Assistant Professor - Molecular and Precision / Medicine

Penn State University•Tallahassee, FL

21d•Onsite

About The Position

The Penn State College of Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Molecular and Precision Medicine, invites applications for a non-tenure-line Assistant Professor faculty position in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The departments seek innovative, collaborative scientists whose research aligns with priorities such as aging biology, infectious diseases, cancer biology, mucosal immunology, regenerative biology, and advanced model systems, including organoids and tissue-engineered platforms. The successful candidate will join an interactive and growing research environment that integrates basic discovery with translational and clinical investigation. The Department of Medicine and affiliated institutes support interdisciplinary research through core facilities in genomics, proteomics, imaging, computational biology, and advanced cell and tissue modeling. Opportunities are available for collaboration across departments and centers focused on precision health, host–pathogen interactions, cancer biology, aging, and regenerative medicine. The position emphasizes innovative research on tissue homeostasis and disease across the lifespan, potentially involving host–microbe interactions, immune regulation at barrier tissues, epithelial biology, tumor–microenvironment interactions, and organoid or organ-on-chip systems for modeling human disease and therapeutic response. The successful candidate is expected to establish an independent, externally funded research program and contribute to the academic mission through mentorship and teaching. This is a term position; the term length will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation beyond that term depends on university need, performance, and/or funding availability.

Requirements

PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in a relevant field, such as Molecular Biology, Immunology, Microbiology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related discipline.
Evidence of strong postdoctoral training and a record of high-quality publications.
Research focus in one or more of the following areas: biology of aging and age-related disease; infectious diseases and host–pathogen interactions; cancer biology and tumor microenvironment; mucosal and epithelial biology; organoid, stem cell, or tissue-engineered disease models; or precision medicine and systems biology approaches.
Strong critical thinking skills, scientific rigor, and ability to generate innovative hypotheses.
Excellent organizational, communication, and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain an innovative, externally funded research program in molecular and precision medicine.
Conduct impactful research in areas such as aging biology, infectious diseases, cancer, mucosal biology, regenerative medicine, or advanced human model systems.
Develop and apply molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches to understand disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.
Collaborate with clinicians and translational researchers to define and address clinically relevant problems.
Publish high-impact research and contribute to national scientific visibility.
Mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and trainees across interdisciplinary programs.
Contribute to the educational mission through teaching and training activities.