Director of Rutgers Addiction Research Center

We seek an accomplished scientist, at the Professor or senior Associate Professor level, to join the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) and Rutgers Brain Health Institute as Director of the new Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RUARC) and the Greg Brown Endowed Chair. The RUARC will build collaborations among scientists with the multidisciplinary expertise required to advance our understanding of the causes of opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. As a component of the Brain Health Institute, RUARC will contain faculty in all Rutgers schools and campuses with expertise in addiction prevention, research, treatment, education, and public policy. Participating elements include especially Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), Rutgers New Brunswick and Newark Schools of Arts and Sciences, Center for Alcohol Studies, Center for Tobacco Studies, School of Public Health, School of Social Work, School of Nursing, School of Health Professions (SHP), University Behavioral Health Care, School of Pharmacy, the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, and the affiliated U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in East Orange and Lyons, NJ. RUARC will be the only comprehensive addiction research center in NJ with the capacity to address the addiction epidemic through the diverse strengths of its members by integrating the following cutting edge approaches:

• Precision Medicine pre-clinical research and knowledge development that crosses multiple disciplines and addresses individual differences and needs in addiction treatment.
• Treatment and care of individuals and families coping with addiction.
• Public policy innovation and reform aimed at preventing development of drug use and at more effective avenues for individuals suffering with a substance use disorder to obtain treatment.
• Inter-professional education of tomorrow's research, clinical, and criminal justice workforce from multiple disciplines in all aspects of addiction science.

The ideal candidate will be a leader in addiction research with a strong, externally-funded research program, who can leverage, stimulate, and lead translational science approaches (i.e., basic to clinical to population) to address key questions regarding addiction.  The ideal candidate also will need to be comfortable with a forward-facing role, as this position is likely to occupy a high profile within the state.  Clinician-scientists with expertise in opioid addiction, or who can apply their experience in other substance use disorders to opioid addiction, as well as those incorporating functional brain imaging to study addiction, are particularly encouraged to apply. With two teaching hospitals and over 270 neuroscience faculty labs in Newark and New Brunswick/Piscataway, an affiliation with one of the largest and most accomplished health systems in the state (RWJBH), as well as proximity to the New York, Princeton and Philadelphia neuroscience communities, Rutgers offers tremendous collaborative opportunities and core facilities to support and grow an outstanding research program.  The candidate for the Greg Brown Endowed Chair should also be a leader who can coordinate research among many faculty, form the nexus of a collaborative research focus or center, and develop new research opportunities.  Applicants must have a PhD, MD or equivalent doctoral degree, with demonstrated ability to lead an independent NIH-funded research program in addiction research. We offer substantial resources to develop a world-class addiction research center, and to support the director’s own research activities.  Rutgers UBHC has partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services with access to large EHR databases. This position will have a strong interface with UBHC’s Center for Excellence in Addictions Treatment which provides comprehensive, holistic and integrated diagnostic and clinical care to individuals and families in need of substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment. The UBHC center will provide opportunities for research and clinical trials at all its ASAM levels of care. Rutgers NJMS operates the Northern NJ Center of Excellence in Medication-Assisted Treatment.  The Brain Health Institute also recently established a Treatment Research Unit devoted to clinical trials of promising new therapies. With a newly awarded NIH CTSA, Rutgers also offers unique opportunities to speed the translation of research discoveries into improved patient care. Outstanding core facilities will support this position, including two new research-dedicated 3T MRI scanners (for a total of three) and a human behavioral testing core developed in collaboration with Princeton University. In addition, Rutgers has the world’s largest university-based biorepository, RUCDR, to facilitate genetic studies. Rutgers values a culturally diverse faculty; we strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates. Applicants should submit a CV and statement of research accomplishments and plans to Dr. Frank Ghinassi, the Chair of the search committee, at bhi@ca.rutgers.edu.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, military service or any other category protected by law.  As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment.