Postdoctoral Researcher - Human Genetics, Proteomics, and Multi-Omics for Drug Target Discovery
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The Yoshiji Lab at McGill University is recruiting a fully funded Postdoctoral Fellow to lead projects at the intersection of human genetics, proteomics, and multi-omics for drug target discovery and precision medicine in cardiometabolic diseases and beyond.
The successful candidate will analyze biobank-scale datasets — including UK Biobank (~500,000 participants), NIH All of Us (~440,000), the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA, ~26,000), and the McGill-based BioPortal, which the Yoshiji Lab co-leads (~3,000 participants with ~5,400 plasma protein measurements) — to identify and characterize causal proteins and genetic variants that can be translated into therapeutic targets.
The Fellow will join a vibrant and growing team (5 PhD students, 1 MSc student, 1 visiting professor, and 1 visiting graduate trainee) and contribute to active international collaborations, including with the Broad Institute / Harvard, UCSD, Stanford, Kyoto University, Uppsala University, and the Type 2 Diabetes Global Genetics Consortium.
Representative lab work includes the lab's recent Nature Genetics publication on proteome-wide Mendelian randomization and proteome-phenome mapping
Primary Responsibilities
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to:
- Design and execute independent research projects applying Mendelian randomization, GWAS, fine-mapping, colocalization, polygenic scoring, and multi-trait / multi-ancestry methods to biobank-scale human genetics and proteomics data.
- Analyze plasma and tissue proteomics data (e.g., Olink, SomaScan) integrated with genotype, phenotype, and electronic health record data across UK Biobank, All of Us, CLSA, and the McGill BioPortal.
- Develop and maintain reproducible analysis pipelines in R, Python, and shell on HPC / Slurm clusters and cloud environments (e.g., DNAnexus, Terra, AWS/GCP).
- Write first-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
- Prepare and contribute to grant and fellowship applications (e.g., CIHR, FRQS, JSPS, HFSP).
- Collaborate with internal team members and external consortia, including joint analyses and co-authored publications.
- Contribute to lab life: mentoring graduate and undergraduate trainees, participating in lab meetings and journal clubs, and supporting shared infrastructure (code review, documentation, data governance).
- Uphold the highest standards of research integrity, reproducibility, and responsible use of human biobank data (ethics approvals, data access agreements, privacy).
Required Qualifications
Candidates must hold, or be within ~6 months of completing, a PhD (or MD/PhD) in a relevant field — for example human genetics, statistical genetics, computational biology, bioinformatics, epidemiology, biostatistics, computer science, or a closely related quantitative discipline.
In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Programming proficiency in at least R or Python (ideally both), plus comfortable use of Unix/Linux shell.
- Hands-on experience with high-performance computing (Slurm/PBS or equivalent) and/or cloud computing platforms.
- Working knowledge of at least one of: GWAS, Mendelian randomization, fine-mapping, colocalization, polygenic risk scores, or related statistical-genetics / causal-inference methods.
- Strong publication record appropriate to career stage, including at least one first-author peer-reviewed publication (or accepted preprint) in a quantitative biomedical area.
- Scientific writing and communication skills in English, including evidence of independent manuscript or thesis writing.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international, interdisciplinary team.
- Commitment to open, reproducible science (version control with Git, documented pipelines, data-sharing awareness).
Preferred Qualifications (Assets)
The following are considered strong assets but are not required:
- Experience with biobank-scale data (UK Biobank, All of Us, FinnGen, CLSA, BBJ, Million Veteran Program, or similar).
- Experience with plasma or tissue proteomics platforms (Olink, SomaScan, mass spectrometry).
- Experience with single-cell or spatial transcriptomics, or other multi-omics modalities.
- Familiarity with drug target discovery, target validation, or pharmacoepidemiology.
- Experience contributing to international consortia or leading multi-site analyses.
- Bilingualism in English and French (asset in Montreal, not required).
- Prior success obtaining competitive postdoctoral fellowships (CIHR, FRQS, Banting, HFSP, EMBO, JSPS, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, etc.).
What We Offer
- Fully funded postdoctoral position at McGill University, one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities.
- Rich, biobank-scale datasets and compute infrastructure (HPC + cloud).
- Active mentorship from the PI, with clear expectations around first-author publications, fellowship applications, and independent career development.
- Vibrant, internationally collaborative lab environment, with established partnerships in North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Support to attend and present at major international conferences.
- McGill postdoctoral benefits package (health, parental leave, etc., per McGill Postdoctoral policies).
- Montreal — a vibrant, multi-cultural, affordable, research-dense city with a strong quality of life.
Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following through Workday:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) — including full publication list and HPC/coding experience.
- Cover letter (1–2 pages) — describing research interests, fit with the Yoshiji Lab's scientific program, career goals, and preferred start date.
- Contact information for 2–3 academic references — names, positions, institutions, and email addresses (letters not required at time of application).
- 1–2 representative publications or preprints — as PDFs or links (e.g., bioRxiv, medRxiv, Google Scholar, ORCID).
Optional: a brief (≤1 page) statement describing a computational analysis or research result you are particularly proud of, and the methods used.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a video interview, followed by a research presentation and technical discussion.
Contact
Satoshi Yoshiji, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Lab website: yoshiji-lab.org
Applications / inquiries: yoshiji-lab.org/joinus
Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.
McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing.
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McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.