Professor, Tenure – Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development

The Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), Sunny Hill Health Centre, and the Centre for Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) invite applications for a successful candidate eligible to be nominated for the approved Sunny Hill BC Leadership Chair in Child Development in the Department of Pediatrics, and appointed a faculty position at the rank of Professor with tenure.

This position is located within a health-care facility. Therefore, this position requires successful verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by the provincial health mandate.

The Sunny Hill Health Centre and its associated colleges and universities take a leadership role in educating the academic community about child development and rehabilitation. Sunny Hill’s physicians and health professionals are highly involved with research in partnership with UBC and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, with the goal to better the lives of children by improving our understanding of how to help children with disabilities develop healthy lives. The BC Leadership Chair in Child Development will support the evolution of Sunny Hill, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre as international leaders in the field of child development and will specifically link the Chair to the health care interface that is an important part of the Hospital’s focus. Their work will examine the ways in which systematic differences in childhood environments varying by neighbourhood, community, or socioeconomic context affect biological and brain development, to advance our understanding of the factors that foster healthy child outcomes.  The research program will address issues both of typical and atypical development.

The BC Leadership Chair in Child Development will be housed within HELP, an interdisciplinary Senate approved research centre of the Faculty of Medicine. Unique in Canada, HELP is a pioneering network of faculty, researchers and graduate students from BC’s universities and colleges. HELP’s mission is to create, promote and translate new knowledge through leading interdisciplinary research to help children and families thrive.

This prestigious appointment, supported by the Leading-Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF), will provide a unique opportunity for an internationally recognized individual to lead research in an outstanding and inclusive environment to enhance the province of BC as a leader in our understanding of child development.  The BC Leadership Chair will build and expand on existing strengths and current initiatives within HELP, while providing the necessary leadership and guidance to foster HELP’s capacity for ground-breaking research in early child development. Working collaboratively with researchers from diverse fields, practitioners and policy makers, the Chair will contribute intellectual expertise to integrate HELP’s initiatives. HELP’s current areas of focus include linked and longitudinal database development, population health, school-based mental health, community development research, and research with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children and communities. Such an integrated approach offers the ability to investigate a multitude of possible influences on early child development, provides a solid empirical base on which to generate and test hypotheses, is essential for the design of appropriate policy and practice. Through the Chair’s scholarly activities, they will foster new partnerships between HELP, the Department of Pediatrics, and Sunny Hill Health Centre.

The successful candidate will hold an MD and/or PhD, or equivalent, and will qualify for a full-time appointment at the rank of Professor with tenure in the UBC Faculty of Medicine. Clinician scientists are welcome and encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be an internationally recognized leader and have attained distinction within their discipline, with a sustained and productive program of scholarly activity. The successful candidate will be able to show evidence of excellence in teaching and will be expected to participate in the teaching activities of the Department, as well as provide mentorship and training to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate learners. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and interact with empathy and understanding, respect diverse and divergent perspectives and behaviors, and an ability to foster engagement and inclusivity across the Centre, the Department of Pediatrics, Sunny Hill Health Centre and its other stakeholders to promote a culture of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration and equity. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute and provide service to the University and the broader academic and professional community. An appropriate academic Department in the UBC Faculty of Medicine will be identified at the time a successful candidate is selected contingent upon the candidate’s area of expertise.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. An application package should include a letter of application outlining the applicant’s research and teaching interests, accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae and the names of four references should be directed to:

Name: Shelly Au, Senior Manager, Research Programs & Services
Email: shelly.au@ubc.ca
Subject Line: BC Leadership Chair in Child Development

Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2023 or upon a date to be mutually agreed.

In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.