Career Center

The University of Kansas, Department of Psychology and Life Span Institute is seeking applicants for a full-time, tenure track, academic year (9-month) faculty position at the Assistant, Associate or Full Professor/Assistant, Associate or Senior Scientist level to begin Spring fall, 2024. This split position is focused on individuals with expertise in behavioral genetics and their application to understanding intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).

The position is being supported by a recently awarded $3M Research Rising initiative from the KU Office of Research that is focused on advancing IDD research at KU. The goal of this investment is to expand KU's international prominence in IDD research through new infrastructure investments and faculty hires in genomics and data science approaches, expanding the already strong portfolio of basic, clinical, and applied IDD research within the Life Span Institute, Department of Psychology, KU, and the KU Medical Center (KUMC). Faculty will have the opportunity to be heavily involved in our IDDRC, LEND, and UCEDD programs and further our reach in the AUCD network. More information on our Research Rising project can be found at the following link: https://mediahub.ku.edu/media/t/1_72ejpwck. Please see the following link for a broader description of the Research Rising program at KU: https://research.ku.edu/research-rising.

This position will be filled by a scholar with a focused research program examining etiological processes associated with IDDs, including genetic and non-genetic factors that contribute to IDD risk and phenotypic variation. Studies of etiological processes related to IDDs have documented a diverse range of mechanisms, including highly penetrant genetic risk variants, polygenic processes involving common genetic variation, and multiple epigenetic contributors. Many (if not all) of these risk factors is associated with a broad range of phenotypic outcomes that cut across traditional boundaries of behaviorally defined disorders. This complex picture demands multidisciplinary approaches, innovative strategies for characterizing phenotypic dimensions, and state-of-the-art computational strategies to better determine how separate genetic and non-genetic factors interact to contribute to diverse behavioral and cognitive outcomes. This faculty hire will be expected to lead and grow these approaches at KU and KUMC and collaborate with a range of scholars across disciplines and research foci. This faculty hire will be able to leverage our new research-dedicated 3T MRI scanner scheduled to be installed in Spring, 2024, as well as our extensive and diverse research registries focused on infants, individuals with IDDs, and all individuals evaluated through the University of Kansas Health System.

KU is a Carnegie doctoral/research-extensive university with a $1.4 billion endowment and a faculty of 2,600. Current enrollment is 28,500 (19,000 undergraduate), with students drawn from 110 nations and all 50 states; 20.6% of KU students are members of marginalized groups. The 1,000-acre main campus is in Lawrence, Kansas and at the center of a vibrant and culturally-rich community -- a quintessential college town. Visitors, students and new employees from outside the area enjoy discovering the many wonders of Lawrence, including a thriving downtown, diverse local and regional events, area lakes, vibrant arts and music scenes, and an indelible history. Home to nearly 95,000 people, Lawrence is located 45 minutes west of Kansas City and 30 minutes east of Topeka, the state capital. Along with the music, arts, culture and sports experiences offered at KU and in Lawrence, the short drive to Kansas City provides quick access to historic jazz clubs, museums, world-class music and theatre venues, and professional sports teams.