Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Academic### ##
** Job Category
** Faculty Non Bargaining### ##
** Job Title
** Postdoctoral Research Fellow### ##
** Department
* * Rossi Laboratory | School of Biomedical Engineering | Faculty of Medicine (Fabio Rossi)### ##
** Posting End Date
** February 28, 2026
*
* Note:

** Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.###     ##
** Job End Date
** February 28, 2027

Salary: $70,000–$80,000 CAD per year, commensurate with experience.
** Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Developmental and Aging Immunology and T-cell Engineering
** At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students.

Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver campus, invites applications for a full-time postdoctoral research fellow, jointly supervised by
** Dr. Peter Zandstra
** and
** Dr. Fabio Rossi**, focused on advancing our understanding and engineering of the immune system across the lifespan. This role is part of a broader vision to develop clinically relevant immune regeneration strategies within the next three years.
** Research Focus
** This interdisciplinary project will address how the immune system, particularly the
** T-cell compartment**, develops and deteriorates with age, and how these processes can be understood, modeled, and ultimately reversed or rebuilt using bioengineering and synthetic biology approaches.

The successful candidate will:
* Investigate mechanisms of T-cell development, aging, and thymic involution using in vitro and in vivo models.
* Characterize and modulate the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, including repertoire diversity, selection, and clonal dynamics, using high-throughput sequencing and systems-level analysis.
* Work on the engineering and functional assessment of synthetic or ex vivo thymic environments to control immune output from stem cell-derived precursors.
* Explore immune rejuvenation strategies using tools from developmental biology, tissue regeneration, and synthetic biology.
* Contribute to the design and integration of next-generation immune organoids and scaffolds capable of supporting therapeutic-grade T-cell development.
** Environment and Collaboration
** This position is embedded in a dynamic, interdisciplinary team comprising computational biologists, bioengineers, and immunologists. The candidate will have access to advanced platforms for single-cell and spatial omics, 3D tissue modeling, bioreactors, and in vivo models. The successful fellow will also contribute to collaborative efforts aligned with translational and commercial development goals, including work supported by the CIFAR Multiscale Human Program and UBC’s Biodevice Foundry.
** Qualifications
* ** PhD in immunology, developmental biology (focused on the immune system), immune-engineering, or a related field (obtained within the last 5 years).
* Strong background in T-cell biology, thymic development, or immune aging.
* Experience or understanding of TCR sequencing and repertoire analysis; familiarity with single-cell data integration is a plus.
* Demonstrated interest in synthetic biology, tissue engineering, or immune system modeling.
* Proven ability to work across disciplinary boundaries and within collaborative research environments.
* Commitment to equity, inclusion, and respectful engagement with diverse perspectives.
** Opportunities and Impact
*** Advance the frontiers of immune system regeneration and rejuvenation.
* Translate fundamental discoveries into clinically actionable strategies over the next 3 years.
* Contribute to high-impact publications, industry collaborations, and the establishment of new therapeutic pipelines.
* Engage with international leaders in immune engineering.
** Position Details
**
* Start Date:

March 15, 2026 but Flexible; funding is currently available.
* Term:
One year, renewable based on performance and funding.
*…