Professor - Department of Cellular, Molecular, and Genetic Medicine

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Unit: School of Medicine

Department: Cellular and Genetic Medicine

Department Summary:

The Department of Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine (CMGM) in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCU SOM) is dedicated to unraveling the fundamental biology that supports health and drives disease. Our faculty, trainees and students tackle some of the most pressing challenges in biomedical science, from the molecular and genetic roots of disease to the complexities of whole-body physiology.

Our foundational studies are driving the frontiers of scientific discovery, pushing the boundaries of what we understand about biology, disease and the human body. From our labs in downtown Richmond to research collaborations around the world, our work is generating new knowledge, influencing the direction of biological science and redefining what is possible in biomedical research.

We are proud to be a community of passionate educators and mentors, deeply committed to empowering the next generation of scientists and leaders. With alumni enjoying successful careers across a broad spectrum of industries, our rigorous training programs offer students a transformative education that drives innovation today and creates lasting impact for tomorrow.

Mission or Goal of Unit:

The Department of Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine (CMGM) in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCU SOM) is dedicated to unraveling the fundamental biology that supports health and drives disease. Our faculty, trainees and students tackle some of the most pressing challenges in biomedical science, from the molecular and genetic roots of disease to the complexities of whole-body physiology. Our foundational studies are driving the frontiers of scientific discovery, pushing the boundaries of what we understand about biology, disease and the human body. From our labs in downtown Richmond to research collaborations around the world, our work is generating new knowledge, influencing the direction of biological science and redefining what is possible in biomedical research. We are proud to be a community of passionate educators and mentors, deeply committed to empowering the next generation of scientists and leaders. With alumni enjoying successful careers across a broad spectrum of industries, our rigorous training programs offer students a transformative education that drives innovation today and creates lasting impact for tomorrow.

Chief Purpose of this position:

We are seeking a senior bioinformatics scientist to fill a tenured professor-rank faculty position. The selected candidate will lead efforts to build a group of faculty working in areas of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and other computational bioinformatics and health informatics applications, fostering new collaborations with conventional wet-lab faculty, postdocs, and students. This group will be composed of both existing faculty and new recruits. These collaborations should drive multi-PI team science within the Department and bridge gaps between basic health science and clinical departments. The selected candidate will also assist and advise on incorporating cutting-edge computational approaches into MS and PhD educational programs within the department.

Position Responsibilities:

Teaching

Advance the education and research missions of the School of Medicine and the University in collaboration with VCU SOM leadership. Assist graduate program directors in updating curricula to incorporate cutting-edge computational approaches to problems in biomedical science and medicine. Provide resources for undergraduate medical education as necessary and in cooperation with educational leadership within the SOM. Develop and model new paradigms of co-mentorship of trainees to serve as lynchpins of collaborative projects, to develop the next generation of AI/ML-literate quantitative and wet-lab biomedical scientists.

Research

Demonstrate the application of computational and AI/ML to biological questions to enhance the impact of existing research within CMGM in genetics, cancer biology, metabolism, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular biology, and related areas. Develop and sustain scholarship (grants, publications, presentations, etc.) in the area of AI and its application to biomedical science and clinical practice. Participate in recruiting outstanding junior faculty to nucleate a Division of Computational Medicine. Maintain shared vision with departmental leadership and establish CMGM as a collaborative hub spanning basic, translational, and clinical research endeavors in the SOM and larger VCU research community. Compete for extramural awards from NIH, DOD, and other federal funding agencies. Actively support collaborative grants with other faculty as Co-I or MPI. Continued publication in high impact journals, both in collaborative work applying AI to biological problems and also developing new AI approaches to further our understanding of health and disease, drug discovery, structural biology, and other areas of research that will benefit from AI/ML approaches.

Service

Serve on School and University committees, study sections, academic societies, and review groups, including service as a journal editor and/or on editorial boards. Demonstrate a strong commitment to service within the community. Continue to develop relationships with key partners. Build strong relationships across health sciences schools and the hospital, fostering collaboration in which Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine faculty and staff collaborate with other departments to ensure shared success. Collaborate with the VA Medical Center to build mentorship and research relationships.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Eligibility to work in the United States
• Academic achievements that merit the academic rank of Professor
• Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in a quantitative discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Physics) with a distinguished record of federally funded research and methodological innovation in Computational Biology and Artificial Intelligence (AI/ML)
• Demonstrated expertise in large-scale multi-omics data integration, with a specific preference for leadership in emerging fields such as single-cell biology, spatial transcriptomics, or digital twin modeling
• Experience working with or overseeing the development of GPU‑accelerated computing resources (e.g., HPC clusters, cloud-based GPU environments) and ability to collaborate with IT staff to implement a priority GPU cluster within the a HIPAA‑compliant high performance computing cluster dedicated to AI/ML workloads within the department
• Proven success in cross-disciplinary collaboration, effectively bridging the technical and cultural gaps between computational scientists ("dry lab") and biomedical investigators ("wet lab") within a matrixed academic environment
• Track record of leading and participating in large-scale program grants (e.g., NIH P30, U54, or U01 Center grants) and coordinating complex, multi-investigator team science initiatives
• Experience driving translational impact, including navigating technology transfer, managing intellectual property (IP), founding startups, or fostering strategic partnerships with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
• Previous experience building or expanding a program, department or group within an organization. Demonstrated accomplishments in developing and leading an academic department may suffice
• Demonstration of successful collaborative academic leadership
• Politically astute and able to work well with people at all levels - university, community, faculty, and staff
• Unimpeachable integrity and personal ethics
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to contribute in a highly matrixed academic environment
• Outgoing and personable demeanor and a track record of forging win-win relationships
• Ability to see the bigger picture of issues and the role of the department as a collaborative hub within the SOM and VCU as a whole
• Outstanding communication skills, both oral and written
• High energy coupled with a strong work ethic and a desire to have a meaningful impact

Salary Range: Commensurate

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Other

Rank: Professor

Tenure: Tenure Track

Months: 12 months

Contact Email: SOMHR@vcuhealth.org