Professor, Rural Aging and Cognitive Health – UMN Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team

Position Overview

The Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team-Health Equity (MK-MDT) at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth is launching a nationwide search for a tenure-track Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor in Rural Aging and Cognitive Health. The faculty member’s primary responsibility will be to conduct collaborative research concerning aging and cognitive health in rural populations in Minnesota within the MK-MDT environment.

The Medical Discovery Team seeks a dynamic scholar with demonstrated potential for innovation and leadership. Applicants at all ranks and from varied disciplinary backgrounds (e.g., health sciences, social sciences, psychology, neurology, medicine, and neuropsychology) will be considered. Programs of research with a focus on intervention design and/or implementation science are particularly welcomed. Experience with participatory community-based research is an asset.

The successful candidate will be appointed as faculty to the MK-MDT, with their academic home in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health or Biomedical Sciences, as appropriate, at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus.

Required Qualifications

• PhD or MD
• Knowledge and Experience in one or more of the following research areas:
  • Dementia
  • Aging
  • Chronic Disease
  • Multi-causative disease pathways
  • Rural Health
  • Indigenous Health
• Sensitivity to and desire to promote diversity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Track record of success in NIH grant awards or equivalent.
• Experience with community-based participatory research approaches.
• Experience and demonstrated interest in working with interdisciplinary research teams.
• Experience with, or interest in, small populations research and small samples analyses.

Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team

Based at the Medical School’s Duluth Campus, the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team on Rural and American Indian Health Equity (MK-MDT) is one of four University of Minnesota Medical School Medical Discovery Team’s funded by the State of Minnesota legislature. The Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team is a $15.6 million, ten-year initiative to achieve the state’s goals of improving patient and population health, lowering costs, and improving healthcare experiences.

Vision

Advancing the boundaries of health equity research to create innovative interventions to support healthy aging in Indigenous and Rural Populations.

Mission

The Mission of the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team is to support an environment of Team Science to conduct community-based participatory action research on dementia in Indigenous and rural communities with the aim of achieving health equity.

To learn more about the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team, please visit: www.memorykeepersmdt.com

Community Engagement

The Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team is committed to meaningful partnerships with community stakeholders. We have convened two advisory groups to help guide our mission – the Indigenous Advisory Council and Rural Advisory Council. We also support Elders and advisors in residence to guide our day-to-day activities.

Faculty and staff members use community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to respectfully engage Indigenous and rural community members in all phases of planning and research. CBPR builds trust in researchers, boosts recruitment and retention in health disparities research. The results guide approaches to advance community health and foster the translation of new knowledge into community and clinical practice.

We seek to create an ethical research space that brings together University and local expert knowledge to create solutions appropriate to the population they are intended to benefit. Memory Keepers Team investigators and staff have decades of experience conducting Indigenous and rural community-engaged research. They have made significant contributions to the literature concerning ethical community-based participatory research practices within Indigenous and rural populations.

Community-Based Participatory Research Training Lab

Our Community-Based Participatory Research Training Lab includes interview and focus group training rooms, as well as spaces for observation. Our goal is to create a training framework that will build capacity among students, researchers, and faculty to conduct critically engaged, scientifically rigorous health equity research that honors Indigenous knowledge to benefit Indigenous and rural communities.

University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD)

The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) consistently ranks among the top Midwestern, regional universities in U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” issue. Overlooking Lake Superior, UMD provides an alternative to both large research and small liberal arts environments and attracts students looking for a personalized learning experience on a medium-sized campus of a major university. A firm liberal arts foundation anchors a variety of traditional degree programs, as well as professional and graduate students that draw on UMD’s many research institutes and labs.

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota is a cultural center that boasts a high level of outstanding fine art, performance offerings, and outdoor beauty. Natural history and art museums abound, along with a symphony orchestra and musical talents from numerous performers across many genres.

In 2014, Duluth was voted Outside magazine’s best outdoors town in America. Minnesota’s City on the Hill claims 6,834 acres of city parkland, 129 Parks, 11,000 acres of green space, 12 miles of paved, accessible trails, 85 miles of bike-optimized, multi-use trails, 150 miles of unpaved hiking trails, and 16 designated trout streams. It is also the southern terminus of the Superior Hiking Trails.

During winter months Spirit Mountain features skiing, snowboarding, fat biking, alpine coaster, snow tubing and Nordic trails.

Few places in Duluth (or indeed, anywhere) can match the breathtaking natural beauty of Leif Erickson Park & Rose Garden. The variety and beauty of the rose bushes that line the peaceful walkways of the garden are outstanding, while the numerous water features and fountains scattered around the park in memory of past Duluth residents are as touching as they are picturesque.

Relevant Links

Interested in exploring roles similar to this opportunity? Learn about some of the other exciting opportunities available at the University of Minnesota Medical School by visiting the job post links below:

• Job Post – Founding Director & Endowed Chair, Center for Inflammation Sciences
• Job Post – Chair, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Neurosciences