The Division of Neuroscience (DN) at NIA is planning to recruit for several positions within the Division. DN offers a fast-paced, collegial work environment in support of cutting-edge research and advances in all areas related to brain aging and behavior, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias. DN plays a critical role in working across the Federal Government and with other partners to prioritize and implement the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. The 2021 NIH Alzheimer's Research Summit: Path to Precision Medicine for Treatment and Prevention highlighted important opportunities and challenges for our work.
DN supports research and training to further the understanding of neural and behavioral processes associated with the aging brain. Areas of special emphasis include brain-behavior relationships and how the processes of aging and age-related cognitive decline intersect with the development of AD and other dementias of aging. An important component is the support of basic, clinical, and epidemiological studies of AD and related dementias of aging, including development of improved biomarkers and development of new therapies. The basic theme throughout the division is to understand the aging nervous system in order to foster the maintenance of health and improve the quality of life of the older population. Browse positions available within the following branches:
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Branch
- Clinical Interventions and Diagnostics Branch
- Neurobiology of Aging and Neurodegeneration Branch
- Office of the Division Director
- Office of Strategic Development and Partnerships
- Population Studies and Genetics Branch
- Translational Research Branch
For more information about positions within DN, please contact Maddie Jezioro.
Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Branch
- Health Scientist Administrator. A successful candidate will have responsibility to develop and expand Affective Neuroscience program within the branch. Will take responsibility for computational neuroscience research within the branch and to coordinate across the Division and NIA and manage the clinical trial portfolio for age-related decline in cognition.
- Health Scientist Administrator. A successful candidate will have the responsibility of providing oversight & development of a portion of the Sensory System programs and a of portion of the Cognitive Neuroscience program.
- Health Specialist. More details will be forthcoming.
Clinical Interventions and Diagnostics Branch
- Health Specialist. More details forthcoming.
- Health Scientist Administrator/Program Officer (Two positions available). More details forthcoming.
- Health Scientist Administrator/Program Officer. The two successful candidates will work closely with Program Officers to support research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding epidemiological and genomics portfolio. Health Specialists will work closely with Program Officers in the Epidemiology portfolio to support oversight and diversification of the population studies program and with Program Officers within the Genetics portfolio to coordinate Genomic Data Sharing oversight and reporting. Expertise of epidemiological research or of genomic data sharing is desirable.
- Health Specialist. The successful candidates will work closely with Program Officers to support research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding clinical trials and biomarkers portfolios. The Health Specialist will be responsible for providing support and oversight of the biomarker and therapy development portfolios. Expertise in biomarker and therapy development or clinical research is desirable.
Neurobiology of Aging and Neurodegeneration Branch
- Health Scientist Administrator/Program Officer (Position filled). The successful candidates will work as Program Officers to developed research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding portfolio of grants in neurobiology of aging and neurodegeneration. Specifically, portfolio of research on the genetic, molecular, cellular, physiological mechanisms of normal and pathological brain aging. Expertise in adaptive immunity is desirable.
- Health Specialist (Two positions available). More details will be forthcoming.
Office of the Division Director
- Health Specialist/Program Analyst. More details forthcoming.
Office of Strategic Development and Partnerships
- Health Specialist/Program Analyst. A successful candidate will provide project management for a number of Division-wide activities, resources and logistics contracts for scientific meetings and workshops.
- Health Specialist. The successful candidate will work closely with Program Officers to support research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding clinical trials and biomarkers portfolios. The Health Specialist will be responsible for providing support and oversight of the biomarker and therapy development portfolios. Expertise in biomarker and therapy development or clinical research is desirable.
Population Studies and Genetics Branch
- Health Specialist. A successful candidate will work closely with Program Officers to support research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding epidemiological and genomics portfolio. Health Specialists will work closely with Program Officers in the Epidemiology portfolio to support oversight and diversification of the population studies program and with Program Officers within the Genetics portfolio to coordinate Genomic Data Sharing oversight and reporting. Expertise of epidemiological research or of genomic data sharing is desirable.
- Health Scientist Administrator/Program Officer. The Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) portfolio, within the Population Studies and Genetics Branch is aimed at the discovery of therapeutic targets for AD by identification of regions in the genome conferring risk or protection and associated molecular pathways with clear links to the etiology of disease. Research focuses on discovery of novel genomic elements and their functional roles driving heterogeneity and pathogenesis of AD and aims to fully reveal the genetic architecture of AD/ADRD in multiple ethnic groups. Successful candidates will be responsible for managing a portfolio of grants in the scientific are described above. Additional responsibilities include identifying opportunities for scientific growth, recognizing important gaps in knowledge, relevant program needs, and scientific opportunities to address each. The successful candidate will make recommendations for new research efforts and/or other initiatives and provide expert advice relating to specific proposals in the Genetics of AD/ADRD program area.
Translational Research Branch
- Health Specialist. The successful candidates will work closely with Program Officers to support research grants, cooperative agreements, and training awards in the rapidly expanding clinical trials and biomarkers portfolios. The Health Specialist will be responsible for providing support and oversight of the biomarker and therapy development portfolios. Expertise in biomarker and therapy development or clinical research is desirable.
- Health Scientist Administrator. The successful candidates will have responsibility for oversight and continued development of the Division’s drug discovery and preclinical drug development portfolios and translational infrastructure programs. The Branch supports the full spectrum of drug discovery and preclinical drug development from target discovery and validation through securing Investigational New Drug (IND) status for small molecules and biologics aimed at prevention, treatment, and management of individuals with or at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias. In addition, the branch supports the development of translational infrastructure programs that operate under open-source, open-science principles. Central to the mission of the branch is the integration of data science disciplines (such as systems and network biology, systems pharmacology, and translational bioinformatics) with experimental approaches throughout the drug development process, including for the purposes of advancing drug repositioning and combination therapy development. Expertise in developing, leading and overseeing drug discovery and preclinical drug development programs for neurodegenerative disorders.