Chair, Microbiology

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) invites applications and nominations for the position of Chair of the Department of Microbiology (the Department). This is an exceptional opportunity for a world-class scientist to lead a top basic science department at one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. The Chair will lead a collegial group of primary faculty consisting of highly esteemed scholars who compete successfully for prestigious awards and conduct impactful research supported by major federal funding agencies and leading foundations. 

UT Southwestern is home to many nationally and internationally recognized physicians and scientists, including six Nobel Laureates since 1985, 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 19 members of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). UT Southwestern is also home to 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigators. As faculty members in basic science departments, their recognized leadership is an important source of the organization’s strengths in biomedical research. Faculty members’ investigations, ranging from the basic mechanistic level to patient care as a whole, continue to bring about notable discoveries, important educational opportunities, and advanced treatment options for improved health care.

Reporting to the Vice Provost and Dean of Basic Research, the Chair will continue the Department’s tradition of excellence in teaching, training, and research and look for opportunities for growth and collaboration across an institution that includes a School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Professions, and the new Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. The incoming Chair will continue the work of bolstering the Department by recruiting and developing top faculty, promoting a well-established culture of mentorship and collegiality, and leading by example with a quality research program.  The Chair will be a guiding voice on the science of microbiology, elevating the Department’s already premier reputation on a national and international level and stimulating the creative pursuit of new areas of research within a diverse array of research interests. 

The successful candidate will possess stellar academic credentials and an exceptional record of research and publication that merit appointment at the rank of full professor in the Department. An outstanding candidate will also possess strong administrative and personnel management skills, the ability to marshal resources toward strategic objectives, a commitment to collaboration, and demonstrated success at persuasive engagement.

Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted below. 

Greg Esposito is leading this search with Melissa DePretto Behan. 

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.