Job Description

Faculty Position Announcement

Professor (Associate/Full) in Precision Health and Environment Joint Position

the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Knoxville (UT Graduate School of Medicine), and the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is searching for faculty to strengthen the university?s position as a global leader in Precision Health and Environment computational science research. Recruitment into Precision Health & Environment creates opportunities to build bold agendas that advance big ideas. The successful candidate will join a team of approximately 35 established and successful faculty with shared and complementary research interests in artificial intelligence (AI), health informatics, health information and communication, epidemiology, environmental engineering, systems modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning and a strong desire to grow the scholarly and educational impact of their work. For early career faculty, the cluster also offers a unique framework for professional development and mentorship within a rich transdisciplinary environment.

Therefore, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Knoxville (UTHSC-COMK) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville?s College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) seek an exceptional candidate to fill a Professor or Associate Professor, tenure-track position as part of the university-level Precision Health and Environment (PHE: ) cluster hiring initiative. This 12-month tenure-track research faculty position will be located in Knoxville, with a joint appointment in the UTHSC-COMK and UTCVM.

The ideal candidate for this position has a collaborative mindset and prioritizes working with colleagues at both UTHSC-COMK and UTCVM to realize shared research and educational achievements, including large-scale proposals, joint publications, and new transdisciplinary curricular programming.

Precision Health and Environment ( PHE) is part of the "It Takes a Volunteer" cluster hiring initiative at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. .  The PHE hires will work collaboratively as a team of excellence in artificial intelligence (AI), health informatics, health information and communication, epidemiology, environmental engineering, systems modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to create a nationally prominent program leading in this field. The PHE team will address health-related problems, applying artificial intelligence to health data (electronic health records, genomics, environmental) and including environmental and other data that show promise and offer insights toward precision health to make people?s lives better. As part of this institutional priority initiative, new hires will join a dynamic community of established scientific collaborators having complementary experience and a shared interest in building a national reputation for excellence and innovation in PHE. The PHE members will work together to grow the University?s reputation in PHE through collaborative grant proposals, publications, and innovative new curricular programming. UTK currently has experts conducting research in personal and population health including environmental and biomedical research, and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve health outcomes.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville works in collaboration with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), the UT Medical Center (UTMC), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Using the One Health philosophy, PHE will work with clinical experts and data from electronic health records, digitized biobank data, and environmental data to answer critical questions about the link between exposure to environmental conditions and human health at multiple levels including a wide range of health disorders such as vector-borne diseases, infectious and zoonotic diseases, and conditions including cardiac, respiratory, mental health, and cancer, among others. This builds on UT?s strengths in domain-specific data collection, analysis and modeling, and decision-making. The cluster will integrate campus expertise in community engagement and enhance UT?s capacity to study the connections between environment and human health and wellness through advanced data analytics and precision health. The new hires are encouraged to contribute to the AI Tennessee Initiative (). The AI Tennessee Initiative is a new research and education initiative focused on the State of Tennessee?s unique AI strengths and opportunities. Led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, this Precision Health & Environment initiative will engage with academic, industry, and community partners across Tennessee to leverage the benefits of AI across all disciplines and economic sectors, including precision health and environment.

Professor (Associate/Full) of PHE Description

The ideal candidate for this position has a collaborative mindset and prioritizes working with colleagues at both UTHSC-COMK and UTCVM to realize shared research and educational achievements, including large-scale proposals, joint publications, and new transdisciplinary curricular programming. This unique opportunity may include joint appointments in other participating departments. As Tennessee?s flagship land-grant institution, UTK is particularly interested in recruiting candidates who are deeply connected to the organizations and communities in which their work will have translational impact, as well as those who will contribute to a climate that values access and engagement. Review of applications will begin on 05/02/2025 and continue until the position is filled.  This position reports jointly to the deans of UTHSC-COMK and UTCVM. The specific details of the appointment will be determined in consultation with the incoming professor and these details will inform/determine their specific academic department for tenure/promotion reviews.

The PHE position has responsibilities in the following areas:

Research: Lead and coordinate the pursuit of interdisciplinary research grants within the PHE initiative, including serving as the PI when appropriate. Ideally these efforts will lead to the creation of externally funded research centers within the PHE space;

Leadership: Work collaboratively with faculty and administration to further shape and enhance precision health and environmental research and discovery at UTHSC-COMK and UTCVM;

Ecosystem: Attract and retain rising and leading faculty in precision health and environment; develop and sustain an inclusive and supportive research environment for the PHE team and those in related fields that may foster convergence; forge and foster team science and create opportunities for faculty and students to engage in globally relevant, cutting-edge research and discovery;

Academics: Support and promote an innovative interdisciplinary PHE curriculum including mentoring students and trainees and facilitating mentored research;

Engagement & Advancement: Grow and sustain community and industry relationships; work with university leadership and advancement as needed;

Organizational Relations & Partnerships: Develop and sustain collaborations supporting the PHE focus across the university system as well as nationally and internationally; develop and sustain collaborations with other research-intensive organizations including ORNL;

Management: Oversight of budgets and personnel associated with funding awards and contracts.

