Faculty Position in Infectious Disease

The Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health (IDGH) at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (https://vet.tufts.edu/infectious-disease-global-health) invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor of Infectious Disease. The successful candidate will promote a team approach through their scientific research, teaching, and service as part of a strong faculty whose research interests span bacterial, viral, and parasite science and medicine in both animals and humans. Candidates should have research expertise that builds on core strengths in the department and the school more broadly, and that intersects and complements departmental themes in infectious disease and global health, including wildlife medicine. For this position, we particularly seek candidates who use innovative approaches, including computational and epidemiological or modeling, to investigate molecular, cellular, and/or organismal topics in high priority pathogens.

IDGH faculty research strengths in infectious disease include disease ecology and evolution focused on viral and tick-borne disease and including wildlife research, neglected tropical diseases, enteric infections, development of disease models, and vaccine and therapeutic development including microbiome-centered approaches. Tufts University is home to a variety of strong core facilities and specialized shared resources that are available for infectious disease research at Cummings School. These include the New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory - a BSL-3 biocontainment research space (https://vet.tufts.edu/tufts-new-england-regional-biosafety-laboratory), flow cytometry, and a recently established Comparative Pathology and Genomics Shared Resource (https://vet.tufts.edu/comparative-pathology-genomics-shared-resource). An active clinical hospital and diagnostic lab provide additional opportunity for material samples and project collaboration. Tufts University is home to the School of Medicine, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, and the Freidman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. The University and Cummings School are located in proximity of a rich biomedical and infectious disease academic research and industry environment.

The successful candidate is expected to establish an extramurally funded research program centered around basic and translational science. The successful applicant should have interest in mentoring and training graduate, professional and postdoctoral students at Cummings School as an integral part of their research program. Teaching in the professional and graduate training programs of Cummings School in areas of expertise will be expected.

A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree and record of productive research and grant writing skill is required in addition to a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other scientists. A veterinary degree (DVM or equivalent) is considered an asset. The ideal candidate will have interest and experience in teaching and graduate training. Salary and academic rank will be commensurate with experience and productivity and includes a generous benefits package. We offer start-up support and a highly collaborative environment offering opportunities for both basic and translational research.

Application review will begin February 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. A July 1, 2025 start date is preferred, but is negotiable. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter, a statement of research interest and the name and contact information of three references. In the cover letter, please describe your qualifications, research and scholarly interests, reasons for applying for the position and your strengths and experiences in creating an inclusive environment as it relates to teaching, research, clinical activity (if applicable), and/or academic service. Statements of research interest should be limited to 2 pages and articulate key scientific questions, succinctly convey their importance to the field and to the broader community, and relay innovative ideas and approaches that promise to advance the challenging questions posed.

Application materials should be submitted electronically through Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/161178). Please direct any questions to department chair Dr. Jonathan Runstadler at jonathan.runstadler@tufts.edu.

Cummings School is situated in Grafton, MA on a 600-acre pastoral campus, forty-five minutes west of Boston and next door to Worcester, the second largest city in Massachusetts. A virtual tour of the campus is available here. There is a regional rail service stop adjacent to campus and easy access to cultural and sporting events. The campus is a short drive from beautiful beaches, mountains, and other unique features of New England. The area is a hub of biotechnology and higher education. The K-12 education system is excellent. Housing is readily available close to campus or in any number of surrounding towns. Links to faculty policies and procedures and human resources benefits can be found here.