Research Assistant Professor

About the job

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A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary

The Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis/ Neuroimmunology Division, is seeking a highly motivated clinician-scientist for a fixed-term faculty position at the rank of Research Assistant Professor of Neurology. This position represents a unique opportunity to develop and lead a robust, externally funded research program focused on multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders, while contributing to the continued growth of one of the region’s leading academic neuroimmunology programs.

The successful candidate will provide dedicated research leadership to advance clinical, translational, and population-based research in MS and related disorders. A major priority of this position will be the expansion of MS/Neuroimmunology Division’s research portfolio, the development of investigator-initiated studies and federally funded research studies and an increased enrollment in industry-sponsored clinical trials. The faculty member will collaborate extensively with investigators in the UNC MS/Neuroimmunology Division, and across the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health to develop multidisciplinary research programs and attract extramural funding from federal agencies, foundations, and industry partners. In addition to research responsibilities, the faculty member will maintain a clinical practice within the UNC MS/Neuroimmunology Program, providing expert care for patients with immune-mediated central nervous system disorders. In the first 2 years of employment the faculty will maintain 20% clinical effort and have 80% of protected research time. Beyond year 2 of employment, the allocated research effort will depend of faculty securing further research funding support.

The successful candidate will contribute substantially to the academic mission of the Department through resident and fellow education, medical student teaching, research mentorship, faculty development, and the recruitment and training of future clinician-scientists. Ideal candidate must possess an MD or MD/PhD degree, have completed residency training in adult or pediatric neurology, and have fellowship training in MS/neuroimmunology and/or autoimmune neurology. Applicants should demonstrate a strong record of scholarly productivity appropriate to their career stage, evidence of existing or emerging potential for extramural funding, and experience in clinical, translational, or population-based research in the field of MS and related disorders. The ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to research, education, mentorship and multidisciplinary research collaboration and must be able to obtain medical license in the State of North Carolina.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• MD or MD/PhD physician with bord certification or board eligibility in Neurology or Child Neurology.
• Fellowship training in Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology and/or Autoimmune Neurology.
• Strong record of research productivity appropriate to career stage.
• Established or emerging extramural funding potential.
• Experience in clinical, translational, or population-based research.
• Commitment to education, mentorship, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• At least 1 year of postdoctoral research training with evidence of independent research.
• Emerging or established national reputation in the field of MS and neuroimmunology.
• Strong potential to become an independent National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigator.
• Experience building clinical research infrastructure and growing clinical trial portfolios.
• Ability to bridge clinical care and scientific discovery through translational research.
• Vision and leadership capacity to help position UNC as a national leader in MS and neuroimmunology research and clinical care.

Academic Personnel Office Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost office at (919)-962-1091 or send an email to facultyrecruitment@unc.edu.

Please note: The Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

If you have any questions about the job requirements or the hiring department notify the Department Contact.