Chair, Department of Neuroscience

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is seeking a new Chair of its Department of Neuroscience.  The Department is composed of 27 faculty members with primary appointments in the Department of Neuroscience and of 21 faculty members with secondary appointments in the department. Primary departmental faculty members are also principal investigators of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute located in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center  on Columbia’s new Manhattanville Campus, which houses and provides superb resources for Neuroscience research.  

VP&S has a storied history of basic science, translational medicine, clinical care, education/training and outreach for more than 250 years. It is part of a stellar university and comprises 30 basic and clinical departments, and more than 20 cross-disciplinary centers and institutes. The Department of Neuroscience provides a key link between disease-oriented neuroscientists working in basic biomedical science and clinical departments at the Medical School Campus in Washington Heights and neuroscientists working in Psychology, Engineering and Biology on the Morningside Heights Campus. The Department of Neuroscience administers the University-wide PhD Program in Neurobiology & Behavior, with 158 training faculty and 108 Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph. D students. 

The Chair will be expected to be a world-class neuroscientist with a history of pioneering research accomplishments and a proven track record in identifying outstanding young researchers and fostering their careers. Major strengths of the department over the past decade have been in neural circuits, systems and behavior, and in computational/theoretical neurobiology. Candidates who are leaders in these or other areas of Neuroscience, including cellular, molecular, and developmental neurobiology, are strongly encouraged to apply. 

The Chair will work in close collaboration with the Director of the Zuckerman Institute and Institute faculty in continuing to build Neuroscience research. The Chair of the Department of Neuroscience also will be expected to expand on existing areas of interaction and collaboration across our campuses, assuring that Neuroscience at Columbia continues to lead in discovery through the coming decades. 

Responsibilities:

• Leadership: Provide visionary leadership for the Department of Neuroscience, guiding its strategic development and fostering a culture of excellence in research, teaching, and service. 
• Collaboration: Facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations both within the department and across other departments, centers and initiatives, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. 
• Professional Service: Engage actively in professional societies, scientific committees, and outreach activities to promote Neuroscience research and education. 
• Promote career advancement and international visibility of junior and mid-career faculty in and outside the department. 
• Actively participate in providing long-term strategic vision for Columbia University Irving Medical Center to advance basic and translational research in coordination with other departments, centers and programs.