Assistant/Associate Professor/Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, Biology/Health Sciences/Neuroscience

Carleton University

About the Position
Field of Specialization: Human Metabolic Disease
Academic Unit: Biology or Health Sciences or Neuroscience
Category of Appointment: Preliminary (tenure-track)/tenured
Rank/Position Title: Assistant or Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, Tier 2
Start Date: July 1, 2026
Closing Date: Consideration of complete applications will begin on May 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.
Date Posted: April 7, 2025

The Faculty of Science invites applications for a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) appointment in Biology, as applicable to Human Metabolic Disease at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor.

CIHR researchers focusing on topics at the forefront of metabolic disease in humans, including but not limited to diabetes, endocrine signaling, and inflammation are encouraged to apply. The identified theme is directly applicable and appropriate for collaboration with several academic units within the Faculty of Science including the departments of Health Sciences, Chemistry, and Neuroscience, as well as the Institute of Biochemistry and School of Nursing.

The Faculty of Science seeks to maintain its commitment to excellence and recognizes that increasing the diversity of its faculty supports this objective. As such, we especially encourage applications from candidates from groups underrepresented in the higher echelons of academia and/or with experience in mentoring students from such groups.

Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidates must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination). Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. For more details, please see the Canada Research Chairs Secretariat at https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/ and the Carleton Office for Research Initiatives and Services at https://carleton.ca/coris/.

Appointment is conditional on the approval by the CRC Program of the submitted nomination for the CRC Tier 2.

Research Area of Interest
Diseases associated with metabolic dysfunction, including diabetes, obesity, chronic inflammation, and malignancies, are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and their prevalence is increasing. Understanding their etiology, underlying mechanisms and developing novel approaches to treat and manage this burden is vital for public health. Therefore, the successful Tier 2 Canada Research Chair will be an emergent world leader in the biology and/or pathogenesis of one or more human metabolic diseases. The Department is particularly interested in candidates whose research explores the role of the environment, signaling, and genetics in the biology and/or biochemistry of metabolic diseases using mouse models. The Faculty of Science welcomes research that occurs at the intersection of these descriptions.

About the Academic Unit
The chair will join a rapidly growing research area within the Faculty of Science (https://science.carleton.ca/) dedicated to understanding the complexities of health and disease and developing solutions that address current and emerging health issues. The successful chair will have the opportunity to join the Department of Biology, a prominent unit within the Faculty of Science with 38 full-time faculty members with research strengths spanning molecular biology and genetics; biochemistry, physiology, and toxicology; data science; genomics and bioinformatics; neurobiology and behaviour; and ecology, evolution, and conservation. The Department of Biology currently hosts two of Canada’s most globally prominent biologists: Prof. Lenore Fahrig, winner of the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering as Canada’s top scientist in 2022 and Prof. Steven Cooke, named on Clarivate Analytics’ Highly Cited Researchers List for three consecutive years. Newly renovated research space in the Department of Biology house several faculty members with health research programs related to diabetes, cancer, microbiology and drug development.

Qualifications
Carleton University requires that the successful candidate must:
hold a PhD in biology or closely related field;
be acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to become a world leader in Human Metabolic Diseases;
have demonstrated potential for outstanding teaching contributions, recognized talent attracting and supervising graduate students and post-doctoral fellows;
have established the foundations for leading an externally funded, internationally recognized research program, including participation in national research networks;
be fluent and actively engaged in research focused on the overarching theme of biology and/or pathogenesis of human metabolic diseases. Relevant research areas include: (1) diabetes, (2) obesity in human disease, (3) cardiovascular diseases, (4) chronic inflammation, and (5) endocrine signaling in human disease. The successful chair will be expected to consider the impacts of metabolic diseases in equity seeking groups traditionally excluded from health research, such as women, gender-diverse individuals, visible minorities, and/or Indigenous peoples, among others. Accordingly, the candidate chair will demonstrate that they have completed the CIHR’s Sex- and Gender-based Analysis Training modules.
Preference will be given to external candidates, although internal applicants will also receive fair consideration.

Application Instructions
Applications must be sent electronically to biology@carleton.ca in one single PDF file which includes the following:
A signed letter of application;
A curriculum vitae;
Three publications; and
Five-page statement, outlining the proposed research program, research objectives, potential contributions to knowledge and methods, training and mentoring plans, and your strengths and/or experience in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in your teaching, service, and/or scholarly activities.
Applicants must arrange for three referees to send supporting letters electronically.
Please indicate in your application if you are currently legally eligible to work in Canada.
We invite all applicants to provide an optional Career Interruption Statement outlining any career interruptions https://carleton.ca/deputyprovost/?p=1784.
To help us develop our equity programs, a confidential equity and diversity self-identification survey will be sent to all applicants separately.

In Canada, both the Government of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities have introduced research security policies and guidelines to protect Canada’s world-class research. To ensure a positive and productive experience as a CRC, Carleton University encourages all applicants to review the federal Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, the federal National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships and the provincial Research Security Guidelines for Ontario Research Funding Programs.

About Carleton University
Located in Ottawa, Carleton is an innovative teaching and research institution with a tradition of leading change. Internationally recognized academics, staff, and researchers engage more than 31,000 students in over 100 programs of study. Learn more about our university and the city of Ottawa at https://carleton.ca/deputyprovost/jobs/.

Carleton holds an institutional commitment and focus on Wellness, as the health of individuals (Carleton University Strategic Research Priorities Summary 2023-2025) in addition to a Strategic Direction outlined in the University’s Strategic Integrated Plan to “Strive for wellness; Stive for sustainability”. To this end, this new CRC II in Metabolic Diseases highlights Carleton’s commitment in advancing the wellness of Canadians and citizens the world over. Our campus is ideally situated in the Nation’s Capital to benefit from the local networks in this field at the Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Public Health Agency of Canada, University of Ottawa, as well as our partnering hospital for Carleton University’s new School of Nursing, the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

Carleton University is committed to fostering diversity within its community as a source of excellence, cultural enrichment, and social strength. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our university including but not limited to women and gender equity-seeking groups; racialized individuals; Indigenous Peoples; persons with disabilities; and persons of any sexual orientation and/or gender expression. Furthermore, Carleton understands that career paths vary, and interruptions will not prejudice the assessment process. We invite you to review our revitalized Indigenous strategy, Kinàmàgawin at https://carleton.ca/indigenousinitiatives/cu-files/kinamagawin/ and visit our Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities at http://carleton.ca/equity for information about our commitment to leadership in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Accessibility is a university strategic priority and applicants selected for an interview who require accommodations are invited to contact the Chair as soon as possible to ensure that appropriate arrangements may be made.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. All positions are subject to budgetary approval.