Research Assistant - Urology / CRP (part-time)

Do you want to work for a world-renowned research institute that pushes the boundaries of biomedical science and health research? Right here in Montreal! At the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), you can be part of an organization focused on scientific discovery and innovation in patient-centered medicine. Join us today and make a difference!

Job Description

RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE MUHC
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the Institute is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS).

Position summary
The Research Assistant will contribute to a CIHR-funded translational research program investigating the role of the gut and urinary microbiome, microbial metabolites, and immune metabolic pathways in shaping anti-tumor immunity and response to radiation therapy in bladder cancer.
The incumbent should have advanced training in immunology, microbiome science, and/or metabolomics, and will work under limited supervision, contributing to experimental design, data generation, integrative analyses, and knowledge translation activities.

General Duties
Perform and optimize in vitro and ex vivo immunological assays, including T-cell activation, metabolic readouts, and functional immune profiling.

Support microbiome and metabolomics workflows, including:
• Sample processing and preparation for 16S rRNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and targeted/untargeted metabolomics,
• Coordination with RI-MUHC and McGill core facilities for sequencing and mass spectrometry,
• Assist with preclinical and/or patient-derived sample analysis, including biospecimen handling in accordance with institutional SOPs,
• Contribute to quality control, reproducibility, and validation of experimental datasets.

Data Analysis and Integration
• Conduct statistical and bioinformatic analyses of microbiome, metabolomic, and immune datasets,
• Support multi-omics data integration, linking microbial taxa, metabolite profiles, and immune phenotypes,
• Generate publication-quality figures and data summaries,
• Maintain organized, well-annotated datasets and analysis pipelines to support transparency and reproducibility.

Project Coordination and Research Support
• Assist with day-to-day coordination of CIHR-funded projects, including timeline tracking and milestone reporting,
• Contribute to ethics-approved study documentation, including protocol amendments, SOPs, and data management plans,
• Participate in lab meetings and contribute intellectually to project development.

Knowledge Translation and Dissemination
• Contribute to the preparation of manuscripts, abstracts, and conference presentations,
• Support mentoring of junior trainees (undergraduate or MSc students) as appropriate.

Compliance and Best Practices
• Ensure adherence to RI-MUHC, McGill, CIHR, and biosafety regulations, including data security and research ethic,
• Follow institutional standards for data management, documentation, and reproducibility.

Website of the organization

Education / Experience

Education: Master's Degree
Field of Study: Microbiology and Immunology

Work Experience: The incumbent should have advanced training in immunology, microbiome science, and/or metabolomics, and will work under limited supervision, contributing to experimental design, data generation, integrative analyses, and knowledge translation activities.

Required Skills

• or PhD in immunology, microbiology, bioinformatics, cancer biology, or a related biomedical field,
• Familiarity with radiation biology or cancer immunology,
• Experience with multi-omics data integration,
• Demonstrated experience in the following: Immune functional assays and immunometabolism, microbiome analysis (wet lab and/or computational), metabolomics or metabolic pathway analysis,
• Strong analytical and organizational skills,
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment,
• This position requires a high level of autonomy, scientific judgment, and technical expertise. The Research Assistant will contribute intellectually to experimental design and data interpretation under the supervision of the Principal Investigator,
• Excellent French and English, spoken and written,
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Ability to work independently or with teams with minimum supervision,
• Demonstrate diplomacy, discretion and good judgment,
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook).