University of Texas Medical Branch - Assistant Professor, Psychiatry​/Behavioral Science

Assistant Professor (N-T Track Research), Psychiatry/Behavioral Science

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health), one of the nation’s oldest and most respected academic health centers, invites applications for a non-tenure track research faculty position in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, in partnership with the Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics (CAST). Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, this position offers an exciting opportunity to join a growing, high-impact research enterprise during a period of record extramural funding and major institutional investment in translational science.

UTMB recently marked several milestones, including more than $300 million in research funding awarded in FY24, new facilities within the Health Education Center, and expansion across its four campuses, most notably the Galveston National Lab and the League City Campus. These investments demonstrate its commitment to biomedical discovery, public health, and academic excellence. UTMB is consistently ranked among the top 10 institutions nationally for NIH funding growth.

Located on the Texas coast just south of Houston, the Galveston area offers 32 miles of beaches, a rich historic landscape, and accessible coastal living, making it an exceptional place to live and work.

The Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics, formerly Center for Addiction Research, is a trans‑disciplinary hub engaged in basic, clinical, and translational sciences, public and population health, industry and community partners toward improved health in vulnerable populations. Examples of priority research areas within CAST and the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department which are highly encouraged for candidates include but are not limited to:

• Development, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence‑based interventions for substance use and co‑occurring mental health disorders, including medication development
• Implementation and scaling of treatments in real‑world community, healthcare, or justice settings
• Trans‑disciplinary responses to the overdose crisis
• Investigation of transdiagnostic etiologic mechanisms
• Novel mental health and substance use treatment advances
• Application of precision medicine or data‑driven methods to improve prevention and treatment outcomes
• Supporting health equity and public health engagement

• A collaborative culture to engage with faculty across schools, departments, and the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world.
• Transdisciplinary research excellence with an opportunity to work in basic, translational, and clinical sciences, addressing substance use and mental health disorders.
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art core research facilities, robust mentorship and career development resources, and opportunities to secure extramural funding for innovative, translational research in substance use, neuropsychiatric, and mental health disorders.
• Generous startup packages, research space, and administrative support for grant development.

• M.D. or Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology or related clinical experience
• Track record of scholarly research, publications and history of, or evidence of potential for obtaining, extramural funding
• Research that directly informs the development, testing, or implementation of interventions to prevent or treat substance use, neuropsychiatric, or mental health disorders is especially encouraged
• Preference will be given to candidates who integrate community engagement, implementation science, and/or health services research into their work and who value interdisciplinary collaboration

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) is a nationally recognized academic health center with a proud history of advancing education, research, and patient care. Established in 1891 as the first medical school in Texas, UTMB has grown into a $3.6 billion health science center that includes five hospitals, a robust network of outpatient clinics, and four schools:
Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions, and Graduate Biomedical…