Neuro-Oncologist – Position Overview
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the UAB Heersink School of Medicine seek qualified individuals with strong clinical, teaching and research skills, for a full-time Neuro-Oncologist to join its thriving NCI-designated cancer program. The position may be appointed in the Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, or other joint appointments depending on training and qualifications.
The position is to provide clinical care to patients with tumors of the nervous system including primary and metastatic tumors of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves and to perform research in the field of Neuro-Oncology. Funding to support research time and career development activities will be provided by UAB.
The position will work alongside clinical and basic science faculty and staff in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (OCCC) at UAB. Successful applicants will join one of the most prestigious comprehensive cancer centers in the country. The OCCC was one of the first eight NCI-designated Cancer Centers in 1972 and has been continuously funded for 46 years. It is the only CCC in a four-state region in the Deep South. The OCCC treats over 5,000 new analytic cancer cases annually and sees over 10,000 patients diagnosed with cancer each year. It has an extensive effort focused on delivering cancer care and conducting research in underserved populations. The OCCC has over 400 members conducting outstanding cancer research in six scientific programs. Center members receive approximately $100 million in extramural cancer research funds annually, including multiple program projects and large “team science” grants. The OCCC has 12 grant-supported cores, 9 of which are institutional shared resource facilities. A robust clinical trial infrastructure currently supports nearly 200 cancer clinical trials. A robust environment of outstanding interdisciplinary programs includes an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award, which supports translational research and synergizes with the OCCC.
Position Duties & Responsibilities
This position will include academic appointment in the Department of Neurology and/or the Department of Medicine depending on the Hired Candidate’s training and preference. There is a focused interest in growing the Neuro-Oncology program and elevating its already strong reputation across the Southeastern US. Funding to support research time and career development activities will be provided by the UAB. The position will work alongside clinical and basic science faculty and staff in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB and the multidisciplinary teams within the clinical enterprise to expand access to cutting-edge care at UAB, one of the most prestigious comprehensive cancer centers in the country.
Required Qualifications
- MD, MD/PhD, DO, MBBS, or equivalent degree.
- Credentials necessary to practice as a Neuro-Oncologist
- via Neurology residency and Neuro-Oncology Fellowship
- OR via Medical Oncology Residency with specialty expertise in Neuro-Oncology
- Eligible to obtain an active and unrestricted medical license to practice in the State of Alabama.
- Collaborative and high performing in multi-disciplinary care environment; understanding of and willingness to thrive in a matrixed environment
- Desire to grow at UAB and continue to expand the Neuro Oncology program
- Eligible for Academic Appointment (open rank) with the UAB School of Medicine
UAB Health System
The UAB Health System is undergoing an energizing time of change and growth. With newly announced appointments of Dawn Bulgarella as Chief Executive Officer of UAB Health System and Anupam Agarwal, MD as Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Health System is poised to build on its strong foundation and reputation and take its success to the next level.
UAB Health System is a rapidly growing $7B organization with more than 37,000 employees. Its headquarters along with its flagship academic medical center, UAB Hospital, are based in Birmingham, Alabama. UAB Health System is anchored by UAB Hospital, its 1,207-bed tertiary hospital and academic health science center. UAB Hospital is consistently among America’s best hospitals and with multiple specialties ranked annually by US News & World Report, is recognized annually as Alabama’s top hospital. In 2022, UAB Hospital’s volumes exceeded 135,000 emergency room visits, 53,000 inpatient discharges and over 4,000 deliveries. UAB Hospital is a healthcare destination for the state and region and serves as the backbone of the healthcare system in the state of Alabama.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine has experienced tremendous growth in National Institutes of Health grant funding and recently received a transformational $95M naming gift. This gift will further support priority initiatives, recruitment, and retention of nationally recognized faculty leaders. Given the demand for services, UAB has several ongoing and pivotal expansion initiatives and is embarking on its 5-year strategic plan.
UAB Health System – Awards & Recognition
- #1 Best Large Employer in America, Forbes, 2021
- #4 Best Employer for Diversity, Forbes, 2021
- UAB Medicine has received the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation every year since 2016
- UAB Hospital is the largest academic medical center in Alabama and the 4th largest public AMC in the United States
- UAB Hospital has been recognized every year since 2013 by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America
- Becker’s Healthcare named UAB Medicine as on the nation’s 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare in 2023
- UAB Hospital is Alabama’s only Magnet-designated facility recognized for nursing excellence and one of only a handful of organizations around the globe designated five consecutive times.
