Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor in Biological Sciences - Quantitative Neuroscience

Purdue University - Department of Biological Sciences; West Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

Retirement plan

Relocation allowance

Job summary

Purdue University’s Department of Biological Sciences invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track or tenured faculty position in Quantitative Neuroscience at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. The candidate will study how neural systems maintain resilience across development, stress, aging, or disease.

We welcome researchers using scalable approaches to measure neural phenotypes across molecular to whole-organism scales, with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and

Qualifications

• PhD by start date with a record of research excellence.
• Potential or track record of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Commitment to teaching and student mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Establish a vigorous externally funded research program.
• Teach undergraduate and graduate Biological Sciences courses; mentor students.
• Participate in service at departmental, college, and university levels.
• Collaborate across disciplines to address One Health challenges.
• Engage with Purdue One Health community and core facilities.

Skills

Quantitative skills

High-throughput imaging

Computational analysis

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

PhD in Biological Sciences or related field

Tools

ImageJ

Python

R

Job description

Strategic Faculty Recruitment Initiative in One Health - Healthy and Resilient Living Systems - Quantitative Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences

As part of a transformative, university-wide initiative in One Health - Healthy and Resilient Living Systems, the Purdue University Department of Biological Sciences invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track or tenured faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level with a focus on Quantitative Neuroscience. We seek an innovative experimental neuroscientist who uses scalable approaches to generate and computationally analyze rich, high-dimensional measurements of neural phenotypes. The ideal candidate will investigate how the nervous system maintains, adapts, or loses resilience during development, physiological stress, aging, or disease.

We welcome applications from scientists using diverse, scalable experimental strategies to measure neural phenotypes across spatial and organizational scales, from molecules and synapses to cells, circuits, and intact nervous systems. Biological models may include single cells, primary neuronal cultures, three-dimensional organoids, or in vivo preparations.

Areas of Research Interest

• High-throughput phenotyping using automated microscopy, image-based profiling, or optical pooled screening.
• Advanced functional imaging of neural activity in live cells, deep tissues, or intact circuits.
• Multimodal and spatial omics linked to cellular phenotypes or states.
• Novel tool development, including optical, molecular, or screening tools that enable scalable quantitative measurement and perturbation of neural cells and systems.

Opportunities for Synergy and Collaboration

The Department of Biological Sciences is the largest department in the Life Sciences at Purdue, with a strong neuroscience and physiology community and research spanning biological scales from molecules to ecosystems. This position builds on Purdue’s established leadership in artificial intelligence, computational biology, and neuroscience; world-leading expertise in quantitative imaging and image-based profiling, including the Cells to Cures Engine; and the Department’s recent expansion in multi-omics and human stem cell biology. The successful candidate will join a highly dynamic and collaborative community of researchers with access to world-class core facilities, including those at the Bindley Bioscience Center.

Purdue’s One Health Initiative

This strategic recruitment will help advance Purdue’s One Health initiative (https://www.purdue.edu/onehealth/) which seeks to tackle complex challenges with real-world impact at the intersection of human, animal, and plant health. This recruitment initiative builds on previous strategic faculty recruitment initiatives in: (1) Integrated Health; (2) AI-Driven Biomolecular Design, and (3) Advanced Chemistry. In addition, a parallel strategic faculty recruitment initiative in Intelligent Medicines is ongoing. Through academic programs, research, facility infrastructure and industry partnerships, Purdue’s One Health efforts are making giant leaps in improving health outcomes for all living things and driving economic growth regionally and globally. This strategic faculty recruitment initiative focused on Healthy and Resilient Living Systems is expected to build on prior recruitment initiatives and existing Purdue research and academic strengths, to transform research and impact human, animal and environmental health by bridging silos and fostering collaboration across disciplines.

The health and prosperity of society depend upon resilient living systems that connect ecosystems, plants, animals, insects, microbes, and people

Emerging and chronic diseases, food insecurity, environmental degradation, climate change, nutrient deficiencies, invasive species, and ecosystem disruption are increasingly interconnected challenges that require integrated approaches across biological scales and disciplinary boundaries. This strategic recruitment initiative will help establish Purdue as a national leader in predicting, designing, and improving living systems that support health, sustainability, and economic vitality. Working with existing campus experts, this cluster would develop innovative solutions that enhance health resilience from genes and microbiomes to organisms, food systems, populations, and ecosystems. By integrating strengths in agriculture, engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, and health sciences, Purdue aims to create a globally distinctive platform for addressing complex challenges at the intersection of food systems, environmental stewardship, animal and human health, and economic prosperity.

Qualifications

• A PhD degree in Biological Sciences or related field by the employment start date
• A record of research excellence and productivity commensurate with rank
• Demonstrated potential or record of interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful scholarship
• Commitment to teaching and student mentorship

Faculty Responsibilities

• Establish a vigorous, externally funded research program
• Teach undergraduate and/or graduate level courses in Biological Sciences. Mentor graduate and undergraduate students
• Participate in service at the departmental, college, and university level
• Collaborate across disciplines to solve complex global one health challenges
• Integration within the Purdue One Health Community

Collectively, the strategic faculty recruitment initiatives represent a forward-thinking investment in Purdue’s research infrastructure and academic excellence. Faculty hired as part of these One Health strategic faculty recruitment initiatives will be supported as part of the overall One Health community. Together, these faculty members are expected to work across diverse disciplines, enhance Purdue’s external funding potential, and drive innovation at the intersection of health, environment, food, and economics. In addition to joining an academic unit, faculty hired under this initiative will have the opportunity to join a vibrant ecosystem of interdisciplinary centers and institutes, that span the hard tech corridor between Indianapolis and West Lafayette including:

Centers and Institutes

• Translational Neurocircuitry Initiative
• Purdue Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence,
• Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery
• Center for Aging and the Life Course (CALC)

Furthermore, with Purdue's expanding presence in Indianapolis, including Purdue University in Indianapolis and the surrounding hard tech corridor, faculty will have additional opportunities for collaboration with clinical, industry, and translational partners. The integrated, cross-disciplinary nature of One Health is essential for addressing today’s most urgent One Health challenges and ensuring Purdue’s continued leadership in research, education, and community impact.

Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access university.