Three Open-rank tenure system Faculty Positions in Computational Biology

Three Open-rank tenure system Faculty Positions in Computational Biology

The Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for three open-rank tenure system faculty positions in computational biology beginning Fall 2025. All three positions will be appointed in CMSE, but joint appointments with other MSU departments are also possible based on the candidate’s research interests and teaching portfolio. Two of the three positions are supported by the MSU Global Impact Initiative, and one position is supported by the MSU College of Natural Sciences. Duties of these positions include research, teaching and service. The review of applications will start on January 5, 2025 and the search will continue until the three positions are filled.

The CMSE Department, jointly administered by the College of Natural Science and the College of Engineering, is one of the newest units at MSU. Founded in 2015, CMSE recognizes computation as the “triple junction” of algorithm development and analysis; high performance computing; and applications to scientific and engineering modeling and data science. The CMSE department hosts leading faculty groups whose research spans a broad collection of foci, including Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, Optimization, Scientific Computing, Statistical Data Analysis, and Topological Data Analysis. In conjunction with these research activities, the CMSE department boasts a strong PhD program and a vibrant postdoctoral program. The CMSE Department also offers BS and MS degrees in Data Science with minors in Data Science and CMSE, with many students continuing to advanced degrees. 

Competitive candidates will have a Ph.D. in relevant fields for the position and, preferably, a minimum of 2 years of postdoctoral experience. Applicants must also have a strong track record of conducting cutting edge research in computational biology, demonstrate their commitment to teaching and mentoring of students, and to building an equitable and diverse scholarly and instructional environment. While preference will be given to appointments at the assistant professor level, associate or full professor appointments may also be considered depending on the experience and merits of the candidate.

All areas of computational biology will be considered, including, but not limited to, multi-omics integration, gene function prediction, single-cell and spatial omics modeling, quantitative genetics of complex traits, functional genomics and epigenomics, drug discovery, systems biology, protein structures, or metabolomics. Applicants considered for this cluster-hire will preferably develop innovative and scalable computational models (e.g. machine learning, deep learning, optimization or statistics) or carry out integrative data-driven applications to solve significant biological questions. The competitive candidates will be expected to establish synergistic and inter-disciplinary collaborations with faculty across the MSU campus.

Applications will be considered complete if they include all of the following required components:

1. One-page cover letter that frames the application in the context of the ad of this cluster-hire and addresses the relation of the candidate’s research to the areas of interest.
2. A current CV with list of publications, funding history, contributed and invited talks, teaching and mentoring roles, contributions to the academic community, and service to the community.
3. A two-to-six–page research statement highlighting past research accomplishments and future plans that frame the applicant’s ability to conduct independent research. This statement should include experiences or plans to use research to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the computational biology research community.
4. A two-to-three-page teaching statement describing the applicant’s experience in instruction and research mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, including experiences or plans to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for students.
5. At least three letters of reference. These letters should address the applicant’s research ability, instructional experience and commitment, and/or service roles, if known.

Applications should be submitted via MSU careers website (careers.msu.edu), posting number 1001356. A background check is required for employment. Questions may be directed to the chair of the search committee, Prof. Jianrong Wang (wangj164@msu.edu).

Applicants are encouraged to explore the MSU Department of CMSE website at https://cmse.msu.edu.

MSU is committed to providing a work environment that supports employees' work and personal life, and offers employment assistance to the spouse or partner of candidates for faculty and academic staff positions.