DEPARTMENT HEAD OF PHARMACOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS (PBET)

Employer: LSU School of Medicine

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Salary: TBD

Closing date: Jun 21, 2026

Discipline: Life Sciences, Biochemistry

Position Type: Full Time

Job Type: Academic Dean/Dept. Head

Organization Type: Academia

Job Details

Under broad authority delegated by the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Department Head of Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Experimental Therapeutics (PBET) is responsible for the department's educational, research, and service programs. The Department Head reports to the Dean. The Department of Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Experimental Therapeutics (PBET) is a newly formed Basic Science department that combines faculty originally appointed to Biochemistry and to Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. The leader of this new Basic Science Department is expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to research, collaboration, mentoring, and education.

The School of Medicine at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans invites applications and nominations for a full-time Department Head and Professor of the newly integrated Department of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Experimental Therapeutics. As a preeminent researcher, scholar and leader, the candidate will also be considered for an endowed chair. Reporting to the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Department Head will work collaboratively with faculty within and across other basic science and clinical departments and Centers to support the strategic goals of the Department, the School of Medicine, and the University. The Department Head will be responsible for advancing the Department’s mission of excellence in research and education and will oversee the faculty, staff, students and resources of the Department. The Department Head will articulate and advance a unifying departmental vision in alignment with the School of Medicine strategic plan, with focus on the interplay of distinct research strengths in the department including drug development, cellular and molecular signaling, behavioral pharmacology, and psychedelics.

We seek a candidate with demonstrated research leadership and experience with a vision for collaborative research with one or more of our Research (Cardiovascular, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse) Centers of Excellence. The successful candidate will have a strong record of extramural funding, and will also have the outstanding leadership skills necessary to recruit and mentor outstanding faculty; enhance extramural funding; support educational excellence in graduate, medical, and professional training; foster interdisciplinary collaboration; and strengthen partnerships with other Basic Science Departments, Clinical Departments, and with the Centers of Excellence. The Department Head will be expected to promote a culture that values innovation, collaboration, rigor, and fairness, while positioning the Department to address major biomedical challenges through team science. The candidate will promote academic excellence in support of the educational missions of the institution, and a commitment to excellence in academics including medical, graduate and post-graduate education and the mentoring of trainees and junior faculty.

The candidate must hold an advanced professional degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD or equivalent) and appropriate academic credentials for a tenured faculty appointment as a Professor at LSUHSC.

• Distinguished record of scholarship commensurate with appointment as a department Head and Professor in the School of Medicine.
• Proven national/international reputation and track record of success as a Principal Investigator in ongoing and prior research.
• Exceptional leadership skills to develop and articulate a compelling vision for the Department, fostering the growth of innovative research programs that align directly with the broader research mission of the School of Medicine and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans.
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in academics and teaching, specifically in medical, graduate, and post-graduate education, as well as the mentoring of trainees and junior faculty.
• Demonstrated financial acumen through successful management of multi-million-dollar budgets and consistent acquisition as a Principal Investigator of extramural grant funding.

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