Full Professor of Neurological Surgery

Stark Neurosciences Research Institute (SNRI) and the Department of Neurological Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) seek a highly qualified and productive researcher for a faculty position as a Full professor (tenure eligible) to be the Director of the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group (ISCBIRG). This leader will become a member of the SNRI Executive Committee (EC) and direct the ISCBIRG Research Group by leading ISCBIRG research-related initiatives and responsibilities, as outlined below.

The ISCBIRG at IUSM is an integrated component of Stark Neurosciences Research Institute. The group is comprised of a critical mass of key principal investigators who study molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and develop novel repair strategies to promote neural reorganization and functional recovery in experimental models of these injuries. The long-term goal of these studies is to translate promising treatments from animal models to humans. Additionally, several faculty conduct ongoing clinical research on TBI in pediatric, adolescent, and adult patient populations.

The Department of Neurological Surgery provides world-class clinical care, education, and research in neurosurgery and related neurosciences. Research can include bench or laboratory research, translational science, clinical research, or clinical trials. Researchers in the Department of Neurological Surgery are passionate about developing innovative techniques and new treatment approaches that provide patients the best chance for healing, recovery, and improved quality of life.

ISCBIRG Research-Related Initiatives and Job Responsibilities:

To enhance the productivity of and collaborations between current pre-clinical and clinical investigators within Neurosurgery, ISCBIRG, and Stark Neuroscience: This includes, but is not limited to:

• Enhancing the research infrastructure support provided by the Neurosurgery and Stark Neuroscience administrative team, including pre-award and post-award grant management, financial support, pre-clinical and clinical research team support, patient data registry and information access improvements, equipment and facilities upgrades, and streamlined statistical support.
• Providing effective mentoring to faculty at all levels, as well as to fellows and students.
• Facilitating collaborations in Neurosurgery, Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group (ISCBIRG) and Stark Neuroscience among investigators and between clinical and pre-clinical faculty to establish new research areas, particularly within areas of established strengths.
• Facilitating new interdisciplinary collaborations between Neurosurgery, ISCBIRG and Stark Neuroscience faculty and faculty at IUSM- utilizing existing seed grant mechanisms as well as other potential matching fund mechanisms.
• Promoting larger new research collaborations between Neurosurgery, ISCBIRG, and Stark Neuroscience faculty and those at IUSM
• Identifying faculty facilitators to foster communication between clinical and basic science investigators.
• Enhancing the existing Neurosurgery, ISCBIRG, and Stark Neuroscience intramural funding mechanism to encourage the collaboration between clinical and basic researchers.

To increase federal research funding within Neurosurgery, ISCBIRG, and Stark Neuroscience faculty: This includes, but is not limited to:

• Promoting cutting edge spinal cord and brain injury research that will lead to increased funding (with a focus/goal on NIH multi-PI R01s, P, and U grants) and high-impact publications within and across the Institute.
• Fostering the utilization of existing projects and future bi-campus seed projects to develop data to support new NIH and DOD grants.
• Encouraging faculty with existing NIH grants to collaborate with each other in complementary new areas and to encourage and foster new investigators to submit multi-PI NIH and DOD proposals.
• Continuing to expand collaborations with funded faculty in other IUSM departments and centers with the goal of developing data for NIH grants in entirely new areas.
• Developing training grants to support the next generation of investigators and equipment grants to enable the success of all researchers.

To initiate and facilitate various educational initiatives focused on spinal cord and brain injury broadly across the IUSM translational spectrum, with a special emphasis on interactions between human and preclinical model research.

Criteria:

• National/International reputation for expertise in brain and/or spinal cord injury research.
• Current or recent history as PI or Co-PI on large, federally funded grants focused on brain and/or spinal cord injury (e.g., history of multiple R01s, P, U grants). Continuous external grant support.
• Active publication record in the fields of spinal cord and/or brain injury-related research.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Embraces and values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Benefits:

• Membership on the EC of Stark Institute.
• Annual Salary plus Supplement for Directorship Role.
• Potential of Endowed Chair Hulman Chair.
• Potential of Vice Chair of Research Position in Dept. of Neurosurgery.
• Indiana State Budget Appropriation for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research.
• Surrounded by successful, complementary departments and resources:
• Indiana University School of Medicine and IU Health Methodist Hospital Trauma Center: IU Health Methodist Hospital is one of only three adult Level 1 Trauma Centers in Indiana and provides patients high-quality care to promote long-term healing.
• TRACK TBI designated center.
• IUSM Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, in conjunction with the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, is one of 16 funded Traumatic Brain Injury Centers in the United States enrolling inpatients with traumatic brain injury and following their outcomes throughout their lifetime.
• CARE consortium.
• The Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), currently funded by a newly-awarded 7-year, >$5 million/year NIH grant, began in May 2008 with strong support/involvement from all clinical researchers.
• Indiana Biobank is one of three Indiana CTSI Biobank Partners. The Indiana Biobank Provides a robust collection of high-quality biological samples linked to electronic medical record data to accelerate translational research.

IUSM is committed to being an institution that reflects the learners we teach and the patient populations we serve and pursues the values of equity and inclusion that inform academic excellence. We desire candidates whose work contributes to equitable and inclusive learning and working environments for our learners, staff, and faculty. We invite individuals who will join us in our mission to improve health equity and well-being for all throughout the state of Indiana.

Indianapolis is the capital and most populous city in the State of Indiana. It is growing economically thanks to a strong corporate base anchored by the life sciences. Indiana is home to one of the largest concentrations of health sciences companies in the nation.