Postdoctoral Researcher

UHN is Canada’s No. 1 hospital and the world’s No. 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 its only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality. 

www.uhn.ca

Union: Non-Union

Number of vacancies:  1

Site: McEwen Stem Cell Institute at the University Health Network

Department:  McEwen Stem Cell Institute

Reports to:  Principal Investigator

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Shifts: Monday to Friday

Status: Temporary Full-Time

Closing Date: July 11, 2025

Who we are

Research in the Protze lab (https://protze-lab.squarespace.com) is broadly focused on heart development and regenerative therapies to treat cardiovascular disorders. We are using stem cell biology, molecular biology, and electrophysiology methods to study human heart development and diseases in vitro. We also explore the application of the stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in cell therapy approaches using small and large animal models with the ultimate goal to develop new treatments for heart disorders.

What we offer

• A welcoming, dynamic, international team with cross-disciplinary expertise in pluripotent stem cell biology, developmental biology, molecular genetics, cardiac surgery and electrophysiology
• The opportunity to work at the forefront of stem cell research with a focus towards clinical translation
• The opportunity to interact with a wide network of international collaborators
• The opportunity to join Toronto’s vibrant research community

What we are looking for

A driven, motivated postdoctoral fellow for a project focused on human pluripotent stem cell-derived Atrioventricular Node-Like Pacemaker Cells (AVNLPCs) and their application as a biological conduction bridge. The start date for this position is flexible and preferably summer/fall 2025.

The postdoctoral fellow will:

• Build on a previously established directed differentiation protocol for AVNLPCs
• Assess how different cardiogenic mesoderm origins impact the phenotype of AVNLPCs
• Molecularly analyze the AVNLPCs and benchmark them to human AVN tissue using single-nuclei RNA sequencing
• Functionally analyze the AVNLPCs by embedding them into engineered heart tissues and using optical mapping
• Scale up the established AVNLPC protocol using vertical wheel bioreactors
• Collaborate with experienced cardiovascular surgeons to establish a pig model of AV-block and test the ability of AVNLPCs to function as a biological conduction bridge.
• Coordinate a team of veterinary technicians and surgeons to accomplish the pig experiments.
• Analyze telemetric ECG recordings from the pig experiments
• Perform immunohistological analysis of the cell grafts in the pig hearts.

• Received a PHD or MD degree within the past 5 years.
• Experience with tissue culture techniques
• Experience in flow cytometry
• Experience working with animal models
• Experience in immunohistochemistry
• Experience in molecular biology techniques (RT-qPCR, cloning, western blot)
• Effective organizational, time management and prioritization skills
• Strong problem recognition and problem-solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to effectively work as part of a team

The following would be considered as valuable assets: 

• Background in cardiovascular research
• Experience culturing and differentiating human pluripotent stem cells
• Experience in cardiac differentiations of human pluripotent stem cells
• Experience working with cardiac animal models
• Experience with cell engraftment into animal models
• Experience in optical mapping techniques
• Experience with computational analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing experiments

Why join UHN?



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.

• 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.

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.