Research Assistant​/Technician

Staff - Union

CUPE 116

CUPE 116 Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 1

Research Assistant /Technician 1

Research l Tropini I Department of Microbiology I Faculty of Science

$4,147.00 - $4,350.00 CAD Monthly

February 17, 2026

Note:

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

April 30, 2026

This is a 0.4 FTE position with the possibility of extension.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The technician will conduct advanced imaging and analysis of gut tissues, with a focus on host-microbiota interactions in health and disease and conducting animal experiments. They will be trained in histological preparation, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), lectin staining, and high-resolution confocal microscopy to visualize the spatial organization of the microbiota and host features such as mucus layers and epithelial integrity.

The role includes quantitative analysis of microbial biogeography and host-microbe interfaces using custom image analysis pipelines, and integration of imaging data with physiological and immunological readouts from murine models. This work will contribute to projects investigating mucosal barrier disruption, microbiota resilience, and environmental perturbations such as osmotic stress, with relevance to inflammatory bowel disease and microbiota-based therapeutics.

The individual will report directly to the Principal Investigator (Dr. Tropini) weekly. Some work with a senior graduate student or post-doctoral fellow. Will initially work under close supervision but is expected to work with minimal supervision once proficiency in the duties assigned has been established.

• Perform histological processing of murine gut tissues, including fixation, embedding, sectioning, and staining.
• Perform bioinformatics analysis of microbiome and imaging data.
• Conduct advanced imaging experiments using fluorescence microscopy and high-resolution confocal microscopy to visualize host–microbiota spatial relationships.
• Apply specialized techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), lectin staining, and immunofluorescence to assess microbial localization, mucus structure, and epithelial integrity.
• Perform quantitative image analysis using established and custom image analysis pipelines to evaluate microbial biogeography and host–microbe interfaces.
• Integrate imaging data with physiological, microbiological, and immunological readouts from murine models.
• Maintain accurate experimental records, organize datasets, and contribute to data interpretation and presentation for meetings, reports, and publications.
• Assist with general laboratory organization, reagent preparation, and equipment maintenance as required.
• Support onboarding of new lab members by introducing laboratory safety practices and standard operating procedures, and provide limited guidance to students or volunteers when needed.

Work will be checked by the Principal Investigator and discussed in weekly meetings, and as needed. Errors or inappropriate decisions will primarily impact research progress (milestones), and measures such as frequent meetings with the faculty member to avoid such occurrences will be taken. If an error occurred, valuable reagents, research time, and money could be lost. BSL2 and chemical hazards requires proper adherence to safe practices or may risk infection or harm to self and/or other lab members.

Initially, detailed instructions (i.e., established protocols and/or direct contact with the Principal Investigator, Postdoc, or Senior Graduate students) will be provided for all experiments and tasks. General supervision will then be given, with direct supervision for new…