DIRECTOR

Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Cornell University, Ithaca, seeks a new Director of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. The Institute, now in its 15th year, currently has approximately 125 members including 12 tenured or tenure-track faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research staff, and administrative support staff. With exceptional extramural funding and a significant endowment, the Institute has a broad focus on fundamental biology and serves as a hub for molecular life sciences across the university.

The new Director will be a visionary who will foster and extend the current Institutional environment to encourage cutting-edge inter-disciplinary research in cell and molecular biology, and to retain and recruit outstanding faculty that diversify the ranks of the Institute. Areas of research in the Institute currently include cell polarity, membrane trafficking, lipid metabolism, cell signaling, cell morphogenesis and patterning, mechanobiology, gene regulation, protein networks, cell cycle and DNA damage repair in diverse biological systems spanning microbes to humans. The research focus of the Director is expected to complement or synergize with these research directions, but there are no constraints on the Director’s focus in terms of biological question, organism, approach, or pathway. The Institute’s culture is highly collaborative, and the Director will continue to emphasize and encourage ongoing and novel collaborations between Weill Institute labs and others throughout Cornell.

The Director will oversee the Institute’s day-to-day operations, as well as guide long-range planning, expansion, and recruitment efforts to ensure that the Institute continues at the forefront of research in these areas. The Director will also be responsible for administering the endowment for the Institute, which funds the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, supports seminar speakers and visiting scientists, and promotes the research missions of the Institute. To help accomplish these goals, the Director and Institute faculty will continue to be aided by dedicated administrative and support staff. It is expected that the Director will interact broadly with departments and colleges across the University, and will promote integration of research within the Institute with those across Cornell’s Ithaca Campus. The Director will also help to facilitate research interactions with Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech, both of which are located in New York City. The Director will report to the Vice President for Research and Innovation and to the Provost.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent, and be a world-renowned researcher in the Life Sciences. The candidate must share Cornell’s vision and commitment towards diversity and inclusivity, and collaboration. Their track record of outstanding and impactful research, effective leadership, and teaching will be evident in their highly impactful publications, notable awards and service, sustained and robust extramural funding, and international recognition.

The search committee will begin reviewing applications in August and will continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, please submit a letter of interest, a brief statement about your contributions to diversity, and a curriculum vitae by August 30, 2022. For further information about this position, please email Paula Cohen.

Cornell University is located in Ithaca, on the shores of Cayuga Lake in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. Ithaca is a safe and vibrant city with museums, theaters, and a diverse selection of restaurants. It is within driving distance of several large metropolitan centers, award-winning wineries, and both cross-country and downhill skiing areas. Ithaca is a nature-lover’s paradise with many opportunities for outdoor activities. Easy campus-to-campus bus transportation allows one to explore or develop collaborations  at our Medical College (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Technology Campus (Cornell Tech) in NYC while enjoying the “Ithaca is Gorges” lifestyle.