Jobs

Postdoctoral Fellow – Seed Amplification Assays & Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Posted 10 Dec 2025

Employer

University of Toronto

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Principal Investigator

Carmela Tartaglia

Principal Investigator

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to join a multi-year, grant-funded program supported by the Weston Brain Institute and the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). This 2-year position, with the possibility of extension based on performance and continued funding, focuses on applying and advancing Seed Amplification Assays (SAAs) to improve diagnostic accuracy and biological understanding across neurodegenerative diseases.
Our research team develops and implements SAAs for α-synuclein and 4R-tau, integrating assay outputs with dermal biopsy, CSF, blood, and proteomic biomarkers. The environment is highly interdisciplinary, bridging clinical neurology, neuropathology, protein biochemistry, and translational biomarker science.
Key Responsibilities
1. Perform SAAs for α-synuclein and 4R-tau.
2. Assist with buffer formulation, substrate handling, assay optimization, 
and troubleshooting.
3. Conduct protein biochemistry, including recombinant protein purification, 
QC, SEC, SDS-PAGE, and stability analyses.
4. Analyze SAA results from patient-derived samples (dermal biopsy, CSF, 
plasma/serum).
5. Support assay quality control, reproducibility assessments, and 
harmonization across collaborating centers.
6. Prepare manuscripts, present findings at scientific meetings, and 
contribute to experimental design and interpretation.
Training Environment

The fellow will be embedded within the Krembil Brain Institute, the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, and the Rossy PSP Centre, benefiting from: access to large, deeply phenotyped patient cohorts, cutting-edge biomarker and protein biochemistry platforms and a collaborative and dynamic neurodegeneration research communityIvan Martinez-Valbuena

Contact

Please submit a single PDF including a cver letter describing your background, experience with SAAs, and career goals, a CV including publications, and contact information for three referees.

Send applications to: Drs Carmela Tartaglia (carmela.tartaglia@uhn.ca) an Ivan Martinez-Valbuena (ivan.martinez-valbuena@uhn.ca).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Description

The University of Toronto is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join a multiyear, grant-funded program supported by the Weston Brain Institute and the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). This two-year position, with the possibility of extension based on performance and continued funding, focuses on applying and advancing seed amplification assays (SAAs) to improve diagnostic accuracy and biological understanding across neurodegenerative diseases. 

The research team develops and implements SAAs for α-synuclein and 4R-tau, integrating assay outputs with dermal biopsy, CSF, blood, and proteomic biomarkers. The environment is highly interdisciplinary, bridging clinical neurology, neuropathology, protein biochemistry, and translational biomarker science.

Key Responsibilities

1. Perform SAAs for α-synuclein and 4R-tau.
2. Assist with buffer formulation, substrate handling, assay optimization, and troubleshooting.
3. Conduct protein biochemistry, including recombinant protein purification, QC, SEC, SDS-PAGE, and stability analyses.
4. Analyze SAA results from patient-derived samples (dermal biopsy, CSF, plasma/serum).
5. Support assay quality control, reproducibility assessments, and harmonization across collaborating centers.
6. Prepare manuscripts, present findings at scientific meetings, and contribute to experimental design and interpretation.

Training Environment

The fellow will be embedded within the Krembil Brain Institute, the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, and the Rossy PSP Centre, benefiting from: access to large, deeply phenotyped patient cohorts, cutting-edge biomarker and protein biochemistry platforms and a collaborative and dynamic neurodegeneration research community.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

1. Ph.D. in biochemistry, neuroscience, molecular biology, protein science or a 
2. related field.
3. Hands-on experience performing Seed Amplification Assays (SAAs).
4. Experience handling human biospecimens.
5. Strong background in protein biochemistry, fluorescence-based assays, or aggregation/misfolding studies.
6. Demonstrated ability in data analysis, scientific writing, and critical interpretation of results.
7. High proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

Preferred Experience (not required)

1. Experience with recombinant protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization.
2. Familiarity with fluid biomarker platforms (Olink, Simoa, NULISA) or proteomics.
3. Experience with size exclusion chromatography.