Postdoctoral Researcher

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 Team UHN 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 it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

Union:
Non‑Union

Number of Vacancies: 1

Department:
Cardiovascular Research

Reports To:

Principal Investigator

Location:

Toronto General Hospital, UHN

Shifts:

Days

Hours:

37.5 hours per week

Status:
Temporary Full‑Time

Closing Date:
January 30, 2025

The laboratory of Dr. Mansoor Husain is seeking a talented and highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to join our research team to help lead a recently funded Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project investigating the role of mitochondrial metabolism in heart failure pathogenesis and treatment. Our lab is internationally recognized for investigating the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases with a focus on identifying new therapeutic targets.

The Husain Lab is embedded within the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and offers highly collaborative interactions with world‑leading experts across multiple disciplines.

• Learn cutting‑edge research methodologies in cardiac phenotyping, genetic models, and translational research that are highly valued in academic medicine and industry
• Build a strong collaborative network through interaction with leading experts in cardiovascular pathophysiology, proteomics, metabolomics, and translational science
• Contribute to publications in high‑impact journals that will establish your research credentials and academic potential
• Access mentorship and career guidance from an established investigator with a strong track record of training fellows who have gone on to independent academic positions
• Work on research with clinical translational potential, positioning your work for future grant funding and academic advancement
• Develop independence through increasing responsibility for experimental design, project leadership, and scientific writing

The successful candidate will contribute to a recently funded CIHR Project entitled "Role of Mitochondrial Trifunctional Protein (MTP) in Heart Failure." The research program integrates three interconnected aims: (1) characterizing MTP expression, post‑translational modifications, and enzymatic activity across distinct heart failure models; (2) determining causality through tissue‑specific and temporal genetic deletion of MTP in cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells; (3) evaluating therapeutic targeting of MTP using novel GLP‑1 metabolites.

The project employs multiple complementary model systems of heart failure (post‑myocardial infarction ischemic heart failure, transverse aortic constriction pressure‑overload heart failure, and obesity/hypertension‑induced heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) as well as advanced metabolic and cardiovascular phenotyping at the whole animal, organ, and cellular levels.

• Generate and characterize mouse models of cardiovascular disease and heart failure and conduct advanced cardiac phenotyping, including high‑resolution transthoracic echocardiography, invasive hemodynamic measurements, and strain analysis
• Learn surgical procedures for generating mouse models, including permanent coronary ligation, transverse aortic…