures, maintenance of advanced laboratory equipment, and calibration.

Grant/Publications/Reports

• Assisting in the preparation of research grant applications and contract proposals, and serving as a team member for research funding, as stipulated in the appointment letter.
• Summarizing, analyzing, and organizing research data, and actively participating in the writing of research papers, presentations, and technical reports.
• Contributing to publications and presentations, with eligibility for inclusion as a co-author, presenter, or collaborator, depending on project circumstances.

• PhD degree in Plant Science, Genetics, Plant Breeding, or a related field.
• 4-5 years of experience as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
• Experience in Prairie cropping systems.
• Experience in screening for clubroot and blackleg diseases in canola and root rot in pulses.
• Experience in collecting germplasm from different sources.
• Experience in genome-wide identification and expression analysis.
• Extensive experience in making plant crosses, development of mapping populations, selection, and doubled-haploid (DH) population development.
• Proven expertise in marker-assisted selection (MAS), including background selection marker development and QTL/gene mapping.
• Demonstrated track record in patenting and commercialization (or technology transfer) of molecular markers.
• Strong background in plant pathology, with extensive experience with clubroot, verticillium wilt, blackleg, and Fusarium and Aphanomyces root rot affecting cruciferous and pulse crops.
• Advanced knowledge of experimental design, statistical analysis, bioinformatics tools, and genetic mapping software.
• Demonstrated expertise in comprehensive phenotyping and secondary metabolite profiling and analysis.
• Proven ability to supervise, mentor, and lead technical staff and graduate students.
• Demonstrated leadership in authoring competitive research proposals, grant applications, technical reports, and research papers.
• Must be eligible for an Alberta Class 5 (Non-GDL) driver's license. 

Application Instructions

Click “Apply Now” and submit the following documents:

• CV
• Cover Letter
• Research Plan
• Academic Referral Letters

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package with an annual salary range of $65,369 to $81,719.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule E of the Collective Agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.