Description
The University of Utah seeks candidates who can be world-class leaders in Neurotechnology, Brain-Computer Interfaces, and Bionics, to fill multiple tenure-track Assistant Professor openings. Exceptional candidates will also be considered at other ranks. This is a collaborative faculty search among the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering within the College of Engineering and the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology & Imaging Sciences within the School of Medicine, as well as the Interdepartmental Center for Neural Interfaces, Robotics Center, Neuroscience Program, and Neurotechnology Training Program. Candidates are anticipated to have a primary appointment in an engineering department with a secondary or adjunct appointment in a medical department.
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General areas of interest include: neural interfaces. neuroprostheses, neurorobotics, neural signal processing, brain-computer interfaces, neuromodulation, implantable systems, neuro-biocompatibility, and neuromorphic computing/bioinspired AI. Specific areas of high interest include implantable cortical brain-computer interfaces and implanted spinal neuromodulation in humans, as well as hardware and software design/optimization of neurotechnology. The University of Utah is renowned for its world-class neurotechnology, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and medical center; we seek candidates who align with and will strengthen these core pillars.
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Candidates must have a demonstrated track record of high-impact research as evidenced by scholarly publications, and must exhibit strong potential (assistant rank) or an established record (associate rank) of extramural funding and teaching effectiveness. Applicants are expected to have a Ph.D., Sc.D., or M.D. with research experience in neural engineering or closely aligned areas. Evidence should be provided of accomplishments and experiences that have prepared the applicant for diverse constituents in research, teaching, and service. Candidates are expected to establish an independent extramurally supported research program, conduct collaborative research, be engaged in service activities, and teach engineering courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
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Candidates with experience with clinical trials, entrepreneurship, and industry collaborations are especially encouraged to apply. We seek individuals who demonstrate exceptional potential for or evidence of leading a high-impact, world-class fully funded research program training Ph.D. students over decades. All candidates must have a strong aptitude for effective teaching in core and specialized areas of our curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Faculty responsibilities include developing and maintaining an internationally recognized research program, delivering effective classroom instruction at all levels, and service within the University and within professional communities.
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Applicants should apply online and include a CV, names and contact information for at least three professional references, a research statement, a teaching statement, and a cover letter. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt starting in January, and will be accepted until the positions are filled.
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The University of Utah is a tier-one research institution with extramural research exceeding $600 million/year over the last 5 years. The medical and engineering complexes are adjacent to each other, providing unique opportunities for neurotechnology development and validation. The University of Utah has also been consistently ranked as one of the top schools for startup creation, with dedicated space, administrative resources, and venture capital to support academic spinoff companies. Local neurotechnology companies (e.g., Blackrock Neurotech, Ripple Neuro, Epitel) have spun out of the University of Utah and work closely with faculty to innovate and commercialize new technologies. University of Utah Health also routinely supports large clinical trials from major medical device companies. Salt Lake City is an economic hub of the Mountain West, home to many technology and Fortune 500 companies.
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The University is committed to leadership in neural engineering and has a wide range of resources to support world-class research including the: Robotics Center, Center for Neural Interfaces, Neuroscience Program, Neurotechnology Training Program, Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Transgenic Gene-Targeting Core, Utah Nanofab, Small Animal Imaging, Core Imaging, Office of Comparative Medicine, Vision Core, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, Cyclotron Radiochemistry, and Mutation Generation and Detection Core.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Utah is one of the oldest Ph.D.-granting programs in the world and is currently home to nearly 200 graduate students. The Bachelor of Science BME degree program is ABET-accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) and graduates approximately 90 undergraduate students each year. The BME department is home to 23 tenure-track faculty, 5 research faculty, and 94 adjunct faculty. All tenure-track faculty in the Department are engaged in extramurally funded research, undergraduate and graduate teaching, and service.
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The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has been growing steadily in the past two decades, has a strong focus on world-class research, and currently has more than 40 faculty members and more than 115 doctoral students enrolled. Current ECE faculty members have founded or co-founded several successful companies. The Department also has strong collaborations with the medical research community and industry. Additionally, the ECE Department is a part of the interdisciplinary Robotics Center, which provides access to additional research infrastructure and students pursuing robotics degrees/certificates.
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The University of Utah Health Medical Center (UUMC) is the only major academic healthcare system in the Intermountain West, serving individuals from Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, southern Idaho, northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and western Colorado. Accordingly, UUMC serves over 10% of the healthcare needs of the continental US and provides care for a diverse patient population. UUMC is ranked in the top 40 for research among US academic medical centers. This setting is robust in offering patient care, medical education, and health research. University of Utah’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – part of the UUMC – is a CARF-accredited acute inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation center for individuals with life-altering neuromuscular disabilities. This setting offers an abundant and diverse pool of acute and chronic patients who routinely participate in clinical trials on emerging neurotechnology. The Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences includes clinical and research faculty who specialize in all modalities – MRI, CT, PET, ultrasound, and interventional techniques, including neuromodulation.
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Faculty from the College of Engineering and the School of Medicine both participate in the Utah Neurotechnology Training Program, one of the world’s first specialized interdisciplinary training programs for neurotechnology. This training program offers undergraduate and graduate certificates in neurotechnology, as well as MS and PhD degrees in Neural Engineering. The training program is housed at the University of Utah and collaborates with all institutions of higher education in the state of Utah. The training program is supported by the University of Utah, the state of Utah, the local neurotechnology industry, extramural training, and center grants. The program offers one of the most competitive pools of trainees within the field of neurotechnology.
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The University of Utah campus is nestled in the beautiful Wasatch Mountain foothills of Salt Lake City (SLC). SLC residents enjoy a highly accessible and walkable downtown with vibrant restaurants, sports, nightlife, cultural events, easy access to national parks, world-class skiing/snowboarding, hiking, fishing, biking, and rafting/kayaking. Salt Lake City is the epicenter of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, with a current population of approximately one million residents. Utah has been ranked the #1 state by US News and World Report for 3 years in a row now. The region has grown into a major hub for technological innovation and offers a rich art and cultural scene. The recently expanded international airport is within 15 minutes from downtown and offers direct flights to most U.S. cities as well as numerous international flights to Europe, Asia, and South America. The culturally diverse city has also been attracting minorities of a variety of origins (e.g., 21.5% of Latino population). More than a third of Utah’s ethnic/racial minorities are children or youth under the age of 18 years, and the Salt Lake City School District is now a majority minority district, with one in five Salt Lake County residents speaking a language besides English at home. The International Rescue Committee, headquartered in Salt Lake, is one of eight national resettlement committees committed to helping people with refugee status thrive in the United States.
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Special Instructions for Candidates:
As an employee of the University of Utah, you will be required to comply with all applicable policies and procedures of the University. It is a Utah State law that the University of Utah perform a criminal background check on all full-time employees. Potential faculty members will also be required to have an educational verification performed. Any offer is conditioned upon your successfully passing a pre-employment criminal background check and educational verification.
