School of Medicine-Faculty Recruitment-Director of Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory- Pediatrics

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Portal•Birmingham, AL

18d

About The Position

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine ( UAB Heersink SOM ) is currently seeking an energetic and innovative leader to serve as the Director of the UAB Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory. Established in the 1970s and administratively located within the UAB Department of Pediatrics, the UAB Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory has a rich tradition of diagnostic assay development in the provision of molecular diagnostic services to pediatric and adult patients across the region. In the 1990s, the laboratory was the first to validate polymerase chain reaction detection of herpes simplex virus DNA from cerebrospinal fluid of patients suffering herpes encephalitis. Its support of both clinical and research services at UAB provides a robust biorepository of specimens that drive numerous basic and clinical research programs within the UAB Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The successful candidate will lead the UAB Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory at a particularly exciting time of expansion and partnership. In collaboration with Southern Research ( https://southernresearch.org/ ), UAB is in the process of establishing the Genomic Diagnostics Laboratory ( GDL ) to consolidate molecular diagnostic services from across the university in the fields of cancer, genetics, and infectious diseases. With significant investment from this partnership, the GDL will aggressively market these services across the Southeast and eventually beyond. The Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory will merge with the GDL to provide the virology expertise and services for the new entity, and the Director of the Diagnostic Molecular Virology Laboratory will lead the virology efforts of the GDL . In this role, she or he will identify and develop new molecular diagnostic assays, and will work with the marketing arm of the GDL to publicize this expanding test menu. The successful candidate will have an innovative and entrepreneurial view of the role of molecular microbiology in the 21st century care of patients. She or he will report initially to the Co-Directors of the UAB Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division, who in turn report to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. Once the merger with the GDL is complete, she or he will report to the GDL Medical Director.

Requirements

doctoral degree (M.D., D.O., and/or Ph.D.)
board-certified or board-eligible in Medical Microbiology by the American Board of Medical Microbiology
Expertise in virology or molecular diagnostics, including next generation sequencing
demonstrated record of academic achievement through independent or collaborative research and scholarly publications
interest in pursuing academic activities