Director, Research & Science

Job Summary

The University of Utah seeks a nationally recognized cannabis researcher to serve as the Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR). The Director will organize, implement, and oversee scientific and administrative aspects of the CMCR, in partnership with the Health Research Office (HRO), as well as CMCR's senior manager, the steering committee, the external advisory board, and key collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Engage and seek feedback from key stakeholders and oversee committee/board activities and involvement.
• Work with the CMCR staff to organize evidence-based literature reviews and develop plans for dissemination to researchers, providers, policymakers, and the public.
• Lead research committee in developing medical cannabis best practices and guidelines for implementation in the medical cannabis program.
• Serve as an institutional representative to the University, community, external visitors, and lawmakers, and provide information and analysis to support formal partnerships with external entities.
• Identify federal and philanthropic opportunities for funding, develop and successfully acquire grants, and lead faculty researchers to develop research/clinical/community teams interested in responding to funding opportunities.
• Oversee the development and execution of the annual seed grant program to catalyze innovative cannabis research concepts.
• Work with the senior manager to develop community engagement events (i.e., annual symposium, workshops, seminars, etc.) while maintaining oversight of related budgetary requirements.
• Create networking and collaborative research opportunities with external partners and national cannabis research centers.
• Complete annual evaluations and reporting activities to the HRO and Utah State Legislative bodies and oversight committees.
• Develop faculty and training mentorship opportunities.
• Foster a collaborative and translational approach to research, creating a culture of fairness and belonging in H.B. 230.

Qualifications

• A PhD, MD, or another clinical doctorate in a related field (a diverse array of disciplines will be considered).
• An outstanding record of productive funded research in a breadth of cannabis related research, which may include any of the following areas, but is not limited to:
• Investigation of the whole or parts of the cannabis sativa plant, cannabis extracts or enriched extracts, cannabinoid compounds extracted and derived from cannabis extracts, non-cannabinoid constituents of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, and the components of the endocannabinoid system (the signaling pathways in the body activated by cannabinoids).
• Clinical, public health, and medical cannabis program related.
• Development of innovative approaches to addressing medical cannabis' therapeutic risks and/or benefits.
• Exploration of the analgesic properties of cannabinoids and their constituents.
• Contraindications, drug-drug interactions, adverse effects, and risk of cannabis use disorder.
• The potential health effects of various cannabis delivery methods, including vaporizing, ingesting, topical application, and combustion.
• Novel cultivation, synthesis, and production techniques or frameworks to support research, regulation, and standardization.
• Social, healthcare systems, policy, and economic aspects related to medical cannabis access, use, and regulations.

Priorities

• Strong communication skills.
• Strong leadership capabilities with an interest in creating multidisciplined teams, including cannabis researchers across Utah's academic institutions.
• Experience in setting strategic direction/vision, implementation, and execution.
• A history of successful extramural grant funding (ideally displaying consistency in receiving NIH grant funding, including collaborative grants).
• An ability to engage with and lead, implement, and oversee legislative directives as described.
• An ability to maintain organizational goals and budgetary oversight.
• The ability to strategically utilize the outstanding research services accessible to the director (e.g., Utah Population Database, Clinical & Translational Science Institute, etc.), access clinical data from the Medical Cannabis Outcomes Research Evaluation (MCORE) team, and leverage resources from the Center for Human Toxicology (CHT).
• Experience supporting the development of a successful research center or a collaborative cannabis research program.