Director

Seattle Children’s, one of the premier children’s hospitals in the nation, invites inquiries, applications, and nominations for the Director of the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research (CGIDR). Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Vittorio Gallo, the Director will have a broad range of responsibilities, including strategic planning, research leadership and vision, and program administration in support of Seattle Children’s, the Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI), and the CGIDR.

Seattle Children’s serves the largest region of any pediatric hospital, covering nearly one million square miles across four states. The 407-bed hospital in Seattle anchors the health system, with additional care provided at 43 outreach sites across the Pacific Northwest. SCRI, the research arm of Seattle Children’s, is the fourth largest pediatric research institute in the United States, with 2,400 faculty and staff members across eight centers conducting more than $250 million in funded research.

CGIDR is one of the largest pediatric infectious disease research programs globally and the largest in the United States. CGIDR has established itself as a premier catalyst for transformative scientific advancements that lead to the prevention, treatment, and cure of infectious diseases impacting children and families around the world. The Center’s excellence in infectious disease research and discovery rests on the scholarly and creative contributions of its talented, cross-disciplinary investigators who work to understand, treat, and prevent a wide spectrum of infectious diseases. CGIDR’s faculty have made notable breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, human papillomavirus, group B streptococcus, and SARS-CoV-2. CGIDR is the highest-funded center in SCRI, with investigators and staff collectively conducting $74 million in extramurally funded research in 2024.

The expansive research portfolio of CGIDR is spread across numerous fields facilitated by state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory, a Malaria Human Challenge Center, two dedicated insectaries, and a centralized Shared Research Resources program including histopathology, genomics, spatial biology, and imaging. There has been significant investment over the last several years, including the expansion of the Center to two new buildings and a new, state-of-the-art BSL-3 laboratory. At this pivotal juncture, the CGDIR will continue to strengthen its domain expertise in both basic and translational research and combined with its commitment to intellectual and organizational diversity nationally and globally, the Center will continue to define its unique strength: understanding infections to develop world-class diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for pediatric patients and their families.

The Director will engage, lead, and energize the scientific community of CGIDR to build new initiatives and collaborations across and outside the organization. The Director will continue to recruit and develop outstanding faculty; maintain state-of-the-art infrastructure; catalyze cutting-edge, multidisciplinary infectious disease research; and enhance and diversify funding for the Center. The director will play a key role in fostering and enhancing synergies between CGIDR and the clinical mission. The director will also work to bridge any gaps between clinical practice and research, ensuring that advancements in one area are effectively integrated into the other to improve patient care and outcomes. Embracing an innovative, forward-thinking mindset, the Director will identify strategic priorities for investment; provide leadership in both basic and translational research; create an environment that emphasizes equity, inclusion, and belonging; and assume responsibility for all facets of the Center’s finance and administration. The Director will possess an MD or DO, combined MD/PhD, PhD, or equivalent degree in health-related fields and have a record commensurate with appointment as an Associate Professor or Professor at the University of Washington.

Seattle Children’s has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this important search. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications can be submitted below.

All candidates must also submit their applications, including cover letter and diversity statement, through the UW portal linked below:

https://apply.interfolio.com/189647

Rebecca Kennedy and Courtney Wilk-Mandel are leading this search with Ibaad Nazeer and Cortnee Bollard.