Join Us

We have fully-funded openings: 1–2 MSc, 1 PhD, and 1 Post-doctoral fellow.
Highly motivated candidates with strong quantitative skills and a background in the life sciences are encouraged to apply!

Important: For job applications and inquiries, please use the Google Form instead of sending an email. We will carefully review all submissions.
If you have sent and email but not form yet, please fill out the form. Thank you for your understanding and support in streamlining this process!

The standard start date for MSc/PhD students is Fall 2025 (Sept 2025) or Winter 2026 (Jan 2026), and the start date for the post-doctoral fellow is flexible.

We are also looking for bioinformaticians, who can support us building and analyzing a new multi-ancestry and multi-omics biobank, BioPortal. Please contact us for further information.

About McGill

McGill University in Montreal, Canada, ranks among the top 30 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Montreal ranks #1 among the QS Best Student Cities in North America** and (#10 globally**)[https://www.topuniversities.com/best-student-cities).

About the Lab

Our lab investigates the biology of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and other complex traits to identify new drug targets and advance precision medicine. We use large-scale human genetics, multi-omics, and genetic epidemiology/statistical approaches (GWAS, Mendelian randomization, fine-mapping, polygenic risk scores).
Representative publications include: Yoshiji et al. Nature Genetics 2025, Su et al. medRxiv 2024, Yoshiji et al. Nature Metabolism 2023

Our team currently includes one PI and three PhD students and is located in the McGill Victor Philip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine on the downtown campus (740 Dr Penfield Ave, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8). We are one of the five labs in the McGill Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Genomic Medicine. As a growing lab, your success is our success. We are deeply committed to supporting and advancing your academic career development.

Recruitment

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis, with the first deadline on February 24, 2025. We may close the call once positions are filled. Early submissions/inquiries are encouraged.

Your Project

You will lead and publish projects aligned with the lab’s key research interests:

1. Large-scale human genetics and multi-omics analysis for drug target discovery:
   We combine genomics, proteomics, and other omics with genetic epidemiology to understand cardiometabolic diseases and discover therapeutic targets.

2. Building and analyzing a new biobank, BioPortal:
   We are creating a multi-ancestry, multi-omics biobank of 12,500 individuals (with an eventual goal of 100,000) in Montreal to advance drug development and precision medicine.

3. Disentangling the heterogeneity of cardiometabolic diseases:
   Using genomics and proteomics, we dissect the genetic heterogeneity of diabetes and complex traits to identify distinct biological pathways, potential therapeutic targets, and opportunities for precision medicine.

Your Key Roles

• Execute your project, write and publish manuscripts under the PI’s supervision
• Collaborate with lab members, CERC members, and national/international collaborators
• Keep up-to-date on relevant studies and methods, and actively discuss them with the PI and the team
• Present your work at national and international conferences
• Attend lab meetings, CERC seminars, journal clubs, and lab events; foster a welcoming and inclusive environment
• Work with a goal-oriented mindset and respect deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Work in the lab on weekdays with a work-from-home option as needed (note that Monday is reserved for lab meetings and seminars). Flexible work arrangements are possible for classes, health, or severe weather

Positions Available and Start Date

• Post-doctoral position:
  • Start date flexible. We encourage all motivated candidates to apply.
• MSc/PhD positions:
  • Start date will depend on applicant’s status due to McGill deadlines https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/registration/graduating/deadlines
  • Fall 2025: The candidate will be either
    • Canadian citizen/PR holder OR
    • Current McGill student (both national and international students are encouraged to apply; no Canadian citizenship/PR required; deadline: February 24, 2025)
  • Winter 2026: No restriction on status. We encourage all motivated candidates to apply.

Selection Criteria for MSc/PhD/Post-docoral positions

Essential

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in a relevant field (e.g., genetics, biology, biology/life science-related specialties, medicine, bioinformatics, biostatistics, computer science or related area)
• Strong English communication skills (spoken and written)
• Intermediate/working proficiency in R or Python (e.g., computational/data-focused project experience)
• Basic familiarity with Linux (e.g., basic handling of files)
• Basic understanding of biology (e.g., what are DNA, RNA, proteins?)
• Strong record keeping
• Strong teamwork and ability to work independently
• For MSc/PhD: cGPA ≥ 3.2 (preferably ≥ 3.5). Exceptions possible on a case-by-case basis
• For Post-doc: No GPA threshold, but at least one first-author, peer-reviewed paper is required
• Willingness to learn genetic epidemiology methods (e.g., GWAS, MR), biology of human diseases, and large-scale quantitative analyses using high-performance computing or cloud computing

