Student, Co-Op/Placement (Research and Development Physicist / Biophysicist)

Location: Toronto, ON, ca Department: Research Employment Type: {'id': 'contract', 'label': 'Contract'}

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

www.uhn.ca

Job Description

Union: Non-Union

Number of vacancies: 1

New or Replacement Position: New

Site: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Department: Department of Medical Biophysics

Reports to: Principal Investigator

Salary Range: $20.00-$26.00 per hour

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Shifts: Day

Status: Temporary Full-time (4-8 months)

Closing Date: November 29, 2026

Position Summary

The Vitkin Lab, based at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (University Health Network) and the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, develops and applies Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to study tumour biology and the effects of novel radiotherapy techniques. We are part of an active, multidisciplinary research program investigating FLASH radiotherapy (ultra-high dose-rate irradiation) in preclinical mouse models, in close collaboration with the Radiation Medicine Program's medical physics team.

We are seeking a highly motivated Co-op student to join our research team and contribute directly to in vivo FLASH irradiation studies. The student will work closely with senior research scientists, physicists, and engineers to acquire and analyze multimodal imaging data — including intravital OCT and 7T MRI — from a dorsal skinfold window chamber tumour model, to investigate how FLASH dose rate affects tumour and normal tissue microvasculature.

Please note this role involves in-person laboratory and small-animal facility work at our downtown Toronto location. Students will be given specific training on all relevant laboratory, imaging, and animal-handling protocols before beginning hands-on work. The Vitkin Lab is dedicated to fostering the professional development of its trainees, and Co-op students are encouraged to participate in lab meetings, journal clubs, and other training activities taking place during their term.

Duties

The Co-op student will apply their scientific and technical skill set to support an active in vivo FLASH radiotherapy research program. They will work closely with senior lab members, under direct supervision, to advance project objectives and milestones.

The main responsibilities of the position are listed below, but may be expanded upon based on the experience level of the candidate:

Assist senior scientists and engineers in the design and execution of in vivo FLASH irradiation experiments using the dorsal skinfold window chamber mouse model

Support animal preparation, handling, and monitoring in accordance with institutional animal care protocols

Acquire longitudinal tumour and vascular imaging data using the lab's optical coherence tomography (OCT) system

Assist with image acquisition on the 7T small-animal MRI system

Process, analyze, and quantify imaging data using MATLAB and/or Python

Assist in experimental design, including irradiation scheduling, imaging timepoints, and control-group planning

Contribute to manuscript writing, including drafting sections, literature review, and reference management

Produce publication-quality figures and data visualizations summarizing experimental results

Prepare presentation materials (PowerPoint slides) for lab meetings, collaborator updates, and conferences

Participate actively in weekly group meetings and present progress updates

Accurately document all experiments, protocols, and results in laboratory notebooks/electronic records

Perform all work in a safe manner and maintain a clean, organized laboratory and imaging workspace

Work in accordance with approved protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

University student in Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Science, Medical Biophysics, Physics, or a related program

Experience working in a research laboratory is preferred

Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written), including experience or interest in scientific writing

Must be a detail-oriented individual with excellent organizational skills and critical thinking

Self-motivated individual with the ability to meet deadlines and prioritize across multiple concurrent projects

Proficiency in MATLAB and/or Python for scientific data analysis is an asset

Experience with optical imaging techniques (e.g., fluorescence, microscopy) and/or MRI is an asset

Prior experience with small-animal handling or in vivo research is an asset (training will be provided)

Familiarity with radiation biology, radiotherapy physics, or tumour vascular biology is an asset but not required

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you