Cincinnati Children’s seeks a director of the Division of Translational and Clinical Pharmacology. The division will bring together expertise in drug development and delivery, pediatric clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenetics/genomics, pharmacometrics, and quantitative systems pharmacology. It will serve as a bridge between the discovery sciences and the use of novel pharmacological interventions to improve clinical outcomes for neonates, infants, children, and adolescents. The division's long-term goals are to improve child health by being the leading center in the nation in translational and clinical pharmacology with new treatments, patient-centered treatment platforms and drug discovery/development initiatives.

The director of Translational and Clinical Pharmacology will provide strategic leadership and operational management of the division and fulfill the vision of growing an internationally established center for training, teaching, clinical service, research and innovation in translational and clinical pharmacology. The director will be charged with fostering an inclusive and collegial environment that encourages a high level of performance, communication, and teamwork. They will assume responsibility for maintaining and expanding the extensive interdisciplinary network of interactions with other divisions in the Department of Pediatrics, other Departments at Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, other academic centers, and industry partners. They will collaborate with other stakeholders at Cincinnati Children’s to support an ambitious, innovative, and productive vision to be the leader in pediatric translational and clinical pharmacology and in advancing the role of pharmacogenetics and pharmacometrics in individualizing patient care. The applicant will oversee and advance the education mission of the division that currently includes teaching and education, supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate fellows and students in Clinical Pharmacology. The applicant will ensure that faculty are well supported with a strong environment of multi-dimensional mentoring in their academic pursuits.

QUALIFICATIONS

The director must be an academic leader in the field of Translational and clinical pharmacology. Additionally, the director should have experience with clinical and research functions, strong leadership, administrative, and management abilities, and uncompromising integrity and ethics. The candidate will either be an MD with subspecialty board certification in pediatric clinical pharmacology and/or PhD/PharmD, or equivalent credentials. At a minimum, the candidate must meet requirements for appointment as an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati.

RESEACRH PROGRAMS IN THE DIVISION OF TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

Pediatric Pharmacology Research Program

This program evolved out of the Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (PPRU) at Cincinnati Children’s as one of 13 units across the United States established by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in response to the need for appropriate drug therapy for pediatric patients. Its mission is to conduct and support pediatric Phase I - III drug studies that conform to regulatory requirements in a safe, effective and timely fashion to produce new knowledge and enable optimal use of medications in newborns, children and adolescents.

Laboratory of Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenetics

This laboratory supports the design and execution of PK and PG studies. It develops assays for the study of developmental changes in drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters as well as the discovery and testing of the influence of genetic polymorphisms on variability in drug exposure and efficacy.

Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence

There is an unmet clinical need to better understand the dose-concentration-response and adverse events relationships of medications in pediatric patients. The pharmacometrics program provides and develops new quantitative PK/PD, biomarkers and PG approaches to address the current information gap regarding age-dependent disposition of drugs. There is an active portfolio of PK/PD modeling and clinical trial simulation projects in support of internal programs and external sponsors and clients.

T32 Training Program

The pediatric clinical pharmacology postdoctoral T32 training program goals are to train the next generation of pediatric investigators to assume leadership roles in the application of innovative, high-impact quantitative clinical pharmacology approaches to improve the development, rational use and tailoring of new and existing drug therapies for neonates, infants, children, adolescents and young adults. The training program: (1) has a focus in early  and later phase studies in multiple and diverse pediatric populations through ongoing research  collaborations with all major pediatric subspecialties; (2) involves the application and development of innovative quantitative methodologies such as PK/PD modeling and pharmacometrics, quantitative systems pharmacology modeling and simulation and model-informed clinical trial design; (3) is embedded in the institutional and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine pharmacogenetic/genomics research and training endeavors through the  Center for Pediatric Genomics; and (4) is closely integrated with Bioinformatics and Health Services and Outcomes Research. The program provides a unique training experience to MDs, PhDs and PharmDs to become the next generation of leaders whose work will advance pediatric clinical pharmacology and to have an extraordinary impact on pediatric therapeutics and health outcomes for children.

CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

Cincinnati Children’s is a nonprofit, comprehensive pediatric health system that is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the United States, established in 1883. As a leader in research, education, patient care, advocacy and innovation, Cincinnati Children’s is ranked #1 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 list of best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the #2 recipient of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Cincinnati Children’s is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care. Through an academic affiliation dating to 1926, Cincinnati Children’s comprises the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Since then, the relationship has resulted in numerous joint endeavors, including the performance of basic and clinical research, collaboration in the care of patients, cooperation in education, and training of medical students, doctoral students, residents, and fellows, and arrangements for the joint use of facilities and equipment. The main Burnet campus is adjacent to the campus of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the country’s first teaching hospital. 

With one of the largest pediatric research foundations in the nation, Cincinnati Children’s has close to 3 million sq ft of research space and receives over $280 million in extramural funding annually. Cincinnati Children’s continues to invest in state-of-the-art enabling infrastructure including a Nikon Center of Excellence imaging core, single cell genomics facility, human pluripotent stem cell facility, CRISPR genome editing, high-throughput DNA analysis, biomedical informatics, biobank and much more. Cincinnati Children’s is renowned for its highly collaborative environment that transcends divisional and departmental boundaries accelerating our shared research, education, and clinical mission of improving child health. 

LOCATION

Cincinnati is one of America’s most vibrant and beautiful river cities. Located on the north bank of the Ohio River, metropolitan Cincinnati includes Northern Kentucky and the southeast corner of Indiana. Over two million people make their home in the tri-state hub of southwestern Ohio. Rich in history and tradition, Cincinnati offers all the allure of a larger metropolis while maintaining its charm and small-town character. The city is home to three major league sports teams (Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball, Cincinnati Bengals National Football League, and FC Cincinnati Major League Soccer), the Flying Pig Marathon, world-class dining options, a vibrant arts and theatre scene, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, opera and ballet companies, historic architecture, beautiful parks, and countless family-friendly opportunities. Cincinnati is a hidden jewel in the Midwest; its diverse economy (nine Fortune 500 companies and fifteen Fortune 1,000 companies are headquartered in Cincinnati), affordable housing, and short commute times make Cincinnati the ideal location for an extraordinary quality of life.

APPLICATION, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

Applicants should attach a letter of interest (LOI), along with a CV and NIH Biosketch (if applicable). Confidential inquiries or nominations should be addressed to Dr. Jae Kim (jae.kim@cchmc.org) or Dr. Jennifer Kaplan (jennifer.kaplan@cchmc.org), Search Committee Co-Chairs.

Cincinnati Children’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, or other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

The director of the Division of Translational and Clinical Pharmacology at Cincinnati Children’s is a central leadership position at one of the leading pediatric health systems in the world.

The successful candidate will be an established or clearly emerging leader in the field, who is committed to children’s health and advancing the field through research, education, and mentorship. More importantly, they must demonstrate an interpersonal style that facilitates communication, collaboration, trust, credibility, and confidence among divisional faculty and across Cincinnati Children’s.

The successful candidate will bring the following personal qualities and professional qualifications and experience:

• Outstanding academic and research credentials with an established or emerging leadership record.
• An uncompromising commitment to excellence in patient care, research, and education.
• Ability to develop a collaborative vision, with a track record for successfully implementing new initiatives that meet the challenges of academic medicine and clinical care.
• Leadership and management experience including finances, resource management, planning, and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated experience in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring top faculty and/or fellows and students.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build and maintain trust and relationships with faculty, staff, administration, trainees, and all other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing and actively promoting diversity.
• Genuine understanding and respect for the tradition of success and collaborative science at Cincinnati Children’s and the University of Cincinnati medical campus.