Postdoctoral Researcher – Neurodegenerative diseases

Union: Non-Union
Number of Vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: New
Site: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Department: Research
Reports to: Senior Scientist
Hours: 37.5 Hours Per Week
Salary Range: $54,902 - $93,333 Annually
Shifts: Monday - Friday
Status: Temporary Full-time
Closing Date: March 30, 2026

Program: Mitacs Accelerate Umbrella – Target 2035 Fellows

Position Summary:
This project focuses on the discovery and development of small-molecule ligands targeting human proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Using affinity selection mass spectrometry (ASMS) and complementary DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening approaches, the project will evaluate target tractability, identify and validate ligands, and initiate chemical probe development. The postdoctoral researcher will be embedded in an early-stage drug discovery team, gaining hands-on experience from target to starting points for therapeutic development. This will include protein expression and purification, biochemical and biophysical characterization, and high-resolution structure determination (including X-ray crystallography and/or cryo-EM) to guide hit optimization. They will also play a central role in assessing target ligandability and contributing to develop screening strategies, including high-throughput approaches to uncover high-quality starting chemical matter, including E-ASMS and DEL-ML.

In this unique training opportunity, the Target 2035 Fellow will be embedded in a highly collaborative, international research program and supported by a multidisciplinary project team. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with experienced medicinal chemists, machine learning scientists, automation and software engineers, biochemists, and cell biologists, contributing to cutting-edge, data-driven drug discovery efforts alongside academic, industry, and technology partners. In close partnership with medicinal chemists, the postdoctoral researcher will drive hit validation, structure–activity relationship (SAR) development, and early compound optimization, leveraging integrated structural and functional insights to inform compound design toward a chemical probe. This position offers exceptional interdisciplinary training, high-impact collaboration at the biology–chemistry interface, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to an area of profound medical and societal importance.

This position is part of the Target 2035 Fellows program, supported through a Mitacs Accelerate Umbrella program. The engagement is offered as a full-time postdoctoral appointment for an initial one-year term, with the possibility of renewal for up to two additional years, subject to performance, funding availability, and program requirements.

The postdoctoral researcher will be embedded within University Health Network’s research environment and will contribute to collaborative research aligned with Target 2035, a global open science public-private partnership focused on accelerating early drug discovery through the generation of high-quality chemical tools and protein–ligand interaction data for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Training is provided through academic supervision, day-to-day integration within UHN’s research teams, and participation in collaborative projects involving a global team of academic, technology, and industry partners.

Duties:

• Design, execute, and troubleshoot well-controlled experiments across protein biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology
• Maintain accurate, timely experimental records using electronic laboratory notebooks, ensuring data and metadata are organized, reproducible, and publication-ready
• Analyze and critically interpret experimental data, integrating structural and functional results to guide next steps
• Communicate results clearly in project meetings and with interdisciplinary collaborators, including medicinal chemists, to support SAR and compound design
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, data reporting, and a rigorous, collaborative research environment in line with best research practices