The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine (UAB Heersink SOM) is currently seeking an energetic and innovative leader to serve as the Co-Principal Investigator of the Congenital and Perinatal Infections Consortium (CPIC; https://rdcrn.org/cpic), previously known as the Collaborative Antiviral Study Group (CASG; https://sites.uab.edu/casg/). Funded continuously by NIH/NIAID/DMID since the early 1970s, the CPIC/CASG is a network of over 40 pediatric academic medical centers across three continents that evaluates antiviral therapeutics in, defines the natural history of, and identifies biomarkers for rare diseases with a large unmet medical need, including neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, acute flaccid myelitis, neonatal and infantile influenza infection, neonatal enteroviral sepsis syndrome, and congenital Zika syndrome. The CPIC/CASG Central Unit is located in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, and study sites are located across the United States, the United Kingdom, Peru, and Canada. Studies conducted by the CASG/CPIC have led to 13 labeling changes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for antiviral drugs including acyclovir, valganciclovir, and oseltamivir, and generated the sole data that supported the Emergency Use Authorization for use of oseltamivir in infants under 12 months of age during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. CASG studies have defined the standard of care for neonatal HSV infections and congenital CMV disease. Current CPIC studies are supported with > $17M in NIH funding, and evaluate novel treatment approaches for neonatal HSV, new antiviral drugs for congenital CMV, long-term benefit of antiviral therapy in congenital CMV, and natural history and biomarker studies of acute flaccid myelitis, neonatal enteroviral sepsis, and congenital CMV. The CPIC is entering Year 4 of 6 of its funding current funding cycle, with the potential for two additional 5-year funding cycles (funding potentially through 2035) through the competitive NIH Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (https://www.rarediseasesnetwork.org/) U54 mechanism.

The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. David Kimberlin, CPIC/CASG Principal Investigator, to develop, initiate, oversee, and analyze the clinical studies conducted by the Consortium. She or he will have direct oversight of the highly skilled staff of the CPIC/CASG Central Unit. It is anticipated that the CPIC PI leadership will transition to this person over the next 3 to 4 years. The successful candidate also will serve as Executive Director of the UAB Pediatric Research Office, which provides full capacity clinical research support services to faculty across the UAB Department of Pediatrics (DOP) and is a joint collaboration between the DOP, the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (which is UAB's CTSA), and Children's of Alabama. The position will report to the Co-Directors of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division, who in turn report to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. 

The successful candidate will have a doctoral degree (MD, DO, or MD/Ph.D.) and be board-certified in Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Expertise in virology and clinical trial design are particularly sought, with multicenter research experience being highly desirable. Candidates should have a demonstrated record of academic achievement through independent or collaborative research, and scholarly publications and have an interest in pursuing academic activities. Experience with clinical/translational research is essential, and contribution to national professional committees is beneficial.

The UAB Heersink SOM* is a multi-campus medical school with its main campus in Birmingham and three regional campuses in Huntsville, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. With more than 1,700 full-time faculty and almost 2,000 medical and graduate students, the Heersink SOM ranks 8th in NIH funding among public institutions, and 21st nationally among all institutions. Three departments within the Heersink SOM are ranked in the top 10 for NIH funding in 2021 (Dermatology, #2; Microbiology, #9; and Biomedical Engineering, #10), and the Department of Pediatrics is ranked #17 nationally. In terms of NIAID funding, the Heersink SOM ranks #10 nationally.

UAB currently is experiencing major and sustained investment and growth, due to both its exceptional research faculty and its culture of collaboration. UAB, through concerted and strategic investments in its clinical and research enterprise, has undergone an amazing transformation in the past five years and has strengthened its status and reputation as a leader in medical training, biomedical discovery, innovation, and patient care.

In 2021, UAB was named the Best Large Employer by Forbes, and is ranked #4 for diversity. Driven by an intensely collaborative and entrepreneurial character, UAB is one of the leading economic engines of the State, with a nearly $4 billion budget and a statewide economic impact exceeding $7 billion annually. UAB is Alabama's largest employer with more than 23,000 employees; it supports more than 64,000 jobs statewide. UAB received nearly $849 million in research grants and extramural awards for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2021.

UAB Heersink SOM is located in Birmingham, Alabama.** Relocation to the Birmingham area is required for this role.

UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of, race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.

(MD, DO, or MD/Ph.D.

A pre-employment background check investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.