The School and College

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Knoxville (UTHSC COM-K) was initially established in 1956 as the UT Memorial Research Center and Hospital, which also provided the graduate medical and dental educational (GMDE) and research programs in Knoxville. The GMDE programs collectively became the UT Graduate School of Medicine with the formation of the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in 1991, and more recently were renamed the UTHSC-COMK with the increased emphasis on undergraduate medical education in Knoxville as well as the statewide presence of UTHSC. The mission of the Knoxville Campus is to advance medical education required to train the next generation of physicians and dentists, deliver comprehensive and compassionate care with our hospital partner, the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and conduct innovative research that is meaningful for patients and their families. Our college provides training for third- and fourth-year Medical Students, second-year Physician Assistant (PA) Students, as well as Graduate Medical Education for 11 primary residency programs and 17 subspecialty fellowships. UTHSC-COMK consists of 548 faculty (258 paid), 245 residents and fellows and hosts an average of 40-50 medical students per month. UTHSC-COMK also provides Continuing Medical Education services for faculty, residents and practicing physicians in our region, as well as Advanced Medical Simulation for students, residents, and faculty. Research on the Knoxville campus includes both Investigator Initiated Clinical Research and Translational Research, both of which are integral to the UME and GME missions as well as bridging with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the state?s flagship land grant institution. Investigator Initiated Clinical Research is supported by the Office of Research Support, which provides research coordination and data analysis, and by the Office of Biostatistics and Research Consultation, which provides assistance with study design and statistics. Over the past four years, the number of open prospective investigator-initiated trails have increased 250% with the number of enrolled subjects expanding nine-fold. UTHSC-COMK includes six Translational Research programs which integrate with four academic departments and associated core residencies as well as three fellowships. These Translational Research programs include Regenerative Medicine, Trauma Research, Vascular Research, Amyloid and Cancer Research, Molecular Imaging, and Women?s Health, with collective outcomes that include significant evidence of entrepreneurship as well as a three-fold increase in annual extramural funding over the past five years. As the region?s academic medical center, Magnet® recognized hospital and Level I Trauma Center, the UTMC serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeastern Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The 710-bed hospital also is home to the region?s only dedicated Heart Hospital, only adult and pediatric transplant center, the region?s first certified comprehensive stroke center, a private neonatal intensive care unit and serves as a regional perinatal center. UTMC offers the following Centers of Excellence: Brain and Spine Institute, Cancer Institute, Emergency and Trauma Center, Heart Lung Vascular Institute, Center for Complex Medicine, Center for Perioperative Medicine, Orthopaedic Institute, Primary Care Collaborative, Center for Women and Infants. For more information about the Graduate School of Medicine, please visit  

The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), established in 1974, is one of only 32 accredited veterinary colleges in the nation. The College of Veterinary Medicine is located in the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. The central mission of the college is educating students to become veterinarians, provide support and services for veterinarians practicing in the state of Tennessee, and advance animal health through research and discovery. The college serves the public in providing referral medicine services through the UTCVM Veterinary Medical Center (VMC). In addition, the college protects public health and enhances medical knowledge through research and education of interns, residents, and graduate students and generates economic benefits to the state and nation.

Outreach programs engage an array of citizens and their animals in learning programs that explore the human animal bond and promote wellbeing. The CVM administers the interdisciplinary graduate program, Comparative and Experimental Medicine (CEM), which serves faculty in the CVM as well as faculty in UTHSC COM-K, and other related disciplines. The CEM graduate program averages approximately 50 graduate students per year. The professional program in the College of Veterinary Medicine has approximately 400 veterinary students and works collaboratively with CEM and Public Health to offer multiple dual-degree programs including DVM/PhD, DVM/MS, DVM/MPH, and a veterinary social work certificate program. Also, the CVM hosts the Center of Excellence in Livestock Disease and Human Health. The mission of this Center is to promote interdisciplinary activities designed to improve the quality of human life through better animal health; expand livestock disease research capabilities; identify and characterize animal diseases that are similar to human disease; develop new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Also, the CVM jointly manages the UTIA Genomics Center for the Advancement of Agriculture and is an active participant in the UT One Health Initiative. Areas of research emphasis in the CVM include infectious disease and immunology, epidemiology and public health, regenerative medicine and rehabilitative science, genomic science, and a growing focus in cancer research. Faculty initiated and industry sponsored veterinary clinical trials are conducted in the VMC utilizing the robust animal patient caseload, particularly with animals that suffer nutritional problems, such as obesity, and spontaneously occurring diseases, such as cancer and osteoarthritis. For more information about the College of Veterinary Medicine, please visit .

