The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology invites applications for two tenure-track open rank (Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor) faculty positions as part of the establishment of our new RNA Center. We seek exceptional scientists working at the interface of chemistry and biology, exploring fundamental and translational aspects of RNA structure, function, and therapeutic potential.

This recruitment is part of a strategic initiative to build a world-class RNA research hub, fostering collaborations across the NCI-designated UF Health Cancer Center, the McKnight Brain Institute, and research areas spanning chemistry, infectious diseases, immunology, and neuroscience on the University of Florida’s Jupiter and Gainesville campuses. Successful candidates will contribute to the expansion of RNA science and its applications in precision medicine, disease biology, and therapeutics.

We encourage applications from researchers advancing RNA biology and translational medicine in areas such as:

• RNA structure, modifications, and epitranscriptomics
• RNA-protein and RNA-small molecule interactions
• RNA-based therapeutics, including antisense oligonucleotides, siRNA, and mRNA therapies
• RNA regulation in cancer, neurobiology, infectious diseases, and immune function

Research Environment & Infrastructure:

The successful candidates will have access to world-class infrastructure at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute in Jupiter and UF’s Gainesville campus, enabling cutting-edge RNA research and therapeutic development:

• State-of-the-art core facilities for genomics, proteomics, cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, NMR, microscopy, flow cytometry, high-content imaging, and high-throughput small molecule screening.
• HiPerGator, one of the most powerful academic high-performance computing systems, supporting AI, bioinformatics, and large-scale data analysis.
• The UF Health Cancer Center, an NCI-designated cancer center, providing opportunities for translation into cancer therapeutics.
• The McKnight Brain Institute, one of the largest neuroscience research centers in the country, supporting neurobiology and neurodegeneration research.
• The Emerging Pathogens Institute, fostering research into infectious disease and RNA virus biology.
• Extensive medicinal chemistry and drug discovery infrastructure, including automated synthesis platforms, structural biology pipelines, and pharmacokinetics facilities.
• A top-ranked, bicoastal Scripps Research Ph.D. graduate program, providing access to outstanding trainees.
• A highly collaborative scientific community, with faculty across chemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, structural biology, and pharmacology.

We’re committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent.  As an equal opportunity employer, we believe in fostering environments where team members feel valued and empowered to do their best work.

Minimum Qualifications – Candidates must have a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g., chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, immunology, neuroscience); a strong record of research excellence and innovation; a commitment to mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration; and the ability to establish and sustain an independent, extramurally funded research program.

Applications should be submitted through https://apply.interfolio.com/165224 and include:

1) A cover letter

2) A curriculum vitae

3) A research statement

4) The names of three referees. Please include email and phone number.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to those received by May 15, 2025. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-2HRS or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals. As a public institution, it is subject to all requirements under Florida’s Sunshine and Public Records laws.

Candidates must have a PhD, MD or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g., chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, immunology, neuroscience); a strong record of research excellence and innovation; a commitment to mentorship, diversity, and interdisciplinary collaboration; and the ability to establish and sustain an independent, extramurally funded research program.

About The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology

The scientists of UF Scripps Biomedical Research work at the exciting interface of chemistry and biology. We blend leading-edge expertise and resources to illuminate the molecular basis of health and disease. Employing unique and advanced tools of drug discovery, we pursue novel treatments for a world of unmet medical needs, in areas including genetic diseases, infectious diseases, brain disorders, autoimmune diseases and cancers. The UF Scripps Biomedical Research campus in Jupiter, Florida was founded by Scripps Research, one of the world’s most innovative nonprofit biomedical research organizations. We joined the University of Florida, one of the nation’s top five public universities, in 2022. Together, UF Health and UF Scripps work to advance science, science education and medicine, all for the benefit of humanity. The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at Scripps Research trains the next generation of scientists on our campus through its nationally recognized Ph.D. program in biomedical sciences. We offer unique resources for scientists, including our state-of-the-art molecular imaging center, which is equipped with cryo-electron microscopy. Also,... following a grant of hundreds of thousands of microbial natural product strains, the institute is home to the Natural Products Discovery Center, where scientists mine the collection for new compounds with potential to treat human disease. Today, around 500 people work at our campus, including more than 40 principal investigators. Our highly entrepreneurial culture has enabled our scientists to spin off new Florida-based companies at a rate of about one per year, each aimed at accelerating the development of innovative medicines. A 2021 study showed that we produced more than $3.2 billion in economic impact in our first 17 years of operation, not including capital investment in those spinoff companies.

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