Open Rank of UNMCCC IM Molecular Medicine - Target & Drug Discovery (Cancer Therapeutics) Researcher

The University of New Mexico National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC), and the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine and the Department of Pathology at the UNM School of Medicine, invite applications from established scientists and physician scientists to play a leadership role in cancer-focused drug discovery and development efforts by a team of highly collaborative and talented investigators based in the Center's Cancer Therapeutics Research Program. The program currently enables scientists to discover and validate new cancer targets and biomarkers and to develop new cancer diagnostic, therapeutic, and imaging agents in a developmental therapeutics pipeline by employing: (i) innovative flow cytometric high throughput screening and chemoinformatics platforms to design, discover, and validate novel and repurposed agents; (ii) innovative methods to discover novel moieties for targeted delivery of imaging and therapeutic agents; (iii) innovative nanotechnology platforms to selectively target and deliver novel agents to normal and cancer cells; and (iv) drug formulation. Novel imaging and therapeutic agents are translated from in vitro model systems and pre-clinical animal models to early phase human trials in the UNMCCC Early Phase Clinical Trials / Experimental Therapeutics Unit. Unique partnerships with the UNM School of Engineering and Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories provide further access to highly advanced nanotechnologies and materials science capabilities, novel radioisotopes for imaging and therapeutics, unique imaging modalities, and advanced computational capabilities. Program members have discovered and developed new therapeutic and imaging agents for cancers of the prostate, ovary, lung, breast, melanoma, and hematologic malignancies. These Tenure track positions are at the Associate or Full Professor level. Successful applicants will have a strong track record of scientific accomplishments in the identification of new cancer targets and/or drug discovery and development exemplified by peer-reviewed (NCI, NIH, or other agencies) or industry funding, high quality publications, and collaborative research. We particularly invite applicants with expertise in state-of-the-art functional screening technologies (CRISPR/CAS or related technologies), applicants with experience in building collaborative research programs, and applicants who would benefit from access to unique centers and programs at the UNMCCC including The Molecular Discovery and High Throughput Target Screening Center (nmmlsc.health.unm.edu); The UNM Chemical Biology Consortium Center, one of 6 national Centers of Excellence in The NCI NExT Program; and The New Mexico Center for the Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling (stmc.health.unm.edu), one of 13 NIH-funded National Centers for Systems Biology. The UNMCCC also has a statewide cancer clinical trials and research network supported in part by the NCI as the New Mexico NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NM NCORP: Minority/Underserved) and is a member of the ORIEN National Network of NCI Cancer Centers engaged in precision oncology, data sharing, cancer clinical trials and collaborative research (http://oriencancer.org/). Significant resources, including excellent salaries, comprehensive start-up packages, and endowed professorships and chairs are available, as are UNMCCC leadership roles. Successful candidate will have a faculty appointment in a UNM School of Medicine Department and Membership in UNMCCC.

The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC) is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in a 500-mile radius. The 134 oncology physicians, 122 cancer research scientists, and staff are particularly focused on discovering the causes and the cures for cancers that disproportionately affect the people of the American Southwest - primarily Hispanic, American Indian, and Non-Hispanic White - with strikingly different patterns of cancer incidence, mortality and disparity. The Center treated 12,000 unique patients in FY18, 12% of whom participated in therapeutic interventional studies and 35% of whom participated in interventional studies. The UNMCCC has outstanding research programs in Cancer Control and Cancer Health Disparities; Cancer Genetics, Epigenetics, and Genomics; Cancer Cell and Systems Biology; and Cancer Therapeutics. These programs house several national centers including: The Molecular Discovery and High Throughput Target Screening Center (nmmlsc.health.unm.edu), one of the nation's 6 Chemical Biology Consortium Centers of Excellence in The NCI NExT Program; The New Mexico Center for the Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling (stmc.health.unm.edu), one of 13 NIH National Centers for Systems Biology; and a NIH Clinical and Translational Sciences Center. Rich collaborations with UNMCCC partners (Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories; Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute) enrich our research endeavors. The UNMCCC has well-established Shared Resources for centralized biospecimen collection and tissue analysis, genomics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, cancer population science and behavioral interventions, and the conduct of clinical interventions. The UNMCCC is the center of a collaborative statewide cancer clinical trials and health delivery research network funded in part through a NCI NCORP Grant (Minority/Underserved) and is also a member of the ORIEN National Cancer Precision Medicine Network (http://oriencancer.org/). Center members have conducted more than 60 statewide community-based cancer education, prevention, screening, and behavioral intervention studies involving more than 10,000 New Mexicans. Learn more at http://cancer.unm.edu/

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or Pharm D;
• A track record of sustained research funding including peer-reviewed funding from federal agencies (preferably NCI, NIH, other) or industry;
• Impactful publications in the scientific areas of interest; and
• Must be qualified to work in the U.S. (this is not a J1 Visa opportunity).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in cancer-focused science in the areas of interest;
• Expertise in discovery and development of targeted cancer therapeutics and imaging agents;
• Experience in functional screening strategies;
• Experience in pre-clinical models and translation to clinical trials;
• Commitment to collaboration with other UNMCCC scientists and participation in team science initiatives and multi-investigator, programmatic cancer-focused grants;
• Interest in cancer-focused science relevant to the UNMCCC catchment area; and
• Experience in education, training and mentoring.
  

Complete applications will include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and the names of three references with mailing address, phone numbers and email address.

For all inquiries or questions, please contact: Search Chairs: Alan Tomkinson, PhD (ATomkinson@salud.unm.edu) and Larry Sklar, PhD (lsklar@salud.unm.edu), or, Search Coordinator: Amanda Leigh (Aleigh@salud.unm.edu) at 505-272-2201.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.