"Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Neurogenetics, Neurodegeneration, and Stem Cell Biology"

Job Summary

The Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship with an academic appointment in one of the following departments: Psychology and Neuroscience or Integrative Physiology. The Institute seeks to build on its strength in neurodegeneration and behavioral genetics research. Successful candidates must have a robust background and at least 36 months of direct, postdoctoral working experience with iPSC-derived neural cells and/or neural organoids. Experience with high-content genomics, other omics approaches such as spatial transcriptomics, and/or neurogenetics is preferred. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in neurodegeneration research using patient-derived iPSC lines and single-cell genomics. Applicants working entirely with animal models will not be considered.

Appointees will participate in the research and teaching missions of the Institute and their academic department. The appointee will be expected to establish a productive, externally funded research program and to participate in undergraduate and graduate teaching in both the Institute and their academic department.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Founded in 1967, the Institute for Behavioral Genetics (IBG) is one of the world's leading research institutes for genetic research on behavior. Its mission is to conduct and facilitate research examining the genetic bases of individual differences in behavior and to provide research training in this interdisciplinary area.

Research areas include neurodegenerative disease, aging, alcohol, behavioral development, brain structure and function, cognitive abilities and executive functions, drug abuse, evolution, nicotinic receptors, personality, psychopathology, reading and learning disabilities, statistical genetics, and synaptic plasticity.

There are currently 11 tenured or tenure-track faculty rostered in the Institute and based at IBG. In total there are 34 faculty fellows, most of whom hold joint appointments in academic units on the Boulder and Denver campuses. In addition to our research mission, faculty on the Boulder campus teach both undergraduate and graduate students.

IBG administers about 45-50 grants (including Center components and subcontracts), with external support of ~$10 million per fiscal year currently and expenditures ranging from $6-14 million annually over the past decade. We direct two NIH pre- and postdoctoral training grants (from NIMH (Mental Health) and NIDA (Drug Abuse)) supporting 8 graduate students and 3 postdoctoral fellows, and we provide NIMH-supported methodology workshops for about 110 scientists annually. Appointees will have the opportunity to recruit postdoctoral fellows and graduate students using funds from these training grants.

More detailed information can be found at: https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Establish and maintain an independent, externally funded research program.
• Teach courses: typically, two courses per academic year (one undergraduate and one graduate) as long as research-active, with specific assignments determined in consultation with the Department Chair and Institute Director.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Contribute service to IBG, the academic department, and the profession.

What We Can Offer

$95,000–$115,000 (9-month salary). Candidates may expect starting salaries within this range depending on accomplishments, including publication record, external funding, and years of experience in comparable faculty positions and discipline. A negotiable start-up package is available. Relocation assistance may be provided in accordance with department guidelines.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass.

What We Require

Minimum requirements: Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (PhD, MD/PhD, or DPhil) in a life science discipline that includes, but is not limited to, neuroscience, biology, genetics, psychology, and physiology at the time of application with a minimum of 36 months of post-graduate training or experience in related fields.

What You Will Need

A successful publication record and a record of successful external funding.

What We Would Like You to Have

Accomplishments during graduate and postgraduate training should have stamped the candidate as a creative and promising investigator. If the individual does not have formal teaching experience, they should have demonstrated a commitment to develop the skills for high-quality collegiate teaching.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials: 1. Resume/CV 2. Cover Letter 3. Statement of research interests (4 pages) 4. Statement of teaching philosophy (2-3 pages) 5. 3-5 sample research papers 6. List of three (3) professional references.

During the application process you will need to enter contact information for three (3) references who will be contacted to provide letters of recommendation as the search progresses. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2025. The position will stop accepting applications on 11/1/25.