Hiring Department
Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment
Job Description
Autism Clinician Researcher & Research Division Director
Guru Har Krishan Saheb Professorship
Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment, University of Missouri
Open Rank, Open Track
The Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri is seeking a clinician-scientist to help shape the future of interdisciplinary autism research, clinical translation, and community impact. This is an opportunity to join a nationally recognized center during a period of major growth across clinical care, translational research, and statewide partnerships.
The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader whose work advances understanding of autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions through translational, clinical, implementation, or community-engaged research. Candidates with expertise spanning biological mechanisms, clinical characterization, intervention development, implementation science, outcomes research, biomarkers, neuroscience, or related areas are encouraged to apply.
The Research Division Director will play a central role in shaping and advancing the Thompson Center’s interdisciplinary research strategy, fostering collaboration across clinical and scientific domains, supporting clinician-scientists and trainees, and expanding the Center’s national research presence. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to help guide the future direction of one of the country’s most integrated autism and neurodevelopmental centers.
Clinical responsibilities will be tailored to the candidate’s discipline, expertise, and research portfolio. Protected research time, startup support, and leadership responsibilities will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and role.
Facilities & Resources
The University of Missouri offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration as one of only six comprehensive public universities in the nation with medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, engineering, law, arts and sciences, and a research reactor on a single campus.
The Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment is a nationally recognized leader in autism and neurodevelopmental care, research, education, and community engagement. Housed in a recently expanded 74,000-square-foot facility, the Center integrates clinical care, research, and training to improve outcomes across the lifespan.
Its multidisciplinary team includes experts in developmental pediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, behavior analysis, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, education, and social work. The Center’s collaborative model supports translational research, advanced phenotyping, longitudinal studies, and community-based implementation efforts, with partnerships spanning major initiatives such as SPARK, Simons Foundation, and NextGen Precision Health.
Closely connected to both the University of Missouri campus and MU Health Care, the Thompson Center provides access to diverse patient populations, statewide partnerships, and extensive research infrastructure. The holder of the Guru Har Krishan Saheb Professorship will benefit from the resources of the Thompson Center, School of Medicine, MU Health Care, NextGen Precision Health, and the broader University of Missouri research enterprise.
Educational Opportunities
The University of Missouri offers extensive educational and training opportunities through MD and PhD programs housed in the School of Medicine, including a campus-wide neuroscience PhD program, as well as programs within the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Health Sciences.
The Thompson Center plays a vital role in educating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, interns, and other trainees across disciplines. The successful candidate will hold an academic appointment aligned with their discipline and will be expected to actively contribute to education, mentorship, and trainee development, as well as participate in departmental and university service activities.
Candidacy
The ideal candidate will value interdisciplinary, team-based approaches to autism and neurodevelopmental research and demonstrate enthusiasm for building collaborative partnerships across clinical, scientific, and community settings.
The Thompson Center is particularly interested in candidates whose work bridges discovery, clinical application, dissemination, implementation, and meaningful real-world impact across the lifespan. Candidates interested in helping grow a collaborative and expanding autism research program are especially encouraged to apply.
The successful candidate will foster collaboration across disciplines, mentor trainees and junior investigators, and contribute to a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, and accountability.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- MD, MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent degree in medicine, psychology, neuroscience, public health, or a related field