Please send the required materials outlined in the application instructions to research.stmary@ssss.gouv.qc.ca by 2025- 12-05, with the subject line: "Mitacs Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2025 – Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Immersive Technology Platform Development Research ". Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates must meet Mitacs eligibility requirements and McGill University post-doctoral fellow criteria. Applications submitted through the website will not be considered.

Presentation of the organization

The St. Mary's Research Centre (SMRC) is a member of CIUSSS-de-l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal and a McGill Network Research Centre that specializes in research focused on the organization of care, patient-centred interventions and community partnerships that promote quality and proximity of care. Located in the heart of the Côte-des-Neiges district, the CRSM is also involved in research on optimizing care for vulnerable populations.

Summary Of Role And Responsibilities This full-time post-doctoral fellowship (one-year term position, with potential for renewal) is offered under the academic supervision of a McGill University professor. This position is dependent on receiving/holding Mitacs funding and is supported by the industry partner. The position is also part of a collaborative research program developing evidence- based virtual reality therapeutic platforms for aging populations. The research team consists of interdisciplinary members including engineers, clinicians, designers, and data scientists.

Research Focus Areas Position 3 focuses on interdisciplinary research across these key domains:

• Scalable VR architecture design for clinical deployment environments
• Performance optimization for diverse hardware configurations
• Cross-platform compatibility and cloud-based VR delivery systems
• Novel rendering techniques for therapeutic presence maintenance

The post-doctoral fellow will contribute to the group's research activities, including:

• Leading research on therapeutic content effectiveness in VR interventions
• Designing VR scenarios based on clinical evidence and therapeutic principles
• Creating immersive environments using Unreal Engine 5's world-building tools
• Implementing procedural content generation using Unreal's PCG framework
• Developing interactive narratives with Unreal's Sequencer and Blueprint systems
• Conducting qualitative research on user experience and content preferences
• Creating modular content libraries for therapeutic applications
• Preparing manuscripts on design research and digital therapeutics
• Collaborating with clinical teams to validate content approaches
• Mentoring students in therapeutic content development
• Presenting at design and healthcare conferences
• Developing content evaluation metrics and assessment tools

Preferred Skills

• Strong Unreal Engine 5 content creation skills (Level design, Blueprint, Sequencer)
• Experience with 3D modeling software (Maya, Blender, 3ds Max)
• Proficiency in Unreal's Material Editor and visual scripting
• Knowledge of therapeutic principles and intervention design
• Experience with procedural content generation techniques
• Understanding of cultural competency in healthcare
• Audio design and implementation in Unreal Engine
• User research and participatory design methods

Requirements

• PhD in Psychology, Design, Digital Media, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in content creation or therapeutic design
• Portfolio demonstrating design thinking and creative problem-solving

Application Instructions Please send the following materials to research.stmary@ssss.gouv.qc.ca with the subject line: "Mitacs Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2025 - Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Immersive Technology Platform Development Research ":

• CV
• Brief one-page description of your interest in the position and long-term career goals
• Research statement outlining relevant experience (2-3 pages)
• Portfolio or GitHub repository demonstrating Unreal Engine expertise
• Two writing samples (e.g., first-author publications and/or thesis chapters)
• Contact information for three references (name, phone number, email)

Remark

This position is funded by research funds and does not represent a permanent position in the public sector of the Health and Social Services Network. Salary is $50,000 CAD per annum, in accordance with Mitacs Accelerate post-doctoral fellowship guidelines. Equal Employment Opportunity Program

The SMRC values the contribution of employees with diverse backgrounds and has an equal opportunity employment program and invites applications from women, Aboriginal people, visible minorities, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. Accommodation may be provided to persons with disabilities who request it based on their needs.

Please send your cover letter and resume to research.stmary@ssss.gouv.qc.ca by December 5, 2025. Applications submitted through the website will not be considered for this position.