Description
Assistant Professor, Immunoengineering
The Schulich School of Engineering, in partnership with the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy/Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), and the Snyder Institute at the University of Calgary, invites national and international applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of May 1, 2026.
The successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The candidate would be encouraged to apply to be a member of the Charbonneau Cancer Institute, ACHRI and/or Snyder Institute depending on their research. In alignment with the University of Calgary's Ahead of Tomorrow plan and its strategic academic and research priorities, the successful candidate will actively contribute to research, student and postdoctoral supervision, undergraduate and graduate teaching, curriculum development, and service contributions to the department, faculty and university.
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (or equivalent) in engineering, life sciences, or a related discipline, and a bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent. They should demonstrate an emerging scholarly profile with an original, creative, innovative, and forward-looking research program, acknowledged by peers as having the potential to become internationally recognized. Applicants should also demonstrate potential for synergies with existing researchers and research groups across campus. The successful candidate is expected to establish a strong research program in Immunoengineering, with the potential to achieve national and international recognition within five to ten years. They will attract competitive external funding, recruit excellent trainees and staff, and contribute to a range of undergraduate and graduate teaching aligned with their expertise. The candidate will provide service to the Department, Faculty, Institutes, University, and broader community, and will contribute to advancing equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible employment practices and workplaces. Over time, there will be opportunities to grow into leadership roles within the Department, School, and University.
The successful candidate's research program will focus broadly in the area of immune-related engineering (immunoengineering). This may be accomplished through a number of possible topics and applications, including but not limited to: biomimetic materials, immuno-oncology, molecular engineering, synthetic biology, cell-based therapies, systems immunology and computational immunoengineering, biomanufacturing, or regenerative immunology. Additional areas of interest include advanced in vitro model systems such as organ-on-chip and microphysiological platforms for studying immune-tissue interactions, as well as translational applications spanning vaccine design and immunomodulatory biomaterials and other diagnostic and/or therapeutic innovations.
The successful candidate is expected to be or become eligible for registration as a professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) (https://www.apega.ca/). If any candidates require further information about this criterion, they are encouraged to contact the Department Head.
The research area exemplifies the University of Calgary's vision of research that is built around areas of excellence, entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, advanced technology, and strong connections to industry and community.
The Schulich School of Engineering is committed to fostering diversity through cultivating an environment where people with a variety of backgrounds, genders, interests and talents feel welcome and included. In 2016, the Schulich School of Engineering was recognized with the KNOVO Award of Distinction to honour the school's commitment to diversity and equity.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering, with new teaching labs and renovated research labs, is the home of undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (MEng, MSc, PhD) programs. It anchors cross-campus transdisciplinary activities in Biomedical Engineering, which occur across multiple faculties at the University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca/bme) and involve more than 300 faculty members with current annual research funding exceeding $75M. The university has made significant investments in Biomedical Engineering to date, including the allocation of six Tier 1 and nine Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs. A strong culture of collaboration and cross-disciplinary research excellence is enabled by significant research infrastructure located in multiple centers across campus. The University of Calgary's transdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering research initiative drives innovations that are saving lives and revolutionizing health care. Biomedical Engineering is led by the Schulich School of Engineering, with the Cumming School of Medicine, and the faculties of Kinesiology, Nursing, Science, and Veterinary Medicine. With collaborative teams focused on human mobility, health monitoring and management including e-health, advanced biomedical imaging, precision bio-diagnostics, regenerative medicine and novel medical technologies, our researchers are transforming health services and quality of life.
The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute (charbonneau.ucalgary.ca/) is a partnership between the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, bringing together scientists and clinicians to integrate research and care cross disciplines - from understanding and preventing cancer, to transforming its detection and treatment, to improving life with and after cancer. In 2023, a generous gift from the Riddell Family, through the Alberta Cancer Foundation, with additional matching funds from the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, enabled the creation of the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy (RCCI; https://charbonneau.ucalgary.ca/cancer-immunotherapy) at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute (ACCC), headquartered at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (ACCCC), one of the largest comprehensive cancer centers in the world, providing a significant investment into the next phase of cancer immunotherapy research and translation. The RCCI's mission is to reduce the burden of cancer in children, adolescents, and adults by improving disease outcomes through the development of novel immunotherapies. By fostering excellence and team-based science across three major pillars - discovery and innovation, biomanufacturing and clinical translation - RCCI's mission is to make novel discoveries that translate into improved survival of cancer patients. To achieve this goal the centre integrates novel immunoengineering approaches and produces immune cell therapies through the establishment of a state-of-the-art biomanufacturing platform to meet Health Canada and international regulatory standards. With its multidisciplinary team of oncologists, immunologists, pathologists, translational scientists, virologists, cancer modelers, gene scientists, surgeons, imagers, microbiome scientists, computational biologists, cellular engineers, and proteomics specialists with research interests in adult and pediatric cancers, the RCCI program is a strong collaborative environment that is well positioned to be a leader in immune oncology.
The successful candidate will benefit from a rich ecosystem, which includes world-class scholars, a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, and an equitable, diverse, and inclusive university community that supports transdisciplinary research, partnerships and collaborations, and education excellence. The Schulich School of Engineering Strategic Plan, Schulich Momentum, identifies four pillars: 1) Indigenous Engagement, Inclusivity and Reconciliation; 2) Fostering a Community through Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility; 3) Preparing Tomorrow's Engineering Changemakers; and 4) Elevating Research and Innovation Impact. The Schulich School of Engineering is a key contributor to the University of Calgary Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan, which emphasizes transdisciplinary scholarship, deeper community integration, and future-focused program delivery. For more information, please visit the Schulich School of Engineering website.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an application online via the 'Apply Now' link. Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments. Your four application attachments should be organized to contain the following (which may require you to merge documents, such as publications):
Cover letter and curriculum vitae, as well as the name and contact information of three referees
Statement of research interests, accomplishments and vision. The statement should describe existing and potential collaborations with researchers and research groups locally, nationally, and internationally, as well as have a funding application strategy (maximum 2 pages)
Statement of teaching philosophy promoting student learning and success (maximum 2 pages). This can include information on teaching experience, training, and mentoring inside and outside the classroom at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels, as well as existing and new courses the applicant could teach
Statement on equity, diversity and inclusion (maximum 2 pages) (https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion)
Applications are accepted until April 1, 2026.
Questions may be addressed to:
Dr. Michael Kallos
Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Email: mskallos@ucalgary.ca
The University of Calgary adheres to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and strives to evaluate research impact responsibly and inclusively by explicitly considering discipline-appropriate methods for demonstrating the quality, significance, and societal impact of a broad range of research contributions.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (oic@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)
For a listing of all academic opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Academic Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.
About Calgary, Alberta
Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.
With a growing urban Indigenous population of approximately 50,000 people, there are several Indigenous organizations and many events and ceremonies taking place in the city throughout the year.
