"Assistant, Associate or Full Professor - Visual Neuroscience"

The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical School is seeking candidates for a tenure-track (Assistant Professor) or tenured (Associate or Full Professor) faculty appointment in visual neuroscience.

The new faculty will integrate with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences (OVNS), a leader in both clinical care and basic vision research. Ideal candidates will build collaborations between clinical and translational faculty in OVNS with researchers in the Department of Neuroscience. Candidates with MD/PhDs and clinical programs are especially encouraged to apply. Applications are also invited from PhDs or non-practicing MDs who have a commitment to building collaborations across clinical and basic research. Researchers investigating all aspects of the visual system, from the retina to higher visual areas, in both health and disease are encouraged to apply.

New faculty would be appointed within the Department of Neuroscience, a basic science department in the Medical School, with a proven dedication to team science and collaborative work. The Department has a sustained reputation for research excellence and new faculty would build on existing expertise in functional imaging across species, computational modeling, and optical imaging, and join a strong group of visual neuroscientists in the Department, with expertise across the visual system and spanning a range of experimental models.

Strengths at the University of Minnesota include a number of integrative institutes. The Institute for Translational Neuroscience supports research at the interface between the bench and the bedside. The Center for Magnetic Resonance Research is at the forefront of high magnetic field strength imaging in both humans and animals. The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain is a world leader in investigating the development and functioning of the brain from infancy through adulthood. The MnDRIVE initiative supports research and translation relevant to neuromodulation for brain conditions. The Department is also a key part of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, the Medical Discovery Team on Optical Imaging, and the NeuroPlasticity Research in Support of Mental Health workgroup – three world-class neuroscience-based programs that have established and support many interdisciplinary and collaborative laboratories at the institution.

Resources at the University include the UMN Viral Vector and Cloning Core, which allows onsite vector production and development; the University Imaging Center, which is a Nikon Center of Excellence; the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, which has the resources and expertise to develop new drug therapies; the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, which provides resources to implement new treatment strategies and is a conduit to promote community-wide understanding and application of scientific discoveries. Minnesota is also the home of multiple biomedical research companies and world-renowned hospitals. The University of Minnesota is dedicated to improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. The Department of Neuroscience has developed several programs in this area.

Assignment and Duties: The candidate's responsibilities include Research, and Service, with additional responsibilities dependent on the candidate’s clinical background.

Research: The Department expects that the candidate will establish an outstanding research program and generate the highest quality publications. The candidate should develop programs clearly identified with them, in which they can assume a programmatic leadership role. Furthermore, the candidate should develop extramural funding mechanisms that allow them to pursue their areas of interest throughout their career. Candidates are expected to devote the majority of their effort (~75%) towards their research program.

Service: The Department expects that its faculty members regularly participate in seminars and colloquia, faculty meetings, and serve on department committees. Occasionally, faculty members are expected to serve on Medical School or University committees. The Department also expects that the candidate will provide service at a national/international level (e.g. editorial duties, grant review, or organizing conferences and workshops). Candidates are expected to devote ~10% of their effort to service.

Clinical / Integration: Furthermore, the candidate is expected to provide a bridge between basic and clinical departments (~15% of the candidate’s effort). This can entail cross-discipline collaborations between OVNS and Neuroscience researchers, including the development of multi-lab research grants. For candidates with a clinical practice, this can entail effort spent in the clinic, in coordination with the Head of OVNS and other OVNS clinical faculty.

Candidates must have a PhD and/or MD degree and must be a US citizen or be able to secure permanent resident status. Candidates with non-traditional backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.