Head of the Department of Biological Sciences

Head of the Department of Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University

The Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) seeks an accomplished scientist and ambitious, collaborative leader to serve as its next head. The head will hold a newly endowed headship in Biological Sciences and will lead the department at a pivotal moment of opportunity. The University is building on a historic $3 billion gift from entrepreneur Ken Griffin, and the department is opening expanded research space and new teaching laboratories in the Richard King Mellon Hall of Science, scheduled to open in early 2028. The candidate will articulate and execute a compelling vision for elevating the department’s scientific impact and external support. The head will advance the quality and visibility of life sciences research across the university, leveraging CMU’s highly collaborative environment and distinctive strengths in computational biology, engineering, computer science, and machine learning to build ambitious interdisciplinary research programs.

The Department of Biological Sciences is one of four departments in the Mellon College of Science. The college also plays a central role in the cross-university Neuroscience Institute, which has strong ties to Biological Sciences. Biological Sciences is home to 20 internationally recognized tenure-track faculty, with strengths in molecular and cellular biology, neuroscience, microbiology, and evolutionary and developmental biology. The tenure-track faculty include a dynamic group of assistant professors hired in the past five years who have already been successful in obtaining external funding. The department has an engaged and collegial community, including 60-70 graduate students, six staff members, postdoctoral fellows, and research scientists. The department also includes 16 teaching-track faculty located in Pittsburgh and at our Qatar campus. Faculty and staff are dedicated to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, including a PhD program and specialized master’s programs, including Computational Biology and Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics.

CMU and the department have a long and notable history of innovation and technology development. Faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences have developed new methods for biological imaging, microscopy, molecular visualization, and cell tracking. Currently, faculty in the department hold grants from the NIH, NSF, and multiple private Foundations. The scientific environment in Pittsburgh is vibrant and collaborative. Many faculty hold secondary appointments in other units both within CMU and at the University of Pittsburgh; collaboration through shared graduate students and externally funded research is common. 

The successful candidate will have a record of significant scientific achievement and sustained success in securing external research funding. They will bring demonstrated leadership in building research programs, recruiting and developing outstanding faculty, strengthening graduate education, and fostering productive partnerships. They will have a passion for building on the department’s strengths and fostering an environment in which faculty, staff, and students can excel, thereby advancing the department’s ambitions and impact. They will advocate effectively for the department, cultivate philanthropic and institutional support, and position Biological Sciences for substantial growth in scientific excellence, impact, and national visibility.

Distinguished candidates with demonstrated excellence in biological research, institutional leadership, administration, and teaching are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must possess a doctoral degree with training in a field of biological sciences that complements departmental strengths. In addition to demonstrated success in academic leadership and organizational development, applicants must have qualifications warranting appointment as a Full Professor, including a nationally or internationally recognized research program.

Nomination and Application Procedures:

Applications should include a cover letter, CV, research and teaching statements, and a vision statement describing the candidate’s aspirations for the department. Please apply here .

Contact: 

Ferra Executive Search has been retained to manage the search. If you have any inquiries or nominations, please send an email to:

Kevin Ferra, President
Ferra Executive Search
View email address on us.fitly.work
Please use ‘Department of Biological Sciences’ as the subject line when you contact Kevin.

Review of applications will be ongoing, starting December 1.