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President's Excellence Chair in Brain Health

Employer
University of British Columbia
Location
Canada
Salary
Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Jun 28, 2017

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The UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) is leading a strategic effort to increase our understanding of the brain and neurological and mental health diseases. This strategy addresses these diseases in novel ways, by building upon existing strengths, and by partnering with new leadership and initiatives that are expanding research efforts to translate that knowledge into new treatments. Ultimately, it will be through knowledge creation, translation and exchange that we gain insights into brain heath and promote improved outcomes in patient and public health. The neuroscience community at UBC has extensive research pre-eminence; however, to excel further in this area of prominence, the funding for

the UBC Excellence Chair in Brain Health will enable the Faculty and the University to deepen and extend our contributions to shaping our health system and being socially accountable to our society.

The Centre for Brain Health aims to build upon the strengths in our research environment by integrating the most promising areas of fundamental and early translational research at UBC, including advances in research in the following complementary areas: neuroinflammation, synaptic function and brain circuitry, and the linkages with brain imaging. These are all key areas of research that will create transformational impact by advancing our under- standing of the brain in health and disease, and for suggesting novel targets and biomarkers for clinical trials. Insights into rational therapies for treating neurodegeneration and other disease of the brain including mental health are likely to come from transformational research in these complementary areas.

The Chair is open to an outstanding individual that is expected to provide international leadership in their field of study through proven teaching skills and a field-defining research program within the neuroscience research community who brings a fresh dimension to the study of brain health coupled with the capability of providing leadership and direction within the DMCBH. The ultimate goal of this research cluster is to translate these novel approaches into the clinic in the form of new therapies, the identification of novel biomarkers to test the effects of such therapies, and to identify populations at increased risk of future neurological and psychiatric disease, as well as to bridge links and rapidly mobilize through collaborations between basic biomedical and clinical research programs. Collectively, this goal will have a significant impact by providing a better quality of life for patients through targeted therapies and early detection, and ultimately contributing to decreased healthcare costs due to effective management of brain illnesses.

The successful candidate will be a senior basic of clinician-scientist at the Associate or Full Professor level with a proven track record of excellence in creative approaches to neuroscience, generating peer-reviewed funding and leading interdisciplinary groups in addition to possessing the leadership capabilities for directing the research cluster and for potential leadership of the DMCBH. While the successful candidate should have the leadership skills commensurate with a future senior leadership role in the Centre for Brain Health or other portfolios within the Faculty of Medicine, the emphasis for the position is on the ability to develop and drive a successful research cluster that draws in other members of the DMCBH and neuroscience community. In particular, while 3 different areas of research emphasis have been highlighted and it is recognized that the person selected for this chair will have primary expertise in one of these, it is critical that the chair integrate activities between his/her own area of expertise and the other areas prioritized for future development at DMCBH. It is anticipated that the individual selected will be an international leader in their own area of brain health research with a track record in securing large scale research funding.

The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position will include protected academic time, with dedicated research funding to support the successful candidate for the first seven years of the program, and access to exceptional platforms in neuroscience and imaging.

A letter of application, accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae and names of four referees should be directed to:

Dr. Robert McMaster

Chair of the Search Committee robm@mail.ubc.ca

Subject line: President’s Excellence Chair in Brain Health c/o Marcia Lang

marcia.lang@ubc.ca

Review of applications will begin on September 1, 2017 and will continue until the position is filled.

UBC embraces equity and diversity as integral to our academic mission. We encourage and support participation of the widest range of perspectives in our exploration and exchange of knowledge and ideas. An essential component of academic excellence is a truly open and diverse community that actively fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or excluded. We encourage applications from members of groups that have historically been marginalized, based on their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, racialization, disability, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit or indigenous person.

Appointment may be considered at a higher rank for a member of a designated equity group with exceptional qualifications. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health represents a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. It brings together experts in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, and psychiatry in a hub for training, research, and clinical care. The philosophy of the facility is to work with all facets of brain health because knowledge gained from treating and investigating one disease of the brain will advance our understanding of others. The facility will bring research closer to patients, providing British Columbians with better access to the best possible treatments. For more information, visit www.centreforbrainhealth.ca

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for research and teaching. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, UBC embraces bold new ways of thinking that attract exceptional students and faculty. It is a place where innovative ideas are nurtured in a globally connected research community, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute.

Faculty members, students, staff and alumni in the UBC Faculty of Medicine are actively engaged in innovative, leading edge research, education and community service on university and hospital campuses across the Province. Together we aim to create knowledge and advance learning that will make a vital contribution to the health of individuals and communities, locally, nationally, and internationally.

For more information on the President’s Excellence Chairs at UBC please visit: ubc.ca/excellence

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