Yale University's School of Medicine seeks an exceptional leader to serve as the next Center Director of the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Research Center. The Center Director will have the opportunity to expand on the success of the PET Research Center by driving ambitious nuclear and molecular imaging research agendas and collaborating with faculty, clinicians, technicians, and students across the Yale School of Medicine. Reporting to the Deputy Dean for Clinical and Translational Research and the Chair of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, the Center Director will be a key member of the leadership for the School of Medicine at Yale. Rank will be commensurate with experience. 

Established in 2004, the PET Research Center is focused on creating a collaborative molecular imaging research environment to advance the interests of Yale clinicians and scientists; to provide educational opportunities for undergraduate students, doctoral candidates, and post-doctoral trainees; and to develop new PET radiopharmaceuticals to advance disease diagnosis and medication discovery. It is an impressive state-of-the-art 22,000-square-foot facility located on Howard Avenue in New Haven, with close proximity to other Yale School of Medicine departments.

The PET Research Center is comprised of a technologically advanced radiochemistry laboratory engaged in the development and use of a rich set of PET radiopharmaceuticals labeled with the most common PET isotopes (11C, 15O, 13N, and 18F) and an imaging and data analysis section that oversees scanning procedures and optimizes data acquisition and analysis. The PET Research Center has grown over time to include approximately 55 clinician scientists, basic scientists, technicians, and students. A key part of the School of Medicine, the Yale University PET Research Center collaborates broadly across departments to provide educational opportunities for doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Collaborations with industry partners serve to advance the use of molecular imaging in new medication discovery and the development of new PET radiopharmaceuticals. Current research interests focus on disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), oncology, cardiology, and diabetes.

The Center Director will lead the research mission for PET imaging, developing a strategic plan for furthering the excellence of the Center. This includes fostering an innovative program of grant-funded research, building collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry and other industry stakeholders, developing the next generation of PET scientists at Yale, and promoting collaborations between the PET faculty and trainees throughout the University. This position will report to the Yale School of Medicine Deputy Dean for Clinical and Translational Research and to the Chair of Radiology. As the leader of the Center, the Director will be entrusted with the administrative and fiscal management of the Center. They will have the opportunity to develop a support role for specific oversight of the administrative work of the PET Research Center. With a fiscal move out of a clinical department and into the School of Medicine directly, there will be a number of transitions to oversee. It is typical for a PET Research Center not attached to a hospital to run a deficit, but the Director should identify revenue-generating opportunities through scientific collaborations and steward University and Hospital resources responsibly.

Key opportunities and challenges for the role include:

Expand and build upon research excellence 

The Center Director will serve as the scientific director and visionary leader of the PET Research Center. The Director will be at the helm of the scientific and research mission of the organization and will seek opportunities to strengthen the existing research excellence of the Center. The Director will work towards expanding the breadth of research in the PET Research Center and will guide a research trajectory that establishes new PET core foci. This will involve reaching out to engage faculty from different departments and to explore new opportunities for collaboration.

Yale's School of Medicine is complex and broad in scope, and the new Director will need to understand and cultivate partnerships throughout. As the PET Research Center transitions from the Department of Radiology to a central School of Medicine core, maintaining strong relationships with departments and units across the School of Medicine has never been more important. Looking at areas such as the Wu Tsai Institute, the Cancer Center, and other basic sciences, the Director will help to unify efforts around medical research through PET imaging. 

Lead and enhance PET faculty and staff

The Director will provide leadership for faculty, including the mentoring of junior and non-tenure track faculty partnering with the Center, with an emphasis on career development and faculty recruitment. Working closely with department chairs to better align the needs of the Center, the Director will create opportunities for strategic hires across the School of Medicine. Yale aims not only to recruit faculty, trainees, and staff from diverse backgrounds - it must actively promote a culture of equity and inclusion. Partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will be key to ensure a data-driven approach that centers belonging in the efforts to ensure that DEI is part of the Center's everyday work. 

Establish a strategic plan for the Center and promote transparency in process

The Center Director will develop and augment a strategic plan for evolving success in PET imaging that involves a collaborative vision with other departments across the University, aligning research teams with a focus on basic physiology, pathophysiology, other imaging modalities, and other sciences. While the Center Director will focus on the scientific leadership and vision of the PET Research Center, they will also have the opportunity to develop a Core Director role. The Core Director will see to the administrative oversight of the organization, including financial and regulatory oversight. Together with this newly created role, the Director will ensure that financial resources, space, and access to equipment are stewarded respectfully and equitably. 

The next Director will use a combination of data and relationship building to develop an understanding of the current state of the Center and work with stakeholders to develop a clear vision for the future. The Director will need to be intellectually curious themselves to understand the breadth, depth, and possibilities of a PET Research Center. Unique in not having a clinical practice, there is a wealth of opportunity for the Center to continue to make an impact not only on Yale, but in the field of PET research broadly. 

Interested applicants should upload their CV and cover letter to: apply.interfolio.com/109991

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

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About Yale University

Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

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