Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Gut-Brain Axis

Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Gut-Brain Axis (T/TE)

The Departments of Neuroscience and Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona invite applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. This joint appointment is part of the University's AI Innovation in Health initiative, which advances interdisciplinary discovery at the intersections of neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology, nutrition, metabolism, and artificial intelligence.

We seek an innovative scientist investigating fundamental mechanisms through which the gut, its microbial communities, and the brain interact to shape neural function, behavior, metabolism, health, and disease. The successful candidate will establish a rigorous, independent, and externally funded research program and contribute to a collaborative intellectual community spanning both departments and the broader AI Innovation in Health initiative. The successful candidate's research program should meaningfully integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational modeling, multi-omics, or other advanced quantitative methods to generate or test biological hypotheses and deepen mechanistic understanding.

Relevant research areas include, but are not limited to:
The microbiome-gut-brain axis and the mechanisms that support bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal system and the nervous system;
Microbial metabolites and their effects on neural circuits, cellular physiology, behavior, or disease processes;
Gut-derived metabolic, immune, or endocrine signaling and its influence on the brain and peripheral nervous system;
Neuroimmune interactions and inflammatory mechanisms linking the gut, microbiome, and nervous system;
Inter-organ communication among the gut, brain, liver, adipose tissue, immune system, and other physiological systems;
Neural and molecular mechanisms governing feeding, appetite, energy balance, and metabolic homeostasis; and Effects of diet, nutrition, and metabolism on brain function, development, aging, and neurological or neuropsychiatric disease.

The University of Arizona is committed to research, education, and service that address important scientific and societal challenges. As a land-grant institution, the University connects discovery and learning with public engagement and practical benefit. The successful candidate will join a community that values rigorous scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, excellent teaching, and mentorship across career stages.

The University of Arizona offers a highly collaborative environment for research across neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology, physiology, nutrition, data science, and related fields. The joint appointment will create opportunities to build connections across the Department of Neuroscience, the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and other University programs and centers whose strengths align with the candidate's research, such as the BIO5 Institute.

Additionally, the successful candidate will have graduate faculty status in the Biochemistry & Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Program, as well as the Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs of Neuroscience and Genetics. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute actively to this interdisciplinary community through collaborative scholarship, shared training, and intellectual leadership.

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2026, and will continue until January 3, 2027, for an anticipated start date of August 16, 2027.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities:

Establish and maintain a rigorous, innovative, nationally recognized, and externally funded independent research program. Conduct research that advances understanding of gut-brain and microbiome biology and complements strengths in Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and the Food as Medicine Initiative. Meaningfully incorporate or develop artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational modeling, multi-omics,…