Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Position in Biochemistry

Official link: 

http://www1.uwindsor.ca/faculty/recruitment/tenure-track-assistant-professor-position-in-biochemistry

Job Posting Number: 

 002023TT-2018-CHE

Deadline Date: 

 Wednesday, January 03, 2018

The University of Windsor's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, in the Faculty of Science, invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Biochemistry, commencing July 1, 2018. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has strong undergraduate and graduate programs, along with fundamental and applied research in Chemistry and Biochemistry.  Currently the Department has 22+ faculty and 11 support staff.  Research areas include: health-related biochemistry, environmental and protein chemistry, the preparation and characterization of advanced biomaterials, synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry, and solid-state chemistry.  Our research programs are funded by the national granting councils (NSERC, CIHR), industrial sponsors and private funding agencies (HSFC, CRS, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Seeds4Hope Foundation, etc.).  We have a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair among our talented contingent of faculty.  Our department is also home to the Center for Catalysis and Materials Research (CCMR) and actively participates in the Windsor Cancer Research Group http://www.uwindsor.ca/chemistry.

The ideal candidate must possess a PhD in Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, or related fields.  The incumbent is expected to establish a vibrant, externally funded research program in any area of experimental Biochemistry; however, exceptional candidates from other areas will also be considered. Significant financial resources and dedicated laboratory space are associated with this faculty position. The appointee will have access to state-of-the-art facilities for genomics, proteomics, biophysical characterization, imaging, NMR, X-ray, which will be located in a new Faculty of Science Research & Innovation Facility (Spring 2018 occupancy).

The candidate is expected to train graduate/undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, teach undergraduate and graduate courses in biochemistry, and participate in the delivery of our successful professional graduate programs. In addition, an outstanding record of research productivity, and a willingness to work in a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment are expected.

Application Requirements

• a letter of application, including a statement of citizenship/immigration status;
• a detailed and current curriculum vitae;
• two (2) page outline of research interests and accomplishments;
• a draft NSERC Discovery Grant research proposal (up to 5 pages with 2 additional pages of references)
• samples of scholarly writing (up to 3), including (if applicable) clear indications of your contribution to any jointly authored pieces;
• a teaching dossier or teaching portfolio showing a potential for or evidence of teaching effectiveness and excellence that will include sample course syllabi/outlines, teaching evaluations, and a statement of teaching philosophy and interests (resources and templates for completing a teaching dossier can be found at http://www.uwindsor.ca/ctl/links-pd);
• graduate transcripts; and
• three (3) current letters of reference forwarded directly by the referees to the Head at the address or email listed below.

Only those applicants selected for interview will be contacted.  The short-listed candidates may be invited to provide further information in support of their applications.  To ensure full consideration, complete an online application found on the job advertisement (http://www.uwindsor.ca/facultypositions), and ensure letters of reference are submitted by the deadline date of January 3, 2018.  Applications may be considered after the deadline date; however, acceptance of late submissions is at the discretion of the appointments committee. 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE APPLICATION

When completing the online application, please reference:

Position Number: 002023TT-2018-CHE

Questions and Reference Letters to be sent to:
Dr. Charles Macdonald, Head, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
University of Windsor 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4,
Phone: 519-253-3000 Ext. 3526; Fax: 519-973-7098;
Email: chembiohead@uwindsor.ca

The University of Windsor is a comprehensive research and teaching institution with more than 15,500 students.  We are a welcoming community committed to equity and diversity in our teaching, learning, and work environments.  In pursuit of the University's Employment Equity Plan, members from the designated groups (Women, Aboriginal Peoples, Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities, and Sexual Minorities) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.  If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator (recruit@uwindsor.ca). Should you require further information on accommodation, please visit the website of the Office of Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility (http://www.uwindsor.ca/ohrea).  All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Biochemist to study how proteins contribute to neurodegenerative diseases

Biochemist to study how proteins contribute to neurodegenerative diseases

UWindsor biochemistry graduate student Cody Caba and professor Bulent Mutus display the crystal structure of protein disulfide isomerase. Mutus received an NSERC Discovery Grant to examine cell proteins and structures and how they contribute to diseases.

Bulent Mutus is a micro mechanic.

But instead of fixing cars with wrenches and grease, the biochemist rolls up his sleeves and chops up and rebuilds proteins using microscopes and Petri dishes.

“If this enzyme were a car we would know where the engine is, but now we are looking at turning that engine off so the pathology will go away,” the UWindsor professor said.

Dr. Mutus recently received a $100,000 Discovery Grant over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to examine cell proteins and structures and how they contribute to diseases like cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer’s.

The human body is made up of about 10 trillion cells that intricately interact with one another to ensure the body functions properly. When cell-to-cell and internal cell signaling is disturbed, the body cannot function properly, and acute diseases and physiological or neurological disorders occur.

“It’s similar to a teeter-totter, wherein a normal situation everything is balanced,” Mutus explained.

