Endowed Research Chair & Co-Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine (SOM) and the Multiple Sclerosis Center (MSC) is recruiting for the Burton Multiple Sclerosis Endowed Research Chair. This recruitment is part of a major strategic initiative in the Neurosciences by the UAB SOM to recruit up to 12 new investigators.

Required Qualifications:

• Recruitment is for tenured or tenure-track faculty at the Associate Professor or Professor rank
• MD or PhD
• Vigorous research program in Multiple Sclerosis
• Particular attention will be given to those with a focus on innovative fundamental or translation research programs.

Multiple Sclerosis Center

Successful applicants will join one of the strongest neuroscience and neurodegeneration environments in the country. The UAB Multiple Sclerosis Center (MSC) provides ongoing opportunities for partnership between UAB’s nationally renowned MS researchers and other research faculty who have complementary research interests and expertise. This work involves an outstanding group of investigators, from within and outside the field of MS, with the common goal of developing and evaluating novel approaches to modulate the immune system, promote remyelination and protect cells in the brain and spinal cord in people with MS.

The mission of the UAB Multiple Sclerosis Center is to foster research, clinical and educational activities in the area of neuroimmunology with an emphasis on Multiple Sclerosis. The faculty and staff of the UAB Multiple Sclerosis Center focus on promoting the discovery of novel treatments for MS through basic, translational and clinical research, training the next generation of scientists and clinicians about the disease, and facilitating the application of these discoveries to clinical care of patients.

Tanner Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Scholar Program

This new program aims to expose young neuroscientists at UAB to basic and translational approaches to Multiple Sclerosis research. Through this training pathway, graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows will be exposed to fundamental and translational immunological mechanisms of immunity and disease, and will have the opportunity to engage in focused work that contributes toward therapeutic discovery related to neuroimmunological diseases.

The Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics (CNET)

In 2006, Dr. David Standaert was recruited from Harvard Medical School to found a new center for research on neurodegenerative diseases at UAB.  The vision for this center was to support a group of scientists and physician/scientists working to understand the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and developing new therapeutic approaches.  The explicitly translational nature of the new program was captured in its name, the Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics (CNET).  CNET was officially chartered by the Board of Trustees in February, 2007.  In 2013, after Dr. Standaert had become chair of the neurology department, Dr. Erik Roberson and Dr. Andy West became co-directors of CNET, and since 2018 Dr. Roberson had led the center.

CNET has grown to a group of 13 laboratories and a staff of over 50.  Active research projects address Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Huntington’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and ALS.

The Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UAB’s NIH-funded CTSA) provides rich support for the clinical research enterprise. We are one of more than 50 CTSA programs nationwide and the only CTSA in Alabama. CCTS serves a population with a heavy burden of cardiometabolic, vascular, and cancer-related diseases.

Additional related NIH-funded programs at UAB include a Udall Center for Excellence in Parkinson’s Disease, NeuroNext and StrokeNet sites, a T32 Training Program in Neurodegeneration, and R25 research track program for residents.

Comprehensive Neuroscience Center

Established as University Wide Interdisplinary Research Center in 2009 the UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center (CNC) has more than 450 neuroscience research faculty, clinicians, staff, students & trainees representing 23 UAB departments across 7 UAB schools and spanning a diverse range of neuroscience research areas. .

The overall mission of the CNC is to promote and support interdisciplinary neuroscience research, clinical care and education at UAB. Within that mission the CNC has fostered a University wide pillar structure to facilitate effective cross-disciplinary collaboration among clusters of faculty focused on similar or complementary research. Research areas included under the Pillars are: Addiction, Circadian Rhythms, Cognition and Cognitive Disorders, Epilepsy, Glial Biology, Mental Illness, Neurodegeneration, Neuroengineering, Neuroimaging, Neuromodulation and Pain.

Benchmarks of effective cross pillar collaboration are new large extramural and MPI awards at the intersection of disciplines, otherwise not possible. This goal is precisely in alignment with UAB’s strategic plan, “Forging the Future” with innovative and interdisciplinary research and education at its core. The institutions that can most rapidly and creatively establish the necessary neuroscience initiatives to facilitate the translation of basic research discoveries into effective therapies will be positioned to lead neurological and psychiatric disease research into the future.

Department of Neurology

The nationally ranked UAB Department of Neurology is home to eight comprehensive divisions and seven centers offering an array of clinical activities. Over 26,000 patients are cared for annually through state-of-the-art subspecialty care and innovative treatments. Our residents have the opportunity to work in various neurology fields with 50 clinical and research faculty members.