The University

The University of Tennessee Knoxville is the flagship campus of the UT system, land-grant university, and a public Carnegie Research 1 institution. As an 1862 land-grant university and as Volunteers, serving our state and nation is key to our mission. UT enrolls approximately 36,000 students at its Knoxville campus. Under united leadership across the UT system, university campuses, and colleges, UTK is undergoing transformational changes focused on solving some of the most audacious, pressing problems our country and world face today. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem surrounded by eight gorgeous lakes, with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene including internationally recognized festivals, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of diverse cultural and outdoor activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Atlanta, Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Louisville, and Cincinnati. It is only a day?s drive to Memphis, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a population of more than 850,000 people.

The Community

The Knoxville region includes a vibrant ecosystem including the Tennessee River system and the Great Smokey Mountains. Knoxville is a vibrant city located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee. The city, population of 187,000, is the third-largest city in Tennessee. Over 850,000 people live in the Knoxville metropolitan area. This moderate-sized city has a vibrant nightlife with numerous theaters and museums, traditional bluegrass music, a symphony orchestra, an opera company, world-class restaurants, many cultural festivals, and a downtown market square. The Knoxville area boasts wonderful year-round outdoor activities, surrounded by lakes and the Tennessee River and within sight of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Knoxville and the surrounding area are home to leading corporations, including Pilot Flying J; Ruby Tuesday, Bush Brothers & Company, TVA, and Alcoa and nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For more information about Knoxville, Tennessee, visit .Many leading corporations are headquartered in and adjacent to Knoxville, including Bush Brothers & Company, PetSafe/Radio Systems Corporation, Pilot/Flying J, Regal Cinemas, Tombras Advertising Agency, AC Entertainment, Alcoa, and Tennessee Valley Authority.

Required Qualifications :

Competitive candidates will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

Ph.D. and/or doctoral degree in medicine (i.e., MD, DVM, DrPH).

Associate professors are expected to:

-  Hold the doctorate or other terminal degree of the discipline, or to present equivalent training and experience as appropriate to the particular appointment

- Have achieved and to maintain a recognized record in disciplinary research / scholarship / creative activity/ engaged scholarship

- Have achieved and to maintain a record of institutional, disciplinary, and/or professional service or outreach engagement

- Have normally served as an assistant professor for an appropriate time period

- Have demonstrated that they work well with colleagues and students in performing their university responsibilities

Full Professors are expected to:

- Hold the doctorate or other terminal degree of the discipline, or present equivalent training and experience appropriate to the particular appointment

- Have achieved and to maintain a nationally recognized record in disciplinary research / scholarship / creative activity/ engaged scholarship

- Have achieved and to maintain a record of significant institutional, disciplinary, and/or professional service or outreach engagement

- Serve as mentors to junior colleagues

- Have normally served as an associate professor for a reasonable time period

- Have shown beyond doubt that they work well with colleagues and students in performing their university responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications:

Leadership Experience: experience navigating complex organizational structures with multi-faceted strategies, and especially the ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people, the capacity to listen, the ability to mentor the research career of junior faculty, and the ability to gain trust and inspire others to further the University?s missions and programs;

Required Application Materials:

-  Cover letter to address why this position is of interest and their vision for this position

-  Curriculum vitae that includes research, funding, publications, teaching experiences, honors, awards, employment, education, and certifications

-  A statement of professional goals highlighting i) teaching and mentoring, ii) research both disciplinary and transdisciplinary, as well as underline research leadership initiatives, and iii) collaboration and alignment with the University of Tennessee?s PHE cluster. In addition, candidates may describe how they would help promote students? access to and inclusion in their teaching and research.

-  Contact information for at least three references. Reference letters will be requested for applicants invited for an interview.

Candidates must apply via the Interfolio system by following this link:

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university. Requests for accommodations of a disability should be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3560 or  eoa@utk.edu or (865)974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation & Resolution 216 Business Incubator Building 2450 EJ. Chapman Drive Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 or (865)974-0717 or  investigations@utk.edu .

About University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Our primary mission is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based, land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions.

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