Desirable but Not Required at Entry

• Peer-reviewed publication
• Experience in genetic epidemiology, bioinformatics, biostatistics
• Experience with high-performance computing (e.g., institutional HPC, Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Google Cloud)

How to Apply/Inquire

Interested?
We encourage you to take a look at the following three papers to see if your interests align with ours: Yoshiji et al. Nature Genetics 2025, Su et al. medRxiv 2024, Yoshiji et al. Nature Metabolism 2023

Please fill in the Google form
Note: We do not track your gmail address you use for filling out the form.

In the form, we request a combined PDF of the following three documents:

1. A cover letter (11-point or larger, one-page max) describing your research interests, motivation to join our lab, and relevant experience.
2. A CV detailing your academic background, publications (if applicable), and experience with quantitative analyses and programming.
3. Academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts acceptable).

We appreciate your patience during the selection process. If you are selected for a Zoom interview, you will hear from us no later than February 24.

Application Deadline (First Round)

February 24, 2025
We may close applications once positions are filled, so early submissions/inquiries are encouraged.

Stipend/Salaries and Benefits

• For MSc/PhD positions, they are outlined here:
  https://www.mcgill.ca/ipn/finance-current-students/stipend-funding-2025-2026

• For Post-doctoral positions, they are outlined here:
  https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/staff/postdocs/financial-support

• Top-up will be arranged as per CERC’s policy.
• For leave of absence & vacation policy, please see:
  https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/registration/progress/leave-vacation

Scholarships Opportunities

We provide full tuition and stipend support for graduate students and salary support for post-doctoral fellows. However, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to apply for scholarships for career development (with a top-up for FRQS awardees).

Representative scholarships information (For reference only. Check original sources for details):

Doctoral Awards

• FRQS Doctoral Training Scholarships (both international and Canadian citizens/PR holders are eligible):
  https://frq.gouv.qc.ca/en/program/frq-doctoral-training-scholarships/
  • Masters: $20,000 / year (up to 6 semesters) during the first 6 semesters of Masters.
  • Doctoral: $25,000 / year (up to 12 semesters) during the first 15 semesters of PhD.
    Source: https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/funding/intl/provincial-agency-awards
• CIHR doctoral award (for Canadian citizens/PR holders):
  https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/38887.html
  • $40,000 / year for three years.
    (Source: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/53988.html)
  • Top-up will be arranged as per CERC’s policy.

Post-doctoral Award

• FRQS post-doctoral award: Both international and Canadian citizens/PR holders are eligible
  • $45,000 / year
• CIHR post-doctoral award (for Canadian citizens/PR holders):
  https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/38887.html
  • $70,000 / year
    (see https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/53988.html)
  • Top-up will be arranged as per CERC policy (as of January 2025, an additional 15,000 CAD top-up for FRQS awardees).

Tuition-Waiver for International Students

• Applying is encouraged since it strengthens CVs, but even if you do not obtain one, we will support your tuition. Details:
  https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/funding/intl/dfw

Life in Montreal

Montreal is 2nd largest city in Canada and the #1 QS best student city in the Americas with rich diversity, quality of life, and affordability. Our lab is located in downtown campus, which sits in the heart of Montreal. Montreal is a cosmopolitan city with diverse backgrounds, and you will have no problem studying and living with English language (as PI and students in the lab have been doing) in case you are wondering about practical French proficiency requirements.

“In terms of affordability, Montreal stands out compared to major global cities like London or New York. It offers reasonable living expenses with affordable housing options, lower tuition fees, and various student discounts, making it an appealing choice for those seeking to manage their finances without compromising on their educational and living standards.”
Source: https://www.mcgill.ca/desautels/article/bcom-program-master-management-finance-mmf-program-master-management-retailing-mmr-program-master/montreal-ranked-best-student-city-americas-and-10th-world

Cost of living comparison (including rent):
Montreal is 15.5% lower than Toronto, 20.5% lower than Vancouver, 44.6% lower than Boston, 56.1% lower than New York, 47.9% lower than San Francisco, and 37.6% lower than Los Angeles.
Source: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp (as of Jan 25, 2025)