"Verspeeten Chair in Translational Cancer Research"

Position Profile: The Department of Oncology at the London Health Sciences Centre and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, is seeking highly-qualified candidates for the inaugural Verspeeten Chair in Translational Cancer Research. The Chair will advance world-leading translational cancer research, bridging discovery science and clinical research with the potential to make substantial, positive impacts for cancer patients around the world. The holder of this position will be a distinguished and visionary research-intensive clinician. They will have demonstrated potential to attract and retain competitive external peer-reviewed research funding at the level needed to sustain a world-class cancer research program with strong translational potential.

Academic and Clinical Expectations: The Chair holder will work together with the cancer research community to harness and build upon cancer research at London Health Sciences Centre and the University to lead it to the next level of innovation and excellence. The successful candidate will hold an academic role as a clinician scientist with a minimal clinical workload.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have an MD or equivalent degree and must be eligible for licensing in the Province of Ontario. The successful candidate will hold a full-time limited-term Clinical Academic appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, or a Continuing Clinical Academic appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, depending upon qualifications and experience at the time of appointment.

Compensation Details: The Chair appointment is for a five-year period, with the possibility of renewal for one additional term pending review recommendation. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be composed primarily of fee for service clinical earnings, an alternate funding plan, and academic salary.

The Department: The Department of Oncology in Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry conducts clinical, translational, and basic cancer research in collaboration with our citywide partners and facilitates education programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Home to nearly 200 faculty members who hold primary, research, or cross-appointments, the Department is closely linked to the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre/London Health Sciences Centre and shares a vision of integrated cancer care, research, and education. The Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre is a world-class cancer care facility, providing the highest quality care to patients and their families from across the region of Southwestern Ontario for over 50 years.

The City: London, Ontario is Canada’s 10th largest city with a population over 400,000, a catchment area of 2.4 million, and is situated in southwestern Ontario between Toronto and Detroit. The region has a strong economy and excellent primary and secondary school systems for residents with children. It is a safe and culturally diverse city. With parks, tree-lined streets, and bicycle trails, London is known as the “Forest City”. London boasts an international airport, galleries, theatre, music, and sporting events. See www.ledc.com/why-london to learn more.

The University: Western University is a research-intensive university with full-time enrolment of over 36,000 students and a full range of academic and professional programs. The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry provides an outstanding educational experience within a research-intensive environment where tomorrow's physicians, dentists, and health researchers learn to be socially responsible leaders in the advancement of human health.

To apply: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Review of applications will begin after October 13, 2025, with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2025, or as negotiated. Interested candidates should send: a letter of intent (maximum of 5 pages) that includes an overview of past research and description of proposed research plan, a plan to build collaborations, networks, and knowledge translation locally and beyond, a history and commitment to mentorship, and a statement on commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; a current curriculum vitae; the names and contact information of three referees; a completed and signed application form at the following link: http://uwo.ca/facultyrelations/physicians/Application_FullTime_Clinical.pdf. All documents should be sent as a single PDF file to: Dale W. Laird, PhD and Michael Ott, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS, Verspeeten Chair in Translational Cancer Research, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Clinical Skills Building, Western University, London, Ontario CANADA N6A 5C1, E-mail: selection.committee@schulich.uwo.ca.