- Only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in a 4-state region and one of the original 8 designated in 1972
- State-of-the-art Cardiovascular Institute that is national ranked and provides full spectrum of Heart and Vascular Services
- Only American College of Surgeons (ACS) accredited Adult Level I Trauma Center in Alabama caring for over 1/3 of trauma cases in the state
- Level IV Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the only one of its kind Alabama, caring for the sickest babies in the state and region
- Comprehensive Transplant Institute is a national leader in organ transplantation and in 2022, performed the world’s first transplant of genetically modified kidneys from a pig into a human
- The nation’s first and only Level I Ocular Trauma Center
- Springbuk, a national leader in health care analytics, named UAB as one of the 100 Healthiest Employers in America
Under the leadership of Dr. Barry Sleckman, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking a dedicated Neuro-Oncologist to join our elite team.
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is embarking on a 5-year master plan for its cancer facilities. This plan will include a proposal for a free-standing, cancer-dedicated facility on the main campus of UAB Hospital as well as expanded ambulatory sites in the Birmingham community. The proposed project under design is projected to be the single largest clinical facilities project in the history of UAB Medicine and a transformative facility for cancer care across the region.
The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Alabama and one of the first 8 centers in the United States that were designated in 1972. The O’Neal Cancer Center celebrated 50 years of continuous designation in 2022 and its legacy of excellence in cancer care, discovery, education, and outreach and engagement across the state of Alabama. Over 400 clinicians and researchers are united every day in working toward the ultimate goal of eliminating cancer as a public health problem. During its most recent NCI review, the O’Neal Cancer Center was rated as “Outstanding”, placing it in the top 25% of NCI-Designated Centers. With a focus on reducing cancer disparities across the state of Alabama, the O’Neal Cancer Center has an extensive Community Outreach and Engagement focus with over 400 trained Community Health Advisors across the state.
In 2019, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center received a generous $30M naming gift from O’Neal Industries to strengthen clinical programs, accelerate research and translation of discoveries into clinical trials, enhance recruitment of top talent, and advance UAB’s mission to eliminate cancer as a major public health problem both locally and globally. In the same year, the UAB Health System established the O’Neal Cancer Service Line as one of its signature service lines. For the first time in the history of UAB, the entire cancer enterprise was structured under the leadership of the Cancer Center Director, currently Dr. Barry Sleckman, and in a dyad partnership with Health System leadership. This change has led to significant growth in UAB’s cancer clinical enterprise since 2019 and served as a catalyst for its future growth and success, including a major, proposed capital project to build a new cancer hospital and ambulatory facility. You can learn more about the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center with the following resources:
UAB Cancer Center Infographic
State of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Reflecting on 50 Years – O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
The O’Neal Cancer Service Line
The O’Neal Cancer Service Line leads the clinical arm of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and touches over 10,000 new cancer patients annually, which includes over 125,000 outpatient visits, approximately 7,000 inpatient discharges, 7,500 cancer surgeries, 41,000 infusion therapy treatments, and 2,500 radiation therapy starts. The service line includes Alabama’s only adult Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy program, which has grown by 71% in the last 4 years. With the recruitment of a new Deputy Director and Division Director of Hematology/Oncology and the construction of a state of the art Infusion Therapy Center, the Infusion Therapy program has expanded by 49% since 2019 and the Hematology/Oncology faculty by 30%, leading to an increase of 51% in outpatient clinic visits.
Neuro-Oncology Program
The Neuro-Oncology program is a premier program in the O’Neal Cancer Center that includes a nationally recognized basic, translational and clinical research program. In this position, applicants will have an outstanding opportunity for collaboration with a dedicated and enthusiastic team focused on neuro-oncology including clinical research colleagues and basic scientists across the institution. This position would be active in multi-disciplinary teams including neurology, medical oncology, neurosurgery, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, neuropsychology, neuropathology, and palliative medicine. Additionally, participating in well-attended multidisciplinary tumor board conferences, clinical trial research meetings, and other multidisciplinary research meetings with ample opportunities for growth in clinical research.
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a research university and academic health center that discovers, teaches, and applies knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state, and beyond. UAB is internationally renowned for its intensely collaborative culture that has – for more than five decades – produced breakthroughs in education, health care, research, and service. UAB was ranked #1 in the United States, and in the top 10 worldwide, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2018 Young
UAB Medicine is the third-largest public academic medical center in the country, with more than 1,900 beds and almost 18,000 employees. UAB Hospital is the eighth largest hospital in the nation, the flagship of the UAB Health System and the teaching hospital for the UAB School of Medicine. Situated among major research centers and clinics, UAB Hospital provides patients with a complete range of primary and specialty care services, as well as the most up-to-date treatments and innovations in health care. In addition to UAB Hospital, UAB Medicine includes The Kirklin Clinic
of UAB Hospital, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, as well as several primary and specialty care clinics, a dozen member and affiliate hospitals within Alabama, more than 10 cancer associates in the Southeast, and the Viva Health HMO. UAB Hospital is ranked year after year as Alabama’s top Hospital by US News and World Report with top ranked specialties, the only Magnet Nursing-designated Adult hospital in Alabama and a destination for comprehensive care for the people of Alabama and the surrounding region.
