Opportunities

Applications for a
Research Fellowship in the area of Aging at Women’s Age Lab are now being accepted.

 

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Women’s Age Lab at Women’s College Hospital is a new centre that focuses on improving the lives of older women. The lab will bring together the work of researchers, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and policy makers, to drive change and have a meaningful impact for this population.
Women’s College Hospital (WCH) is Canada’s leading academic, ambulatory hospital and a world leader in women’s health. WCH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network.

 

POSITION OVERVIEW:
This position will provide a researcher with the opportunity to join an established multi-disciplinary group of researchers. The position will be supervised by Dr. Paula Rochon and Dr. Rachel Savage. Dr. Paula Rochon, Founding Director of Women’s Age Lab, Professor, Department of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy and Management at the University of Toronto, and the RTOERO Chair in Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Rochon is one of the leading Canadian health services researchers in geriatric medicine, whose research explores how medical therapies impact the health of older adults with multiple conditions. Dr. Rachel Savage is a Scientist at Women’s Age Lab and Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, an
Adjunct Scientist at ICES, and an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. Dr. Savage leads research focused on promoting social connectedness in older adults and supporting aging in place and has over ten years of local and provincial public health experience.

The postdoctoral fellowship role will support activities related to the CIHR and PHAC funded project “Reimagining Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) for 21st Century Cities: What Works Best to Support Older Adults to Age in Place?

Many older people live in the community, clustered in buildings or neighborhoods known as naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs). Enhancing NORCs with supports and services reduces loneliness and allows older adults to age in place. Few NORCs have been enhanced as little is known about how to intentionally create, implement or sustain these types of models. Our project is to identify which NORC sites are best suited for enhancement, and what factors promote or hinder their successful implementation. We will also examine if the level of support changes how it is implemented and its effectiveness.

 

This position is situated within Women’s Age Lab at Women’s College Hospital, the first and only centre worldwide dedicated to improving the lives of older women. The Lab’s mission is to use science to transform care and practice, and drive health system and social change. We conduct research focused on four areas: (1) addressing gendered ageism; (2) reimagining aging in place and caregiving; (3) optimizing medication therapies (4) promoting social connectedness. Using a sex and gender lens, Drs. Rochon and Savage along with the Women’s Age Lab team have been leading national and international research to promote health and well-being with aging, particularly for women.

The position will offer a unique postdoctoral training experience. The postdoctoral fellow will thrive by being flexible, self-motivated, detail-oriented, managing multiple tasks efficiently, and being a team player. Based at Women’s Age Lab the postdoctoral fellow will be part of a transdisciplinary team from various institutes across Canada and internationally. The postdoctoral fellow will be encouraged to publish extensively, develop advanced technical skills, strengthen their research portfolios, gain expertise in writing grant proposals, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and conducting domestic and international research, depending on their interests and prior experience.

We are seeking a highly motivated epidemiologist or health services researcher with skills in qualitative research methodology. This individual will play a key role in research designed to advance science and inquiry to improve the health and wellness of older adults, with a particular emphasis on women.

 

Description of the role
This fellowship opportunity provides funding for one year, with opportunity for renewal.
Candidates are expected to:

• Lead the design, implementation and management of complex research studies focusing on older adults;
• Work collaboratively with team members to explore challenges in the area of aging;
• Lead and participate in the preparation of research reports, articles for publication, protocols, letters of intent, grant proposals and presentations;
• Disseminate research using traditional methods (publications, presentations) as well as exploring other more novel forums of communications to translate research and make science accessible to the public;
• Attend and contribute to regular team meetings.

Qualifications

• PhD or MD completed
• Expertise in epidemiology or health services research
• Formal training in qualitative research methods is an asset
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience in qualitative research analysis
• Experience with qualitative coding software (e.g., NVivo, Dedoose) and an understanding of qualitative research analysis and interpretation required
• Strong analytic and writing skills
• Clinical training in geriatric medicine and/or expertise in geriatric pharmacology an asset
• Research experience in academic environment
• Expertise in designing studies and analyzing quantitative data
• Experience with large administrative databases an asset
• Record of publications in peer reviewed journals an asset
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Exceptional writing and communication skills
• Excellent computer skills and software expertise.

Please note that you must have Ontario residency and legally permitted to work in Canada.

Application Guidelines
Interested applicants to this program should submit:

1. Their CV and relevant reprints;
2. A letter summarizing their research interests, career plans, and future research goals;
3. A letter of recommendation from a supervisor.

 

For further information about the fellowship program, or to submit your application package, contact:
Joyce Li, Research Lead: joyce.li@wchospital.ca