Senior Researcher in Mental Health and Brain Health, School of Nursing

Unit

School of Nursing

Adult Health and Nursing Systems

We champion health and well-being through the power of nursingeducation, discovery and practice.

The VCU School of Nursing invites applications for a seniortenure-track faculty position to lead a high-impact research program in Mental Health and/or Brain Health. We seek an established scientist with a consistent track record of extramuralfunding whose work is grounded in a life courseperspective—examining how biological, behavioral, and socialfactors intersect at critical developmental stages to influenceneurocognitive and mental health outcomes.

This position is part of a University-wide initiative to recruithigh-impact tenured faculty members to support its rapidly growing,transformative research portfolio, with University sponsoredresearch awards of $550m+ in FY25. The School of Nursing iscollaborating with the Office of the Provost and the Office of theVice President for Research and Innovation to identify talentedresearch faculty.

This position is a strategic priority designed to bridge the SON’sexisting strengths in maternal/perinatal health and aging/dementia and to amplify the impact of VCU’s existing interdisciplinary research in the field. The successful candidate will serve as acatalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration, leveraging VCU’sstatus as a top-tier public research university to advance healthequity, improve health outcomes, and optimize health care delivery for vulnerable populations. This strategic priority position provides a competitive salary and a generous start-uppackage.

The VCU School of Nursing is at the forefront of innovation and excellence. We are uniquely positioned within a thriving health sciences campus and share this passion for neuroscience and mental health research with colleagues in, for example, the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, and College of Health Professions. This environment fosters rich, interdisciplinary collaboration to meet our collective university-wide mission of excellence in research, teaching, and service that fostersinnovation in practice and translational science, thus improving the quality of human life, solving complex challenges, andrestoring health for all people.

1. Research & Scholarship

• Program of Research:
  Maintain a robust, externally fundedresearch portfolio focused on mental health, neuroscience/ brainhealth, and/or cognitive aging
• Grant Acquisition:
  Secure consistent extramural funding (e.g.,NIH/NINR, AHRQ, PCORI, HRSA) to support research activities, with afocus on R-level, Center, and training grants
• Dissemination:
  Publish findings in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and present at national/international policy and scientific forums
• Collaboration:
  
  Partner with interdisciplinary colleagues acrossVCU and beyond to address complex systems-level challenges

2. Teaching & Mentoring

• Teach and mentor students across programs and faculty/trainees, providing relevant expertise in areas such asneuro/biobehavioral science, mental health, research methods,grant-writing, implementation science, and similar

3. Service & Leadership

• Provide leadership in departmental, college, and university committees
• Participate in strategic initiatives related to researchinfrastructure and capacity
• Contribute as thought-leaders to policy discussions, reviewpanels, editorial boards and similar to accelerate the translation of science into practice
• Community Impact:
  Engage with the Richmond community and beyondto ensure research is relevant and translatable to community needs,aligning with VCU’s mission as a community-engaged institution

• PhD or equivalent terminal degree in Nursing, Neuroscience,Psychology, Public Health, Medicine, or related field
• Eligibility for appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor (tenure-eligible)
• Distinguished record of scholarly productivity, recentextramural funding (R-level, Center grants, training grants, or equivalent) as Principal Investigator, and…