Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Vascular Links to Neurodevelopment

The University of Ottawa, in partnership with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Vascular Links to Neurodevelopment and their impact on brain health across the lifespan. The successful candidate will hold an independent Scientific appointment within OHRI’s Regenerative Medicine Program, and a non-tenure-track position with the Faculty of Medicine, and will be a Core Academic Member of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI). The BHI is a ground-breaking interdisciplinary research program aimed at accelerating prevention, detection, treatment and care of interconnected brain and heart disorders through research that is co-produced with patients and other knowledge users.

Located on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe-Algonquin people, in the heart of the nation’s capital and in close proximity to multiple national agencies, the University of Ottawa is one of Canada's top ten research-intensive universities. It is recognised as the first and largest bilingual university in North America and offers strong connections to organizational, governmental stakeholders and policy makers. The OHRI represents the research engine of The Ottawa Hospital. With its 6 Programs and 2 Crosscutting Themes, it carries out discovery science, translational projects and clinical trials related to a wide range of human conditions, including cerebro- and cardio-vascular disorders (see www.ohri.ca).

We are interested in attracting an early-career researcher with demonstrated strength in one or several of the following domains:

• Postnatal neurovascular maturation and links to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs),
• Neuro-vascular interactions within stem cell niches,
• Vascular senescence in neurodevelopment and aging,
• Links between congenital heart disease, metabolic disorders and NDDs,
• Early neurodevelopmental deficits and links to aging and neurodegeneration.

The successful candidate will become an integral part of our dynamic and research-intensive environment with access to state-of-the-art facilities and strong support from the University of Ottawa and OHRI, where brain-heart research has been identified as a strategic priority within our 'Health' research mandate. This environment encompasses the Faculty of Medicine’s clinical departments (e.g., Department of Medicine), as well as Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM), Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology (BMI), School of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS) and the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME). As a Core Academic Member of BHI, the candidate will be well positioned to apply their skills to the unique challenges of interconnected neuro-vascular and/or brain-heart disorders.

Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program allocates to institutions $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs.

Candidates should, at a minimum, be assistant or associate professors, or possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels. Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging researchers whose first independent academic research-related appointment was fewer than 10 years ago at the time of nomination. Candidates who are more than 10 years from their first independent academic research-related appointment must contact the University of Ottawa directly with questions about their potential eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair. The institution may nominate a professor or a researcher who is more than 10 years from their first independent academic research-related appointment at the time of nomination and has experienced career interruptions and/or other eligible circumstances that may be considered through the CRC Program’s Tier 2 justification process (see acceptable justifications). In such cases, the institution must submit to the CRC Program a formal Tier 2 justification explaining why the candidate continues to meet the expectations for a Tier 2 Chair as an emerging researcher. The University recognizes the legitimate impact that career interruptions and personal circumstances, such as parental leave or leave due to illness, can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement, and these will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work. 

Preferential Hiring:
The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from skilled and experienced members of the four designated groups such as Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, women and gender equity-seeking groups, as defined in the CRC Program method for establishing equity targets and the Employment Equity Act, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively implement equity measures that ensure and retain diverse teams and promote inclusive practices for research team members. As part of this preferential hiring process, applications from members of the four designated groups will be prioritized and assessed first for the vacancy. The purpose of this measure is to increase the representation and contribution of members of the four designated groups in the allocation of Canada Research Chair positions. All candidates are asked to complete the confidential self-identification questionnaire during the application process online. Internal candidates such as professors, postdoctoral fellows, and students are not eligible.

Skills requirements:

• Education: Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a field related to the position.
• Required Qualifications: Superior research achievements in the call’s identified area(s) and proof of interdisciplinary collaborations, a solid record with respect to publications, teaching and training of students at the graduate level, and the ability to obtain external research funding. Excellent communication skills in either English or French. English-French bilingualism is an asset.

Duties: Academic staff functions include, in varying proportions:

• Scholarly activities such as research, artistic or literary creation, or professional work;
• Academic service;
• Graduate and post-graduate trainee supervision;

Rank and salary:
New Scientist appointment within the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Salary scale for a Scientist is $105,981 -$142,200. An additional non-tenure track academic appointment in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine. Academic rank will be at the Assistant or Associate level and commensurate with the career stage and track record of the successful candidate.

Benefits package: The OHRI provides a complete benefits package which includes health and dental benefits, long-term disability, life insurance, participation in the Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), as well as relocation expenses.

Location of work:  The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6

Application Package:

• A cover letter;
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (Please include any personal circumstances and/or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
• A research plan (2 to 3 pages);
• A statement of relevance to the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) and commitment to a research co-production approach (research carried out in collaboration with community, patients, health professionals, policy makers and other knowledge users) (1 page); 
• A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages);
• A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (1 page);
• The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines (i.e. Tier 2: one arm’s length and two who are not affiliated to the University of Ottawa unless they are the candidate’s PhD or postdoctoral supervisor); and
• Self-identification: Complete the confidential Employment Equity questionnaire online during the application process. The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices.

Deadline: September 3, 2026.

More information regarding Academic Careers can be found online. Apply online through the University of Ottawa Careers portal.

To apply, we invite you to merge the various sections of your application into a single PDF file, which you can then upload to the Careers website. However, if you encounter any problems submitting your application, you can send it to the following email address: [email protected].

The selection process will begin immediately after the closing date and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please address your cover letter to the following person:

Dr. Julie St-Pierre, Vice-President, Research and Innovation
University of Ottawa
550 Cumberland St., room 246
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA

For questions, please email: [email protected]

Ad posted on July 3, 2026.

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff and faculty. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minority members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women and all qualified applicants with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse and inclusive communities. Applicants who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups should complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire when they apply.

In accordance with government policy, all qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by emailing the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations, at [email protected]. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its more than 175-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides second-language training to staff members and their spouses.