Associate Director for Precision Nutrition and AgriLife Research Professor
About The Position
The Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA) at Texas A&M AgriLife is seeking an Associate Director for Precision Nutrition. This leadership role is crucial for driving innovation at the intersection of Precision Nutrition, Healthy Living, and Responsive Agriculture. The Associate Director will be responsible for providing strategic, scientific, and programmatic leadership to advance the IHA's mission of integrating biological discovery, translational science, and real-world impact to optimize health outcomes across diverse populations and life stages. This includes fostering interdisciplinary collaborations in areas such as dietary exposures, metabolism, exercise, genomics, epigenetics, microbiome, and immune function.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Nutrition, Nutritional Sciences, or a related field.
- Established record of high-impact publications in leading journals (e.g., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition).
- Established record of sustained extramural funding (NIH, USDA, or equivalent).
- Demonstrated leadership in interdisciplinary research and program development.
- Strong commitment to collaboration and team science.
Nice To Haves
- Expertise in human clinical nutrition or other modern precision nutrition approaches.
- Professional credentials such as Registered Dietitian (RD) or equivalent clinical experience.
- Proven ability to lead large-scale collaborative initiatives.
- Experience translating research into practice, policy, or food/agricultural systems.
- Track record of leadership in national or international scientific organizations.
Responsibilities
- Lead and expand IHA’s Precision Nutrition (PN) research portfolio.
- Develop and execute a bold vision building synergy and aligning PN with other IHA focus areas: Responsive Agriculture and Healthy Living.
- Shape institutional priorities and national visibility in PN.
- Advance discoveries across broad areas of nutrition, including the effects of food, nutrients, and dietary patterns on health and disease risk; diet interactions with gut microbiota and environmental exposures; interindividual variability in dietary responses; and nutritional modulation of metabolism, epigenetics, immunity, and resulting health-span.
- Link pre-clinical discoveries to human biomarkers to advance the prevention/treatment of chronic diseases.
- Translate mechanistic insights into actionable dietary strategies and agricultural innovations.
- Maintain a nationally recognized, externally funded research program.
- Build cross-disciplinary teams across nutrition, agriculture, engineering, public health, and clinical sciences.
- Foster partnerships with federal agencies (e.g., NIH, USDA), industry, and academic institutions.
- Lead large-scale, multi-investigator grants and initiatives.
- Mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.
- Contribute to the education of nutrition and related disciplines.
- Promote workforce development in Precision Nutrition.
- Represent IHA in national organizations (e.g., American Society for Nutrition).
- Contribute to scientific advisory panels, editorial boards, and policy discussions.
- Enhance IHA’s reputation as a global leader in Precision Nutrition.
Benefits
- Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums.
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays.
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month.
- Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
- Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
