Open Rank (Assistant, Associate or Full) Professor in Drug Discovery and Development with a Focus on Mental Health and Addiction

About the Opportunity

About Northeastern:

The Bouvé College of Health Sciences has over 250 faculty members, with approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate students. It is the leading national model for education and research in the health, psychosocial, and biomedical sciences and supports the University’s mission of educating students for a life of fulfillment and accomplishment and creating and translating knowledge to meet global and societal needs.

The Bouvé College of Health Sciences is organized in four Schools : Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences comprising two departments that include Pharmaceutical Sciences (running this search as the leading department for the academic appointment); Community Health and Behavioral Sciences comprising two departments; Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences comprising three departments; and Nursing .

The College of Science comprises six departments: Biology , Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Marine and Environmental Sciences , Mathematics , Physics , and Psychology .

The College of Engineering comprises five departments: Bioengineering , Chemical Engineering , Civil and Environmental Engineering , Electrical and Computer Engineering , Mechanical and Industrial Engineering .

The Khoury College of Computer Sciences encompasses multiple areas of research such as: Algorithms & Theory , Artificial Intelligence , Computational Biology , Data Science , Data Visualization , Formal Methods , Games , Human-Computer Interaction , Machine Learning , Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval , Network Science , Personal Health Informatics , Programming Languages, Robotics , Security and Privacy , Software Engineering , Systems and Networking .

Northeastern is home to the Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory (BATL) ,  Coastal Sustainability Institute , the Global Resilience Institute , the Barnett Institute for Chemical and Biological Analysis , the Institute for Chemical Imaging of Living Systems , the Network Science Institute , the Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology , an NSF Frontier Center in Theoretical Biological Physics , the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex Systems , and the Life Sciences Testing Center , providing a rich multidisciplinary intellectual environment.

About the Opportunity:

The Center for Drug Discovery (CDD) at Northeastern University invites applications for open rank tenure-track/tenured faculty positions at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor levels with projected start dates in 2024. The mission of the CDD is to engage in drug discovery and development that will lead to new medications to address a variety of unmet medical needs, especially those involving addiction and mental health. To accomplish this, the CDD is directed to develop novel methodologies to improve drug discovery. The CDD seeks to hire faculty members with research programs at the preclinical, behavioral, and/or translational levels that address addiction and mental health. Junior scientists using breakthrough technologies are welcome to apply, as are senior faculty with internationally recognized programs and strong funding, whose expertise will complement the activities of faculty affiliated with the CDD toward drug discovery. The targeted academic home is one of the departments in Bouvé College of Health Sciences; joint appointment in another department/ college can be considered. Additional colleges and departments affiliated with the CDD at Northeastern University include the College of Science, the College of Engineering, or the Khoury College of Computer Sciences). Cross-disciplinary research programs and appointments are strongly encouraged by Northeastern University.

The CDD was founded in 2003 by Alexandros Makriyannis, who is the Director and Behrakis Chair in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology with joint appointments in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Bouvé College of Health Sciences) and Chemistry and Chemical Biology (College of Science). His research interests lie in the cannabinoid system and drugs of abuse. Core members of the CDD span several departments, including Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as Chemistry & Chemical Biology. CDD members include Raymond Booth (Associate Director; metabotropic serotonin receptors in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders), Diomedes Logothetis (ion channels and G protein coupled receptors as specific drug targets, Roman Manetsch (medicinal chemistry of anti-infectives and other small molecule therapeutics), Leigh Plant (mechanisms of hypoxic control of ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors, Hideaki Yano (ligands of G protein coupled receptors and biased signaling and allosterism for neuropsychiatric target discovery) and Camron Bryant (preclinical genetic discovery of therapeutic targets for addiction, pain, and eating disorders). Additional positions to be filled will complement the interests of CDD faculty members in preclinical and translational drug discovery addressing addiction and mental health.

One key direction of the CDD is to collaborate intensively with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries of Norstheastern’s global university system.

The CDD provides an excellent environment to train junior faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows in the art and science of drug discovery and drug development. In fact, this has been recognized by the National Institutes of Drug Abuse with a T32 training grant awarded to the CDD to train three graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows. Trainees of CDD members compete for available slots in the training grant and bring the support of the T32 award to their lab.

Our tenure and promotion process values collaborative research and teamwork. Hires will be mentored for success, with mentoring teams and group guidance. In addition, a strong and effective faculty development strategy is part of the Northeastern institutional mission. The ADVANCE Office of Faculty Development office works in conjunction with the Office of Research Development (ORD), the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and University Decision Support (UDS) to provide programs and trainings to develop further and support a thriving faculty.

At Northeastern University, we embrace a culture of respect where each person is valued for their contribution and is treated fairly. We oppose all forms of racism. We support a culture that does not tolerate any form of discrimination and where each person may belong. We strive to have a diverse membership, one where each person is trained and mentored to promote their success.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidates will be located in Boston and are expected to develop vigorous research programs that cut across diverse fields, with the common objective of preclinical drug discovery. Faculty members at Northeastern are expected to develop independent research programs that attract external funding; teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate level; oversee students and postdocs in their area of research; and participate in service activities to the Center, Department, University, and discipline. Qualified candidates must have excellence in, and/or a demonstrated commitment to, working with diverse student populations and/or in a culturally diverse work and educational environment.

Qualifications:

A Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the sciences such as Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering or Computer Science, broadly defined, or a closely related field with a demonstrated interest in drug discovery by the appointment start. We encourage applicants from a wide range of academic or industrial backgrounds.

All applicants should have a strong record of scholarly accomplishment that demonstrates the ability to build a strong research program. Candidates seeking appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level should have substantial research productivity and an established history of grant support, teaching, and academic service commensurate with qualifications/experience. Research excellence is the top-most priority.

Additional Information:

Interested candidates should apply here with a curriculum vita that includes a list of publications, statements addressing the prompts below, and names and contact information for at least three professional references from whom letters of reference can be solicited as needed. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2023 and will continue until positions are filled. Questions can be directed to Professor Camron Bryant at [email protected] . 

Successful faculty at Northeastern will be dynamic and innovative scholars with a record of research and teaching excellence and a commitment to contributing to improved equity, diversity, and inclusion. Thus, strong candidates for this faculty position will express how their expertise, knowledge, research program, pedagogy, and curriculum will be developed and utilized in ways that reflect and enhance this commitment by providing written statements that address the following prompts:

Research statement:

Please describe the focus of your research, including the questions you have identified, the funding you have received to support the work (if applicable), the results you have discovered, and the products of these efforts. Please also describe any research you have undertaken with students, with the external community, and/or with individuals from marginalized groups. Finally, please outline the research directions you foresee pursuing in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences.

Teaching statement:

Please summarize your past instructional and mentorship expertise, your pedagogical philosophy, your plans/goals for teaching in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences (including existing and proposed courses), and your strategies for teaching and mentoring a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate students.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging Statement:

Please provide a statement of your contributions to diversity that describes your expertise, activities, and future plans to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging in your teaching, research, and service. Your statement should demonstrate an understanding of the barriers facing marginalized communities in your field and be in alignment with Northeastern’s mission to reflect the diversity of the societies in which it maintains campuses and meet the educational needs and interests of its diverse population. Some faculty candidates may not have substantial past activities. If that is the case, we recommend focusing on future plans in your statement. A more developed and substantial plan is expected for senior candidates.

Position Type

Academic

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.  

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff.  Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. 

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other  characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity .