Autism Program Director - Oregon Health & Science University

The Institute on Development and Disability (IDD) within the Department of Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) invites applications from clinical scientists to serve as the Autism Program Director.

Duties of Position: The successful candidate will be a leader in clinical research initiatives by establishing a line of clinical research and supporting scholarly activities related to autism and associated conditions through collaboration with others. To promote critical linkage between clinical and research endeavors, the incoming director will provide patient care through the program’s clinical arm. Further, the successful candidate will support advocacy and statewide initiatives. Time devoted to each activity to be negotiated.

Qualifications: We are seeking a professional with a strong clinical research emphasis, proven track record of securing extramural funding, excellent clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. As such, candidates at the Associate Professor level may be most competitive. This position is open to individuals with doctoral degrees of various professional backgrounds (e.g., psychology, speech-language pathology, developmental pediatrics). Must be licensed in Oregon or license-eligible and able to attain privileges at OHSU.

About The Program: The IDD Autism Program incorporates service, scholarship, and teaching consistent with OHSU’s mixed missions. A referral center for the region, the program provides over 500 multidisciplinary assessments annually for individuals referred with the question of autism spectrum disorder, in addition to treatment and consultation services. The clinic population is diverse (e.g., ~20% of families being of non-white race, 20% being of Latino ethnicity, majority using public insurance). Clinical education and scholarship are well integrated into the program. Finally, advocacy and community partnership are important components of the program (e.g., Camp Odakoda ASD summer camps, Autism Society of Oregon Welcome Project).

An Environment for Success: The new director will join a rich and exciting environment that supports academic success. OHSU is home to nationally and internationally recognized leaders in autism and related research; strengths exist in neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, and computational linguistics. A multitude of institutional resources exists to support innovative research (e.g., OHSU Brain Institute, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute). There is a long history of successful collaborative research projects and involvement in large national projects (e.g., Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, SPARK). Notably, research relationships are well formed across the Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Molecular and Medical Genetics, and Behavioral Neuroscience. To maximize collaboration, OHSU is currently developing an Autism Center structure to accelerate collaborative research. The Department of Pediatrics is fully committed to autism-focused research, incorporating this endeavor into its 10-year strategic plan.  OHSU is making strategic investments in neuroscience and cross-discipline, collaborative research. These are just some of the resources available to ensure success of the new director.

About IDD and OHSU: The IDD has a 100+ year history of advancing knowledge to improve the lives of those with disabilities and special health needs. The Institute includes a robust clinical enterprise with various diagnostic, management, and intervention service lines focused on youth with disabilities and special health needs; a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; extensive training initiatives, including a federally funded interdisciplinary training program and several accredited discipline-specific training programs; Oregon’s Title V program for youth with special health needs; Oregon’s Office on Disability and Health; and several other centers and programs.

OHSU is one of over 100 academic health centers in the nation and the only one in Oregon. OHSU receives more than $350 million each year in outside funding for sponsored projects. Most of these funds are from the National Institutes of Health; OHSU ranks in the top 30 academic health centers in NIH funding.

How to Apply: OHSU is an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.

To apply, please access the OHSU Human Resources web page, www.ohsujobs.com and enter position ID 2019-1771 in the search field.

For further information about this exciting opportunity, please contact:

 Kurt A Freeman, PhD, ABPP (he, him, his)

Director, Institute on Development and Disability
Fred Fax Endowed Professor of Pediatrics

office 503- 494-0360 | fax 503-494-6868

freemaku@ohsu.edu