En tant que partenaire du Collectif Nkabom, et conformément aux objectifs stratégiques du projet, l’Université 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ offrira jusqu’à six (6) possibilités de recherche postdoctorale à de jeunes chercheuses et chercheurs qui travaillent dans le domaine de la nutrition, de la santé publique, des sciences et technologies alimentaires, du génie des bioressources ou dans un domaine connexe au Ghana.
Ce programme de recherche postdoctorale durera deux ans (24 mois, non renouvelable), Ã compter de mai ou de septembre 2026.
Les candidates et candidats retenus seront jumelés à un superviseur de l’École de santé des populations et de santé mondiale ou de la Faculté des sciences de l’agriculture et de l’environnement de l’Université 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ. Dans la mesure du possible, les chercheurs postdoctoraux pourront être cosupervisés par un membre du corps professoral de l’une des universités ghanéennes partenaires du Collectif.
Les chercheuses et chercheurs travailleront principalement à l’Université 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, sur le campus Macdonald ou le campus du centre-ville, et auront la possibilité de participer aux activités de recherche en cours et d’acquérir des compétences en recherche fondamentale et appliquée qui cadrent avec les objectifs du partenariat. Même s’ils seront au Canada, les chercheurs entretiendront des relations de travail actives avec des chercheurs au Ghana et feront partie intégrante du Collectif Nkabom, dont l’effectif continue de croître.
Date limite pour le dépôt des candidatures : 27 Mars, 2026
Critères d’admissibilité
Pour pouvoir prétendre à ces opportunités, les candidats doivent :
- Être âgés de 35 ans ou moins au moment de leur candidature.
- Être titulaires d'un doctorat dans un domaine pertinent (le diplôme doit avoir été obtenu avant le début du contrat).
- Un diplôme de professionnel de santé seul (par exemple, MDCM, MBBS, DVM, DDS) n'est pas suffisant.
- Dans certains domaines, l'achèvement d'une résidence médicale avec certification peut être accepté.
- Avoir obtenu leur doctorat au plus tard trois ans avant le début de la nomination.
- Avoir une expérience préalable en matière d'éducation et de formation au Ghana et dans des institutions ghanéennes.
- Ne pas être employé ailleurs ou en congé pendant la durée de la bourse.
- Répondre à toutes les conditions d'admissibilité supplémentaires fixées par l'Université 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ et le gouvernement du Québec.
Comment postuler
- Curriculum vitae.
- Relevés de notes universitaires (premier cycle et cycles supérieurs).
- Preuve de l’obtention du grade terminal. Si le programme est encore en cours au moment de la candidature, l’acceptation sera conditionnelle à l’obtention du diplôme avant la date de début prévue. Si les relevés de notes n’indiquent pas clairement l’obtention et la remise du diplôme, une lettre de la faculté supérieure confirmant l’obtention du diplôme et la date prévue de remise, ou une copie du diplôme lui-même, peut être fournie.
- Publications liées à la thèse ou thèse en version électronique.
- Déclaration d’intérêt indiquant la pertinence de la recherche doctorale et de la formation du candidat par rapport aux objectifs du Collectif, et objectifs du candidat dans le cadre du programme.
- Lettre de recommandation de la directrice ou du directeur de thèse du candidat, soulignant les points forts de ce dernier, les domaines dans lesquels il doit encore se perfectionner et la contribution qu’il peut apporter au Ghana. Si le candidat n’a pas encore obtenu son doctorat au moment de la candidature, la lettre du directeur de thèse doit indiquer la date probable d’obtention du diplôme, et le délai nécessaire à la remise du diplôme.
Envoyez les documents à l’adresse courriel suivante : PDRapplications.nkabom [at] mcgill.ca. L’objet de votre courriel doit être : Nom de famille_Prénom_Date de la demande AAAAMMJJ_PDRApplication (ex. : Doe_John_20250927_PDRApplication).
Si vous avez des questions, veuillez nous contacter par courriel à l’adresse suivante : PDRapplications.nkabom [at] mcgill.ca.
