Description

External Retirement Plan TRS or ORP Employment Type Employee Benefits Eligibility Benefits Eligible Underutilization Advertised Salary Anticipated Start Date 08/01/2026 Effective End Date (for Limited-Term postings) Job Posting Date 01/13/2026 Job Closing Date Open until filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants
Applicants are asked to submit the following information along with their application:

• A cover letter (not to exceed two pages) addressing the candidate's experience relative to the responsibilities of the position.
• A detailed curriculum vita.
• A teaching statement not to exceed 2 pages.
• A research plan not to exceed three pages.
• The names, titles, and contact information for three professional references.

Questions related to the position may be directed to the Search Committee members Dr. Anumantha Kanthasamy (anumantha.kanthasamy@uga.edu) and Dr. Mark Eiteman (nametie@uga.edu). Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Full consideration will be given to applications submitted prior to 15 February 2026.
Location of Vacancy Athens Area EEO Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Position Details

Position Information

Classification Title Open Rank FLSA Faculty Rank Open Rank Contract Type Academic (9 mo.) Tenure Status Tenure Track or Tenured Minimum Qualifications
A Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Neuro-engineering or a closely related field.

Position Summary
The University of Georgia invites applications for a 9-month, open-rank tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank in the interdisciplinary area of Translational Metabolic Engineering and Neurotherapeutics, as part of the 2025-2026 Presidential Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative (PHI). This position represents a collaborative recruitment effort between the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering (CMBE) in the College of Engineering and the Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research (ICNDR) in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The successful candidate will be expected to accelerate the development of metabolite-producing cell systems and advance preclinical testing for neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's), and, specifically:

1. Establish an outstanding, internationally recognized research program in metabolic engineering or synthetic biology.
2. Foster and establish collaborations between the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering (CMBE) and the Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research (ICNDR).
3. Exhibit a strong commitment to teaching excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, specifically in biochemical and biomedical engineering.
4. Compete successfully for extramural funding (NIH, NSF) to support research and a companion graduate and postdoctoral training program.

Faculty hired as part of this initiative will join a rapidly growing College of Engineering that combines interdisciplinary research and scholarship with excellent instruction and service. The UGA College of Engineering currently enrolls over 3,000 engineering majors and has 121 full-time engineering faculty across 15 degree programs. The college also jointly administers the School of Computing in collaboration with the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, an academic unit that comprises over 1800 computer science majors and 45 full-time faculty. The College of Engineering is comprised for four interdisciplinary schools: the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering; and School of Computing.

Significant investments in infrastructure have resulted in an expansion of laboratory facilities for research and scholarship and new classrooms and instructional labs. College of Engineering faculty have space in two major capital projects on campus to create interdisciplinary research facilities. Our main instructional facility, Driftmier Engineering Center, has also undergone a complete renovation to create flexible classrooms that enable a range of teaching modalities and the incorporation of interdisciplinary instructional labs. The common instructional facilities also foster collaboration by allowing faculty, staff, and students to interact and collaborate in a single facility.
Additional Requirements
Candidates must have a documented research background appropriate for the appointment rank, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, extramural funding, and mentorship of doctoral students.

Candidates considered for the associate professor rank must have qualifications and academic credentials commensurate with the promotion and tenure guidelines at the University of Georgia. For information about the requirements for each faculty rank, please see the UGA Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Tenure.

To be eligible for tenure upon appointment, candidates must be appointed as an associate professor, have been tenured at a prior institution, and bring a demonstrable national reputation to the institution. Candidates must be approved for tenure upon appointment before hire.
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies
We seek candidates whose work bridges metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, neuro-engineering, and translational neuroscience to advance therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders.
Areas of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Metabolic engineering for therapeutic discovery, including engineering of metabolic pathways relevant to neural health and disease.
• Synthetic biology approaches to engineer microbial, mammalian, or hybrid biological systems for therapeutic metabolite production or modulation of neural pathways.
• Microbiome-brain axis engineering, including microbial or metabolite-based interventions for neuroprotection or disease modification.
• Computational and quantitative modeling of metabolic networks, with applications to therapeutic design, metabolic regulation, or systems neurobiology.
• Engineering of cellular or molecular delivery systems for targeted modulation of neural metabolism or neuroimmune responses.
• Translational neuro-engineering approaches, particularly those connecting metabolic processes with neural function, degeneration, or repair.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated excellence-or strong potential-in areas relevant to metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and neural therapeutics.
• A record of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Commitment to teaching excellence and student mentoring.
• Display a strong integration of engineering methods with biological or biomedical applications.
• Competitive applicants will have a strong record of innovative research bridging engineering and neuroscience, with relevance to translational applications.
• Evidence of research productivity in relevant scientific or engineering domains.
• A strong record of research, scholarship, and instruction that is commensurate with the stage in their professional career and aligned with the areas of research and scholarship associated with this position.
• A focus on interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses critical societal challenges.

Physical Demands Is this a Position of Trust? No Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Is driving a responsibility of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) No Credit and P-Card policy
Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.
Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter
3. Teaching Portfolio/Philosophy
4. Research Portfolio/Philosophy

Optional Documents