UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

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Union: Non-Union
Number of Vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: New
Site: Hydro Place - 700 University Avenue
Department: Research
Reports to: Clinician Investigator, Radiation Medicine Program
Salary Range: $17.60 - $20.91 per hour
Hours: 37.5 Per Week
Shifts: Monday - Friday
Status: Temporary Full-time
Closing Date: April 30, 2026

Position Summary:
The Radiation Medicine Program (RMP) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care and advancing innovative research in radiation oncology. The Head and Neck team within RMP focuses on optimizing radiotherapy delivery to improve survival while minimizing treatment-related toxicities that impair quality of life. A major unmet need in head and neck radiotherapy is the prevention of xerostomia (dry mouth), which results primarily from radiation exposure to major and minor salivary glands and is consistently rated by patients as one of their most distressing late effects.

This project develops personalized dosimetric planning constraints for head and neck radiotherapy using objective saliva function measurements (Modified Schirmer Test at 1, 2, and 3 minutes), prospectively collected patient-reported outcomes (PROs via MDASI), clinician-rated toxicity (CTCAE), and detailed dosimetric data extracted via the MIRA platform. By correlating baseline and longitudinal saliva-production kinetics with patient-perceived xerostomia, the work aims to move beyond generic constraints toward individualized planning that better preserves salivary function.

The Summer Student will play a key role in supporting this translational research project within the Head and Neck Radiation Oncology group. Reporting to Dr. Andrew McPartlin (Clinician Investigator), the student will contribute to dataset expansion, data extraction and correlation, and preliminary model development in close collaboration with radiation oncologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dentists, and biostatisticians. This hands-on opportunity provides direct exposure to clinical research methodology, large-scale data analysis, and radiotherapy planning in a world-leading cancer centre.

Duties:

• Collaborate with the dental department to update and expand an existing dataset of repeat Modified Schirmer Test (MST) saliva measurements under the existing REB approval
• Extract CTCAE toxicity scores and patient-reported outcome (PRO) data from the EPIC electronic medical record system
• Work with the radiation therapy and physics teams (using the MIRA platform) to correlate saliva function data, toxicity measures, and PROs with novel dosimetric parameters for organs at risk (OARs).
• Collaborate with the biostatistician to develop and refine novel models for personalized radiation dose constraints in head and neck radiotherapy planning.
• Perform data curation, quality control, and preliminary analysis on an expanded cohort (>1,700 patients) and assist in preparing reports, presentations, or manuscripts.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and contribute to project planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Must be 16 years of age or older, per UHN policy
• Your appointment runs between May 2026 - August 31, 2026
• Currently enrolled in a relevant undergraduate program (e.g., Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Radiation Sciences, Data Science, Statistics, or Physics).
• Strong interest in cancer research, radiation oncology/medicine, medical data analysis, or radiotherapy-related toxicity.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage large datasets.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel); experience with statistical software, data analysis tools, or programming languages (e.g., R, Python) is an asset.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Previous research or data management experience is an asset but not required.

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates.  Please ensure you check your email regularly.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.