Postdoctoral Fellow - Automated Impedance Spectroscopy: Instrument Validation and Biological Ap

Postdoctoral Fellow - Automated Impedance Spectroscopy:
Instrument Validation and Biological Applications

Department
:
Chemistry and Biology
Position supervisor
:
Dr. Darius Rackus
Contract length
: 1 year
Hours of work per week
: 36.25
Position type
:
Postdoctoral Fellow
Rate of pay
: $60,000 - $70,000 CAD annum; commensurate with experience

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2

SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The Miniaturization in Bioanalysis Laboratory at Toronto Metropolitan University develops miniaturized platforms for chemical and biological measurement, with a focus on integrating electrochemical sensors with microfluidic systems. Our work spans device fabrication, assay development, and analytical method development across a range of bioanalytical applications. We are affiliated with the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST) at TMU and St.

Michael’s Hospital.

We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow to take the lead on an industry-sponsored project validating a next-generation automated impedance spectroscopy platform. The instrument is currently in preproduction — meaning you will be working with prototype hardware, writing your own data pipelines, and figuring things out before the manual exists. If that sounds frustrating, this probably isn’t the right fit. If it sounds like exactly the kind of problem you want to work on, read on.

Lead systematic validation of the platform against established impedance-based instruments using standardized epithelial and endothelial cell models. Work will include cross-platform benchmarking, multicell-line biological validation, and establishing biophysical meaning for instrument-derived spectral features. You will also extend validation to advanced biological models and, in collaboration with partner groups at iBEST, apply the platform to novel biological questions, including contexts relevant to the instrument’s longer-term development roadmap.

Lead an exploratory stream investigating augmentation of the platform’s electrode architecture toward multianalyte biological readouts. The lab provides access to relevant fabrication expertise and resources to support this work.

The position includes hands‑on cell culture responsibilities. The lab has in‑house cell ion to support onboarding and troubleshooting as needed, but the primary responsibility for cell line maintenance, assay execution, and day‑to‑day experimental throughput rests with the postdoctoral fellow. The role also carries supervisory responsibility for undergraduate researchers who will be recruited and trained over the course of the project.

The position also carries responsibility for tracking project milestones and contributing to regular progress reporting to the industry sponsor, including written updates and periodic meetings with the sponsor's technical team. The ability to communicate research findings with precision and concision…