Director of Geriatrics Center of Excellence

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The Minneapolis VA Health Care System is seeking an enthusiastic academic geriatric researcher to become the Director of its nationally and internationally renowned Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC).  The mission of the Minneapolis GRECC is to improve the care of the older Veteran with cognitive impairment through integrated research, education and innovative clinical care.  Current research interests include clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, animal models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, brain imaging in dementia, neuropeptide control of eating, new models of health care delivery, driving and dementia, and novel strategies for teaching the assessment and management of dementia.  An emerging area of research is the longitudinal cognitive assessment of Veterans with traumatic brain injuries that will lead to the testing of interventions to improve functional outcomes.  The combined resources of the Minneapolis VA’s GRECC, Polytrauma/TBI Units, Defense and Veterans Brain injury Center (DVBIC), and the world class neuroimaging, biochemical, and clinical research facilities at the University of Minnesota make this a unique opportunity for ground-breaking research.

The GRECC Director will be responsible for the overall operations and management of the GRECC, providing strategic leadership to foster continued growth, and developing strong working relationships with  leadership in the VA locally, regionally (VISN 23) and nationally, and the University of Minnesota. 

Physician and clinical PhD (e.g., nursing, clinical psychology) candidates are encouraged to apply.  The best qualified candidate will be an established and successful academic geriatrics researcher who will qualify for an academic appointment at the University of Minnesota at the Associate or Full Professor Level and have leadership experience and a track record of mentoring junior faculty.  The ideal candidate will be a flexible “big picture” thinker who possesses excellent interpersonal skills and is able to lead and work with groups. 

Competitive salary and benefits, recruitment incentives and relocation expenses are authorized for this position, as appropriate.  The successful candidate will be able to negotiate a competitive start-up package including the opportunity to hire at least two full-time researchers to expand the GRECC research program.  The successful candidate also may be eligible to apply for the Education Debt Reduction Program which may allow the applicant to be reimbursed for up to $120,000 over 5 years of service for medical school debt.