Assistant Professor

Virginia Tech (VT) invites applications for tenure track faculty positions in the School of Neuroscience at the Assistant Professor level. We are seeking candidates that will apply innovative approaches to computational neuroscience, neural engineering, cellular, molecular, or systems neuroscience, that will complement the expertise of the primary faculty members who have joined the School of Neuroscience since 2015 (http://www.neuroscience.vt.edu). Successful candidates will teach as well as establish a competitive research program that can attract extramural funding from a wide variety of funding agencies. Competitive salary, space, and start‐up packages will be provided.

Established in 2015, the School of Neuroscience is a collaborative academic research environment with 23 primary research an instructional faculty and over 50 affiliate neuroscience faculty, a thriving Neuroscience Ph.D. program, and over 750 undergraduate neuroscience majors. Using organisms from flies to humans, the School of Neuroscience faculty explore how the brain develops, and ages, how neurons and glia interreact with one another to create functional circuits, and how these circuits create or modulate behavior, such as learning, decision-making, and sleep. Our researchers are looking at these questions in the healthy brain, in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, in psychiatric disease, in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, in drug abuse, and in brain injury.

Application Process
Interested candidates should submit 1) cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae, 3) a statement of research, 4) teaching philosophy, and 5) contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin October 15th and will continue until the position is filled.

Applications should be submitted through the university's online application system. For more information, contact the School Director, Dr. Michelle Olsen, molsen1@vt.edu

(1) Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant discipline with post‐doctoral experience
(2) peer‐reviewed publications in high impact neuroscience journals
(3) a vision to establish an independent research program with a high likelihood to be competitive for extramural grant support;
(4) demonstrated experience with and commitment to interdisciplinary research;
(4) vision, creativity, and leadership skills;
(5) a willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries;
(6) a desire to teach at the graduate and undergraduate level, with a commitment to pedagogical approaches.
(7) excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively convey complex epidemiological concepts to diverse audiences.

Preference given to candidates with research programs that integrate and complement existing research programs in the School of Neuroscience and relate to programmatic needs of our undergraduate and graduate curricula. Existing grant support, while a good indicator for future funding potential, is not required.

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

Commensurate with experience

40 hours - exempt position

October 15, 2025

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

May include some travel to conferences and meetings. 

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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