Une fois ces documents envoyés, veuillez remplir le formulaire suivant :
Learn more about the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Learn more about the School of Population and Global Health
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (AES)
Dr. Anne-Sophie Brazeau – Nutrition and Diabetes
Dr. Brazeau’s research is shaped by patient experiences and partnerships, focusing on improving diabetes care and outcomes. Her program aims to:
- Understand patient experiences with diabetes self-management
- Explore diet and eating behaviors in type 1 diabetes with modern therapies
- Improve timely access to diabetes education and support for adolescents and adults
She leads the BETTER Registry, a national prospective registry of Canadians living with type 1 diabetes. Her work is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Diabète Québec, and the Société Francophone du Diabète.
Dr. Anne-Sophie Brazeau's current research project:
- BETTER prospective registry of individuals living with type 1 diabetes in Canada.
- Supporting training platform for type 1 diabetes self-management: implementation in clinic and effectiveness.
- Guiding development of a food tracking and insulin calculator phone application.
- Helping adolescents with type 1 diabetes prepare to transition from pediatric care to adult care.
- Disordered eating behaviors and type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Benjamin Simpson – Marine Biochemistry and Enzyme Valorization
Dr. Simpson’s research focuses on post-mortem biochemistry of marine animals and extremozymes, as well as the valorization of food processing and agricultural byproducts into value-added products such as pigments, proteins, bioactive peptides, flavor compounds, gelatin, keratin, chitin and chitosan hydrogels, and biodegradable films.
Dr. Benjamin Simpson' areas of expertise:
- Biocatalysis & biosynthesis
- Food biochemistry
- Food proteins and peptides
- Food macromolecules & biomolecules
- Food and agricultural byproducts valorization
- Natural food pigments
Dr Ebenezer Miezah Kwofie - Agrifood Systems Sustainability Dynamics and Digital Intelligence
Dr Kwofie research focuses on sustainable food systems, life cycle assessment, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and circular bioeconomy.
Dr Kwofie's current research projects:
- Deployment of a digital food lab for nutritionally and environmentally optimized food product development
- Application of nutrition and production maps for targeted nutrition-sensitive and climate-resilient interventions
- Developing digital twins for food process optimization and industrial eco-efficiency
- Development and deployment of farm-level and industrial food processing sustainability platforms in Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa)
- Environmental-nutrition platform development for promoting sustainable healthy diet choices
Dr. Grace Marquis – Community-Based Child Nutrition
Dr. Marquis’ research examines how social, cultural, biological, and environmental factors influence households’ ability to provide optimal feeding and care for young children. The program focuses on improving child nutrition in rural communities by:
- Enhancing family understanding of maternal and child health
- Supporting income generation through improved agriculture and small businesses
- Improving household environments to reduce child illness
Dr. Grace Marquis’s current research project:
- Evaluation of a multi-country health centre- and community-based intervention to improve gender-sensitive access to health and nutrition services and nutritional outcomes of women, adolescent girls, and young children.
Dr. Idaresit Ekaette – Food Fortification, Agro-Food waste valorization, and Biopolymer Development
Dr. Ekaette studies the recovery, modification, and application of bioactive compounds, nutrients and biopolymers in processing and designing food and bio-products. Current research includes the use of formulation engineering, material design, and emerging processing technologies to advance food security and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Ekaette’s current research projects:
- Valorization of crustacean shell, and agricultural byproducts.
- Anaerobic digestion of industrial food waste
- Thermal and non-thermal processing of foods and food ingredients
- Encapsulation of phenolic compounds.
- Fractionation of biomass into valuable components
Dr. Jennifer Ronholm - Food Microbiology, Agricultural Microbiology
Dr. Ronholm studies foodborne bacterial infections that originate in livestock and attempts to optimize the microbiome of livestock to prevent the transmission of these bacterial pathogens. Her current research focuses of characterizing the microbiota of healthy livestock and using this information to develop novel probiotics that reduce the proliferation of bacterial pathogens. The ultimate goal of her work is to preserve the current outputs of modern agricultural practices, but reduce the use of antibiotics in agriculture. 
Dr. Ronholm's current research projects include:
- Developing intramammary probiotics to prevent Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in dairy cattle
- Developing novel probiotics to prevent avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) and Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis infections in laying hens
- Developing novel probiotics to prevent Salmonella enterica ser. Dublin infections in cattle
- Characterizing the microbiome of feral wild red jungle fowl (common wild ancestor of domesticated chickens) to identify potentially novel probiotic species to replace the missing-microbiome associated with domestication
- Examining the antibiotic resistance genes in different food items in Canada
- Examining the antibiotic resistance genes in wild carnivores in Canada to determine if these genes have agricultural origins
Dr. Joann Whalen – Soil Fertility and Agroecosystems
Dr. Whalen studies soil fertility and ecological health in agroecosystems, focusing on sustainable and resilient agriculture through integrated soil and fertilizer management, conservation tillage, and diverse crop rotations. Current research includes the plant root microbiome and microbial/biostimulant applications to improve crop tolerance to heat, water, and salt stress in semi-arid regions of Africa.
