Job Description

Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR)
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Science

The Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (MPB) and the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR) invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position from outstanding early-career investigators whose research focuses on areas fundamental to understanding substance use disorders.

We welcome applicants who are employing innovative experimental, computational, and translational approaches to investigate the molecular, cellular, circuit, systems, and behavioral mechanisms underlying substance use disorders and related biological processes. We seek candidates who are investigating fundamental mechanisms relevant to addiction, including—but not limited to—motivation and reward, reinforcement learning, decision-making, feeding and ingestive behavior, pain, stress and resilience, neural circuit function, synaptic plasticity, neuropharmacology, neuroimmune interactions, molecular signaling, and neuroendocrinology, and/or who are investigating topics relevant to addiction from the perspective of affective neuroscience, genetics and genomics, and/or computational and systems neuroscience.

The successful candidate will have a primary appointment in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (MPB) on the investigator track and will be a member of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR).

VCAR is the intellectual hub for addiction research at Vanderbilt University: it brings together investigators across multiple schools and departments to elucidate the fundamental biology of substance use disorders. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations among basic scientists, computational biologists, clinicians, and behavioral scientists, VCAR promotes innovative approaches to understanding the mechanisms of addiction, with the aim of developing new strategies for preventing and treating it. VCAR provides a dynamic scientific community with opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, trainee development, and shared research resources.

MPB is an exceptionally collaborative and intellectually vibrant environment with internationally recognized strengths in fields ranging from molecular physiology, neuroscience, and metabolism to structural biology, quantitative biology, and biomedical engineering.

The successful MPB/VCAR candidates will join a dynamic scientific community spanning the biological, biomedical, computational, engineering, and behavioral sciences. Vanderbilt offers state-of-the-art research facilities, outstanding shared resources, extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across the School of Medicine Basic Sciences and the broader University, and a longstanding commitment to mentoring early-career investigators.

Applicants should demonstrate exceptional promise—more specifically, the capacity to establish an innovative, externally funded research program. The successful candidates will be expected to develop a rigorous independent research program, contribute to graduate and medical education, mentor trainees, and participate actively in the scientific community at Vanderbilt.

Applicants should submit:

• A cover letter describing their interest in the position;
• Their curriculum vitae;
• A statement of research accomplishments and future research vision (2–4 pages);
• A statement describing their mentoring, teaching, and training philosophy; and
• Contact information for three to five references.

Applications will begin to be reviewed immediately, and the process will continue until the position is filled.

Vanderbilt University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Vanderbilt is committed to fostering a welcoming and collaborative scientific community and encourages applications from individuals whose experiences and perspectives will enrich the research and educational missions of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences.

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