A full-time postdoctoral position working on an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research team that includes Co-PIs, Jacqueline Sullivan (Associate Professor, Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Western University) and E. Richard Gold (Professor, Faculty of Law & Director of Centre for Intellectual Property Policy, McGill University) in partnership with Jonathan Kimmelman (Professor, Biomedical Ethics and Social Studies of Medicine & Department of Equity, Ethics, and Policy, McGill University) is available with an expected start date of September 1, 2023. The successful candidate will have demonstrated expertise in mixed-methods qualitative research including ethnography, qualitative interviewing, and survey development, as well as familiarity with using mixed methods data analysis software (e.g., NVivo).
The goal of the research team is to evaluate Open Science Partnerships (OSPs) within a novel paradigm-shifting preclinical platform aimed at neurodegenerative disease drug development called TRIDENT (Translational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics). TRIDENT brings together a group of diverse stakeholders from across Canada and internationally including experts in cellular and animal models of neurodegeneration, clinical neurology, cognition, imaging, open science and science policy, epistemology, ethics, law, and GBA+ studies, working across disciplinary and institutional boundaries to improve and accelerate preclinical assessments of candidate molecules for treating neurodegenerative disease. In OSPs, actors/stakeholders typically engage extensively and collaboratively, openly sharing all data, tools, knowledge, and materials across all members of the partnership. Moreover, a unique feature of TRIDENT is that it adopts a living laboratory framework in which the functioning of the platform from its inception and the actions and interactions of its participants are subject to critical scrutiny by our research team using qualitative research methods, with an eye towards iterative improvement of the functioning of the platform and lessons that can ground practices and policies with respect to similar types of platforms and OSPs in the drug development sector and beyond.
The position is funded through a New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation Grant obtained by Ravi Menon (Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western) who is leading the TRIDENT team (See https://news.westernu.ca/tag/
The position will be held at the University of Western Ontario (Western) and will involve some travel to conduct qualitative research at TRIDENT partner institutions including McGill University and University of Toronto. Western University (www.uwo.ca) is a major educational and research center in Ontario with over 25,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. Cognitive neuroscience in health and disease is a major research focus at Western. London, also known as the Forest City, is an affordable and lively community close to the Great Lakes and two hours from Toronto. The city offers many options for outdoor and cultural activities.
Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.
Please direct specific inquiries about duties related to the position to Dr. Jacqueline Sullivan. Please send application materials (statement of interest, Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information of at least two references) directly to Dr. Sullivan (jsulli29@uwo.ca).
Published: 05/18/2023