Dr. Joann Whalen’s current research projects:
- Biotic controls on the residence time of soil carbon and nitrogen, with new understanding from alternative agroecosystems
- Biological promoters of crop growth and the soil microbiome in agroecosystems
- Valorization of organic residuals from industries and municipalities
- Best management practices for fertilizer and manure management, to optimize the soil nutrient supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Fundamental research towards a better understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of biogeochemical cycling in the soil–plant–atmosphere–water continuum
- Novel fertilizer formulations for improved nutrient efficiency
Dr. Saji George - Sustainable Nanotechnology for Food and Agriculture.
Dr Saji George is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Nanotechnology for Food and Agriculture. His current research is aimed at understanding the relationship between nanomaterial properties and their hazardous and beneficial biological outcomes with the ultimate goal of developing sustainable nanotechnology applications for challenges in food safety and security. He has authored >90 peer reviewed articles, five patents and >100 invited talks. His excellences in teaching and research have been recognized by Ministry of Education, Singapore through the best mentor award and PS21 ExCEL Gold/Silver Awards in 2015 and 2016, Canada Research Chair (Tier 2), and visiting professorship at IIT Madras and GADVASU, Punjab, India and recently was awarded prestigious VAIBHAV fellowship by department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Dr. Saji George's current research projects:
Developing nanotechnology enabled biostimulants for sustainable agriculture: Nanotechnologies that address societal, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability are essential for overcoming emerging challenges in food safety and food security. Dr. George’s research group focuses on the development of nanotechnology-enabled biostimulants and biocontrol agents to support sustainable agricultural systems. These work spans from elucidating fundamental mechanisms using multi-omics approaches to field-level validation and the integration of circular bioeconomy principles in agricultural applications. In parallel, ongoing projects focus on antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria isolated from animal farms, with the aim of developing and verifying nano-enabled antibacterial combination therapies as sustainable alternatives to conventional antibiotics in animal farms.
Role of dietary nanomaterials in human health: While nanomaterials (NMs) are copiously incorporated in food and agriculture products, there are prominent knowledge gaps on the fate and potential health risks associated with ingested NMs. Dr George’s group is addressing the health implications of dietary NMs and nanoplastics to healthy and people who are predisposed to inflammatory bowel disease by using biopsies and organoids.
Developing an adverse outcome pathway model of toxicology for hazard profiling of NMs and chemicals: The increasing number of NMs/chemicals/toxins with unique physicochemical properties are overwhelming traditional toxicology strategies that rely on animal models for safety assessment. To circumvent challenges associated with safety screening, Dr George’s group conduct studies aimed at advancing the tools and methods for the toxicity profiling of emerging environmental contaminants.
Dr. Vijaya Raghavan – Post-Harvest Technologies and Sustainability
Dr. Raghavan focuses on post-harvest technologies, food storage, processing, and converting agricultural waste into biochar and hydrochar to improve soil health, sequester carbon, and mitigate climate change. His work also extends to microbial fuel cells, microalgae, and bioelectrochemical systems for sustainable energy and environmental protection.
Dr. Raghavan’s current research projects:
- Innovation of technologies in food, energy, and environmental nexus
- Novel processing methods for enhancing nutritional quality and functionality of foods
- Energy from microbial fuel cells using organic waste as a carbon source
- SeedCycle: Closing the loop for a sustainable future — a circular economy approach to forest restoration
- Microwave-assisted production of biochar and hydrochar from different biomasses
- Sustainable development of urban agriculture systems and the local food supply chain
Dr. Yixiang Wang – Natural Polymer-Based Materials
Dr. Wang’s research focuses on the development of natural polymer-based materials for functional foods and advanced food packaging. Work includes fabrication of nano/micro particles, fibers, composite films, and hydrogels, with an emphasis on linking molecular structure to functional properties.
