[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoctoral Fellow in Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen Instrumentation at York University, Toronto

[tvandenb at yorku.ca]

Positions Available: Postdoctoral Fellow in Department of Chemistry

Number of Positions: 1

Anticipated Start Date: May - September 2019

Term: 1 year (with renewal opportunity for an additional year)

 

The VandenBoer Group is currently searching for an ideal candidate for a
postdoctoral position. Interested candidates should have a PhD in
Atmospheric Chemistry or Science with a strong background in Analytical
Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis. Candidates with related experience are
encouraged to apply. Additional assets of interested applicants include
experience in experimental physics, electrical engineering, or computer
programming (e.g. LabView, Igor, or MATLAB). Applicants require excellent
written and oral communication skills and the ability to work in a team
environment. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with relevant
expertise. Interested candidates should contact Dr. VandenBoer at
tvandenb at yorku.ca <mailto:tvandenb at yorku.ca>  with their CV and contact
information for three (3) professional references. Only those selected for
consideration will be contacted. Applications will be reviewed as received.

 

The available position is focused on instrumental development for the
detection of atmospheric reactive nitrogen species in indoor and outdoor
environments. People spend up to 90 % of their time each day indoors where
emissions from domestic or professional activities may affect the chemistry
and exposure of people in these atmospheres. Reactive nitrogen species are
well-known catalysts in the degradation of urban air quality and formation
of atmospheric particles, with potential to affect indoor air quality in a
similar fashion. Research in the VandenBoer group is pursuing the
development and testing of new analytical instrumentation and methodologies
for quantifying the reactive nitrogen budget indoors. The purpose is to
provide platforms that can be used safely in these spaces to widely survey
the role of reactive nitrogen in indoor environments, while also providing
selective detection of the various components of the reactive nitrogen pool.
This work is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through the Chemistry
of Indoor Environments Program. This program encompasses a passionate
community of experts from around the world to provide insight into the
chemistry controlling the composition of the indoor atmosphere, who meet
regularly at workshops and international conferences such as the
International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Healthy Buildings,
Canadian Society for Chemistry and the American Chemical Society. 

 

The available project is focused on the design, construction, automation,
and validation of a real-time reactive nitrogen budget analytical platform
for indoor atmospheres. The Faculty of Science at York University houses
technical facilities for rapid prototyping of instrumentation, including
glassblowing, machine, 3D printing, and electronics shops. Detection of
total reactive nitrogen will be pursued through mentorship of a graduate
student in the construction of a catalytic inlet to decompose a wide range
of reactive nitrogen anticipated in indoor environments, including reduced,
oxidized, and condensed phase species. Optimization of sampling and
detection of mixtures will be performed using our smog chambers. The
postdoctoral researcher will facilitate full system integration for
speciation of the reactive nitrogen pool through instrument automation (e.g.
calibration, blanks, other analytical channels). The developed instrument
will be intercompared with online techniques used in outdoor atmospheric
chemistry and to quantify reactive nitrogen in indoor environments.
Intercomparisons and proof-of-principle testing in this project will be
performed at the York University Air Quality Research Station, and at a
variety of field locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area, southwestern
Ontario, and further abroad. The postdoctoral fellow will have the
opportunity to lead field measurements in collaboration with Dr. Jeff Siegel
at the University of Toronto to evaluate the importance of air exchange on
reactive nitrogen chemistry and exchange indoors. Additional field
opportunities may also become available.

 

Home to 52,000 students, York University has an international reputation as
a global, research-intensive university committed to interdisciplinarity,
innovation, social justice, equity, and diversity. Members of the Faculty of
Science learn from and work with outstanding faculty members, and benefit
from leading-edge research facilities and visiting speaker series.
Postdoctoral fellows have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at
Canadian institutions and internationally in academia, industry, and
government. The Faculty of Science has grown substantially in recent years.
It has earned a global reputation for cutting-edge research and innovation,
housing one of the first programs in Canadian Atmospheric Chemistry. The
Department of Chemistry consists of 24 faculty members, several postdoctoral
fellows, and over 60 graduate students, providing a large community of local
expertise. The Department of Chemistry has research excellence and diversity
across many disciplines and attracts funding from a broad array of agencies
including NSERC, CIHR, Mitacs, and CFI. It is also home to YSciCore offering
a wide variety of state-of-the-science techniques for the physical sciences.


 

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