Every cell contains strings of amino acid molecules that fold onto themselves, forming structures called proteins.

The crystal structure of protein disulfide isomerase is pictured in this computer visualization. 

“If there’s something that messes up the balance within the cell, then the proteins don’t fold properly, and you get something called unfolded protein response,” he said.

Diseases reactive to the unfolded protein response include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s — as well as many others.

Proteins are encoded from DNA instructions and form in ways that allow them to combine with other substrates to perform work. When proteins do work, they are called enzymes and help the body to function properly.

Mutus’ NSERC research focuses on a sequence of amino acids containing sulfur, called cysteine amino acids, and the role they play in the regulation of enzymes. In the sequence, called the CXXC motif, two amino acids represented by the letter C for cysteine, are separated by any other two of the 23 amino acids, which are represented by X. These cysteine amino acids have a sulfur group that often binds to itself to create a stronger bond or fold within the protein structure.

Mutus said the sequence affects structure which in turn affects the function, and so improper sequences or structures can cause harmful pathologies in the body.

“Structure is related to function, and so if you build a building and you don’t have any doors it’s not going to be very functional,” the researcher said. “The same goes with a protein, and if a sequence works well in one particular protein, then it’s copied and repeatedly used somewhere else.”

By studying this CXXC protein sequence and its function in various cellular pathways, researchers can develop therapies to treat diseases caused by improper function.

Mutus’ lab has created probes that will bind to CXXC enzymes within the cells which can be followed to see their functions in internal cellular pathways.

He said an example of this is found in patients with cystic fibrosis. Within these patients, an enzyme called S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase (GSNOR) is unable to form at appropriate levels in the lungs and can’t function in ion transport.

“If that ion transport protein can’t mature and enter into the cell membrane where it belongs, then fluid essentially starts to accumulate in the lungs and leads to infections,” Mutus said. “So if an enzyme contains this CXXC motif, and we think we can tweak onto something that’s a very small run of four or five amino acids, where we can play with one of the amino acids and really regulate the enzyme, like turning a car engine on and off to control negative pathologies in the body.”

Mutus’ research will eventually have implications in drug design as a means of controlling these important enzymes involved in pathologies and diseases that may affect all of us.

See the full story at the UWindsor Daily News

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Faculty Position in Biochemistry

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Faculty Position in Biochemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Windsor invites outstanding candidates to apply for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Biochemistry, commencing July 1, 2017. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.


The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has strong undergraduate and graduate programs, along with fundamental and applied research in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Currently the Department has 21 faculty and 11 support staff. Research areas include health-related biochemistry, the preparation and characterization of advanced materials, synthetic inorganic and organic chemistry, as well as solid-state chemistry. Our research programs are funded by the national granting councils (NSERC, CIHR), industrial sponsors and private funding agencies (HSFC, CRS, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Seeds4Hope Foundation, etc.). We have two Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs among our talented contingent of faculty. Our department is also home to the Center for Catalysis and Materials Research (CCMR) and actively participates in the Windsor Cancer Research Group. http://www.uwindsor.ca/chemistry


To ensure full consideration, complete an online application at 

http://www.uwindsor.ca/facultypositions

and ensure letters of reference are submitted by the deadline date of November 1, 2016. 

Applications may be considered after the deadline date; however, acceptance of late submissions is at the discretion of the appointment committee.

For more information click here.
   

A farewell to Dr. Boffa!

A farewell to Dr. Boffa!

Dr. Michael Boffa has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry since July of 2008.  As of July 1, 2016, Dr. Boffa has taken up a position in the Department of Biochemistry at Western University.  Over the past eight years, Dr. Boffa developed into a first rate researcher, becoming a world renowned expert in elucidating the physiological and pathophysiological roles of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI).  He was very successful in attracting research funding from NSERC, HSFO, and the Windsor Essex County Cancer Centre Foundation.  Dr Boffa also was able to build a research group composed of a cadre of very enthusiastic and accomplished undergraduate and graduate students. Michael is an excellent teacher/mentor and his service to the Department and the University was unparalleled.  We are very sorry to see him go!

Michael, a heathy farewell and best wishes for continued success at Western!

On behalf of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UWindsor,

Bulent Mutus, Ph.D.
Head of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Besa Xhabija wins poster prize at the 10th Biannual Great Lakes Glia Meeting

The Vacratsis lab participated in the 10th Biannual Great Lakes Glia Meeting that took place on Sept 27-29th, 2015 in Traverse City, Michigan. Besa Xhabija was awarded the Best Poster Award, which carried a cash prize of $200.  Congratulations Besa!

Sessional Instructor Postings - Fall 2015

Sessional Instructor Postings - Fall 2015

Please visit our Employment Opportunities web page for information on sessional positions available for Fall 2015.  The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry invites applications from qualified individuals who are interested in teaching these courses as posted.  

