Chemical Biology and Therapeutics - A Division-wide, Open-rank Faculty Search

Chemical Biology and Therapeutics - A Division-wide, Open-rank Faculty Search 

Salary Range: PhD: $140,000 - $350,000, dependent on experience and academic rank; MD or MD/PhD: $170,000 - $475,000, dependent on experience, clinical expectations, and academic rank

Scope and Opportunity

The University of Chicago's Biological Sciences Division is searching for full-time scientists, physician-scientists, and engineers whose work will  advance the discovery, design, development, translation, and mechanistic understanding of new therapeutic strategies . This search is intended to capture  the full continuum from basic chemical and molecular discovery to translational therapeutics, including programs that bridge chemistry, biology, engineering, computation, pharmacology, and medicine .

We are particularly interested in candidates who  develop innovative approaches to interrogate biological mechanisms, modulate disease-relevant pathways, discover new therapeutic targets, or create transformative therapeutic platforms.

Academic rank, track, tenure status, and compensation are dependent upon qualifications. Primary appointments will be in appropriate departments or units, most likely in the Biological Sciences Division (BSD), though potentially in the Physical Sciences Division (PSD) or the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), with possible secondary appointments in other relevant units depending on the candidates' research.

These positions are benefits eligible. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the  Benefits Guidebook .

Appointees will join a highly collaborative academic ecosystem in which outstanding basic science, engineering, and clinical departments are co-located on a compact urban campus, with state-of-the-art core facilities, exceptional graduate and medical students, and opportunities to participate in multidisciplinary research, translation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship, including  Hyde Park Labs , a new hybrid facility for academic research, science-based companies and the UChicago Science Incubator, and the newly established Therapeutic Discovery Institute. 

Research Priorities

The goal of this search is to recruit faculty who will help build an integrated therapeutic discovery and development ecosystem at the University of Chicago, connecting fundamental biological discovery with chemical, computational, engineering, and clinical approaches to developing new medicines.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Chemical biology and molecular mechanisms of disease Small-molecule drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and therapeutic design Protein-, peptide-, antibody-, RNA-, gene-, genome engineering-, and cell-based therapeutics Targeted protein degradation and molecular glues Structural biology, structure-based and computational drug discovery High-throughput screening, functional genomics, and chemical-genetic approaches Drug delivery, biomaterials, nanomedicine, and tissue-targeted therapeutics Synthetic biology and engineered therapeutic platforms Translational pharmacology, biomarker-guided therapeutics, and early-stage clinical translation Therapeutic development at the interface of academia, industry, and entrepreneurship

Selection Process

The initial phase of the search is led by a committee composed of faculty from multiple departments and divisions rather than by a single hiring department. This phase is designed to identify leading candidates across the breadth of the search area and to consider how their scholarship could contribute to, and be advanced by, the University’s scientific programs and intellectual environment. During an initial campus visit, candidates will meet faculty from multiple departments, institutes, and programs.

A follow-up visit will be organized by the departmental affiliation(s) best suited to support each candidate’s work and long-term success. Additional information about the selection principles and the broader division-wide recruitment strategy is available here:  BSD Faculty Recruitment .

A Division-Wide Recruitment Initiative

This search is one of five coordinated, open-rank searches through which the Biological Sciences Division and UChicago Medicine, in collaboration with the Physical Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, are recruiting a cohort of exceptional faculty to expand the scale, disciplinary breadth, and human impact of biomedical research at UChicago. Candidates whose work spans more than one search area are encouraged to apply to multiple searches.

1. Cancer Biology and Immunology
2. Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (this ad)
3. Translational Neuroscience
4. AI-Enabled Biology and Medicine
5. Physician-Scientists—All Health-Related Areas

Application

Prior to the start of employment, qualified applicants must have a doctoral degree or equivalent.

To be considered, those interested must apply through The University of Chicago‚ Academic Recruitment job board, which uses Interfolio to accept applications:  . Applicants must upload:

1. a cover letter 
2. CV including bibliography
3. research statement
4. teaching statement
5. names and contact information for three references

Review of complete applications will start on September 30, 2026, and end when the positions are filled.

For instructions on the Interfolio application process, please visit  .

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's  Notice of Nondiscrimination .

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call View phone number on jobs.sciencecareers.org or email  View email address on jobs.sciencecareers.org with their request.