Associate Director for Precision Nutrition and AgriLife Research Professor

About the role

The Texas A&M AgriLife Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, IHA, invites applications for the Associate Director for Precision Nutrition. This leadership position will drive innovation at the intersection of Precision Nutrition, Healthy Living and Responsive Agriculture, advancing IHA’s mission to integrate biological discovery, translational science and real-world impact.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead and expand IHA’s Precision Nutrition, PN, research portfolio
  • Develop and execute a bold vision building synergy and aligning PN with other IHA focus areas, i.e., Responsive Agriculture and Healthy Living
  • Shape institutional priorities and national visibility in PN
  • Research Excellence
    • Advance discoveries across broad areas of nutrition, such as:
    • Effects of food, nutrients, non-nutrient bioactives, and dietary patterns on health and disease risk
    • Diet interactions with gut microbiota, contaminants, and other environmental exposures on health outcomes
    • Interindividual/subpopulation variability in dietary responses
    • Nutritional modulation of metabolism, transcriptional regulation, epigenetics, immunity and other physiological responses and resulting health-span
    • Link pre-clinical discoveries to human biomarkers to advance the prevention/treatment of chronic diseases
    • Translate mechanistic insights into actionable dietary strategies and agricultural innovations
  • Program Development and Collaboration
    • Maintain a nationally recognized, externally funded research program
    • Build cross-disciplinary teams across nutrition, agriculture, engineering, public health and clinical sciences
    • Foster partnerships with federal agencies (e.g., NIH, USDA), industry and academic institutions
    • Lead large-scale, multi-investigator grants and initiatives
• Education and Mentorship
  • Mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty
  • Contribute to education of nutrition and related disciplines
  • Promote workforce development in Precision Nutrition
• National Leadership and Service
  • Represent IHA in national organizations (e.g., American Society for Nutrition)
  • Contribute to scientific advisory panels, editorial boards and policy discussions
  • Enhance IHA’s reputation as a global leader in Precision Nutrition

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Nutrition, Nutritional Sciences or a related field
• Established record of high-impact publications in leading journals (e.g., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Journal of Nutrition)
• Established record of sustained extramural funding (NIH, USDA or equivalent)
• Demonstrated leadership in interdisciplinary research and program development
• Strong commitment to collaboration and team science

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in human clinical nutrition or other modern precision nutrition approaches
• Professional credentials such as Registered Dietitian, RD, or equivalent clinical experience
• Proven ability to lead large-scale collaborative initiatives
• Experience translating research into practice, policy or food/agricultural systems
• Track record of leadership in national or international scientific organizations