POSITION DESCRIPTION: Assistant/Associate, Appointment Stream, Full-Time (12 months) faculty member in the Doctor of Chiropractic Program (DCP), Department of Community Health Services and Rehabilitation Science, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.
CONTENT AREA: Applicants with a focus on clinical, basic science, and/or health services research that relates to spine-related disorders and/or musculoskeletal pain are preferred.
ESTIMATED START DATE: March 1, 2025
RESEARCH FOCUS: Applicants for this position are expected to have demonstrated a past and current record of peer-reviewed publications and scholarly activity. This position requires a candidate who has effective interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work well within a team-based, interprofessional research environment. They must demonstrate the potential to develop innovative research initiatives and the ability to secure research funding as an independent principal investigator (PI). Top candidates will have prior experience seeking intramural and extramural funding and/or a working knowledge of research design and grantsmanship.
The University of Pittsburgh is an R-1 research-intensive university that has consistently been in the top ten institutions in NIH funding. Last year, the University of Pittsburgh received $675 million in NIH funding and was ranked as the third-highest recipient of funding from the NIH. Achieving this level of funding requires a vast array of research infrastructure and resources, including basic science laboratories, translational clinical research centers, biostatistical and data management resources, health science library resources, and experienced senior researchers who serve as mentors to junior researchers.
The Doctor of Chiropractic Program is led by Michael Schneider, DC, PhD, who has an active research program supported by several NIH and other externally funded research grants. He has developed very strong collaborative relationships with many other researchers across the University, which allows him to support and advance the research career of the candidate for this position.
The potential research spectrum for the candidate at the University of Pittsburgh is vast, spanning observational and/or experimental studies pertaining to, but not exclusively, mechanisms of spinal manipulation, chronic neck and/or low back pain, the use of machine learning/artificial intelligence for phenotyping, treatment effectiveness for spine related conditions, dissemination/implementation research, and health services research using administrative databases (i.e. claims/electronic health records data).
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The candidate for this position will work closely with Dr. Schneider on his currently funded research studies and assist with the design of future studies and associated grant applications. It is expected that the candidate will have a minimum of 30% of salary support from external funding by the end of the contract and will submit at least two NIH grant applications during that time. It is expected that the successful candidate will aspire to become a PI and demonstrate specific actions toward establishing their own independent line of externally funded research.
The candidate will spend the majority of their time and effort working on research-related activities but will also have some teaching responsibilities regarding evidence-based practice, a central curricular thread across all DCP courses.
QUALIFICATIONS: A PhD or equivalent doctoral research degree (e.g. ScD) is required. A clinical health sciences degree (e.g. DC, DO, DPT, MD) with pertinent clinical experience is highly desirable. Academic rank and salary are commensurate with qualifications and experience.
INSTITUTION:TheUniversity of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Founded in 1787 as The Pittsburgh Academy, a private institution until 1966, the University is now a state-related research university as part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania. Pitt has its main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh and four regional undergraduate campuses. Pitt is home to 16 schools and colleges that offer a breadth of high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs. The university offers over 645 degrees and certificate programs. Total enrollment at Pitt (including graduate and professional schools) is 28,234 (18,274 full-time undergraduates, 9,960 graduate students). A proven economic engine, Pitt contributes $4.2 billion to communities throughout Pennsylvania. In addition to membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU), Pitt consistently appears in the top echelon of national and global university rankings. In 2021, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings again named the Pittsburgh campus as the No. 1 public university in the Northeastern United States. Pitt ranks fifth among U.S. universities in competitive grants awarded to members of its faculty by the National Institutes of Health. The university ranks ninth nationally in federal science and engineering funding, according to the National Science Foundation. Pitt is No. 19 among the nation’s top public colleges and universities in the 2021 U.S. News World Report of Best Colleges and No. 47 on its lists of best global universities.
SCHOOL:The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences was established in 1969 as a health sciences school of the University of Pittsburgh. SHRS stands on its solid reputation as an international leader in rehabilitation and disabilities education, research, and community services, improving the lives and independence of all people with a focus on people at risk for our having chronic conditions or disabilities and those who have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented. The vision of the school is to be a catalyst for a world free of barriers and disparities that allows all people, regardless of health, to have opportunities to participate in life to the fullest; to be accomplished through education, research, and service. SHRS is a nationally renowned leader in the field of health care education, research, and clinical practice preparation. With 14 different disciplines related to health and rehabilitative care, SHRS shapes future generations of health care professionals, therapists, counselors, advocates, scientists, providers, and practitioners, trained to serve the needs of all people, regardless of background, levels of health or mobility. Pitt SHRS has grown to over 20-degree programs, forged beneficial linkages across the Health Sciences and University, and has found its graduate programs holding top spots in annual graduate school rankings. Five SHRS graduate programs earned top spots in the recent US News and World Report's annual graduate school ranking of disciplines: Physical Therapy (#8), Occupational Therapy (#1), Speech-Language Pathology (#5), Audiology (#6), and Rehabilitation Counseling (#18). Pitt SHRS reaps many benefits as part of a research-intensive university, and as a member of a cohesive and well-organized cadre of health sciences schools. Additionally, SHRS enjoys strong relationships with the world-class University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the Veterans Administration (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System, as well as collaborations with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in its Robotics Institute and the School of Computer Science. Pitt SHRS is well-positioned for the future with unparalleled research activity, including the recent receipt of four Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grants, a strong cadre of faculty and staff, clinical education programs with excellent student outcomes, and a major focus on interprofessional education and practice (IPE/IPP).
APPLICATION AND QUERIES: Applications for this position should be submitted through the Talent Center Careers at Pitt Online Portal: www.join.pitt.edu (using requisition number 24008996). A complete application includes (1) a cover letter that outlines key research interests and plans to integrate with the research agenda of the DCP; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a brief description (1 – 2 pages) of current and/or prior research activities and funding (if applicable); (4) 3 letters of recommendation.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to Joel Stevans, DC, PhD, Search Committee Chair, at jms363@pitt.edu.