St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto are establishing the Murphy Family Foundation Chair in Early Life Interventions. The Chair holder will be a PhD scientist or clinician-scientist who is an outstanding leader in innovative solutions-oriented research to improve the early life experiences, development, and well-being of infants, children and/or youth experiencing poverty. These solutions may focus on interventions at the level of social, political and economic systems and policies; healthcare and other service systems; neighborhoods, schools and community organizations; and/or infants, children, youth and their families and caregivers.
This is a five-year Chair, subject to renewal for an additional five years upon a successful review and should funding become available. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2020 however a later start date is negotiable. The Chair will allow for a strict limitation on non-research activities so that the majority of the successful candidate's time can be dedicated to carrying out their research program at the highest level of achievement and productivity.
The Chair holder will join more than 25 world-class researchers at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. This interdisciplinary team of PhD scientists and clinician-scientists is dedicated to the mission of advancing health equity. The Chair holder will have the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding MAP investigators conducting research on topics such as school-based healthcare interventions, primary care interventions on social determinants of health, youth homelessness, and Indigenous infant and maternal health. Research at MAP has had a substantial policy impact in areas such as homelessness, harm reduction, and pharmacare, and MAP continues to expand its reach through the development of national networks to tackle pressing urban health issues. The MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions has a stellar record of obtaining peer-reviewed grants and is also engaged in a highly successful major fundraising campaign.
Applicants with a PhD must have advanced research training and either hold or meet the criteria to hold an appointment at the rank of associate professor or full professor at the University of Toronto. Applications will also be considered from clinician-scientists holding a MD degree. These applicants must be eligible for licensure in the province of Ontario by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
The Chair holder will be an individual with a superb track record of achievement in grant funding and publications in their academic discipline. Skill in knowledge translation and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders are important assets. The successful applicant should have a strong record of supervising graduate students and fellows, and will be expected to attract and develop excellent trainees and future researchers.
The Chair holder should have a demonstrated record of meaningful collaboration with communities affected by issues such as poverty and racism and an in-depth understanding of the historical, political and economic roots of systems that affect health and health equity.
The rank and salary for this position will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The chair will be eligible for a comprehensive benefits package and will also be eligible for research start-up funding, research space, and relocation assistance.
The Chair holder will report to the Director of the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, the Executive Director of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and the Vice-President of Research and Innovation, Unity Health Toronto. The Chair holder will also report indirectly to the University of Toronto through their Department Chair, with the specific Department to be determined based on the Chair holder's academic discipline.
Unity Health Toronto is a health network, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, that works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Research at Unity Health Toronto is conducted by 244 world-class scientists in two main areas - the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, which focuses on basic and translational science research, and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, which focuses on clinical and health services research. Unity Health Toronto’s research funding totals $78 million annually.
Unity Health Toronto is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto (U of T), the largest and most research-intensive university in Canada, located in one of the world's great cities. The U of T has more than 19,000 faculty and staff, 73,000 students enrolled across three campuses, and an annual budget of $1.8 billion, including $376 million in externally funded research, an additional $469 million in research funding at affiliated teaching hospitals, and one of the premier research libraries in North America.
Applicants should submit a comprehensive letter of interest, a full curriculum vitae and names of three referees to Dr. Stephen Hwang, Director, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, email: Stephen.Hwang@unityhealth.to and copied to Evie Gogosis at Evie.Gogosis@unityhealth.to
Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until December 10, 2019 or until the position is filled. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto are strongly committed to diversity within their communities and especially welcome applications from racialized persons/persons of color, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
Accommodations for disabilities will be provided, on request, to support participation in all aspects of the application process. If you require accommodation at any point of the application process, please contact Elizabeth Huggins at Elizabeth.Huggins@unityhealth.to