Health Sciences

Simon Fraser University and the BC Cancer Agency
Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship - Tenure Track

The Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) are pleased to announce the creation of a new partnership in cancer survivorship.

We are seeking an internationally recognized scientist in survivorship research to fill a tenure-track position. The incumbent will be appointed at the Associate Professor or Professor level at SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences and will serve as the inaugural Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship. The incumbent will spend approximately 75% of his/her time in direct research endeavours.

The Chair is intended to enhance the development, execution and translation of cancer survivorship research at regional, national and international levels. The research program is intended to focus upon the phase of the cancer trajectory occurring after primary treatment, including the challenges of effective transitioning to palliative and end of life care.

In conjunction with existing survivorship research teams at the BCCA, in Canada and abroad, the Chair will continue to establish a research program whose aim is to be one of the leading research centres in the world in cancer survivorship.

Complementing existing research leadership at BCCA and SFU, the Chair will continue to develop cancer survivorship research in the context of clinical practice, psychosocial and quality of life interventions, population health policy and knowledge translation. Theme areas of interest include but are not limited to:

·         Developing standards and guidelines for cancer survivorship care

·         Identifying appropriate models of cancer care delivery to meet the long term needs of survivors.

·         Development of effective interventions and evaluation of efficient models of care

·         Measurement and tool development

·         Needs and characteristics of unique populations

Of special interest is the rigorous development and evaluation of interventions to improve cancer survivorship and guide the development of improved models of care in the health care system.

The Chair will be a leading Canadian or international researcher with an established research track record and an interest in leading the expansion of cancer survivorship research in BC. For this position, the incumbent will hold a PhD or MD with several years of research experience as a Principal Investigator or research team leader, ideally related to survivorship.

Candidates with strengths in epidemiology and study design (e.g., RCT designs) are of particular interest. The incumbent of the Chair (“Chairholder”) will be expected to attract research investment through competitive grants development, donor participation, and community partnerships. A key responsibility of the Chair will be to build a research program that will attract top-level new researchers to this emerging research field, including the addition of new investigators, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in cancer survivorship research.

In addition to the title of Chairholder, the incumbent will function as the Co-Director of the Cancer Survivorship Research Centre (SRC) at the BCCA which includes a program director, a program co-ordinator, and many clinician scientists . This SRC currently provides provincial, national and international leadership in cancer survivorship research. The Chair will participate in disease-site-tumour groups’ initiatives as appropriate, and will provide input to the leadership at the BCCA regarding research priorities.

The BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of cancer services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive and palliative care. It operates five regional cancer centres in Surrey, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, and Abbotsford, with a sixth centre scheduled to open in Prince George in 2012. BCCA is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) which plans, manages and evaluates specialty and province-wide health care services across BC.

The BCCA and PHSA are committed to the continuing leadership of world class research in the full spectrum of cancer control activities.  These include basic and translational research to understand the causes of cancer, to eliminate the impact of cancer in patients diagnosed with the disease and to improve the lives of those living with or cured of cancer.  To achieve these aims the BCCA operates large bench research centres in Vancouver and Victoria and has research programs in all clinical areas across the 5 regional centres.

The successful candidate will also join a dynamic and expanding group of faculty in the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU who are developing collaborative, interdisciplinary research and educational programs in environmental and occupational health, global health, infectious diseases, chronic disease, mental health and addictions, health over the human life course, and social inequities and health.

The vision of FHS is to integrate social, public health and natural science scholarship with population outcomes, societal application, and policy analysis to improve population and public health from local to global levels. FHS is also a partner in a strong and growing community of researchers in BC that includes health authorities, research institutes and universities. FHS is committed to social justice, and aims to improve public health and reduce health inequalities locally, nationally and globally. Academic programs within the Faculty of Health Sciences began in 2005. Since then, BA, BSc and Graduate (MPH, MSc, PhD) programs have been established. The successful applicant will have a commitment to be an effective teacher capable of attracting and mentoring trainees at all levels.

Simon Fraser University is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified women and men, including visible minorities, aboriginal people, and persons with disabilities. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. Positions are subject to final approval from the Board of Governors. Under the authority of the University Act personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected. For further details see the Collection Notice.

This position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin May 15, 2012. Please send a full C.V., a descriptive statement on research plans, and the names of three referees to: fhs_recruit@sfu.ca . Referees of shortlisted candidates only will be contacted and candidates will be notified if reference letters are requested. Potential candidates wishing more information may contact Dean John O’Neil in confidence at joneil@sfu.ca.