About the Project
An opening for a Ph.D. position is now available in the laboratory of Gareth Williams in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Calgary, Canada. The successful candidate will join a new research laboratory within the Robson DNA Science Centre and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, which has a research focus on using X-ray crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering to understand molecular mechanisms of homologous recombination repair of DNA double-strand breaks.
The research project that will be the primary focus of the successful candidate will be to understand the structural basis for RAD51 paralog functions. In humans, five human RAD51 paralogs (RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, XRCC3) help maintain genomic stability and protect against cancer through their involvement in the accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination repair. However, their molecular structures and precise roles in the homologous recombination repair process remain mysterious. Using a structure-based approach that combines X-ray crystallography with small-angle X-ray scattering, along with biochemical assays, the successful candidate will structurally characterize RAD51 paralog complexes. This work will help answer the question of how they function in HRR and allow us to understand the molecular defects caused by disease causing mutations that have recently been identified in the RAD51 paralogs. More information about my research can be found at my Department website: https://www.ucalgary.ca/bmb/profiles/dr-gareth-williams
The successful candidate will be a graduate student within the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department at the University of Calgary, and will have opportunities to interact with a diverse range of basic scientists and clinicians interested in understanding DNA damage response defects in human disease.
About Calgary, Alberta
Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.
Application process:
Interested candidates should be highly motivated to do research, and are required to have received either an upper second class or first degree (or equivalent e.g. GPA >3.5) from a reputable university in disciplines related to the biological and/or biophysical sciences. Ideally, candidates would also have some prior laboratory experience related to doing structural biology (for example cloning, recombinant protein expression or protein purification).
Please email informal questions about this position or complete applications (including a statement of your research interests and why you are interested in doing a Ph.D. in structural biology, a CV, transcripts, and contact information for 3 references) to:
Gareth Williams, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
[Email Address Removed]
https://www.ucalgary.ca/bmb/profiles/dr-gareth-williams
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