Dr. Yixiang Wang's current research projects:
- Development of active and intelligent packaging materials from low-value biomass for waste reduction
- Development of co-electrospun core-sheath fibers from recycled cellulose acetate for water treatment
- Development of carbon materials from biomass by-products for high energy metal-sulfur battery applications
- Development and evaluation of cellulose membranes regenerated from ‘green’ aqueous solvent as biodegradable food packaging materials
- All-plant-derived biodegradable packaging with mechano-bactericidal activity
- Sustainable packaging solutions for extended shelf life and reduced environmental impact
School of Population and Global Health (SPGH)
Dr. Qihuang Zhang – Statistical Genomics and Biostatistics
Research Focus: Statistical and machine learning methods for genomics, metabolomics, single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and metabolic health.
PDR Opportunities:
- Develop models for gene expression and metabolic health
- Co-design projects with Nkabom partners in Ghana
Requirements:
- PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, computer science, or related field
- Proficiency in R/Python; foundations in probability, GLM/mixed models, or machine learning
Research Team: Flexible, collaborative with Ghanaian partners
Potential Postdoc Project:
- Developing models to identify metabolically relevant gene programs across tissues and conditions
- Extending spatial genomics methods to analyze gene-environment interactions
- Adapting statistical pipelines for application in low-resource or heterogeneous data contexts. While my group has access to several genomics datasets, I am also open to projects where the postdoctoral fellow brings their own data or collaborates with partners in Ghana. In such cases, we could develop and apply new methods tailored to transcriptomic or genomic data arising from studies of metabolic health or nutrition. For example, we could analyze gene expression profiles from individuals with varying dietary exposures or metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes or anemia, which are of particular relevance in many global health settings.
- I am also open to co-designing a project with the fellow and Nkabom partners to ensure alignment with public health or nutritional research goals, with the statistical methodological exploration being the foundation. For example, we can focus on development of new statistical or machine learning methodologies, particularly if they address challenges relevant to global health, such as data sparsity, measurement error, or multi-modal and multi-source data integration.
Dr. Ugochi Vivian Ukah – Food Insecurity and Maternal-Child Health
Dr. Ukah studies maternal and perinatal health outcomes, prediction models, and racial disparities, with a focus on improving maternal-child health through large population-based datasets.
Research Focus: Food insecurity during pregnancy and its impact on maternal and child health outcomes.
PDR Opportunities:
- Longitudinal and population-based data analysis
- Research collaboration in Ghana
Requirements:
- PhD in epidemiology, public health, biostatistics, or related field
- Proficiency in R or SAS; experience in perinatal/reproductive health
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Food Insecurity and Maternal-Child Health
Focus Areas:
- Determinants of food insecurity during pregnancy
- Associations with maternal morbidity (e.g., severe maternal morbidity, gestational diabetes)
- Child outcomes (e.g., preterm birth, breastfeeding)
Dr. Prativa Baral – Pandemic & Emergency Readiness, Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Dr. Baral studies health system preparedness, equity, and communication for emergencies, providing evidence to improve youth-led climate-resilient nutrition and agrifood systems.
Research Focus: Data systems, risk communication, One Health surveillance, and youth-led agrifood systems in Ghana.
PDR Opportunities:
- Climate-health early warning systems
- Misinformation and risk communication in nutrition and agriculture
- Resilient supply chain and emergency preparedness projects
Current Research Projects:
- Climate-Health Early Warning for Food and Nutrition Security
- Focus: Anticipating nutrition and food safety risks from climate shocks.
- Activities: Community assessments, mobile survey pilots, integration of climate and health data.
- Outputs: Methodological playbook, policy briefs, real-time evidence generation.
- Misinformation and Risk Communication in Nutrition and Agri-Food
- Focus: Mapping and countering misinformation affecting food and agriculture.
- Activities: Social listening, message framing experiments, toolkit development.
- Outputs: Training modules, evidence briefs, behavior and trust impact evaluations.
- One Health Surveillance & Resilient Agri-Food Supply Chains
- Focus: Connecting animal, human, and environmental health indicators.
- Activities: Indicator harmonization, cold chain case studies, ROI models.
- Outputs: Governance briefs, implementation guidance, practical metrics.
- Civilian Surge Capacity for Climate & Food Emergencies
- Focus: Adapting civilian reserve models to agrifood emergency contexts.
- Activities: Microcredential curriculum, simulation exercises, partnership development.
