Assistant Professor, Precision Nutrition and Food Microbiome

Overview

Assistant Professor, Precision Nutrition and Food Microbiome

Department:
Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University. Position type: nine-month, tenure-track.

Position

Description:

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Precision Nutrition and Food Microbiome Interfaces to begin September 1, 2026. The anticipated workload distribution is approximately 75% research, 20% teaching, and 5% service. The successful candidate will develop a nationally competitive research program investigating how food composition, processing, and dietary bioactives influence gut microbiome dynamics, intestinal physiology, and human or animal health outcomes.

Areas of emphasis include foods regulated by FDA/USDA (e.g., produce, meats, fermented foods, and ready-to-eat foods). The appointee will collaborate with departmental food microbiology faculty on pathogen control, validation, and regulatory compliance, and with food and meat science faculty on food composition and health evaluation. This position contributes to a One Health cluster hire that includes faculty in bioinformatics, landscape metagenomics of infection, soil and environmental ecology, microbiology/virology/immunology, and precision lifestyle and microbiome science.

The position supports teaching in food science and contributes to industry- and agency-facing educational programming consistent with Texas Tech University  mission.

Texas Tech University, founded in 1923 and located in Lubbock, TX, serves West Texas with a large student population and a wide range of programs. The university emphasizes research and scholarly accomplishments and aims to provide a world-class education with a personal experience as a member of the Red Raider family.

The Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources includes multiple departments and eight major research centers and institutes. The college engages in substantial teaching, research, and outreach activities and supports the Pursuit of PRIME campaign to advance facilities, research, and hands-on education.

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences prepares ethical leaders and advances innovation in animal agriculture, food systems, and related areas. The department hosts approximately 30 faculty and serves more than 1,450 students. Research strengths include meat science, food science and safety, animal nutrition, health and welfare, and companion animal studies. Facilities include specialized units and laboratories supporting discovery, collaboration, and service.

In line with TTU  strategic priorities, applicants should have experience working with undergraduate and/or graduate student populations across teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

As a faculty member, the successful candidate will be expected to:

Research (75%)

• Develop and maintain a high-impact, externally funded research program examining how food matrices, processing, and bioactive compounds modulate intestinal environments (microbiome, barrier integrity, postbiotics, immune signaling) and drive systemic health outcomes (metabolic, neurological, inflammatory, or infectious disease).
• Apply omics and nutrigenomic approaches (metagenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics) and model systems (animal, human, or ex vivo) to connect food microbiome interactions with health endpoints.
• Integrate food safety perspectives into research by co-designing studies that assess both safety and health-promoting attributes, including pathogen reduction strategies.
• Collaborate with food scientists, microbiologists, process engineers, and One Health cluster colleagues to incorporate validation, regulatory considerations, and translational relevance.
• Lead or contribute to multi-PI proposals (NIH, USDA, FDA, NSF, and industry).
• Disseminate research through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and engaged scholarship.

Teaching (20%)

• Teach approximately two courses per year (or equivalent distribution), including undergraduate and/or graduate instruction aligned with departmental needs and areas of expertise.
• Contribute to the development or enhancement of learning experiences in subject areas related to food-microbiome interactions, precision nutrition, omics applications, or functional food science, including modules, laboratory components, hybrid formats, or co-taught courses.
• Support the department by teaching or assisting with core food science courses as needed (e.g., Food Analysis, Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology), depending on expertise and curricular demand.
• Mentor and supervise MS and PhD students, serve on graduate committees, and direct thesis/dissertation research.
• Participate in educational programming connected to the International Center for Food Industry Excellence (ICFIE) or other department-affiliated initiatives consistent with TTU  teaching and…