Pharmacology for Health Sciences - 03-59-391-01
Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Signaling - 03-59-469-01

Biochemistry & Cell Biology – Lipids & Membranes - 03-59-675

Biotechnology Entrepreneurship - 03-59-690-01

Foundation funding to support natural compound research

Providing a catalyst for positive change in the world is the operating principle of the Jesse and Julie Rasch Foundation. Widely-known for supporting a broad range of philanthropic projects, the foundation has just approved $80,000 in research funding for biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey’s project, Evaluation of anti-cancer effect of various compounds against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

According to foundation chair Jesse Rasch, Dr. Pandey’s research into natural compounds in the fight against cancer is the type of work the organization has a mandate to support.

“I am an entrepreneur and I look at investing in research in the same way my company looks at investing in start-ups and venture capital,” Rasch says. “We provide seed money for interesting ideas that will hopefully be able to attract the larger grants once there is proof of concept to be able to fund clinical trials. We do what we can to get things kick-started.”

Rasch says a media article about Pandey’s dandelion root research caught the attention of the foundation and falls in line with other natural compound research they support.

To read the full story on the Daily News, click here.

There is also a Windsor Star story, that can be linked to by clicking here.

NMR workshop, May 20 and 21

NMR Workshop Announcement:
On May 20 and 21 from 9:00 am until 12:00 p.m., the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry NMR Facility at the University of Windsor is offering a workshop entitled "An Introduction to Practical Aspects of NMR Data Acquisition and Processing".

This introductory workshop, which runs over two mornings, is geared toward incoming summer students and/or graduate students with little or no NMR experience, but who are expected to make use of the NMR spectrometers as part of their summer project. The workshop is meant as supplement to the "one on one" training that new students receive and will allow an opportunity to go into greater depth on many topics.

There will be mixture of lecture sessions and hands on learning opportunities for the participants. In addition to myself, Rob Schurko, Aaron Rossini and Hayam Hamaed will helping with the sessions. The topics covered include:

• Preparation of NMR Samples
• Set up of 1D 1H and 13C NMR Experiments
• Processing and Presentation of NMR Data

Click here to see the schedule and register for the workshop.

The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

Research published by a UWindsor doctoral candidate in biochemistry could lay the groundwork for new technology with applications in everything from early detection of cancer to sensing dangerous chemicals in enclosed areas.

Suzie Durocher’s work involves detecting thiols—volatile, sulphur-containing organic compounds that can be found everywhere in nature. Thiols have high and low molecular weights; in human blood, it’s essential to maintain a balance between them to regulate circulatory and respiratory functions.

Durocher was the lead author on a paper recently published in the Journal of American Chemical Society called "Disulfide-Linked, Gold Nanoparticle Based Reagent for Detecting Small Molecular Weight Thiols." The paper was co-authored with UWindsor professors Bulent Mutus and Chitra Rangan, Caroline Hamm of the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, and Silvia Mittler and Asad Rezaee from the University of Western Ontario.

The paper outlines a process that could be used to develop a sensor to test for toxic or smaller weight thiols, which are more abundant and have finer control over many human functions.

It’s intellectual property that could be adapted in a variety of settings to test for the presence of toxic thiols, Dr. Mutus said. Petro-chemical workers, for instance, could wear badges on their uniforms that can change colour to indicate the presence of dangerous chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide in the air. It could also be used to develop a sensor that detects health problems like cancer based on thiol content in blood samples.

Durocher’s academic advisors raved about the quality of her work.

"She’s so good that Dr. Mittler will often send her students over here to learn from Suzie," Mutus said.

"It’s amazing that student could be a first author in this journal," said Rangan. "The quality of the data is excellent."

Professor Bulent Mutus funded by Astra Zeneca

Bulent Mutus funded by Astra Zeneca...
Dr. Bulent Mutus has received a contract from AstraZeneca to explore the effects of a new antiplatelet drug on plasma membrane cholesterol raft-ADP receptor interactions.

Click here for more information on his research program.

New biochem faculty members

Marlys Koschinsky and Michael Boffa join the department...

This past summer, two new faculty members with expertise in Biochemistry joined the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry:

• Marlys Koschinsky has come to the University of Windsor from Queens University as the new Dean of Science, and will be heading up a research program focusing on the use of molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell biology, and proteomic techniques for the study of the relationships between structure and function in the apolipoprotein apo(a).
  
• Michael Boffa also joins us from Queens' University. His research focuses on the protein TAFI (thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor) and its function as a novel mediator of the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis.
  

Welcome to the department!

Otis Vacratsis receives CIHR funding for research on neuromuscular diseases

Posted Nov. 14, 2008: Professor Otis Vacratsis, an associate professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry who was born and raised in Windsor, has received a three-year $243,000 grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research to study the molecular origins of myotubuluar myopathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Dr. Vacratsis' group will be attempting to isolate and sequence the proteins that are associated with these neuromuscular diseases, in the hopes that their work may lead to future successful pharmaceutical treatments or therapies. For more information, see the Windsor Star Article on Dr. Vacratsis, and click here to visit his webpage.