- Outputs: Pilot training modules, exercise reports, MoUs with partners.
Dr. Aviane Auguste – Cancer Prevention, Nutrition, and Health Systems
Dr. Auguste investigates cancer prevention, diet, and health systems in the Caribbean and Africa, focusing on research capacity strengthening and interdisciplinary, African-led initiatives.
Research Focus: Cancer prevention and nutrition in low-resource settings; health systems research in LMICs and SIDS.
PDR Opportunities:
- Community-based epidemiology and nutrition research
- Capacity-building in LMICs and the Caribbean
Postdoctoral Research Opportunity
Dr. Auguste’s research group, based at 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ (Canada) and VALIRI (Saint Lucia), offers a postdoctoral position focused on:
- Cancer prevention, nutrition, and health systems in low-resource settings
- Supporting African-led interdisciplinary research to transform agrifood systems and improve population health
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and conduct epidemiological studies on diet, food systems, and cancer risk
- Collaborate with Loma Linda University on nutrition-focused research
- Develop study protocols, contribute to grant applications and ethics submissions
- Participate in fieldwork, data analysis, and capacity-building across the Caribbean, Africa, France, and North America
- Mentor junior researchers and support training workshops in LMICs
Current Focus Area:
- Study of dietary habits of cancer survivors in the Eastern Caribbean
- Identify culturally relevant dietary interventions to inform regional public health strategies
Ideal Candidate:
- Interested in bridging epidemiology, nutrition, agriculture, and public health policy
- Committed to health equity and collaborative research
Dr. Jill Baumgartner – Climate Change, Mental Health, and CognitionDetails
Dr. Baumgartner studies environmental exposures, climate change, and health, focusing on children’s cognitive development, policy-relevant research, and global health interventions.
Research Focus: Impacts of climate change on mental health and cognition in school-aged children; environmental epidemiology and global health policy.
PDR Opportunities:
- Investigating how rising temperatures due to climate change affect mental health and cognitive performance in school-aged children.
- Collaboration with institutions including:
- University of Ghana
- Imperial College London
- Michigan State University
- UMass Amherst
- Warwick University
Key Activities:
- Co-production of knowledge with societal partners
- Surveys, cognitive testing, and environmental monitoring
- Integration of climate and health data to assess risks and vulnerabilities
Responsibilities of the Postdoc:
- Lead quantitative analyses of environmental, health, and cognitive data
- Contribute to study design and ethics submissions
- Coordinate fieldwork in Ghana
- Mentor students
- Publish research and present findings
Applicant Criteria:
- PhD in epidemiology, environmental health, or related field
- Strong statistical and data management skills (e.g., R, STATA)
- Experience in climate or environmental health research
- Willingness to travel to Ghana
- Excellent communication and writing skills
Additional Assets:
- Experience in sub-Saharan Africa or low-resource settings
- Familiarity with geospatial data and exposure assessment
- Interest in policy-relevant and community-impact research
Start Date:
- Flexible, ideally Winter 2026
Dr. Jonathon Campbell - Infectious diseases and health outcomes
Dr. Jonathon Campbell studies infectious diseases and health outcomes, with a focus on tuberculosis, nutrition, and mixed-methods research in global health settings.
Research Focus:
Effectiveness and acceptability of nutritional support for people with tuberculosis in Ghana; mixed-methods research; global public health.
PDR Opportunities:
- Evaluate how nutritional supplementation affects weight gain and treatment outcomes in TB patients.
- Identify underserved patient groups who may benefit from nutritional support.
- Conduct interviews with patients and providers to assess program acceptability.
Collaboration with institutions including:
- 91Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ
- Ghana National Tuberculosis Program
- Local health facilities in Accra
Key Activities:
- Medical chart reviews and regression analysis
- Semi-structured interviews with patients and providers
- Fieldwork in Ghana
Responsibilities of the Postdoc:
- Lead mixed-methods research and data analysis
- Coordinate field activities in Accra
- Contribute to study design and ethics submissions
- Publish findings and engage with stakeholders
Applicant Criteria:
- PhD in public health, epidemiology, global health, or related field
- Experience in nutrition and infectious disease research
- Mixed-methods research experience
- Strong communication and writing skills
Additional Assets:
- Experience conducting research in Ghana
- Familiarity with medical chart review
- Interest in health systems and patient-centered research
Start Date:
Flexible