The Department of Neurology at UAB offers an array of clinical activities in hospital and ambulatory care of patients. The department is staffed with individuals who have both clinical and research expertise to present a traditional clinical neurology experience to the students while also demonstrating the expanding treatment options created by the major advancements in clinical and basic neuroscience.

In addition to available general clinical care, specialized services are established in stroke, critical care, epilepsy, dementia and behavioral neurology, movement disorders, headache, clinical neurophysiology, neuroimaging, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, neuromuscular disorders, muscle and nerve histopathology, and neuropsychology.

UAB School of Medicine

At the UAB School of Medicine, we’re training the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists, answering basic scientific questions that lead to medical innovations, and bringing the highest quality health care to all of our patients.

UAB is the heartbeat of Birmingham and an integral medical leader in the Southeast. The Birmingham campus is within walking distance of some of the best parks, entertainment, and dining in the region. Our regional campuses—in Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa—expand our academic reach and responsibilities in addition to educating physicians in rural and underserved areas of the state.

Our school is made up of nearly 800 students, more than 1,000 residents, and 1,700 full-time faculty in 27 academic departments. We are the home of The Kirklin Clinic, a multi-disciplinary medical home; University Hospital, one of the largest academic hospitals in the country; and our faculty serve the Children’s of Alabama hospital.

Birmingham, Alabama

The astonishing pace of Birmingham’s growth during the period from 1881 through 1920, earned the city its nicknames “The Magic City” and “The Pittsburgh of the South.” Today, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business and banking centers in the Southeastern U.S.

Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with its numerous art galleries in the area. The city is also home to the state’s Alabama Ballet, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Ballet, Birmingham Concert Chorale, and Opera Birmingham. Birmingham hosts numerous cultural festivals showcasing music, films, and regional heritage such as the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival which brings filmmakers from all over the world to Birmingham to have their films viewed and judged.

With a cost of living below the national average, Forbes has ranked the Birmingham metro as “America’s Most Affordable City” for 2015. Birmingham is primarily recognized for its affordable housing. During the fourth quarter of 2014, the median sales price for a home was $130,000. Also highlighted in by Forbes is the city’s quality of life, its medical research industry and the number of large companies setting up plants nearby – some 70 foreign countries, including Mercedes Benz and Honda, have facilities in and around Birmingham.

Ease of Travel

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is Alabama’s largest airport serving the Greater Birmingham area and surrounding Southeastern cities. Offering more than 100 daily flights to over 25 cities throughout the United States. Top destination includes Orlando, Las Vegas, Baltimore, New York, and Tampa.

Birmingham’s Recreational Opportunities:

Beach/Ocean: Birmingham is within a half days drive of the beaches of Gulf Shores.

Biking: Oak Mountain State Park’s red trail, a 17-mile loop, attracts mountain bikers not only from the Birmingham area but from as far away as Florida and Louisiana. Designed and built by the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP), the trail opened in 1993 and is a combination of single track and an old two-lane fire road. The loop has several access points to park and start the bike trail.

Fishing: Sitting smack dab in the middle of the best fishing the South has to offer is Birmingham, the hottest fishing destination in the South. Whether your love is hard-fighting largemouth and spotted bass, monstrous gear-destroying striped bass or just the solitude of fly-fishing for rainbow trout in gently tumbling waters, it can all be found in the Birmingham area. The area boasts several lakes and reservoirs of which to choose from.

Golf: Birmingham’s weather is generously comfortable, which is one smart reason golfers come here from around the world. The other reason is the lure of handsome and challenging public golf courses. With the development of the state’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama became the Godfather of Great Golf. Birmingham has two of the eleven courses along the trail, one of which is the third longest course in the world.

Nature: With thousands of acres of national park and forest, Birmingham is within close proximity to five (5) national parks/wilderness areas. This offers ample opportunity for hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and horseback riding.

Sports: In professional sports, the Class AA Birmingham Barons have one of the proudest traditions in baseball. The team plays at Regions Field, one of the premier stadiums in minor league baseball. College football dominates sports in Birmingham. UAB (The University of Alabama at Birmingham), which fields a major college basketball and baseball team, also has a Division IA football program. The team plays at Legion Field. College athletics also play an important role on the campuses of Birmingham-Southern College, Samford University, and Miles College. Birmingham also hosts a number of sports museums including the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

How to Apply

The UAB School of Medicine has retained Academic Med to lead this strategically important search. Please send applications, nominations and inquiries to the Academic Med recruitment team via email: contact@academic-med.com