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Postdoctoral Fellow - Centrifugal Microfluidic Immune Monitoring

Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.

* The Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.

Candidates are asked to self-declare when applying to this hiring process.

OrganizationalUnit:Medical Devices

Classification:RO

Duration: 2 years

Work arrangements:Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position will require full-time physical presence at the NRC work location identified.

The program

Immune Monitoring Using a Centrifugal Microfluidic System: Strategies Towards Workflow Implementation and Automation for Remote Precision Diagnostics

The role

Are you looking for a unique opportunity where you can grow your career while having a tangible impact for Canada, Canadians and far beyond our borders? Do you want an environment that will encourage growth and development? Do you want to be part of the development of new and innovative applied research? This PDF project positions Canada at the intersection of two national priorities: space exploration and equitable healthcare access.

The long-term vision of this research is to establish autonomous immune monitoring technologies for space exploration and remote healthcare applications. As a critical step toward this vision, the primary objective of this two-year PDF project is to develop and experimentally validate a laboratory prototype of an autonomous centrifugal microfluidic immune monitoring platform.





The project focuses on prototype development, subsystem integration, and analytical performance evaluation. The aim is to develop a novel, platform-based approach for assessing changes in immune function through semi-quantitative analysis of cytokines released following ex vivo stimulation of whole blood. Unlike conventional immune monitoring workflows that rely on manual sample preparation, centralized laboratory infrastructure, and delayed post-mission analysis, the proposed system integrates immune stimulation, sample processing, and multiplex cytokine detection within a single autonomous microfluidic cartridge. While scientifically demanding, this approach offers the potential to redefine point-of-need immune monitoring, including for long-duration spaceflight, by enabling near real-time analysis and reducing sample-to-result turnaround from several days to a few hours, thereby supporting more timely clinical decision-making and enabling the rapid implementation of countermeasures.

The outcome is an immune monitoring capability with direct translation to astronaut health, Indigenous and Northern community healthcare, critical care, and pandemic preparedness. The project is embedded in a larger collaboration effort involving LMU Hospital (Munich, Germany) with support from both the Canadian and European Space Agency.





Integrated into the MD–Precision Diagnostics Team at NRC Boucherville, where you can leverage established expertise, infrastructure, and ongoing research activities, you will lead the experimental design, optimization, integration, and validation of the incubation cartridge and multiplex immunoassay, including data analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of results.

The role (continue)

Opportunities to pursue independent research aligned with the project objectives will be encouraged. The project will provide comprehensive interdisciplinary training in :

- centrifugal automation,
- analytical validation,
- prototype integration,
- project management,
- scientific communication, and

Through full participation in all stages of the project, you will gain experience spanning the complete technology development pipeline, from prototype design and fabrication to experimental validation, performance benchmarking, and knowledge dissemination.

Your training will be supported through multidisciplinary mentorship within the NRC and collaboration with the Laboratory of Translational Research – Stress & Immunity at LMU Hospital (Munich, Germany), providing additional expertise in translational immunology and opportunities for international collaboration and skilled networking.

Conference participation and publication of at least two peer-reviewed manuscripts will further support your professional development as a highly qualified researcher in translational diagnostic technologies.

About Medical Devices

The Medical Devices (MD) Research center has the mandate to support economic development through innova

📌 Centrifugal Microfluidic Immune Monitoring Postdoctoral Fellow (Boucherville)
🏢 National Research Council of Canada
📍 Boucherville