Chair, Department of Pathology

University of Virginia; Charlottesville (IN); On-site; USD 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Virginia School of Medicine seeks an accomplished academic clinician or clinician-investigator to lead the UVA Department of Pathology as Chair, guiding clinical diagnostics, laboratory medicine, education, and research for which the department is known.

The Chair will oversee UVA Health laboratories, promote educational excellence, mentor faculty, and advance translational science while ensuring high-quality patient care and strategic growth of pathology programs.

Qualifications

• Distinguished academic and clinical track record in pathology and/or laboratory medicine.
• Experience as an educator with mentoring skills.
• Strong administrative and organizational abilities.
• Eligibility to hold the rank of Professor at the UVA School of Medicine.
• Commitment to advancing research with a funded track record.

Responsibilities

• Promote excellence in educational efforts in the medical school curriculum and residency programs.
• Oversee the Medical Laboratories of UVA Health and CLIA directorship responsibilities.
• Coordinate integration across UVA Health and allied laboratories for quality and efficiency.
• Support innovative research and translational science within the department.
• Mentor faculty and guide promotions and tenure cycles.

Skills

Academic leadership

Clinical pathology

Laboratory medicine

Educator/mentorship

Administrative/organizational ability

Education

MD or equivalent

Job description

The Opportunity

The University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine seeks an accomplished academic clinician or clinician investigator to lead the UVA Department of Pathology as Chair to sustain the excellence in clinical diagnostics, laboratory medicine, educational innovation and research for which this department is known. The UVA School of Medicine is a component of UVA Health which includes the 679-bed University Medical Center, three community hospitals, allied clinics and ambulatory procedural centers. The University Medical center houses the #1 children’s hospital in Virginia per U.S. News & World Report, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Virginia’s only Comprehensive Transplant Center for adults and children. The School of Medicine is located on the historic UVA campus in Charlottesville, VA situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains which is renowned for its collegiate activities, many adjacent historic sites, agritourism and access to natural areas.

UVA School of Medicine

The University of Virginia School of Medicine, established in 1825, is part of the University of Virginia, a flagship public institution founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, with additional educational and clinical activities in Northern Virginia, the School of Medicine is a central component of UVA Health and plays a critical role in advancing the University’s mission to improve human health through education, research, and clinical care.

As part of a fully integrated academic health system, the School of Medicine supports a broad and interrelated set of missions. It is responsible for educating the next generation of physicians and scientists, advancing biomedical and translational research, and contributing to the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. This integration enables close alignment between academic and clinical priorities and provides a strong foundation for innovation and growth.

The School of Medicine offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs, including the Doctor of Medicine (MD), a PhD program in biomedical sciences, Master of Public Health (MPH), and combined MD/PhD training. The MD curriculum follows an integrated "Cells to Society" model, emphasizing early clinical exposure, interdisciplinary learning, and a systems-based approach to medical education.

The School is highly selective and draws applicants from across the country. It receives more than 7,000 MD applications annually and has over 600 MD students. Incoming students have very strong academic credentials, and the School maintains a residency match rate of approximately 99 percent, reflecting strong educational outcomes and placement into competitive residency programs. In addition, the School has over 300 biomedical sciences students and over 100 master’s students.

Research is a core pillar of the School’s mission, with approximately $269 million in total research funding supporting a wide range of biomedical and translational initiatives. The School continues to strengthen its national profile as a research-intensive institution while fostering collaboration across disciplines. Research activity and funding are expected to grow further with the completion of the Manning Institute’s state-of-the-art, 350,000-square-foot research facility in early 2028, which will expand capacity for discovery, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The clinical environment is closely aligned with UVA Health, providing students and trainees with access to a high-acuity academic medical center, including a Level I trauma center. This environment offers exposure to a wide range of specialties and complex cases, supporting comprehensive clinical training and professional development.

The School of Medicine includes approximately 29 departments and has UVA’s largest faculty with more than 1,400 faculty members, supporting a dynamic academic community. The culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and leadership development, preparing graduates for careers in clinical practice, research, and academic medicine.

Department of Pathology

The Department of Pathology comprises three divisions, Anatomic Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, and Experimental Pathology, bringing together 41 faculty members whose expertise spans diagnostic pathology, laboratory medicine, genomics, and translational science.

Over the past several years, Pathology has achieved several significant milestones that have strengthened its position as a leading academic pathology program. Most notably, the department successfully deployed digital pathology across all surgical pathology services, with every surgical pathology case now incorporated into a fully digital workflow. This institution-wide transformation has modernized diagnostic operations, enhanced efficiency and collaboration, and established a platform for future advances in computational pathology and artificial intelligence.

Pathology has also expanded its diagnostic and research infrastructure through the development of new laboratory facilities at North Fork Research Park. The expansion will support advanced testing programs in genomics, cytogenetics, immunology, flow cytometry, toxicology, and molecular infectious diseases, increasing capacity for precision diagnostics while creating new opportunities for translational research and regional outreach.

Faculty contribute substantially to the national visibility and academic strength of the department. Their accomplishments include influential scholarship, leadership roles in major professional organizations, editorial appointments with leading pathology journals, and prestigious national awards recognizing excellence in research, education, and clinical practice. Equally notable is the department's longstanding commitment to education, reflected in its residency, fellowship, medical student, and graduate training programs, including the Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease Ph.D. program, which integrates basic, translational, and clinical science in preparing future investigators and physician-scientists.

Building on a strong record of achievement, the next Chair will lead a department distinguished by innovation in diagnostic medicine, a nationally recognized faculty, expanding laboratory capabilities, and a deep commitment to scientific discovery and education. The Chair will guide the continued advancement of Pathology's clinical, research, and educational missions while shaping its next phase of growth and impact within UVA Health and the School of Medicine.

The Role and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Chair include promoting excellence in the educational efforts of the Department in the medical school curriculum, the pathology residency training program, 8 fellowships in anatomic pathology or laboratory medicine, and a PhD training program in Experimental Pathology. The Chair is responsible for the oversight of the Medical Laboratories of UVA Health and will either assume the overall CLIA directorship of the University Medical Center laboratories or appropriately delegate this responsibility. The Chair works with leadership of the University Medical Center and UVA Community Health, and the administrators of the allied laboratories, to assure integration and collaboration of laboratory services across UVA Health, and to assure the delivery of laboratory services of the highest quality with state-of-the art technologies. The Chair supports and promotes innovative research within the Department and enables the critical role the Department faculty play as collaborators in allowing access to human specimens and laboratory diagnostics to promote clinical trials and translational science. The Chair is responsible for creating a culture of mentorship and guidance to support the continued achievements of the faculty members of the Department throughout their promotion and tenure cycles and career phases.

Ideal Experience and Characteristics

The successful candidate should have a distinguished academic and clinical track record in some aspect of anatomic pathology and/or laboratory medicine, be an experienced educator, have excellent interpersonal and mentoring skills, have demonstrated administrative and organizational ability and must be eligible to hold the rank of Professor at the UVA School of Medicine. A demonstrated commitment to advancing research and scholarly excellence with a track record of funded research will be considered a strength.

Qualifiations

Ideal Experience and Characteristics

The successful candidate should have a distinguished academic and clinical track record in some aspect of anatomic pathology and/or laboratory medicine, be an experienced educator, have excellent interpersonal and mentoring skills, have demonstrated administrative and organizational ability and must be eligible to hold the rank of Professor at the UVA School of Medicine. A demonstrated commitment to advancing research and scholarly excellence with a track record of funded research will be considered a strength.