Position summary:
The Indiana University School of Medicine is in an exciting growth phase, increasing research funding by 70% over the last four years and continuing to invest aggressively in research. The Brown Center for Immunotherapy is a key component of Indiana University’s bold expansion of research in the area of precision health with a significant infusion of resources and numerous collaborative partners in academia and industry.
The Brown Center for Immunotherapy (BCI), Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is seeking outstanding and innovative scientists for three endowed chairs in immunotherapeutic sciences.
Endowed with a $30 million gift including the below named chairs, the BCI will recruit a team of scientists for coordinated interdisciplinary approaches in the discovery and expansion its core platform technologies for personalized cellular and other immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer, and potentially other diseases. BCI interacts with a coalition of investigators in nearly all departments and centers in IUSM and the Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (IUSCCC) to derive clinical translation of novel and investigational immune-based lab discoveries. In a cohesive translational effort, BCI will bridge clinical investigators and scientists within IUSM and IUSCCC. The BCI mission is to facilitate efforts that transition vital immunobiology research into the clinic through supporting novel early promising research that engages lab and clinical investigators to lay foundations for early phase trials using the power of innate and/or adaptive immune system to treat cancer and other diseases.
The three chairs’ designations are:
1. Paige Brown Chair in Experimental Therapeutics
The holder of the Chair will be a full-time faculty member with expertise in experimental therapeutics. Candidates should hold an MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent terminal degree and currently lead an extramurally funded research program that aims at exploring the landscape of immunotherapeutic discoveries in cancer and/or are able to demonstrate sufficient experience in this field. The Chair holder is expected and will be supported to develop and standardize methodologies for measuring the immune response to investigational immunotherapies and establishing surrogate biological markers for clinical response.
2. David Brown Chair in Genomic Medicine
The holder of the Chair will be a full-time faculty member with a MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent terminal degree with expertise in the development of gene-based therapies such as new and novel cellular therapies, epigenetic approaches in cancer and potentially other diseases with the intention to harness a more powerful immune deployment, and clinical genetic editing. The Chair holder and their team will be expected and supported to enhance relationships with other academic, and industrial organizations to promote development and commercialization of cell and gene therapies.
3. Christopher Brown Chair in Immunology
The holder of the Chair will be a full-time faculty member with a MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent terminal degree with ample expertise and/or peer reviewed funding in tumor immunology and tumor microenvironment. The Chair holder and their team will be supported and tasked with further exploring mechanisms of tumor response and evasiveness with a therapeutic focus either of their own or in strong collaboration with complementary clinical and translational teams at BCI and to understand individual variability in response to immune based therapies.
Holders of these chairs will be appointed by the Dean in consultation with the Director of the Brown Center for Immunotherapy, the IUSCCC Director, and appropriate home department chair.
Expenditures may include, but are not limited to, a salary or salary supplement for the designated holders of the Chairs, funding to support research, graduate research assistance, staff, technology, equipment, and other requirements of an active faculty scholar.
Resources:
· Over $12M available in professorships, chairs and uncommitted funds from the $30 million gift from Dr. Don Brown.
· Two existing manufacturing rooms with a Clinimacs Prodigy, and four additional GMP rooms
currently being designed and built.
· Precision immunology laboratory services (PILS) core with state-of-the-art flow cytometric,
CYTOF, and imaging flow cytometry, preclinical modeling and therapeutic core with Optical Imaging and MicroCTTechnologies and IncucyteLive-Cell Analysis Applications.
· Clinical Cell Therapy and Apheresis lab.
· Vector production with 4 manufacturing suites at BSL-2 with BSL-3 practices and Gene Therapy Testing Laboratory with a BSL-3 facility.
· NIH/NHLBI National Gene Vector Biorepository and lentiviral production site for the NIH/NHLBI
· Clinical trials support through the clinical trials office and their services at IUSCCC.
Opportunities for research and collaboration, including:
• IU School of Medicine’s $120 million investment in Precision Health Initiative.
• The Indiana Collaborative Initiative for Talent Enrichment (INCITE), a $25 million partnership grant to attract top scientists.
• IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with more than 200 investigators who lead over 600 clinical trials for adult and pediatric cancers.
• Indiana University Health’s statewide network of 15 hospitals.
As the nation’s largest medical school, IUSM is committed to being an institution that not only reflects the diversity of the learners we teach and the patient populations we serve, but also pursues the values of diversity, equity and inclusion that inform academic excellence. We desire candidates who enhance our representational diversity, as well as those whose work contributes to equitable and inclusive learning and working environments for our students, staff, and faculty. IUSM strives to take an anti-racist stance, regularly evaluating and updating its policies, procedures, and practices to confer equitable opportunities for contribution and advancement for all members of our community. We invite individuals who will join us in our mission to advance racial equity to transform health and wellbeing for all throughout the state of Indiana.
Indianapolis is the capital and most populous city in the State of Indiana. It is growing economically thanks to a strong corporate base anchored by the life sciences. Indiana is home to one of the largest concentrations of health sciences companies in the nation. Indianapolis has a sophisticated blend of charm and culture with a wonderful balance of business and leisure. The growing residential base is supported by rich amenities and quality of life – the city possesses a variety of professional sports, arts venues and outdoor recreation areas. Residents of this dynamic city, and surrounding suburbs, enjoy leading educational systems and top-ranked universities, paired with a diverse population. Indianapolis International Airport is a top-ranked international airport, being named “Best Airport in North America” by Airports Council International for many years. For additional information on life in Indy: https://faculty.medicine.iu.edu/relocation