Assistant Professor - Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute Req Position

Description

The Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute (OBI) at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is initiating the OBI Scholars Program for exceptional early‑career scientists of any discipline whose research program includes mechanistic studies relevant to human nervous system disease. This program is open to PhD, MD, or MD/PhD applicants seeking their first tenure‑track Assistant‑Professor position, or who are currently serving as Assistant Professors or have recently been promoted to Associate Professors.

OBI Scholars will receive a generous approximately $3 million recruitment package and laboratory space in the recently opened state‑of‑the‑art O’Donnell Biomedical Research Building, which houses a diverse set of investigators, including basic and human neuroscientists, immunologists, biochemists, and structural biologists. The program supports individuals pursuing either laboratory‑based or human‑subject research.

The primary objective of the OBI Scholars Program is to recruit and support outstanding scientists whose research advances understanding of CNS disease and aging. The program will consider exceptional applicants from any discipline, with particular emphasis on two key areas:

• Circuit biology relevant to movement, memory/cognition, and pain.
• Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and regeneration, including neuroimmune and endolysosomal mechanisms.

Within these priorities, research may explore fundamental aspects of neuron or CNS function or broadly relevant disease mechanisms, without requiring direct use of disease models.

OBI is highly collaborative and integrated with all neuroscience‑related basic and clinical departments, including Neuroscience, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. OBI Scholars will receive a primary appointment within the OBI and a secondary appointment in the basic science or clinical department most aligned with their work. Candidates whose careers include clinical care must have or be eligible for a Texas Medical License.

OBI Scholars will benefit from a range of programs designed to support scientific study and training, including the Visionary Neuroscience Program, the Sprouts Program, the Neural Scientist Training Program, and the Perot Neurosciences Translational Research Center. The Clinical Neuroscience Research Excellence Initiative supports team‑based multidisciplinary clinical research and career development for early faculty. The Travel Grant Program enables trainees to present research at national and international conferences.

The Research Interest Group Program supports multidisciplinary groups of faculty, currently 11 groups with more than 200 members from 16 departments.

OBI has invested in advanced imaging and spatial transcriptomics technologies, including STED microscopy, Xenium, and Merscope. UT Southwestern additionally offers state‑of‑the‑art research cores and human subject capabilities such as magnetoencephalography and a focal‑ultrasound machine capable of discrete lesioning and blood‑brain‑barrier opening for drug and gene delivery.

UT Southwestern ranks among the world’s leading academic medical centers, with faculty that include four Nobel laureates, three Lasker awardees, 25 National Academy of Sciences members, and 24 National Academy of Medicine members. The institution trains nearly 4,200 medical, graduate, and allied‑health students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows each year, with faculty and residents overseeing approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits annually.

To apply, please submit a CV and research statement.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

This position is security‑sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishment and experience. Consideration may be given to applicants seeking less than a full‑time schedule.

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers, visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..