Funded Graduate and Post-doc Opportunity

Fully Funded Graduate Student and Post-doc Positions
Franz-Odendaal Bone Development Lab – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Franz-Odendaal Bone Development Lab is currently recruiting for two positions. We are seeking individuals who are passionate about developmental biology, who have high aspirations and who are self-motivated.

Our lab studies the vertebrate skeleton using multi-pronged approaches that involve gene and protein expression, histology, fluorescent and confocal microscopy, and embryo manipulations. While we are located at a small university in Halifax, we are the largest Science laboratory and have a range of molecular biology tools and equipment. Our research group averages about 6-8 people and includes undergraduate and graduate students and post-docs. Graduate students register with either Dalhousie University (Medical Neuroscience) or Saint Mary’s University (Applied Science with a Biology focus). All three universities are within a 15-20 minute drive or a 25-45 minute bus route. We have an excellent record of graduate students and post-docs moving on to other science-based positions, including to industry, government, academia, after their time in our group. All graduate students and post-docs have published their research as first authors. Dr Franz-Odendaal and her team have published over 85 manuscripts. Dr Franz-Odendaal is one of the leading evo-devo researchers in Canada, she has been a guest editor for journal Special Issues (e.g. in Developmental Dynamics, Journal of Experimental Zoology: Part B) and is on the editorial board for several journals (Evolution & Development, Developmental Dynamics, Genes Development and Evolution).

We have two opportunities immediately available. The graduate opportunity is available for a MSc holder to pursue a PhD degree. Individuals who want to pursue a PhD and do not yet hold a MSc are also encouraged to apply. This individual will work on the scleral ossicle system in chicken embryos using molecular approaches to uncover gene networks involved in the patterning of placodes that give rise to ossicles. Skills that will be acquired are RT-qPCR, embryo manipulations and in vitro culturing, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry etc. The ideal candidate should have some experience in some of these techniques and/or in working with chicken embryos. Funded opportunities to travel to and present at national and international conferences will be available. The post-doc opportunity is to split time between the above project and a zebrafish microgravity project aimed at examining how skeletal cells respond to simulated microgravity. Experience working with zebrafish, transgenic lines and/or skeletal biology is required. This project will involve confocal microscopy, and molecular biology skills as noted above. Opportunities to teach a university-based course are also available if desired. Full funding is available for both positions including costs of society memberships, conference travel etc.

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about research in developmental biology, who have excellent project and time management skills and who are excited to work collaboratively within our team. Our team values diversity and strives to be inclusive. Please visit our website at www.bonedevelopmentlab.ca for more information and to meet our team. Contact me at Tamara.Franz-Odendaal@msvu.ca with your expression of interest and CV. All individuals interested in our projects, even if you feel you do not have the skills criteria described above, are encouraged to apply. We want to recruit passionate and motivated individuals.

Halifax is a small-town located on the East Coast of Canada and is an Atlantic Port. It has a number of historical buildings, lots of greenery and an interesting coastline worth exploring. Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia and has an international airport.