BME Associate​/Full Professor - Radioisotopes Cluster​/Medical Imaging, Fall

BME Associate/Full Professor - Radioisotopes Cluster/Medical Imaging, Fall 2026

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Open Date: Aug 20, 2025

The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) invites applications for a tenure‑line faculty position at Associate/Full Professor level, starting in 2026. Tenure upon initial appointment may be considered for qualified applicants. This search is part of an approved cluster hire to complement UTK’s strength in medical imaging, therapeutics, and the development and use of radioisotopes.

Candidates in related fields in biomedical engineering are encouraged to apply. The Radioisotopes Cluster was approved and launched in 2022, and several hires have been completed since its inception. In continuation of these recent hires, the Radioisotopes Cluster is seeking to fill its senior‑level faculty vacancy. The long‑term plan for hires within this cluster include
1) development of new radiochemistry labs,
2) development of enhanced radioisotope curriculum and establishment of a summer school in collaboration with partners at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and UT‑Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT‑ORII),
3) expansion of partnerships with local hospitals, veterinary centers, and/or businesses with interests in isotope use and research, and
4) establishment of transformational campus‑based research center(s). This search aligns well with the current initiatives at ORNL and UT‑ORII, including the recently funded $20M Convergent Research Initiative (CRI) in Development and Advancement of Radiopharmaceutical Therapies (DART).

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) recently opened the Zeanah Engineering Complex, which is a new $129M building. This includes over 4,500 square feet of radiochemistry research laboratory space and a radio chemical teaching laboratory suite, where the lab of the successful candidate will be located in. TCE has continued to make investments in the radioisotopes research areas including a small animal PET/CT, a micro

CT, and a high‑frequency preclinical ultrasound system for small animals. This new hire will help expand partnerships with other TCE departments, local hospitals, veterinary centers, and/or businesses with interests in isotope use. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has made biomedical research and human health a core institutional priority, supported through strong partnerships with the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC).

This collaboration provides a rich environment for translational research, where engineering innovation connects directly with clinical expertise to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and healthcare technologies. Faculty in Biomedical Engineering will also benefit from access to UTK’s Clinical Core Facility Program and the Center for Population Health (CPH), which provide state‑of‑the‑art resources and infrastructure to support interdisciplinary research and accelerate the translation of discoveries from the laboratory to patient care.

These shared facilities and programs foster collaboration across engineering, medicine, and public health, offering faculty unique opportunities to expand their research impact. UTK is also a key partner in the Neuroscience Network of East Tennessee, Neuro

NET, which fosters and supports cutting‑edge research and training in brain sciences in collaboration with the UT Medical Center and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success, including adding over 30 new faculty to the college as part of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench.

The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state‑of‑the‑art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN‑MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building now under construction that will house UTK’s Fibers and Composites…