Assistant Professor-Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (F73480, F73490, F73500)

Mission or Goal of Unit: The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, housed within the School of Medicine, is recruiting for multiple tenure-eligible positions at the rank of Assistant Professor. The department has a robust biomedical research program and an extensive teaching mission that encompasses both professional and graduate education. Successful candidates will expand an existing department of 12 full-time faculty who have active research programs and significant external funding, and 5 full-time faculty whose expertise is in the scholarship and practice of education. New faculty will receive the departmental and administrative support that they need in order to succeed and thrive.

Chief Purpose of this Position: We invite candidates to apply for this exciting opportunity. The position(s) will support and augment both the department’s research and teaching missions, but will be principally weighted towards the research mission. Applicant(s) are expected to establish a strong, independent, research program in the neurosciences. There is also an expectation for interdisciplinary collaborations both internal and external to VCU. These goals will enhance the national and international recognition of VCU as a premiere research institution. The position(s) will also support graduate and postdoctoral education and training, and depending on the expertise of the individual hired, may also support training of professional students.

Position Responsibilities:

Research

This position will be offered primarily for the purpose of supporting the research mission of the Department. It is expected that >80% of the applicant's time will be spent in research-related activities during the first and second years as a faculty member. A candidate’s research program should integrate with and enhance the existing research strengths and interests of the department, which include glial cell biology, traumatic CNS injury/repair, circuit function, and neuropsychiatric disease. Research programs that additionally complement other strengths at the VCU School of Medicine, including cerebrovascular disease, inflammatory processes, and the neuroscience of addiction, are welcomed. Translational impact is expected of all research programs, and interactions with clinical colleagues that foster translational research programs are encouraged. Development of collaborative efforts with investigators in the department and/or in the greater neuroscience community at the School of Medicine and across the University are also encouraged.

Teaching

The candidate is also expected to support departmental teaching activities. Principal among these will be the training of MS and PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in research methods and scientific writing. Applicants will also be asked to participate in graduate courses for students in the Neuroscience PhD program and in other MS and PhD programs throughout the School of Medicine. Depending on their expertise, applicants may also participate in lectures and laboratory sessions offered in the department’s programs in professional and graduate education.

Service

Service to the department, the school, the university, and the profession is expected of all faculty members and is valued.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree or equivalent in neuroscience or a related field
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a postdoctoral position, or the equivalent
• A record of publications in well-regarded, peer-reviewed journals within the field of expertise, including publication(s) as first author
• A record of presentations at conferences appropriate for the area of expertise
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Record of external funding, or submission of a funding proposal, in the applicant's name
• Teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level in neuroscience, or the anatomical sciences, or related disciplines