About Birmingham, Alabama
Located in the heart of the Southeast, Birmingham is a short drive from Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, Memphis, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Gulf Coast beaches. Birmingham has been recognized as an “All-America City” by the National Civic League as one of the top 10 American cities to live and work, and one of the top 10 entrepreneurial and job growth hots spots in America.
Some people tend to think of the American South as a place where opinions are ultra-conservative. Fortunately, Birmingham has shed the dated image that once defined the city. In 2017, The Globe and Mail named Birmingham one of the five most progressive cities in the South, along with Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee, Asheville, North Carolina, and Memphis, Tennessee. Among the roughly 1.15 million residents of the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area, 29% are black, 4% are Hispanic, and 1% is Asian, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Women make up nearly 52% of the population.
Downtown Birmingham has enjoyed a revitalization in the last two decades with the development of Railroad Park – an award-winning urban park – and its adjacent Regions Field, home to the minor league Birmingham Barons. Birmingham also boasts the brand-new Protective Stadium, a state-of-the-art multipurpose stadium that is home to the UAB Blazers football program, the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions and the USLC’s Birmingham Legion FC. Legacy Arena completed an extensive renovation in 2022 and is home to the Birmingham Squadron, the G league affiliation with the New Orleans Pelicans. The park and stadium projects have spurred major growth in surrounding districts, including craft breweries, boutique shops, restaurants, loft and apartment developments, innovative workspaces, and hotels. Because of this growth, and its sports history, Birmingham was selected to serve as the host city of the 2022 World Games and welcomed 375,000 spectators to watch the nearly 3,500 athletes from 99 nations compete in 223 medal events.
Birmingham is also a renowned culinary destination, with one of its signature restaurants recently winning two James Beard Foundation awards and many other restaurants names as finalists. Food critics across the country have discovered Birmingham’s food scene and consistently rank it as one of the best food cities in America.
There are a host of attractions only a short walk from UAB’s campus, the Birmingham Civil Rights District National Monument, comprised of sites such as the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and the Civil Rights Institute – a major destination for visitors from around the world. Birmingham’s cultural scene is thriving with museums, numerous galleries, music and arts festivals, theaters and live music venues, professional ballet and opera companies, a School of Fine Arts, and the recent restorations of the historic Lyric and Alabama theaters. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Carver Theatre are completing restorations in the downtown entertainment district.
Birmingham is in proximity to many state and national parks, lakes, urban greenspaces, hiking, and biking trails. The city has more green space per capita than any other major city in the United States.
A full list of Birmingham Accolades can be found on the Birmingham Business Alliance website at:
https://www.birminghambusinessalliance.com/birmingham-accolades
How To Apply
The UAB School of Medicine, in partnership with the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, has retained the services of Academic Med to assist with this strategically important Neuro-Oncologist recruitment effort. Academic Med is the leading executive search and consulting firm in the realm of “Academic Medicine”. Please direct your applications, inquiries, or nominations to:
- Jim Hagood, jim@academic-med.com
- Gentry Zacheis, gentry@academic-med.com
EEO Statement
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) remains fully committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, nondiscrimination, and the prevention of unlawful harassment in employment, education and the participation in university programs. We have long embraced diversity and equal opportunity as core values that encourage the type of supportive environment and campus community that allows faculty, staff, and students to excel and reach their fullest potential. We maintain and promote these values not only because they are right and equitable, but also because they are integral to achieving our institutional goals, our mission, and our vision to be one of the most dynamic and productive universities—and the preferred academic medical center—of the 21st century.
Therefore, we reaffirm our full support for diversity and equal education and opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability unrelated to job or program performance, veteran status, or genetic or family medical history. Discriminatory harassment, whether sexual or non-sexual, is strictly prohibited. The University seeks to ensure that all aspects of employment, education and program participation remain free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. All University employees are expected to comply with this policy and any actions involving faculty, staff and students are initiated and administered in compliance with our commitment to federal/state laws and Executive Orders with respect to nondiscrimination and affirmative action. All UAB employees holding administrative, managerial and supervisory positions are required to ensure that this policy is fully implemented by enforcing only valid, position-related requirement decisions for employment, promotions, and work assignments and to ensure that progress continues with regard to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.
Our commitment to fairness, nondiscrimination and the prevention of unlawful harassment is the foundation of UAB’s Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment policy and should be the guidepost for other management decisions as well. I urge each member of our University community to join me in supporting these principles and ensuring that our core values of embracing diversity, showing mutual respect, and exhibiting fair and equitable treatment at UAB, remain intact, every day.
Relevant Links
Would you like to learn more about this opportunity for a Neuro-Oncologist to join the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center? Please see the links below for additional resources and details:
Are you interested in learning about other exciting academic physician and leadership opportunities at the UAB School of Medicine? Check out some of the relevant open positions below: